Resource Type: eBook Published by: Trimble Title: A Connected World: Field Service Insight Report
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Aug 02, 2017 • Features • Connected Field Service • Future of FIeld Service • resources • White Paper • White Papers & eBooks • Trimble
Resource Type: eBook
Published by: Trimble
Title: A Connected World: Field Service Insight Report
Want to know more? Access to this resource is available to Field Service News subscribers only - but if you are a Field Service Professional you may qualify for a complimentary industry practitioner subscription!
Synopsis:
Having been amongst its earliest adopters, field service organisations are well aware of the role that connectivity has in their everyday operations.
By the nature of field service a wide range of elements come into play and the difference between what makes a great working day or a poor one, are all too often to do with how these components are connected.
Overview
The eBook focusses on four key areas in which the connected world is impacting field service delivery - Connected Operations, Connected Customers, Connected Workforce, and Connected Intelligence.
Connected Operations:
The success of a field service organisation hinges on getting all parts of the organisation – the back office, the mobile workforce, the fleet management and billing and finance – working together.
Field service technologies have a critical role to play in connecting the many elements involved in the operations across the organisation and the eBook explores how the connected operation could look, not in the future but today.
Connected Customers:
Customer service is widely recognised as being the number one business priority with a proven link between customer satisfaction, retention and profitability.
Aberdeen Group report that organisations that reached a 90 percent plus customer satisfaction rate achieved an annual 6.1 percent increase in service, 3.7 percent growth in overall revenue and an 89 percent level of customer retention
Connected Workforce:
Mobile technology isn’t just changing service; it’s changing the technician as well. No longer just someone who can install or make repairs, a field technician is also a knowledgeable and trusted advisor.
With so much information at their fingertips, technicians can do their jobs more efficiently, resulting in an enhanced customer experience Field service leaders report that implementing a mobile strategy provided an 18 percent increase in service visits per technician and a 40 percent increase in service revenue contribution per technician.
Connected Intelligence:
Field service organisations are characterised by complex workflows and interdependencies which call for a sophisticated approach to measuring the KPIs that go across all aspects of their operation.
Our research shows that nearly 30 percent of field service managers believe that their organisation is ineffective at using the data they collect and just 1 in 5 believes they get the information they need from field service data to help do their job.
This conflict is a major issue facing all too many field service organisations – there is a wealth of business intelligence available to them but making use of it is seen to be an overwhelming, almost impossible, task.
Processing the volume and speed at which ‘Big Data’ is gathered and turning it into useable information is a major challenge.
Want to know more? Access to this resource is available to Field Service News subscribers only - but if you are a Field Service Professional you may qualify for a complimentary industry practitioner subscription!
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Aug 01, 2017 • Features • Management • beyond great service • Jim Baston
Charlie’s fictional journey to service sales nirvana continues as Jim Baston continues the serialisation of his excellent industry focussed book beyond Great Service continues...
Charlie’s fictional journey to service sales nirvana continues as Jim Baston continues the serialisation of his excellent industry focussed book beyond Great Service continues...
If you missed the earlier parts of this series you can catch up by clicking here
Last time Charlie and Ken had uncovered two hurdles that could negatively affect their efforts at getting their technicians to make recommendations to their customers. These were:
- The service person’s view of the salesperson
- The customer’s image of the service technician
They return to Charlie’s office. Charlie is ready to get started, but Ken points out that there are more hurdles to consider.
Ken begins: “…we might have to tighten up how we handle opportunities around here or our efforts could be in vain. Think back to the service meeting on Monday. Remember when Angus spoke about handling opportunities? Do you remember what he said? … when the lead is given, we don’t always follow-up in the timeliest manner."
"Put yourself in the tech’s shoes for a moment. There you are at the customer’s facility, and you see something that would benefit them. You work up your nerve, and as you ask them to sign your work order, you mention that you noticed something that might save them money (or time or improve air quality, etc.), and would it be all right if they arranged for someone in their office to call you."
The customer says yes.
Now the tech writes a note on the work order regarding the opportunity with the request that someone call them to discuss. One month later, the technician is back at the customer’s to perform maintenance, and the customer asks if anyone is ever going to call. How would you feel if you were the tech?”
“Well, I would be a little embarrassed and more than a little ticked off,” offers Charlie.
“Now, let’s suppose this happened again, with two or three different customers. How do you think this will impact your willingness as a tech to continue to speak to customers about additional things that Novus can do?
Skills adoption can be as much as four times more effective when combined with coaching. Training and supporting these new behaviours will also serve another purpose. It will tell everyone that this is an important strategic initiative
“Sometimes following up on opportunities is not enough either,” continues Ken. “It is important that we communicate to keep everyone informed. For example, how difficult would it be for the salesperson to send a note or voicemail to the tech that initiated the lead, to thank them and let them know they’re on the case?”
“I’m starting to get the picture,” says Charlie. “So, if we are going to ask the techs to reach out to the customer to discuss the things we can do as a company to help them, we’d better have a bullet-proof system for handling the opportunity and communicating to the techs our progress along the way.
I also hear you saying that despite the fact we are pretty good at this, it’s still not good enough. “… let me capture this as the 3rd hurdle: Systems and Processes for Handling Opportunities from the Field. Charlie writes this down on the whiteboard. “This is good, Ken. I think we are getting somewhere. Any other hurdles?”
“Yeah. … What we are asking will require some of the guys to change their behaviour and step into a role that might be uncomfortable and cause some uncertainty. To make matters worse, when they try something for the first time, they may not do it very well, which will add to the discomfort. When this happens, the path of least resistance is to revert back to the old ways. To get the results we are looking for, we need to be proactive in providing support and reinforcement to encourage their progress.”
“Why don’t we call it management coaching and support—that is, giving feedback to reinforce good behaviours, and encouragement to adjust behaviours that detract from their effectiveness in serving the customer’s needs?”
“Sounds good to me.”
Charlie writes: Hurdle # 4: Management coaching and support.
“If we are to make this work, we will need to provide ongoing resources to encourage the technician to take the risks accompanied with trying new skills—like speaking to the customer about our products and services and the potential benefits. I read somewhere that skills adoption can be as much as four times more effective when combined with coaching. Training and supporting these new behaviours will also serve another purpose. It will tell everyone that this is an important strategic initiative for Novus—not simply the latest management fad.”
Thinking about your business:
- Are your processes and systems for capturing and tracking opportunities clear?
- Do they allow any opportunities to “fall through the cracks?
- What steps do you take to provide encouragement and support for your technicians as they learn new skills and behaviours to become more proactive in making recommendations?[/unordered_list]
Next time we will consider what Charlie needs to do next to put his strategy into action.
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Jul 30, 2017 • Features • Management • Andy Neely • Wolfgang Ulaga • books • Christian Kowalkowski • Dr. Michael Provost • Howard Lightfoot • Servitization • Servitization Conference • tim baines
With the topic of Servitization gaining more and more traction both in manufacturing circles and beyond a new industry book that provides a roadmap to making the shift towards advanced, outcome based services could well be of vital use for service...
With the topic of Servitization gaining more and more traction both in manufacturing circles and beyond a new industry book that provides a roadmap to making the shift towards advanced, outcome based services could well be of vital use for service executives across the globe. One such book Service Strategy in Action has just been published and Kris Oldland spoke exclusively to co-author Christian Kowalkowski...
I’ve met with Kowalkowski a number of times over the last few years.
More often than not it is at the Spring Servitization Conference, arranged by the Aston Centre for Servitization, (who themselves are part of Aston University,) which in itself is an interesting few days as it brings the universes of industry and academia together and there seem to be more and more people in attendance from both sides of the table each year.
Indeed, this should come as little surprise to anyone who has attended any field service oriented conference across the last few years. Servitization, arguably driven by the growing maturity of IoT, has become a mainstream topic within our industry and academics such as Aston’s own Professor Tim Baines, or Cambridge University’s Andy Neely - are both highly sought after for speaking engagements on the topic.
So given the rise in interest in Servitization, it is perhaps something of an anomaly that there are so few books dedicated to the topic. There is Baines’ own offering written with Cranfield’s Howard Lightfoot, 'Made to Serve' that is generally regarded as the go to book on the topic. Then there is Dr. Michael Provost’s excellent work ‘Everything Work’s Wonderfully’ but there is not a huge amount else.
At least until now.
Kowalkowski's new book Service Strategy in Action, co-written by Wolfgang Ulaga , is in many ways perhaps a natural sequel to Baines’ & Lightfoot’s Made to Serve, which although still superbly relevant to anyone wanting to understand the topic of servitization - is now approaching it’s fifth birthday.
And while the philosophy and concept remains the same, the conversation has evolved considerably within that period.
So how does Kowalkowski view the book?
What we wanted to do was come up with a really simple road map for service strategy in action, divided into twelve distinct step
Indeed, the book certainly has the well ordered structure of a manual or how-to-guide. However, given the heavy weight nature of the content this not only makes absolute sense but is probably essential for it to be easily digested as a whole.
Kowalkowski himself, is a softly spoken and quietly intense academic with a clear passion and dedication to his topic and this also flows into his written work. Without, the roadmap structure, there could have been a danger that this book could’ve become a book for academics, that lay-folk like myself (and much of it’s intended audience) may have found hard to navigate through.
As it is however, it provides a perfect reference tool for companies making their way through the maze of moving from a traditional break-fix/SLA based business model to an outcome based services model, where uptime and CSAT are the new golden KPIS.
So how does the book plot out your path towards a truly servitized business?
Actually, the path laid out by Kowalkowski and Ulaga is a fairly straightforward one, based on their work with a number of differing organisations. As with all good ideas this journey starts at the beginning by establishing a clear understanding of why companies should be taking this path in the first place.
And of course not all companies are created equal, and very few scenarios are ever the same. So the opening section of the book deals with understanding your organisations position.
“First of all the service imperative, why at all move into service in the first place,” Kowalkowski comments.
“Is such a move a defensive stance to defend a product business? Or is it more offensive to gain additional revenue streams? What internal and external drivers towards advanced services exist within your organisation? Are you perhaps already on a burning platform - in which case maybe you better move a lot faster?”
“It [Understanding your position] also enables you to access the low hanging fruit, but then if you want to make more profound changes then you need to transform your business model more extensively and different elements of it.”
What are B2B services – what are the key challenges? Products, are of course very heterogeneous but services are even more so
The book also focuses on the cultural elements of such activities which typically are overlooked in a lot of the other academic literature on servitization which do not touch much upon the softer issues.
Yet the cultural aspect is really important and a key inclusion the book as Kowalkowski explains.
“We have a framework, key characteristics of what becomes important when building a service culture,” he begins.
“It’s all about the starting points – you often start in a service desert, a very myopic perspective where service is a necessary evil. Then the journey is through a dark tunnel before you the see the first glimpse of the promising light where service becomes a key growth engine - and that should be the aim.”
Then this framework can also be used for analysing and diagnosing the internal organisation – where are you today and what do you need to do to get to where you need to be.
Do we have some people who are really strong and supportive within the service business and if so are they in the right place?
“It’s not enough to have a service enthusiast in middle management level.” Kowalkowski asserts.
You might need to have some service evangelist on the top level and you need the service promoters on the front office. Then you need to convince enough people who are fairly indifferent
“We explore how can you do this using established change management framework and how to apply that to a servitization context – so forming a strong guiding and coalition and then empowering others to act upon that vision,” he adds.
In fact, the approach outlined in the book utilises the well established Kotter’s eight step framework which we then applied to this context.
“We said what are the service specific traits of change management here and provide some examples of that instead of re-inventing the wheel,” Kowalkowski comments.
“You have these proven frameworks already and this is very much a change management effort. It is not necessarily the hard things that fail, you might have the technology in place but maybe a company may focus to much on what is technically possible.”
You need someone who can analyse the data and suggest improvements for your client’s business, and provide them with insight that they don’t necessarily have the time and resources to do themselves
In fact, the questions around how, when and why customers should be engaged within the process of moving to a servitized business model are also covered extensively within the book.
“We focus on the customer and the job to be done in really understanding and outlining how service innovation and development is different from product innovation. We look at strategy and how it is aligned to corporate thoughts?”
“Are you really prepared to cannibalise your business – is that even really necessary?” It may that it is not - depending on what your goal is for the service growth initiative is.”
Again the emphasis is very much about establishing a firm understanding of your own current position before proceeding further. “We offer a diagnostic test that asks are you are you fit for services, do you have the right resource for what it takes? We look at this in a very straight forward manner but it can be a good starting point for many companies.”
“Then we also look at how to move from free to fee, that is how to capture more value from your existing services – which again is a good starting point for moving towards advanced services, but is also useful for maximising revenue from and getting the most mileage out of your existing services.”
Finally, there is then a focus on building a service factory, which is also about improving existing services.
“We include an example of service blueprinting and how it can be used to improve the efficiency and productivity of the service business," Kowalkowski states.
“It’s all about managing efficiency, effectiveness and capacity utilisation. Again depending on the type of service business, then what productivity aspects are important can be defined.”
Whilst the change management and cultural question are in the main handled by Kowalkowski, the discussion around the transition from selling items, to selling services is a complex one and this part of the equation is handled predominantly by Ulaga.
“Transforming sales is of course a big thing as well and Wolfgang has been working a lot with the sales management - so this part of the book is all based on his extensive work in that area,” explains Kowalkowski.
There is, of course, a very different mindset between a service sales team and a product sales team. But should companies who move to advance services be focussed on retraining their existing staff or replacing them with a specialist sales team that understands and gets service sales?
“Obviously with the magnitude of change, understanding how important it is to get this right is key,” replies Kowalkowski when I put this question to him.
“We dedicate time to looking at the key aspects; what is the difference between industrial sales and service sales? The differences in learning orientation? Customer service orientation?”
Look at those who sell service, and who does so well and there is often a much more introverted personality amongst those who are successful
‘But look at those who sell service, and who does so well and there is often a much more introverted personality amongst those who are successful.”
It is of course all about the organisation and how to fit service into your organisation.
You will never have a one size fits all solution as different companies work in different ways but Kowalkowski points out that they have noted some “different development patterns over time, such as breaking up the silo mentality, how to foster the collaboration of central and local units and so on,” insight into which would pay for the price of the book itself.
Similarly, understanding if Servitization is right for your business is just a first step on that journey, having a road-map like this book is useful in terms of knowing where you are heading and how to get there. However, it’s also good to know how fast you should be going on various elements of the journey as well.
And this has been embedded into Kowalkowski and Ulaga work also. “In terms of what comes first, strategy or structure - for us it is about having enough in place to be able to initiate the change and execute it,” Kowalkowski comments.
“Maybe you can quite easily identify things that are currently lacking – e.g ‘we are not strong in risk management’. Obviously if a company is about to offer output based services they need to improve that before they can move forward.”
“Yet, whilst that is quite concrete and you could still grab some further low hanging fruit by reviewing your current service pricing – can you start doing something about that?”
“Maybe you need to just start changing cultures and processes for certain things – or even leave some problem areas as they are - as in the long term it may encourages other service and product sales, having a delayed benefit that outweighs the problem it creates today.”
Indeed, the questions around servitization are often as complex as they are numerous, yet the long-term rewards are numerous and long lasting. For anyone going through the shift to servitization books like this are going to be of huge use.
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Jul 28, 2017 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • Mark Brewer • Mark Homer • Paul Whitelam • ClickSoftware • IFS • IoT • servicemax • The Big Discussion
In the Big Discussion we take one topic, bring together three leading experts on that topic and put four key questions to them across four weeks to help us better understand its potential impact on the field service sector...
In the Big Discussion we take one topic, bring together three leading experts on that topic and put four key questions to them across four weeks to help us better understand its potential impact on the field service sector...
This time around we turn to a brand new topic which is the Internet of Things and our experts are Paul Whitelam, ClickSoftware, Mark Homer, ServiceMax from GE Digital and Mark Brewer, IFS...
The first question of this topic was "Just how big is the potential impact of IoT on Field Service?" whilst the second answered was "Is IoT now making the shift from early adoption to mass adoption amongst field service companies?"
So let's move onto the third question of the topic...
Question Three: What are the challenges of implementing an IoT strategy within field service operation?
One of the biggest challenges of marrying IoT and field service is developing the technological infrastructure to capture, process, and respond to the data collected by IoT-enabled assets. Turning voluminous data into business intelligence will require service organisations to completely rethink their operations.
If a machine can tell you an uncomplicated part needs replacement, will you be able to dispatch a junior (and therefore less expensive) resource to provide maintenance; or simply deliver the part to the customer by drone? Will you be able to do so without human intervention? Will you be able to use IoT data to optimise scheduling preventive maintenance while reserving capacity for emergency work?
In order to fully realise the benefits of IoT, field service organisations will need to incorporate artificial intelligence driven service automation solutions that integrate with their other systems. IT support will be increasingly important, as well as expertise in data science.
There are still some hurdles to overcome in the wider context, such as security, data storage, infrastructure demands, and the knock-on effects across a company’s wider IT systems. But many of the data protection issues and cyber threats have been addressed by the development of more sophisticated edge computing devices and edge to Cloud technologies, as well as putting some of intelligence and logic (AI) power and computing next to the critical asset. Very few companies have the expertise in-house required to protect industrial data, so you should engage data science cyber security specialists where it makes sense.
There’s also the question of who in a company can best lead the digital charge. Companies need a person or team that can bridge the gap between IT, service and operations so that all competing priorities are met. It’s an easier issue for larger companies to address as they have a greater breadth of talent pool and a wider range of skills.
I also think mindset can be an inhibitor or an accelerator. Most people can think big, but the potential of the Industrial Internet means you can think bigger. You’ve got to sit down and look of the art of the possible and then map a digital strategy to it. There’s lots of help available in this area, such as dedicated foundries, maturity assessments et al, but people don’t know they exist.
Like many things, it depends:
If equipment is high-value and expected to have a long life, you need to retrofit them with sensors.
Those sensors may be 3rd-party.
Many facilities, even today, have limited bandwidth available to them. This can make transmitting data from many sources challenging.
For third-party service providers there’s the question of data ownership. Who owns information collected about how equipment is being used and is performing? The service provider? The OEM? The customer?
Fundamentally, the biggest challenge with adopting and implementing IoT is having the right structure and systems in place to maximise its value. It doesn’t serves an organisation to have the ability to collect data from assets if that data is not processed and actioned in real-time.
Organisations need business process intelligence, optimised field service management, and real-time visibility to truly maximise the potential of IoT.
Next weeks the final question of this topic: Are field service companies who are not adopting IoT at risk of becoming non- competitive?
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Jul 27, 2017 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • resources • white papers • White Papers & eBooks • Digital Transformation • Enterprise Service Management
Resource Type: White Paper Published by: IFS Title: Digital Transformation and enterprise service management - what's next?
Resource Type: White Paper
Published by: IFS
Title: Digital Transformation and enterprise service management - what's next?
Want to know more? This white paper is available to Field Service News subscribers but if you are a Field Service Professional you may qualify for a complimentary industry practitioner subscription! Click here to apply for a subscription now and we’ll send you this white paper to your inbox now instantly as a welcome gift!
Synopsis:
Digital transformation is the predominant trend impacting today’s global business. Broadly speaking, digital transformation speaks to the changes produced by the application of digital technology to society at large—just walk down a street or go into a coffee shop and look at the eyes focused on the ubiquitous smartphone.
But for business, digital transformation goes beyond the tactical application of technology—something that has been happening in enterprises for years—to the strategic incorporation of digital technology as the very basis for competition. It is transforming business models by speeding innovation and making ongoing practical gains in operational efficiencies, product design, development and delivery, and customer relationships. It’s changing the way companies think about coming to market.
In this age of digital transformation, the old methods of service simply don’t apply anymore. World-class organisations must now anticipate service needs before they manifest as problems by taking a proactive approach to service delivery. To be sure, the technologies driving the digital transformation are both ratcheting up the pressure on service while providing new opportunities. Those companies looking to what’s next as service continues to evolve will benefit greatly as the digital transformation continues.
Overview
The white paper focusses on three core elements of digital transformation in a field service context:
Impact of Digital Transformation on Field Service
For service providers, the digital transformation will mean increasing competitive pressure in terms of time to response. At IFS, we believe there will be a rapid escalation in response time competition across the service provider industry. Response times are shortening because of customer expectations, technology capabilities, and competitive pressure .
Because of the disruptive nature of technologies such as IoT, the change will not be incremental. I
f your current response time is a week, it’s not enough to reduce it to six days. It will have to be a more dramatic reduction, and those that move first will have an advantage. Expectations are changing from days to hours or minutes, and those that are left behind will lose business.
Supporting the Digital Transformation in Service
A company pursuing digital transformation must have tools that allow executives and managers to review and orchestrate processes that align with their business strategy to ensure process execution delivers that strategy.
A company pursuing digital transformation must have tools that allow executives and managers to review and orchestrate processes that align with their business strategy
This can happen by assessing real-time business performance in the context of how it affects key business processes and goals, giving managers real-time operational intelligence and actionable controls to solve issues before they become problems. The solution is about strategy acceleration and execution.
What's next?
A recent report on the state of digital transformation had some interesting results: 88 percent of companies surveyed said they were undergoing digital transformation efforts, but only a quarter had an understanding of what it is.
The challenge creating this gap, according to Forbes, was not investment in technology but rather the realignment of business models to reflect the transformation being sought. This underscores the point made by IDC: digital transformation is not just a technology trend, but rather a core business approach at the center of enterprise strategies across all industry segments and markets.
Want to know more? This white paper is available to Field Service News subscribers but if you are a Field Service Professional you may qualify for a complimentary industry practitioner subscription! Click here to apply for a subscription now and we’ll send you this white paper to your inbox now instantly as a welcome gift!
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Jul 27, 2017 • Features • Management • Mark Brewer • Dr. Stephen Covey • IFS
Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director, IFS discusses how leadership and management guru Covey’s approach can be easily adapted for field service management...
Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director, IFS discusses how leadership and management guru Covey’s approach can be easily adapted for field service management...
I recently had the pleasure of conversing with a Boeing executive at dinner during an event and the topic of effective leadership in regards to current organisational challenges came up.
We talked about Dr. Stephen Covey’s leadership training and how it had helped him evolve as a leader and ultimately equipped him to manage an effective, productive IT team.
The discussion made me think about the pressures on the field service industry and the demand for rapid transformation.
When faced with change, organisations need strong leadership and change management skills to be effective. In fact, Dr. Covey’s leadership steps can easily be applied to help a field service organisation on its digital transformation journey. Let’s explore a few of his recommendations in the context of field service transformation.
Focus on what matters most
What matters most are your customers. They are the bread and butter of your business
Any plans for digital transformation should keep this in mind. If you prioritise change based on how it improves your relationship with your customers, everything else falls into place, from service margin to cost reduction to operational efficiency.
Seek first to understand those you lead
Digital transformation means adopting new technologies and new mindsets. It means a lot of out-with-the-old and in-with-the-new. Whether you are applying optimisation to your processes, adding new technologies such as robotics or IoT, or adopting entirely new methodologies such as “uberization,” you need to be sure that your people not only understand the rationale but are also equipped to handle and embrace the change.
This may mean that you need to explore options such as re-education of your work force, hiring for skill gaps, creation of incentive programs and different recruitment tactics to ensure that your people will help you to drive change, rather than hinder it.
Sharpen the saw
Complacency is the enemy of digital transformation. Are you driving personal growth from the top level down at your organisation?
Complacency is the enemy of digital transformation.
Take steps such as attending training classes, tracking and mapping field service innovation in a five year plan, and creating futuristic opportunities such as a think tank at your organisation to ensure that you are constantly pushing the horizon when it comes to innovation, and subsequently, a unique competitive edge.
Begin with the end in mind
The value of KPIs and company goals is no foreign concept in field service but as simple as this advice may seem, it is imperative. The end doesn’t have to be a permanent fixture but an extensible one.
There may be multiple ends.
You may be focused on company numbers for this year, growth for next year, and market share in five years. Whatever the goals and KPIs may be, make sure they are attainable, accessible, and apparent. Whatever new technologies you plan to adopt or methodologies you plan to change, ensure that they are helping you to reach the end you have in mind. Navigate the minefield that is the multitude of recommendations on achieving digital transformation success by ensuring that any digital transformation journey directly contributes to the goals you have set.
Too often organisations underestimate the need for effective leadership and change management when it comes to transforming the business.
Digital transformation in the industry is driven by the consumer and often in a hurry to keep up, organisations adopt new technologies without a larger more encompassing understanding of the long-term ramifications and alternatively the value.
As Dr. Stephen Covey identified for the individual, the same concept can apply to an organisation as an entity. Strong leadership will propel an organisation through digital transformation effectively. The journey requires communication, collaboration, and leadership.
Dr. Stephen Covey’s seventh habit (of highly effective people) is to be proactive. Think ahead of your customer.
Think ahead of your board. Think ahead of your people.
The more forward facing your organisation is, the better equipped it will be to deal with rapid change in the market. When we live in a world of driverless cars, flying drones, robotics and more, your field service delivery will still be relevant, and that’s what matters most.
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Jul 26, 2017 • Features • fleet technology • sergio barata • Software and Apps • telogis
Earlier this year Telogis launched a new mobile application 'Spotlight' at the CV Show. Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News, caught up with Sergio Barata, Telogis, General Manager, EMEA to see find out more about the application and to...
Earlier this year Telogis launched a new mobile application 'Spotlight' at the CV Show. Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News, caught up with Sergio Barata, Telogis, General Manager, EMEA to see find out more about the application and to see how it has been received in the initial months after launch.
Telogis can often be a somewhat confusing organisation to pin down in terms of where their offering sits exactly. The easiest place to pigeon-hole them for many is simply alongside other telematics software solutions such as Microlise or their new(ish) stable mates Fleetmatics. But when you scratch the surface there is a lot, lot more to the Telogis platform that resembles much of the capabilities of field service centric solutions. Then there is the big, and growing focus on mobile.
This is something that Barata confirms when we speak commenting that the general trend for Telogis in terms of innovation in their solution across the last few years has seen "a big, big drive towards mobility enablement."
And this is really where Spotlight, the latest app from Telogis sits. As Barata explains:
"We started with some simple things [in terms of mobile applications] like vehicle inspection apps and driver behaviour coaching apps etc but what we have seen is that companies want to drive mobile adoption not just on those tactical business initiatives, we are actually seeing our customers wanting to engage less and less with most applications on a computer and they actually prefer to engage with a mobile app."
"I've certainly had this experience myself, I used to log onto my online banking on my computer all the time and now I rarely do it - maybe occasionally, for something very specific, but a mobile app will get me through about 80% of my requirement and it is just so much more convenient - and in my opinion secure because of technologies like fingerprint identifications etc."
"Our customers are going through those same experiences and creating their own similar expectations of our technologies. Spotlight really brings us a big step closer to delivering that experience."
So what exactly is Spotlight?
Barata describes it as "a mobile app that essentially brings all of the key metrics and key data for any fleet manager or operations manager into a single mobile experience." The application experience itself can split up the information it presents into all of the key areas of interest whether it be safety, efficiency, job execution, productivity, fleet utilisation etc. Which could certainly give handy at a glance insight to field service managers, especially those that are often on the road themselves. As Barata comments 'it is almost replacing the need to create automated reports and alerts and having to log into to web browsers each time you want to review some aspect of your operations."
Whilst having this information easily to hand could be of use, there is a danger that it could be useless unless configurable not only to specific organisations needs but also to specific needs based on the job function of who is using it. So how configurable is Spotlight and does it have the same full functionality as a browser based dashboard type of tool we have become accustomed to? Is it configurable from the app or does it need to be set up online?
"Data metrics that come out of these systems can be overwhelming, there is a lot of data these days" Barata comments "therefore the key to the app being impactful and simple is that you go into the web portal and set up the configuration and essentially define the experience you are looking for on the mobile in the back end."
"A lot of the key users of our systems are typically quite operational themselves. There may be a field line manager who himself is managing 20 service techs, but has to physically be in the field himself, so is in that mobile state all the time."
"Having the ability for him to identify that job execution i.e knowing his engineers have hit there jobs and there planned schedules for the day, is a top priority whilst having things like driver safety, speeding or vehicle efficiency etc as a secondary priority and then having the app set up so they can the metrics that are important to them immediately as they log into the app - that is what makes it the data valuable for them. With that in mind the web portals and the solutions that we have for all our dashboards are very configurable, we have very comprehensive hierarchies and all the typical options you would expect allowing you to carve out the data for the right person. Spotlight is then a natural extension of that, that takes the concept of putting the right data directly onto the right persons mobile device."
I think the real value for someone in the operational world is more around questions like 'are we hitting our plan, are we hitting our jobs, our customer service metrics'
"A lot of other companies are able to providing similar applications that are providing that sort of information, I think that is certainly true," replies Barata when our conversation turns to this point, "there are some solutions out there that offer similar capabilities, but the way we have always geared our proposition, as a full platform, means we are not just offering a vehicle centric view of the business. We have got scheduling, planning, planned-versus-actual capabilities and that similar operationally focussed metrics as well. So yes, whilst on the one hand we are providing our clients with the core vehicle metrics if that's what they are looking for, which some other companies may also do, I think the real value for someone in the operational world is more around questions like 'are we hitting our plan, are we hitting our jobs, our customer service metrics' and only with a full platform you gain that sort of insight and get that sort of view."
The goal is to give the field management a holistic perspective of what is going on in their businesses. I doubt many are looking at safety and and speeding metrics all day, every day,
The question I mentioned in the opening of this article was just how do we view Telogis? Should we see them as a provider of a fleet management tool with some field service management capabilities or a field service management tool with advanced fleet management capabilities?
Perhaps with Spotlight Telogis have answered in some way that question - as the tool allows the Telogis platform to be a useful vehicle maintenance tool (especially when aligned to vehicles provided by OEMs Telogis have partnered with) for the fleet manager, whilst simultaneously surfacing the right operational data that is important for the field service manager. Could the answer be simply that the Telogis platform is capable of being both fleet management and field service management and doing both well?
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Jul 21, 2017 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • Mark Brewer • Mark Homer • Paul Whitelam • ClickSoftware • IFS • IoT • servicemax • The Big Discussion
In the Big Discussion we take one topic, bring together three leading experts on that topic and put four key questions to them across four weeks to help us better understand its potential impact on the field service sector...
In the Big Discussion we take one topic, bring together three leading experts on that topic and put four key questions to them across four weeks to help us better understand its potential impact on the field service sector...
This time around we turn to a brand new topic which is the Internet of Things and our experts are Paul Whitelam, ClickSoftware, Mark Homer, ServiceMax from GE Digital and Mark Brewer, IFS...
The first question of this topic was "Just how big is the potential impact of IoT on Field Service?"
And onto this week's question...
Question Two: Is IoT now making the shift from early adoption to mass adoption amongst field service companies?
Although IoT in field service is still relatively new, early adopters like manufacturers of capital equipment are approaching greater maturity. They’re leapfrogging other industries in terms of first-time fix rates and overall operational efficiency.
Other industries are beginning to recognise the potential benefits, and we’re seeing conversations around IoT shift from wide-eyed wonder to practical next steps. Utility and telecommunications providers are well positioned to benefit by making the infrastructure they maintain smarter and better connected. Consumer-facing organisations can better empower customers to participate in diagnosing and repairing problems.
The Smart Meter initiative in the UK is a perfect example where mass adoption by consumers will force manufacturers to advance. A couple years ago IoT in service was largely seen as tomorrow’s problem.
Today service providers are eager to take the next step.
IoT hasn’t reached mass adoption in any market just yet, but certainly field service is seen as the ‘killer app’ for businesses. And it’s making fast progress.
Senior management are realising that service is the hidden gem within their organisations, largely due to the untapped potential of the Industrial Internet, and it’s something we’re seeing in our own global customer base.
Fuelled by the shift to outcome-based service models, shrinking product margins, and globalisation, and the Industrial Internet, industry watchers have been predicting that service revenue will eventually eclipse product revenue. Smart, connected, optimised equipment assets are accelerating that shift.
As companies begin to properly monetise service with sensors at the edge, they have the opportunity to increase service revenues and margins further, providing an effective hedge in a downturn economy.
That’s why we’re seeing greater adoption and acceleration in this space.
Yes. The concept of IoT and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) isn’t a new one.
It has been around for more than 20 years. But now, thanks to advances in technology and digital transformation, it is at the forefront of business opportunity. There are many field service sectors that have already been working with sensors and IoT technology for a few years now, such as the medical industry (like the IFS customer Sysmex).
Over the next five years we will no doubt see the number of IoT implementations rise among field service organisations as the industry becomes regulated and more best-practice cases are publicised.
Next weeks question: What are the challenges of implementing an IoT strategy within field service operation?
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Jul 20, 2017 • Features • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service • resources • White Papers and eBooks • White Papers & eBooks • eBECS • software and apps
Resource Type: White Paper Published by: Field Service News and eBECS Title: FSM System Analysis report - Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service
Resource Type: White Paper
Published by: Field Service News and eBECS
Title: FSM System Analysis report - Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service
Want to know more? This white paper is available to Field Service News subscribers but if you are a Field Service Professional you may qualify for a complimentary industry practitioner subscription! Click here to apply for a subscription now and we’ll send you this white paper to your inbox now instantly as a welcome gift!
Synopsis:
Almost all industry experts including practitioners, analysts and vendors are in agreement that the selection of a Field Service Management (FSM) system is far more than just an IT decision.
Field Service has always been a mission critical operation, but as we move into a world of servitization and outcome based solutions, efficient field service delivery is more crucial than ever before.
With this in mind, the correct selection of a FSM system to meet the demands of your individual organisation is crucial and should be based on a thorough understanding not of only the technology but also how a vendor can work with you to ensure best practice implementation - to help you see the efficiency gains, productivity improvements and return on investment promised.
Microsoft is of course a name that has been synonymous with enterprise computing for decades and their FSM offering is, as would be expected, one of the leading solutions within the FSM sector, identified by Gartner as a leader within the space.
Microsoft is of course a name that has been synonymous with enterprise computing for decades and their FSM offering is, as would be expected, one of the leading solutions within the FSM sector, identified by Gartner as a leader within the space.
This is where specialist providers such as eBECS can add additional layers of value in helping companies through the implementation process in order to make sure they are able to get the most from the tools embedded within Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service (Microsoft Field Service) and do so as swiftly and efficiently as possible.
In this white paper we will be first taking a closer look at the key elements of Microsoft Field Service and then exploring the benefits of working with a systems integrator such as eBECS when implementing the system.
Overview
The white paper is split into two main sections. Each of which include:
Section One: The capabilities of Microsoft Field Service
The first section of the whiter paper explores the core functionality, pros and cons of Microsoft Field Service with a look at the following aspects of the solution:
- Major benefits of the system
- An overview of functionality
- Who is currently using Microsoft Field Service
- Scheduling Functionality
- Reporting Functionality
- The mobile aspect of Microsoft Field Service
- Integration capabilities of Microsoft Field Service [/unordered_list]
Section Two: Microsoft Field Service vanilla flavour vs. the added value of eBECS
In the second part of this comprehensive white paper we explore how an EBECS implementation differs to a standard implementation of Microsoft Field Service - here we look at two key areas the added IP that eBECS bring to the table and also their own approach to implementation.
Additional eBECS’ IP
Currently there are two additional software tools that are available exclusively to eBECS’ field service clients. Firstly, there is there is an additional tool to the Mobile Offering which is their Site Assessment Survey. Secondly, eBECS offer an ‘Accelerator Pack’ which is designed to help organisations take advantage of the powerful but often complex to set up tools such as PowerBI which is powerful part of the Microsoft technology stack discussed within the white paper.
Perhaps crucially, the eBECS approach is designed to not only aid organisations in getting the most out of their investment, but also empowering them to be able to continuously refine parameters themselves - something that in the fluid world of field service can be rewarded in significant savings in both time and money further down the line.
The eBECS’ Approach to Implementation
Whilst the added IP included within the eBECS solution is of undeniable value, it is arguably within their implementation process that the greatest benefits are to be found.
Michael Smythe, eBECS comments “When we talk about customisations and implementations etc, this is where we excel as we have built a team of industry experts - field service experts who haven’t just worked on IT implementation but have actually been in the industry and understand how these things work. People that can help you and work with you, side by side to build a platform that is suitable to meet your business goals.”
It is this intimate understanding of the industry that is perhaps key to their success to date. As it is this understanding that allows them to act within a truly consultative capacity, rather than being simply a technology implementation team and again we explore this approach within the latter segment of the white paper.
Field Service News is published by 1927 Media Ltd, an independent publisher whose sole focus is on the field service sector. As such our entire resources are focused on helping drive the field service sector forwards and aiming to best serve our industry through honest, incisive and innovative media coverage of the global field service sector.
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