Workforce optimisation specialists Leadent Solutions have recently launched a new health-check service for companies operating a mobile workforce to ensure they are getting the most out of their existing systems and processes. In this series we will...
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Jan 19, 2015 • Features • Management • leadent solutions • management • workforce optimisation
Workforce optimisation specialists Leadent Solutions have recently launched a new health-check service for companies operating a mobile workforce to ensure they are getting the most out of their existing systems and processes. In this series we will be looking into the various stages of the health check. Here in this first instalment of this series Emma Newman, Managing Consultant with Leadent Solutions, looks at the perhaps the most important element of any field service company, it's people.
There is also an accompanying video interview series Emma Newman the first instalment of which you can see here.
Your operational business may be about maintaining and repairing assets, it may be about resolving customer issues, or both. Without doubt, you will be looking to improve the performance of your assets or service to customers.
Given the breadth of processes involved in getting an engineer to site and completing work, covering planning, asset and job management, customer management, scheduling and deployment, and job execution, there may be issues that are, so far, unknown
Many of us are car drivers. When the car is not working it gets a visit to the garage.
However, we also know that keeping your car regularly serviced means that you avoid unexpected breakdowns, costly repairs or even worse, a completely new purchase. The principles relating to car servicing can, and should, be applied to field-based operations. In this exclusive five part series we aim to explain why and how checking the health of your field-based operations can avoid short-term crises and result in greater long term value.
Across this series we will explore the following four areas...
- People
- Process
- Systems
- Improvement Planning (Planning for the Journey)
In this first article in the series we take a look at ‘People’, and their role in your business operations. Subsequent articles will cover Process, Systems and Improvement Planning, and will finally be followed up by a case study which highlights how Leadent Solutions worked with Anglian Water to review and improve the set-up of their scheduling system.
Part 1: Focus on People
If you’re responsible for operating field-based services to maintain or fix assets, or ensure service delivery to customers then you already know that people are your most important resource.
Ideally it’s the planners, call centre agents, schedulers, job deployers, customer liaison agents, as well as the field workforce that ensure processes are adhered to and systems updated accordingly.
Well thought-out, practical, yet innovative processes and solutions can lead to far more effective field-based operations
Innovation and transformation, who wouldn’t want that? However, we see many transformation programmes focus on technology and process, but fail on the people aspect. This often results in processes not being adhered to and workarounds being put in place, where systems are misunderstood or perceived as lacking in functionality. These workarounds are, in most cases ineffective to some degree, leading to additional costs, and, in the worst cases, creating a risk to asset performance or customer service.
Losing the Faith
In a recent Field Service News research report, it was suggested that 56% of companies interviewed were using a dynamic scheduling tool, but of those companies a shocking 43% had experienced two field workers turning up to do the same job. This is more common place than you might think. Technology is great when it works, but if staff lose faith in the system and revert to manual or paper scheduling then your productivity, cost and service targets are likely to be missed.
The loss of faith extends to field-based workers who see limited value in back office functions and associated systems – leading to a strained relationship between ‘office’ and ‘field’. In the worst cases, activities are conducted ‘off system’, leading to issues of visibility and control.
Listen to your Employees
Across all functions involved in field-based operations, employees too have to ‘work’ existing processes and systems, and may have to adopt new solutions quickly. Maybe the old practices weren’t that good, but the new process and systems may not feel quite right either…
Whether it’s managing the old way or adapting to the new, your employees’ views are all important; it’s feedback that should be valued and utilised. Staying with the car analogy, when you take your car to the garage, even for a service, don’t you expect the mechanics to listen to your observations?
Any review of operations seeking to identify issues or areas for improvement should encompass the views of those who operate and manage processes. The Leadent Solutions healthcheck does just that. The key is to being able to provide a mechanism and environment for honest feedback, and then be able to sort fact from the ‘noise’ (there will inevitably be a degree of ‘noise’, largely expressed through frustration).
A structured approach to understanding the employee point of view will require:
- Boardroom sponsorship
- Appropriate corporate communications (what we are doing, and why)
- Full functional representation across the end-to-end process (back office and field)
- Facilitated workshops
- Analytics for issues classification and prioritisation
- A review of potential remedial actions
- Employee buy-in and sign off (via representatives)
- Executive understanding and buy-in
It may be appropriate to measure employee engagement before and after the review, to confirm the integrity of the output, for example via a Change Readiness Assessment.
Moving Forward: Change Management Is Key
In part by taking on board the views of process owners, we know change is required. In any change, process or system driven, minor change or part of a larger transformation programme, the consideration of people is all important. Projects fail where the people element receives inappropriate attention. How many projects design new processes and systems without properly engaging the workforce?
A Gartner Survey conducted in 2013 showed where IT programmes fail, that nearly two thirds fail primarily because of shortfalls in change management.
Most typically it’s not the technology!
Any change in approach should ensure subject matter experts and functional representatives are involved in all project phases – including design and testing.
Making sure your people follow processes correctly takes time and effort, but involving them in the development and testing stages as early as possible will help them to feel part of the solution, which will result in much greater level of user adoption. Utilising super users and process champions will also help to ensure that people feel empowered to use the systems in place and will help to enforce best practice and governance across the board after go-live.
Training is often an afterthought – if you are able to combine user acceptance testing, service rehearsals and training, it will create a much more natural progression throughout the business changes that lie ahead - focussing on roles, and their dependencies throughout the workforce management process. Understanding how roles, responsibilities, actions and consequence are drawn together will also create a greater sense of responsibility within the change and adoption process.
All projects additionally need to consider post-go-live support and business as usual feedback mechanisms once the project team has disbanded. If anything, issues may only surface after implementation. This is why the particular problems of remote mobile workers providing feedback or getting issues fixed needs consideration.
Power to the People
People are your most valuable resource. The very best way of improving your job and workforce management operations is too get them involved. Listen to what they have to say, use their expertise as key input to making transformation changes.
To a very large extent, the way you engage and manage people has the power to make or break the success of your operations – take them with you and you’ll have the potential to create sustainable long-term value for your organisation and customers, leave them standing as the organisation ploughs on with a technology change or implementation and you could be left wondering where it all went wrong.
Next time we’ll be looking at the role of Process in assessing the health of your field-based operations……
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Jan 18, 2015 • Features • resources • White Paper • White Papers & eBooks • exel • Software and Apps • software and apps
Resource Type: White Paper
Resource Type: White Paper
Published by: Exel Computer Systems
Title: How do large Field Service companies gain competitive advantage?
About: Published by UK service management software and ERP provider Exel Computer Systems this white paper looks at some of the challenges that companies can face as their mobile workforce grows to significant size. Concisely written this white paper raises some interesting questions and provides some good advice both for companies with a large mobile workforce as well as those who foresee their organisation and thus their mobile workforce expanding in due course.
Download: Download the white paper by clicking here
Overview:
The adoption of best practices now may mean your company can both potentially avoid such issues as you grow and also enable you to grow your organisation faster.
Understanding these challenges and how to minimise their impact on your business operations is of course important for those field service managers and directors working for larger enterprises, however, it is also important for those managing smaller and medium businesses (particularly those with aspirations of growth) as the adoption of best practices now may mean your company can both potentially avoid such issues as you grow and also enable you to grow your organisation faster.
This white paper from Exel Computer Systems addresses some of these issues and offers some great insight into how to overcome them.
Topics include:
The need for clarity of data within larger field service organisation…
The larger the service team, the more data there is to be potentially collected and analysed by more people across the business. It is here that the often-overlooked area of reporting offers real competitive advantage.
The company which can quickly access its information in appropriate real-time, flexible formats, from multiple points across the business (from the board room to dispatch room) and, most importantly, which can also trust that information, has a real advantage over the company reliant on inflexible reports only accessible and understandable by a limited number of people within the organisation.
Not only is the former company able to be more responsive and agile at an individual job/asset level, it has the potential to be so at a strategic level by being able to analyse and spot any emerging trends and react accordingly.
Maximising customer facing time
Another challenge facing large service teams centres around maximising customer facing time by intelligently scheduling the best use of each engineer. [quote float="right"]As the size of the team increases, there is the potential to treat each engineer according to more generic rules which may work better some times and less well at others.
In smaller service teams, there are less engineers to manage and it is inherently easier to optimise their use. As the size of the team increases, there is the potential to treat each engineer according to more generic rules which may work better some times and less well at others.
When a company has an FSM system that provides the visibility and accuracy of data described above, each engineer can be treated on an individual basis by the user utilising the knowledge and data held within the system. Not only does this potentially increase the quantity of jobs achieved over a given time period, it also potentially increases the quality of customer service as the customer will invariably get a quicker response.
Greatly increased risk of stock obsolescence
If successfully done, local suppliers can either work on an agile basis and replenish individual vehicles as and when required
If successfully done, local suppliers can either work on an agile basis and replenish individual vehicles as and when required, or even arrange to deliver to a customer site to coincide with an engineer visit.
Improving diagnostics, remote repair and self repair
For some companies where downtime of an asset can be measured in thousands or tens of thousands of pounds per minute, this is an advantage offering huge potential savings.
For some companies where downtime of an asset can be measured in thousands or tens of thousands of pounds per minute, this is an advantage offering huge potential savings.
Download your copy of this white paper now!
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Jan 15, 2015 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • future of field service • big data • Cyber Security • IoT
Technology and field service are now almost inherently intertwined such is the rapid evolution of field service industry. As we enter the New Year Field Service News continues to take a look at some of the key technologies that we believe will have...
Technology and field service are now almost inherently intertwined such is the rapid evolution of field service industry. As we enter the New Year Field Service News continues to take a look at some of the key technologies that we believe will have a significant impact on the way field service will continue to evolve.
In the first part of this series we looked at wearables, NFC and the Cloud. Now we turn our attention to the Internet of Things, Big Data and Cyber Security…
The Internet of Things will start becoming an integral part of field service…
Ahh Gartner’s Hype-Cycle. The “peak of inflated expectations”, the “trough of despair” and the brilliant “plateau of productivity” – every-time I look at it I conjure up images of a Jules Verne –esque mysterious lost island where herds of wild analysts and ferrel consultants roam wild, free and happy. I may well be alone in this, but I’m certainly not alone in keeping an eye on where emerging tech is on the cycle.
Every-time I look at it I conjure up images of a Jules Verne –esque mysterious lost island where herds of wild analysts and ferrel consultants roam wild, free and happy.
So it was with interest last August that I looked at the latest hype cycle and saw that Internet of Things had just superseded Big Data at the top of the tree where the “hyperbole has hit hyperdrive” (If anyone at Gartner’s paying attention you can have that one for free!). I found this particularly interesting for two reasons.
Firstly whilst it may like some kind of earth shattering tragedy for all those data scientists who were being treated like geek-royalty what seems like ten minutes ago, the reality is that Big Data slipping into the trough of despair just means that we are starting to think about it in grown up terms (see below) rather than the Chuck Norris of technology.
I would go as far as to say that this time Gartner have got it wrong and the Internet of Things is perhaps just past the top of the peak and starting to stare down into the trough.
Maybe it’s a distorted view in the field service industry, but I genuinely feel that whilst it may be a minority, there is a decent amount of companies that have implemented some form of IoT control or monitoring into their Field Service operations. In some corners it’s not even that new, heck, medical device manufacturer Elekta have been building connection into their devices for twenty odd years – they even used to ship their devices with 56K modems of their own back in the day.
As we roll into 2015, connected devices are booming, from thermostats to thermonuclear power generators, and the ability to remotely monitor, diagnose and even repair device faults is such a no brainer for field service companies that they cannot afford to miss the IoT revolution.
BigData in field service will get past those awkward teen years and get to work…
So back to Big Data then.
One of my favourite phrases I’ve heard about Big Data was from Dave Hart at ServiceMax when he said Big Data is like teenage sex, everyone’s talking about it, everyone thinks everyone else is doing it but no one actually knows how to actually do it.
Big Data is like teenage sex, everyone’s talking about it, everyone thinks everyone else is doing it but no one actually knows how to actually do it.
For whilst I can see Big Data languishing within the ‘Trough’ as we mere mortals spend time still trying to define exactly what Big Data is (how many V’s are we up to now?) and reluctantly turning to those mystic shaman we call Data Scientists to try and get some sense out it all, I see IoT racing by to it’s own little place in the ‘plateau’.
Why? because IoT is pretty much results in tangible outcomes and combines two factors we are already comfortable with, that is ‘Internet’ and ‘Things’. And I’m not trying to be flippant when I say that either, it’s just IoT is that much easier to get.
So back to Big Data then (again?) where does this leave us in field service?
Well hopefully with a much more mature, sensible mindset because there is no denying the sheer power of Big Data to revolutionise a business and there is also no denying that as field service companies have access to huge, vast swathes of data – they perhaps more than any other industry segment could benefit from the true application of Big Data.
there is no denying the sheer power of Big Data to revolutionise a business and there is also no denying that as field service companies have access to huge, vast swathes of data
Let’s think about this for a moment, when in our lives has anything that is billed to be powerful enough to reshape the way we do business been as easy as buying a new module. This is where Big Data got lost to the hyperbole. In some quarters it was the magic bullet that would cure all evils. As we all know magic bullets don’t really work. However, hard-work combined with a clear strategy and intelligent implementation does.
Big Data is reliant on investment.
Investment in technology, investment in personel with new skill sets unique to the task and investment in time to devise and implement a Big Data strategy. However, once it is succesfully implemented that investment could yield a phenomenal return on investment both financially and also in our understanding of both our business and our customers.
I believe 2015 could be the year that field service companies will start to see through the hyperbole that just scratches the surface of Big Data and see it’s true game changing potential. However, for that to happen we need to treat it with the respect it deserves.
We need to re-adjust our thinking around risk management and cyber security…
Given the two points above this third point of the article is a bit of a given. So we won’t dwell to long here.
There are two simple facts here; Firstly Data is essentially becoming a new form of currency, and I’m not referring to crypto-currencies here but to the fact that the information available to be mined from data is inherently valuable.
Secondly,as we turn more and more of our functions across to the cloud including data storage, the more it will become a place of interest for twenty first century criminals.
This doesn’t necessarily mean the Cloud is any less secure than on premise data centres. It just means that we must realign our thinking to ensure we are protected.
According to Cloud Security experts Trend Micro the three key best security practices for 2015 are to:
- Develop and implement an overall risk management strategy
- Secure and regularly maintain web infrastructure
- Enforce stricter mobile device and data management policies
Lets take a quick look at each of these in turn…
Firstly, whilst it is of course recommended to turn to a cyber security specialist in devising your security strategies, a [quote float="left"]When it comes to risk management, much like insurance it can be disastrous if you cut corners and opt for the cheapest package. And often we only realise this when it’s too late.
quick, easy off the shelf solution is simply not going to cut the mustard. A robust cyber defence should be custom built to meet the requirements of your company. When it comes to risk management, much like insurance it can be disastrous if you cut corners and opt for the cheapest package. And often we only realise this when it’s too late.
With regards to point two, last years exposure to Shellshock and Heartbleed identified significant vulnerabilities and this should serve as a warning to companies that they need to keep software regularly updated and patched. Heuristic scanning and sandbox technologies are two of the key technologies that Trend Micro recommend here.
And as we look at the final point we also enter the world of HR as well as technology.
In field service in particular, where our workforce is becoming ever more reliant on mobile devices, we really need to consider the introduction of mobile safety policies to safeguard your data – even more so if you are operating a BYOD policy, whilst of course IT administrators must address mobile device management concerns to protect work related apps and data.
As mentioned above, today’s world of the internet, cloud and mobile is not necessarily any less secure than days gone by. It is just with new methods come new security concerns, so we must remain vigilant and I think 2015 will see us to further improve in this area once more.
Look out for the final part of this series where we complete our look at technology trends we believe we will see in field service across 2015.
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Jan 14, 2015 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • Mobility • Internet of Things • Security • Trimble
As we head full steam into 2015 predictions of industry trends that will shape the field service industries come thick and fast. Here we look at what our regular columnist's John Cameron of Trimble Field Service Management's will be important in the...
As we head full steam into 2015 predictions of industry trends that will shape the field service industries come thick and fast. Here we look at what our regular columnist's John Cameron of Trimble Field Service Management's will be important in the following twelve months...
With so many advanced tools now available to fine-tune operations, field service organisations have reached an unprecedented transformative stage. By leveraging technology trends such as the Internet of Things, advanced analytics and smartphone and tablet integration, leading field service businesses are reinventing themselves as predictive, rather than reactive, operations. This may mean better-equipping technicians with intelligent apps that deliver real-time data and deploy analytics capabilities to make strategic decisions, or enhancing security and IT infrastructure.
Here are eight trends that may impact how you make those changes:
1. Robust and Flexible Platforms
Companies are looking to solution providers to deliver platforms globally as the foundation for innovation. Providers have to be ready to add, extend and integrate technologies as needed, giving them the agility to adapt and innovate. These platforms need to be cloud-based and flexible, allowing them to configure and manipulate modules and functionality as they see fit. Customers want a single provider to deliver all the functionality and modularity they require. They want to focus on empowering field workers and driving service excellence. To achieve that, they need robust, flexible platforms backed by a reliable provider.
2. Increased Focus on Security
The increase in cybercrime, such as the recent breach against Sony Pictures, is a critical reminder of how important it is to secure company data. As more organisations add everything from switches to entire power grids to the Internet of Things, we’ll see a greater demand for
As more organisations add everything from switches to entire power grids to the Internet of Things, we’ll see a greater demand for advanced security applications and a corresponding increase in financial commitment to protect against future attacks
3. Embedded Analytics
The ability to analyse and act on the vast amount of data collected from the field continues to trend in the evolution of field services technology. Deploying workforce management solutions with sophisticated analytics tools will enable managers to improve operations with real-time visibility into their operations. Data gathered from smarter mobile apps and equipment sensors will provide insights on performance, tasks, service quality, and new products that will enable field service managers to not only keep up with the competition but to step ahead.
4. Greater Integration
As telematics and workforce management solutions become more integrated with mobile devices, the opportunities to increase efficiency and productivity are growing exponentially. Field service managers can make real-time decisions remotely by accessing vehicle tracking, scheduling and routing on their mobile devices, allowing them to mitigate reckless driving incidents, control vehicle wear and tear and
Mobile apps will continue to provide critical information such as daily tasks, customer histories, billing, and the locations of nearby teammates on demand for field service technicians.
5. The Internet of Everything
By 2020, Gartner, Inc. predicts 26-billion devices other than smartphones, tablets and computers to be connected via the Internet of Things. For field service organisations, connecting equipment with technicians’ mobile devices and the back office in real time is a necessity. Information captured in the field provides diagnostics and performance metrics that mitigate certain issues as well as tracks patterns and trends for long-range planning. The goal is to ensure an intelligent and preventive—not reactive—approach.
6. Enhanced Network Reliability
The daily accumulation of data from internal files, mobile solutions, cloud-based apps and email can strain networks and storage systems. As organisations invest in mobile and management solutions to optimise operations, they no longer can ignore the underlying infrastructure. Hybrid clouds, virtualised servers and scalable, high-capacity storage give e networks the agility they need to stay flexible, efficient and productive. Neglecting these areas can impact performance, impede productivity and escalate IT costs.
7. An Evolving Workforce
As the field service industry evolves a major trend has been the emergence of young, tech-savvy and collaborative workers. According to Aberdeen Group, approximately one-fifth of the current workforce is under 30. This new pool of workers has grown up fully connected and will enable service
According to Aberdeen Group, approximately one-fifth of the current workforce is under 30
8) Mobility as a Game-changer
Mobility will continue as a key enabler in addressing the competitive issues faced by field service organisations today. The right mobile architecture can solve many of the tactical challenges of these organisations: latent customer needs, increased competition, unmitigated churn and worker productivity. However, simply investing in mobile technology does not ensure improvement in key performance. To be successful with any deployment, organisations must choose the best field service solution and adopt the implementation best suited for their operation.
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Jan 12, 2015 • Features • Building Services • Case Studies • case study • Software and Apps • Asolvi
More than eight years ago, Artic Building Services decided to incorporate Tesseract’s service management software into their core services and company operations. It’s a partnership that’s gone from strength to strength ever since.
More than eight years ago, Artic Building Services decided to incorporate Tesseract’s service management software into their core services and company operations. It’s a partnership that’s gone from strength to strength ever since.
Founded in 1998, Artic Building Services specialise in providing engineering solutions for building services within the public and private sectors. They provide heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, plumbing and security systems, major refurbishment works and even gardening services. Their broad base of customers ranges from large, multiple site hospitals and universities with residential engineers to small, single sites serviced by mobile teams.
Artic utilise the expertise of a vast workforce, including more than 50 field engineers, engineering managers, help desk operatives, accountants and secretaries. While they pride themselves in their diverse human skill set, what makes the whole operation run smoothly and efficiently is their computerised service management system – courtesy of Tesseract Service Centre.
Looking back - the old system!
Artic are responsible for looking after a full range of mechanical and electrical assets in the buildings of more than two hundred clients nationally. They deal with problems and breakdowns in air conditioning units, boilers, chillers and electrical, water and sanitation systems, and perform regular maintenance.
Eight years ago, before Tesseract came on board, Artic arranged and organised the attendance of their engineers manually.
“We wanted to be more efficient and develop with the ISO 9001 standards,” says Donna Peacock, Operations Manager of Artic Building Services. “We were seeking new clients, and certain companies wanted to know why we were better. They wanted to see it. Tesseract gave us the edge we needed to rise above our competitors.”
The Tesseract integration – the early days!
Clients would notify Artic of problems by phoning or emailing their office. Artic would then look at paper maps and telephone their engineers, deploying them on the basis of who was closest and their skill level.
Artic would log on to Tesseract’s browser-based web portal and record the call out. Numbers and timings generated by Tesseract Service Centre would allow Artic to track and monitor the status of the job. But manual operations and copious paperwork were still big features of the way Artic managed their functions.
We needed to completely streamline our processes for the benefit of both our clients and our engineers.
“At that stage, Tesseract helped us track what was going on with a job and created purchase orders,” says Donna Peacock. “We required more from the database. We needed to completely streamline our processes for the benefit of both our clients and our engineers. Tesseract have accommodated that need. Over the years they have moulded their services to fit our requirements.”
Next Steps - Remote Engineer Access!
A revolutionary overhaul of Artic’s field processes came with the introduction of Tesseract’s Remote Engineer Access. Artic phased out the use of Field Service Report Pads and rolled out Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to their engineers instead. PDAs allow the engineers to log in remotely, view calls for dispatch, enter their service reports, raise parts requests and close completed jobs, amongst other functions. Engineers can also access Artic’s task list, namely the serialised products they are required to maintain.
This is where Artic encountered their first hurdle with the initial PDA models that were supplied.
“Our engineers do have problems with signal whilst working on their allocated jobs,” says Peacock. “This means they had trouble getting online to record the data they needed to on the old devices. We needed them to be able to work offline.”
So Tesseract developed a system that allowed Artic’s engineers to work offline, and a new, more advanced line of devices was rolled out. Now their engineers can work in completely signal-less areas and still log all their information, which is then recorded onto the system as soon as signal is restored.
“Some of our engineers loved the PDAs,” says Peacock. “Some took a bit longer to adjust. But now 98% of our engineers use the devices, and they’ve been really successful. Engineers can now have a job completed, invoiced and closed down in the same day, when before, using the paper system, it used to take a week. Sometimes a week and a half. The PDAs have made life at Artic so much easier and more efficient, which in turn means we’re able to better serve our clients.”
In addition, the ability to attach core Artic health, safety and industry compliance paperwork to a given job has reduced bureaucracy within the helpdesk. The process has given clients compliant, fluid and real-time data capture for their sites.
Other Benefits!
Clients can log onto the Tesseract system and enter the fault – be it a broken tap, a malfunctioning air conditioning unit or a toilet that won’t flush
Further integration of Tesseract’s service management software now allows Artic to use satellite navigation to deploy their engineers. It means they are able to identify any traffic issues and warn their engineers accordingly, which was impossible when they relied on paper maps.
Artic also use Tesseract’s Customer Asset Management tools and Parts Centre to monitor and maintain their client’s assets and generate purchase orders for parts. They use Tesseract’s Quote Centre to log quotes for potential new clients, enter client data and convert accepted quotes into new contracts, which are also managed through Tesseract.
Finally, Artic have developed a number of different reports within Tesseract. These help them with auditing and reporting to the Board on key commercial orders such as invoicing, sales, quoted further works, budgets, outstanding calls, profit and loss, outstanding calls and new sales prospects.
Ongoing Development!
As Artic are a service company, their driving force – and the key to their success – is to keep improving the way they operate. Currently they are looking into several features they would like to incorporate into their operations. These include automated email reports to clients when jobs are complete, and to managers so they know which jobs are outstanding.
They are also looking to make some tweaks to their task or asset list, and introduce a system for tracking and monitoring their fleet of vehicles.
“At present we are maintaining our vehicles by looking at a spreadsheet,” says Peacock. “We’d like to streamline this. We’d like to make sure all our vehicles are serviced, safe and up to spec through a live system instead. It’s one of the many things we’re looking into to make our processes even better than they are.”
A System That Works!
Over the past eight years, Artic have come to rely quite heavily on Tesseract, and their processes, output and customer service have continued to develop and improve as a result.
“The Tesseract system is not the only computerised service management system we have in place,” says Peacock. “But it is the hub of all our systems. We call it the ‘Alpha’.”
Tesseract’s service management software has now been a part of Artic for so long that Tesseract refer their new clients to Artic so they can see the entire system at work. Peacock says, “We will happily give them a demonstration. Show them why Tesseract are such an invaluable aid to any service company’s operations.”
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Jan 12, 2015 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • future of field service • End to end field service • solarvista
End to end field service was one of the biggest buzz phrases heard across the past year. At trade shows, in the industry press and not least from a considerable number of field service technology providers themselves we kept hearing that...
End to end field service was one of the biggest buzz phrases heard across the past year. At trade shows, in the industry press and not least from a considerable number of field service technology providers themselves we kept hearing that ‘end-to-end’ was a core consideration that field service organisations should be factoring on when exploring how they can modernise their current service management systems.
However, there was and still remains a number of inconsistencies around exactly what is end-to-end field service management. Is it a case of having all existing systems under one platform? Or perhaps just the need to have each of our various components within the field service chain talking to each other? Is it a software or hardware solution – or is it both?
As with any emerging concept it will take time to substantiate into clearly defined parameters (if ever). However, one thing is certain, taking in a comprehensive overview of each step in the lifecycle of a service call within your organisation is certainly an advisable route to take before even contemplating moving to a next generation solution be it hardware, software or both.
Whilst the service journey may differ from organisation to organisation, as in reality, no two companies are identical, yet there are key points within the service cycle that will likely exist within most organisations.
In this new series we will look across some of these points and explore some of the technology solutions that could help both you and your company in achieving higher first time fix rates and better field service productivity.
There is also an accompanying white paper to this series which is available to download here
Incoming – taking the service request
Of course in most instances the first part of the service call lifecycle starts with the initial call for a service request itself. However, in today’s age of apps and internet is that first communication necessarily over the telephone? Well according to research undertaken by Field Service News earlier this year the telephone certainly remains the dominant means of communication between service companies and their clients with over 80% of companies operating a call centre.
If your call centre performs under par for any given reason it can reflect incredibly poorly on your brand as a whole.
Be honest… how many times have you been sat at the end of the phone listening to muzak and being told your call is important for the umpteenth time and you’ve thought less than positive thoughts about the provider your trying to reach.
And if your trying to reach someone, just so you can the product you paid good money for back up and running as it is impacting on your ability to do business… well you can crank that frustration all the way up to 11.
Of course, in many cases especially in a business to business environment, Service Level Agreement’s can include quicker call response times etc, but the fact remains that phoning a call centre can potentially be both time consuming and frustrating. In today’s technologically rich environment a call centre should be one option you offer your customers not the only option.
So how else could we accept and log a service call?
Well a case could be made for email. Indeed the same research as above identified email as the second most common means of service companies accepting service request with 63% of companies also offering an email option. On the plus side, like the phone it is something that we all know and are familiar with. However, there are also a number of potential pitfalls that could cause problems with email.
With email communication it can be hard to get a clear grasp of the exact issue your customer is facing – they may not know the correct terminology for example
Not particularly helpful if you want to offer consistency in your response times, yet ensuring a service request email account is monitored could be both complex to manage and poor use of available resources. Also with email communication it can be hard to get a clear grasp of the exact issue your customer is facing – they may not know the correct terminology for example.
Going through a series of preliminary questions during a phone conversation may take just a few minutes and can greatly help in identifying the issue, resulting in better diagnosis and higher likelihood of a first time fix.
Over email this could easily become a laborious, long winded process over a number of emails that could span days rather than minutes. Again not good if your product is business critical to your customer.
Why hasn’t web taken firmer foothold?
Given the potential limitations of both phone and email it is surprising that so few companies have explored alternatives such as self-help portals, web-chat and mobile apps, yet only 29% of companies had the functionality of booking appointments online, and only 5% had this functionality via an app.
One obvious issue around giving your customers the power to schedule appointments is of course once again the lack of opportunity to understand the issue which would likely result in a higher proportion of service visits being ‘diagnosis’ rather than fix. One solution around this is to build in some form of diagnosis ahead of the form submission.
This could take a number of formats. One that telecoms provider Sky use well for example is to guide the customer through a series of questions that either lead to the customer achieving a fix themselves or a diagnosis of the problem that is a lot more fine tuned. The process for example could be as follows. Your customer logs in to request call.
The web portal asks the customer a series of questions the answers to each prompt a suggested fix, if this is unsuccessful further questions, further refining the diagnosis and so on. Of course you don’t want the process to be too drawn out but the customer could quite easily try two or three common fixes before being granted access to a service request form. The information gleaned from the form could then be easily included within the pre-dispatch data.
We found that web chat is considered to be an equivalent and often superior method of working compared to calls…. our research identifies a double bonus: both advisors and customers like using it and it leads to cost savings for contact centre operators - Nicola Millard
Therefore your dispatch knows to send an engineer who is capable of dealing with and has the right tools to fix D or E. Another means of getting this insight is web-chat systems.
Web chat basically combines the benefits of phone in that it is possible to question the customer in real time to improve the diagnosis, yet is cheaper to operate and can offer a more convenient means of contact for the customer.
UK Blue Chip British Telecoms are one company that have heavily explored the potential of web-chat portals. Nicola Millard, Customer Experience Futurologist at BT Global Services commented:
“We found that web chat is considered to be an equivalent and often superior method of working compared to calls…. our research identifies a double bonus: both advisors and customers like using it and it leads to cost savings for contact centre operators. For these reasons, we expect web chat to continue to grow as a channel.”
With smart phones now pretty much ubiquitous across most developed nations it is also worth considering your customers journey in reaching you also.
Studies have indicated that 50% of smart phone users prefer to use apps for contact than phone and many of the web tools mentioned (plus the option to move to a phone call if desired) can all be integrated into an app seamlessly.
Whilst each of the above may have their plusses and minuses what is important is to remember that logging a service request is the first step in an incredibly important process in terms of how your customers perceive your levels of service. Get it right and you can likely expect this customer to remain loyal, get it wrong and it is your competition that will benefit.
Therefore it is important to ensure you are providing your customer with the options that he prefers (some may prefer the phone, others online for example) but that also allows you to collect the right information to ensure you can correctly diagnose as many issues as possible to feed into the service request which will ultimately help keep your field service engineers productivity at a maximum.
There is also an accompanying white paper to this series which is available to download here
This series is sponsored by:
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Jan 08, 2015 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • future of field service • NFC • wearables • cloud
The field service industries are often leading the way in terms of technology being used within enterprise.
The field service industries are often leading the way in terms of technology being used within enterprise.
For example the wider world of Enterprise Mobility Management is still something of an infantile stage compared to the percentage of field service companies that have embraced mobile solutions. Yet in field service the message has become clear and it is now a case of how and when companies move to an automated mobile led solution, rather than if and why.
So with this in mind Field Service News has taken a look at some of the key technological trends that we believe will impact the field service industries in the next 12 months.
In this the first of three features in this series we look at The Cloud, Wearables and NFC
1. The Cloud will finally come of age in field service management...
It has been debated for a long time and worries around security of the cloud have been continuously refreshed by the occasional high profile breaches of consumer cloud technology such as last years breach of Apple’s iCloud, which due to the celebrities involved, made headline news across the globe.
However, in the world of industry Cloud security is far more sophisticated, with companies such as Axeda and Amazon Web Services being names regularly thrown out in discussions around the Cloud as they have built a reputation for being leaders in developing robust cloud security within their product offerings.
The benefits of the Cloud are well documented and well suited to field service organisations
The benefits of the Cloud are well documented and well suited to field service organisations. Scalable, low IT costs, quick roll out, easy mobile access, and built in disaster recovery plus an affordable pricing structure for smaller and medium sized companies via the SaaS model. With almost all Field Service management software vendors now providing a cloud offering it seems just a matter of time before Cloud becomes the dominant distribution model of field service software and we think that 2015 will be the year that we really see the pendulum swing in favour of the Cloud.
2. We will start getting smart about wearables…
Given that last year was supposed to have been ‘The Year of The Wearables’ it has to be said that the appetite for wearable computing both amongst consumers and businesses alike has been rather stunted. In fact a recent report from Juniper Research predicted that sales of Smart Glasses, perhaps the most exciting of the current wearable options, are unlikely to reach more than 10 million per anum globally by 2018.
Yet are we victims of falling for the hyperbole a touch too much when it comes to our expectations of wearables, almost certainly. In too many corners wearables were being heralded as the next wave of technology that would be all conquering, much along the lines of tablets and smartphones before them.
Are we victims of falling for the hyperbole a touch too much when it comes to our expectations of wearables, almost certainly.
We all can see for example how Smart watches offer a great means for a field engineer to receive alerts and messages without having to interrupt their workflow. However, a more specific use for the field service engineer could be if he were to use the camera on his smart watch in combination with the screen of his phone to view otherwise inaccessible area - such as the back of a machine.
With Smart Glasses the opportunities in field service are even more apparent. For example a less experienced field service engineer could put a video call into a more experienced colleague. Whilst this is of course possible with most modern smart phones, when such a call is made via smart glasses the more senior engineer can see exactly what the onsite engineer is looking at, whilst of course the onsite engineer has their hands free.
As the hyperbole dies down and real-life practical uses of wearables such as the above become better developed then we will see wearables take their place within the field service engineers tool-kit.
3. NFC will finally take it’s rightful place amongst field service must haves…
Near Field Communication (NFC) has been kicking around for some time now and the term is fairly well known amongst those with just a modicum of technological understanding, yet it hasn’t yet truly emerged to meet it’s potential as yet. And that potential could be massive in terms of further automating and streamlining multiple steps across a field service technicians working day.
However, as with smartphones themselves, it may just be that now computing giant Apple has stepped into the NFC fray (albeit somewhat tentatively it must be said) that we see NFC achieving true mass market penetration.
In very basic terms NFC acts in a wi-fi lite type where an NFC tag can be written to convey a set of rules which can be actioned by an NFC enabled device (many smart phones are now NFC enabled) when the device is brought in close proximity (typically within 10cm or more).
An NFC tag within the field service engineers vehicle dashboard could be programmed to open up a routing/mapping application and log the start of a journey in a field service app simply by pressing the field engineers smart phone against the tag.
If your field service operatives visit a company regularly then you could ship out NFC tags to your clients for them to put on reception so when a field service engineer comes in he can log his arrival at your clients premises – important when providing SLA reports for example.
As well as being able to provide actionable instructions, some NFC tags can also be written to contain data as well. So one other particularly useful application of a NFC in field service could be to leave an NFC tag on the device being repaired with notes on the maintenance carried out. That way the next time that device is repaired the field service engineer can read his colleagues notes to see if there are recurring problems etc. Similarly an NFC tag on the device could also open up a web-based knowledge base for that particular model etc.
Whilst all of the above options could of course simply be actioned by manually accessing apps what NFC offers is a means to further speed up and improve a field service engineer’s workflow. Indeed, the potential for NFC is vast and what makes it a particularly attractive proposition is that it is a relatively inexpensive addition (appx 30/40p per tag) that simply takes advantage of the functionality of the existing tools being used by the the field service engineer (i.e. smart phone or tablet)
With NFC now becoming an expected feature in most smartphones and tablets field service news believes that NFC will see much wider adoption in 2015.
Look out for the second part of this feature where we will be revealing three more of the big technology trends we believe will appear in 2015…
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Jan 07, 2015 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • resources • White Papers & eBooks
Resource Type: White Paper
Resource Type: White Paper
Published by: Field Service News (sponsored by Solarvista)
Title: End to end field service: a look at the technologies available in each step of the service lifecycle
About: Written by Field Service News Editor, Kris Oldland this white paper explores the technologies available and what considerations to make when selecting the tools for your own organisation at each point within the service lifecycle. Topics include; taking the service call, preventative vs. predictive maintenance, employee management and scheduling, stock management and parts offering, contract management, field based hardware, field based software and transparent communications.
Download: Download the white paper by clicking here
Overview:
End to end field service was one of the biggest buzz phrases heard across the past year. At trade shows, in the industry press and not least from a considerable number of field service technology providers themselves we kept hearing that ‘end-to-end’ was a core consideration that field service organisations should be factoring on when exploring how they can modernise their current service management systems.
Taking in a comprehensive overview of each step in the lifecycle of a service call within your organisation is certainly an advisable route to take before even contemplating moving to a next generation solution
Is it a case of having all existing systems under one platform? Or perhaps just the need to have each of our various components within the field service chain talking to each other? Is it a software or hardware solution – or is it both? As with any emerging concept it will take time to substantiate into clearly defined parameters (if ever).
However, one thing is certain, taking in a comprehensive overview of each step in the lifecycle of a service call within your organisation is certainly an advisable route to take before even contemplating moving to a next generation solution be it hardware, software or both. Whilst the service journey may differ from organisation to organisation, as in reality, no two companies are identical, yet there are key points within the service cycle that will likely exist within most organisations.
In this white paper we will look across some of these points and explore some of the technology solutions that could help both you and your company in achieving higher first time fix rates and better field service productivity.
Topics include:
Incoming – Taking the service request - Of course in most instances the first part of the service call lifecycle starts with the initial call for a service request itself. However, in today’s age of apps and Internet is that first communication necessarily over the telephone?
Preventative and Predictive Maintenance - Another point to explore in the first steps of the service lifecycle is the benefit of predictive and preventative maintenance, both of which can dramatically reduce the need for customers to put in service requests in the first place.
Getting the right engineer to the right place with the right tools at the right time - Whether it be via machine to machine sensors and predictive maintenance, call centre agent notes or customer provided information via a self-help portal the one key focus of all of the options discussed above should be to collect enough information to allow the effective dispatch of a field service engineer (or engineers depending on the task) with the correct qualifications to the job whilst simultaneously ordering any required parts so the engineer has everything at his disposal required to resolve the issue on the first call out.
Scheduling - The most important aspect of your field service operation is of course your field engineers. They are almost certainly one of your biggest costs as well so managing them effectively is vital if you are going to operate a service division as a profit centre rather than a cost drain on the wider business.
Asset Management/Parts Ordering - Of course getting the right engineer to the right job is all well and good but it becomes a moot exercise if he doesn’t have the parts required to complete his task. The next vital element within a service management solution is being able to both track your existing assets and also to easily order parts not in your existing inventory.
Tools to do the job – hardware - Not only is there the very simple business case that moving to a digital first medium will almost certainly pay for itself when you factor in the saved man hours in needless administration (not to mention sheer paper costs!) but also the perception. Here we look at what you should consider when choosing hardware for your field engineers.
Is BYOD the answer? - Perhaps the biggest of these questions of field service technology of late has centred on BYOD. The BYOD trend has been much vaunted for many years but has yet to truly take off in the UK and Europe as it has done in the United States. Whilst the benefits are clear – less cost, quicker adoption and happier staff using the device of their choice, a counter argument surrounding security, insurance and the murky hidden costs of such a set up is easily made.
Tools to do the job - Software Having selected the device to empower your field engineers the next step is to select the right mobile software to make the most of that hardware. Whilst there has been great strides forward with cross platform HTML5 applications a strong argument lies within a ‘native’ app approach where the application is specifically designed to work alongside your device’s operating system (OS). We look at what you should expect from your field service apps.
Communicating back to HQ - Important data is everywhere and there are few better equipped to collect it than a field service engineer. Giving them the right tools to transmit that data to the place it has most value is a crucial part of the field service mobile app.
Download your copy of this white paper now
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Jan 07, 2015 • Features • Management
So as we say goodbye to 2014 and head into 2015 we are another year older and perhaps another year wiser. However, as we face the increasingly worrying issue of an ageing workforce, across a number of industries including field service, that are key...
So as we say goodbye to 2014 and head into 2015 we are another year older and perhaps another year wiser. However, as we face the increasingly worrying issue of an ageing workforce, across a number of industries including field service, that are key to the wider economy, is another year older just another nail in the coffin for some companies – or even industry in general?
It is well documented that many of the UK’s engineering employers are suffering from skills gaps, shortages and an aging workforce. However, the impact of the problem is likely to have much wider repercussions than just those companies who are directly in the line of the crisis.
All the research is saying the same thing...
The gravity of the situation was highlighted just a month ago when Matchtec, a specialist recruitment agency focussed on the engineering sector, published the findings of the annual Matchtech Confidence Index. The research, which was based on the responses of over 3,500 engineers, outlined that for the second year running the ageing workforce was the greatest issue facing the UK engineering industry.
Commenting on the research Keith Lewis, Matchtech Managing Director said:
“As the research shows, the engineering skills shortage is very apparent, and the infrastructure, power and water/utilities sectors in particular are seeing strong demand for staff as more experienced engineers retire.”
[quote float="left"] Long-term this imbalance between supply and demand for engineers has to be addressed
“While many existing engineers are reaping the benefits of a buoyant job market and good salaries, long-term this imbalance between supply and demand for engineers has to be addressed if the UK engineering sector is to maintain its global position and drive growth in the UK economy.”These research findings are also backed up by a study from fellow recruitment organisation Randstad who identified that the UK workforce as a whole will be facing a deficit of 3.1 million by 2050.
Whilst the analysis predicted issues across all industry sectors, the outlook for engineering and construction verticals were particularly bleak. Qualified engineers represent 1.2 per cent of the UK workforce while construction staff represent two per cent, assuming this proportion remains constant, by 2050, the UK will have a deficit of 36,800 engineers and 66,800 construction workers.
The impact of the ageing workforce
But would an employment shortage be as catastrophic as is being predicted?
In short, quite possibly.
Manufacturing, construction and engineering are three major verticals that are both important for wider economic growth and sustainability and are also inherently dependent on field based workers, engineers and technicians.
A bold statement? Perhaps, but one that is certainly achievable given the rate of advancement we are seeing in all levels of technology today.
A bold statement? Perhaps, but one that is certainly achievable given the rate of advancement we are seeing in all levels of technology today.
However, the utopian future that such technology promises could well be stillborn unless we address the issue of an ageing workforce.
To do so we need to collectively focus on developing an on-going pipeline of bright, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) graduates that allow those in industry to help further develop, refine and implement such emerging technologies.
Finding the next generation of field service engineers
So just what is stopping the bright young members of generation Y (and soon generation Z) from developing a career within manufacturing or engineering?
One of the biggest stumbling blocks may well be the false belief that the study of STEM subjects won’t lead to an interesting or lucrative career.
According to research undertaken by Engineering UK this perception appears to be developed at a young age with nearly half of 7-11 year olds believing that being an ‘engineer’ would be ‘boring’ compared to careers more obvious to them such as Doctors, Teachers or of course Footballers.
To change this perception there are numerous approaches that can be taken and there is indeed a growing focus from education boards, the government and industry on overcoming this issue.
The issue of STEM students being lured away by more ‘glamorous’ industry sectors such as banking or consultancy remains.
However, getting students to opt for STEM based degrees is one thing, keeping them within the sector is another. The issue of STEM students being lured away by more ‘glamorous’ industry sectors such as banking or consultancy remains.
Some companies such as Siemens and Fujitsu for example are already being proactive in preventing this ‘brain drain’ by making big efforts to both work with and support students throughout their education in order to not only attract but also retain the brightest and best to their organisations.
Yet, despite such programs being undertaken the fact remains that we are still facing a shortage of resource and further such activities need to be developed. It is also important that the triumvirate of Government, Industry and Academia become even more closely aligned in their efforts.
2050 may seem some time away but with numerous sets of research all pointing to the same issue it is clear that we must not only continue but also increase our efforts on tackling this problem head on and if we don’t do this today we may just be too late.
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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