Field Service News | Features (5)

3 Tips to Secure Approval for New Service Projects

Nov 04, 2021 • Features • Digital Transformation • technology • Aquant • GLOBAL

In this article from Aquant, we look at three tips to secure approval for new service projects and how to make the right decision for your organisation.

How to Make the Right Decision For Your Organisation

Artificial intelligence is becoming an essential tool for the service sector — aiding in everything from service delivery and customer support, to employee training.

With nearly 50% of companies reporting that they’ve adopted AI in at least one business function, trends indicate that tech-forward companies are past figuring out if they should lean on AI’s capabilities. Instead, they’re figuring out when they’ll make the investment and how they will implement it.

As companies weigh the pros and cons of adoption, an even bigger question arises: is it better to build a solution in-house or buy it from a vendor?

Ultimately, the questions you should consider are:

· Which option delivers maximum organizational benefit?

· What is the difference in deployment time for building vs. buying?

· How much will it cost to build vs. buy?

· What internal resources or additional consultants will be needed for each option?

· If a quick-to-implement solution fits your organization’s needs, will it offer better ROI in comparison to building a perfect, custom solution that may take twice as much time and resources?

It’s about what offers the biggest benefit to your organization. Here are a few expert tips for figuring out which path is the best fit.

Building an AI Solution

Pros:

● Customization: You can reduce overhead costs by building a solution that’s just right for your company, skipping any unnecessary features.

● Flexibility: You know your needs the best. By building your solution, you have the opportunity to create an easily-modifiable tool that can accommodate future needs or ad-hoc requests.

● Controlled Integration: As you have insight into all of your pre-existing processes, tools, and software, you can engineer a solution that fully integrates with all of them.

Cons:

● Added Expenses: Custom tools are significantly more expensive due to the additional costs. You may need to outsource some of the talent needed to create such a solution, as it can be too much for one internal task force to tackle.

● Time: Building an AI system in-house is often a multi-year process. Sorting through internal information sources and translating info into usable data can be challenging. Plus, factor in the time you spend training and improving your AI models.

Buying an AI Solution

Pros:

● Cost Effective: AI vendors are the experts. They already have a dedicated/established team and the knowledge needed to pull off a huge launch — no outsourcing necessary.

● Quick Deployment: Many AI solutions are pre-built, so it may only be a matter of you supplying your data, and having your vendor analyze and configure it to your organization’s needs.

● Consistent System Upgrades: AI vendors are always maintaining and updating their solutions. They also have dedicated customer success teams ready to help answer questions or figure out additional solutions

Cons:

● Less Opportunity to Customize: This can be a dealbreaker for many, as the solution isn't built specifically for your organization.

● Less Control: The vendor controls updates and functionalities, so you can’t add features on demand.

I've made a decision. What's next?

Once you’ve made your choice in the age-old buy-or-build debate, the next step is to get your stakeholders on board. Luckily, we wrote the blueprint for success.

Check out our latest eBook, How to Secure Buy-In for Service Transformation Projects, for expert recommendations on getting even the most skeptical executives to see your AI vision.

How Companies Can Achieve Successful Service Delivery in the New Normal

Nov 03, 2021 • Features • Martin Summerhayes • Digital Transformation • Covid-19 • Digital Symposium • GLOBAL

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News is joined on the Field Service News Digital Symposium by Martin Summerhayes, Head of Digital Transformation Services at MDB Service Consulting.

The Benefits of Data Moving Through the Platform and Beyond the Silos

Nov 02, 2021 • Features • White Paper • Digital Transformation • Exel Computer Systems • Data Management

In the first feature from a recent white paper we published in partnership with Exel, we look at some of the critical components within such platforms and outline how the flow of data from each component is vital for modern service delivery.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a recent white paper we published in partnership with Exel Computer Systems.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content Exel Computer Systems who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

Platforms Are Key to Meeting the Demands of Modern Field Service

Across the last few years, we have seen a clear trend emerge amongst field service organisations. In the past, service contracts were often seen as the additional ‘sweetener’ bundled in to help drive product sales.

Then within the last decade, we began to see field service no longer viewed as a necessary evil but more a critical strategic aspect in revenue generation.

Field service operations that had for so long been deemed as cost centres across the industry made the move en masse to becoming profit centres.

However, today, as service delivery continues to evolve into a critical strategic revenue generator for many organisations, particularly those within manufacturing verticals, the industry is moving beyond the initial concept of service as a revenue stream and into more and more detailed discussions around servitization, outcome-based service contracts and a significant focus on customer success.

At the heart of these ongoing developments is the realisation that the silos between different business units must be broken down, particularly in terms of data flow and information exchange, if the field service operation is to be able to be a core driver in business success.

Indeed, regardless of whether your organisation is merely seeking to maximise efficiencies across the service operation or is moving towards a fully servitized business model, the need for effective flow of information and data across the wider business has never been more apparent.

In this white paper, which FSN subscribers can access in full, we shall put forward the case as to why the all-in-one platform approach can be far more productive in achieving a more seamless transfer of data and intelligence and why this is critical for effective and robust decision making.

The Benefits of Data Moving Through the Platform and Beyond the Silos

From reducing the cash-to-service cycle to ensuring a complete overview of both the customer and asset history that can be easily accessed at every customer touchpoint, a platform approach can reduce friction within service delivery and ensure you are meeting the expectations of your customers at every turn. In this opening section we shall look at some of the critical components within such platforms and outline how the flow of data from each component is vital for modern service delivery.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT:

At the heart of every modern platform empowering service organisations to place the customer at the centre of their business lies the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

Modern CRM should be capable of capturing and managing all interactions with your customers and prospective customers. However, a stand-alone application often lacks easy access to other crucial systems that provide essential, yet often nuanced information that could be the difference between retaining a customer through excellent service and losing a customer through a disjointed service experience.

The point of service is often when the customer needs you the most. It is when they are seeking solutions to an issue with the product you provide. Often in a business-to-business environment, the failure of one asset could quickly amount to hundreds of thousands of pounds in lost production capacity. This is the point where the service you deliver defines your organisation.

"When field service providers can retain customers and renew contracts, they can spend less time worrying about how to win new business simply to make up for customers they’ve lost. It becomes much easier to grow the business"

Customer touchpoints, be it a representative in the contact centre or an engineer in the field, need to be able to access all of the pertinent information to hand quickly and efficiently. The flow of data into the CRM is vital to empower them to control the situation and keep your customer at ease, knowing the issue is being handled effectively.

Modern platforms, such as EFACS (an Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP system) and Eagle Field Service (a Field Service Management or FSM system) provided by Exel Computer Systems, are designed to reduce system interaction required to access such critical information by allowing interrogation of other parts of the system via drill-throughs, reducing navigation through system menus.

As well as being vital during initial issue resolution, this can also become exceptionally valuable with follow-up connections, allowing users to gain insight into effective marketing campaigns, customer satisfaction and identify potential up-selling/cross-selling opportunities.

FINANCIAL TOOLS:

The biggest challenge for many service organisations, from the small to large, is often the delay in large cash-to-service cycles, currently, as we look forwards to a continuing uncertain economic outlook, cash-flow promises to be an ongoing challenge for all organisations.

This is another vital area where the platform can shine for service organisations.

Modern platforms should incorporate accounting modules that ensure accurate, real-time, cohesive financial management for your business. Such modules should be easy to use and provide high functionality and flexibility.

From a service delivery perspective, in-platform workflow automation can allow business procedures, such as producing invoices upon receipt of digital signature, to vastly increase operational efficiency. At the same time, automated follow-ups can ensure the prompt payment of invoices – again helping to reduce cash-flow challenges.

Similarly, the most significant cause of revenue leakage often relates to service provided outside of warranty not being invoiced correctly. By having a flow of data easily accessible by all users across the platform, this can be negated, ensuring out of contract service is charged appropriately and up-selling opportunities are realised.

SCHEDULING AND CASE MANAGEMENT:

When it comes to scheduling service engineers, again, having complete visibility of the various customer interactions and asset information is vital for effective management of the service cycle.

The ability to manage and schedule all planned maintenance requirements for the entire duration of the contract is a necessity. Having visibility into this can be crucial for the field service operations and other business units, including sales, marketing, and even research and development.

However, while the ideal is to move towards planned maintenance as much as possible, all service companies will still face reactive service calls. The capacity planning to allow for reactive calls is an essential element within an FSM solution. Ensuring this visibility in workforce management tools is another important aspect of the broader platform approach.

The connected platform allows dispatch agents to select the right engineer the first time, every time; if the platform offers an assisted scheduling tool.

Such tools allow users to schedule and manage calls, constantly monitor engineers’ diaries (updated by the mobile solution to reflect real-time changes) and have the ability to view optimum time slots and spare availability.

Similarly, Call Centre functionality is core to any business that needs to monitor and control after-sales service to their customers. Cases may be categorised and assigned a priority or service level. All correspondence and activities related to the case can be tracked, photos and records of problems can be stored, and correspondence relating to technical issues maintained.

Of course, each of these elements is an essential tool within their own right, in terms of ensuring efficient service delivery and driving customer satisfaction. However, the seamless data flow across these different aspects of the all-in-one solution allows a service organisation to truly deliver a holistic and connected service experience for the customer.

These are, of course, just a small selection of the tools that make up the average field service system. Many other elements may be included within such a platform, but similarly, best of breed alternatives may be available as stand-alone solutions. In the next part of this paper, we shall explore why adopting multiple best-of-breed solutions can be more challenging than a single platform.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a recent white paper we published in partnership with Exel Computer Systems..

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

What Are The Core Fundamentals of Great Service?

Nov 01, 2021 • Features • Martin Summerhayes • Digital Transformation • Covid-19 • Digital Symposium • GLOBAL

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News is joined on the Field Service News Digital Symposium by Martin Summerhayes, Head of Digital Transformation Services at MDB Service Consulting.

Martin has over 30 years of experience in the service industry in the UK working for organisations such as HP, the Metropolitan Police and Fujitsu, and he focuses on leading key clients to a successful transition of services into new, agile, ways of working.

During the conversation, the two discuss a wide range of topics related to the acceleration of digital adoption during the pandemic and what this means for the future of service organisations.

In this excerpt from that conversation, Martin and Kris talk about the importance of keeping in mind the core fundamentals of great service as technology evolves and companies embrace digital transformation.

Want to know more?

FSN Premium subscribers and FSN Elite members can access the full-length interview plus many, many more in the Field Service New Digital Symposium. If you have an FSN Premium account you can access the video on the button below. If you are currently on our FSN Standard subscription tier you can upgrade your subscription by clicking the link below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free to gain access to a monthly selection of premium content or select either FSN Premium or FSN Elite for even more resources. Click the button above to visit our subscription page to find out more.

The Difference Between Effectiveness and Utilisation

Oct 29, 2021 • Features • Martin Summerhayes • Digital Transformation • Covid-19 • Digital Symposium • GLOBAL

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News is joined on the Field Service News Digital Symposium by Martin Summerhayes, Head of Digital Transformation Services at MDB Service Consulting.

5 Enemies of Growth - What is Hitting Field Service Firms Hard?

Oct 28, 2021 • Features • BigChange • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA

In this third feature of a series of excerpts from a recent white paper published by BigChange, we analyse the key issues that hit field service businesses in the past 12 months.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content BigChange who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

Despite rapid growth, businesses with field-based teams reported three key issues that had materially hit their business in the past 12 months.

Covid-19 and its consequences

81% of businesses said the pandemic had hit turnover or profits in the last 12 months. Four in ten reported that it had led to staffing difficulties.
Expensive materials and fuel

Three-quarters of companies say the rising cost of materials (76%) and fuel (74%) are hurting their business. In the 12 months covered, pump prices for petrol rose by 18% t o near-record levels; diesel leapt by 16%.

Firms expect the same factors to dampen or even eliminate profitability in the next 12 months.
Staying within the rules and regulations

Compliance challenges – including those stemming from the pandemic – are hurting firms. Two-thirds of field service companies say that new regulations hit their profits in the year to July 2021.

In the last 12 months, more than half breached industry regulations in ways that led to a fine, loss of reputation or loss of work. A quarter (25%) incurred financial penalties for breaches.

The risk of accidentally contravening rules and regulations increases as companies expand rapidly. Two further issues for firms also emerged in our analysis.
The productivity pinch point

When it comes to employment, the trades have outperformed the rest of the economy in the last year. The number of people working in field service firms increased by 48%.

But this increase was slower than the 70% rise in workloads.

Firms anticipate further growth in workloads (74%) in the next 12 months, and a lower increase in the extra employees they will take on (54%).

There will be pressure on already busy field service teams to work even more efficiently.
Rising debt levels

The amount of debt taken on by field service businesses increased by 50% over the last 12 months.

While some businesses have used finance to underpin their expansion activities (average debt increased by 43% at firms reporting good profit and growth prospects), the biggest increases in debt levels were among loss-making firms borrowing for survival.

Average debts were up 117% over the last 12 months at businesses that said they were struggling and feared going out of business and increased by 61% at loss-making firms where leaders believed a turnaround was possible.

Access to Government-backed finance made it easier for most businesses to borrow last year. This debt will add an additional cost burden to some already struggling firms.

STATE OF THE FIELD SERVICE SECTOR

Demand and workloads are soaring. Essential costs are on the rise. And recruitment is challenging. Many firms in the survey have addressed these challenges by pushing hard to improve productivity.

Where is time and money lost in field service businesses?

2Poor management oversight: 27% said difficulties getting complete and up-to-date management oversight stops them from working as efficiently as possible. 82% want oversight of all parts of operations in real-time.
Outdated technology: Clunky legacy workforce-management systems that couldn't keep pace with the demands of today were an efficiency issue for 27% of firms.

Poor planning and workflow: 24% say that wasted time between jobs, including travel, is harming efficiency efforts.

As a result, many are now looking to optimise operations with technology.

Less strain, efficiency gain: The rise and rise of job-management technology

73% of field service businesses increased investment in technology in the last 12 months. Technology spending increased by an average of 54% year on year.
Firms expect to keep up these rates of tech-spending growth into 2022 as they turn to technology for management oversight, process automation, job scheduling and route planning.

Year on year company growth was faster, on average, for users of field service management technology. And those growing quickly are doubling down on technology: they are more likely than other firms to invest in it over the next year.

Productivity

Where is time and money lost in the field service business?

27% say difficulties getting real-time insights harms efficiency
27% of firms felt outdated technology was an efficiency issue

24% say wasted time between jobs is harming efficiency

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content BigChange who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

Is Now the Time to Re-evaluate the Key Performance Indicators of Your Company?

Oct 27, 2021 • Features • KPIs • Martin Summerhayes • Digital Transformation • Covid-19 • Digital Symposium • GLOBAL

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News is joined on the Field Service News Digital Symposium by Martin Summerhayes, Head of Digital Transformation Services at MDB Service Consulting.

During the conversation, the two discuss a wide range of topics related to the acceleration of digital adoption during the pandemic and what this means for the future of service organisations.

In this excerpt from that conversation, Martin and Kris explain why now might be the right time for service organisations to reevaluate the KPIs that indicate success within their field of operations.

Want to know more?

FSN Premium subscribers and FSN Elite members can access the full-length interview plus many, many more in the Field Service New Digital Symposium. If you have an FSN Premium account you can access the video on the button below. If you are currently on our FSN Standard subscription tier you can upgrade your subscription by clicking the link below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free to gain access to a monthly selection of premium content or select either FSN Premium or FSN Elite for even more resources. Click the button above to visit our subscription page to find out more.

Successful Digital Transformation: Learning From Failures

Oct 25, 2021 • Features • Martin Summerhayes • Digital Transformation • Covid-19 • Digital Symposium • GLOBAL

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News is joined on the Field Service News Digital Symposium by Martin Summerhayes, Head of Digital Transformation Services at MDB Service Consulting.

During the conversation, the two discuss a wide range of topics related to the acceleration of digital adoption during the pandemic and what this means for the future of service organisations.

In this excerpt from that conversation, Martin and Kris discuss how failures in the process of implementing and adopting new technologies are actually a learning point and can help organisations move forward and achieve a successful digital transformation.

Want to know more?

FSN Premium subscribers and FSN Elite members can access the full-length interview plus many, many more in the Field Service New Digital Symposium. If you have an FSN Premium account you can access the video on the button below. If you are currently on our FSN Standard subscription tier you can upgrade your subscription by clicking the link below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free to gain access to a monthly selection of premium content or select either FSN Premium or FSN Elite for even more resources. Click the button above to visit our subscription page to find out more.

How the Pandemic Has Changed the Approach to Digital Adoption for Companies and Customers

Oct 22, 2021 • Features • Martin Summerhayes • Digital Transformation • Covid-19 • Digital Symposium • GLOBAL

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News is joined on the Field Service News Digital Symposium by Martin Summerhayes, Head of Digital Transformation Services at MDB Service Consulting.

During the conversation, the two discuss a wide range of topics related to the acceleration of digital adoption during the pandemic and what this means for the future of service organisations.

In this excerpt from that conversation, Martin and Kris discuss how much the impact of COVID-19 has accelerated digital adoption even for those companies and customers who were very reluctant to approach remote services before the pandemic.

Want to know more?

FSN Premium subscribers and FSN Elite members can access the full-length interview plus many, many more in the Field Service New Digital Symposium. If you have an FSN Premium account you can access the video on the button below. If you are currently on our FSN Standard subscription tier you can upgrade your subscription by clicking the link below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can join 30,0000 of your field service management peers by subscribing to FSN Standard for free to gain access to a monthly selection of premium content or select either FSN Premium or FSN Elite for even more resources. Click the button above to visit our subscription page to find out more.

ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘features’ CATEGORY

3 Tips to Secure Approval for New Service Projects

Further Reading:

How Companies Can Achieve Successful Service Delivery in the New Normal

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

The Benefits of Data Moving Through the Platform and Beyond the Silos

This feature is just one short excerpt from a recent white paper we published in partnership with Exel Computer Systems.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a recent white paper we published in partnership with Exel Computer Systems..

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

What Are The Core Fundamentals of Great Service?

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

The Difference Between Effectiveness and Utilisation

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

5 Enemies of Growth - What is Hitting Field Service Firms Hard?

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

This feature is just one short excerpt from a white paper published by BigChange.

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

Is Now the Time to Re-evaluate the Key Performance Indicators of Your Company?

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

Successful Digital Transformation: Learning From Failures

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

How the Pandemic Has Changed the Approach to Digital Adoption for Companies and Customers

Want to know more?

Further Reading:

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