ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘field-service’ CATEGORY

Trimble and Intelligent Audit, a leader in freight audit and transportation spend optimization, announced a collaboration to integrate their solutions to enable users to benefit from both real-time visibility and one of the most robust audit analytics tools in the industry.

The collaboration between Trimble and Intelligent Audit allows the two companies to provide a solution that solves some of the most significant pain points for shippers today. Users can access visibility and tracking through Trimble's supply chain solution and audit and spend analytics through Intelligent Audit. In addition, Intelligent Audit and Trimble's data sharing will enable both companies to enhance their products, providing a compelling solution for users in the transportation and logistics industry.

Customers of both companies will benefit from this new integration that provides a solution for the supply chain," said Joe DeBoth, vice president and general manager, Trimble Transportation Visibility. "Users have access to improved reporting and analytics with the added freight visibility and tracking abilities through the audit process."

"We were the first company to automate the audit and recovery process in transportation," said Hannah Testani, chief operating officer at Intelligent Audit. "Each year since our inception, we've worked hard to continuously improve our product. Working with Trimble to tap valuable supply chain data will further advance the audit process and is another step in the evolution to continually reduce transportation costs, improve customer experience, and enhance visibility throughout the supply chain."

Trimble's Visibility solutions provide supply chain organizations with visibility into operations featuring a secure, multimodal, real-time information platform. Its features include: Transportation Management System (TMS) integrations, dynamic ETAs, proactive weather and risk alerts, rich data down to the SKU level, temperature control tracking, exception management and final mile functionalities, efficient workflow automation, and a world-class, user-friendly interface.

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In this second excerpt from an exclusive fieldservicenews.com presentation Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News is joined by John Hunt, Managing Director, EMEA, Astea to discuss the key findings of a research project Astea undertook with WBR.

Here, they talk about how the most cited goal for service-centric manufacturers in 2018/2019 is to increase innovation, agility and internal resource to support further development of new service initiatives...

 Want to know more? The full length video of this presentation is available as premium content to fieldservicenews.com subscribers...

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Research analyst and consulting firm, Strategies For Growth^SM (SFG℠) has launched its fifth annual Warranty Chain Management (WCM) Benchmark Survey Update, and invites all Warranty Management professionals to participate. The 2019 WCM Survey will remain “live” on the Web through the end of the year.

According to SFG℠ president and principal consulting analyst, Bill Pollock, “The results of the 2018 survey revealed that nearly three-quarters (71%) of respondents believe effective warranty chain management to be at least 'very important' to the overall financial performance of the business, with just under a quarter (22%) believing it to be 'extremely important.'

[quote float="left"]All respondents that provide their e-mail address will receive a link for downloading a complimentary copy of the Executive Summary Analysts Take white paper immediately following the conference.[/quote] The results further revealed that this sense of importance continues to increase substantially, year-over-year, as one-quarter (25%) believed effective warranty chain management to be 'more important than one year ago,' compared to only 3% believing it to be 'less important' – a ratio of roughly 8:1 citing 'more important' over 'less important’. As such, we know the segment is based on a sound foundation that is getting stronger moving forward."

The final results of the current survey will be presented by Pollock at the 2019 Warranty Chain Management Conference, March 12 - 14, 2019, in Orlando, Florida. In addition, all respondents that provide their e-mail address will receive a link for downloading a complimentary copy of the Executive Summary Analysts Take white paper immediately following the conference.

The survey consists of a targeted, multiple choice questionnaire that should take less than 15 minutes to complete. All responses will remain strictly confidential, and will only be tabulated and reported in the aggregate.

Simply click on the following link to begin the survey, or, if you prefer, you may forward it to someone else in your organization to complete:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WCM_19

BTW - Be sure to watch in Q1, 2019 for Bill Pollock’s article in Field Service News that will provide the key executive-level results of the current survey.

SFG℠ thanks you in advance for your participation!

According to Statista, there will be 30 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices active by 2024. To tap into this trend, plant managers can choose between two main methods of connecting new devices to the IoT — wired or wireless.

Here Maria Torrisi, business development manager of industrial automation specialist JMartans Automation, suggests three questions to ask before choosing between wired and wireless technology.

Wired automation is more mature than wireless technology and offers a fast and reliable option. Wireless technology is a newer entrant to the field, boasting reduced automation costs and smaller space requirements.

A good understanding of your technology and how to connect it is essential during any automation project. To choose the best form of connectivity for your application there are three primary questions to address.

How much space do I have?

A wired system can require a large amount of cabling to connect components and devices, which can be bulky and expensive. One of the main advantages of wireless

systems is that they can be installed in almost any location, even those where space is limited. To discuss which option is best suited to your facility you can arrange for a specialist, like JMartans, to review your plant and recommend the best type of industrial automation equipment for you.

How much am I automating?

If you are connecting a small number of devices to the IoT then wired technology is a good fit for your purposes, as the technology is fast and reliable. However, — adding additional cabling or rerouting the existing cabling of a wired system can be incredibly challenging. Wireless systems, therefore, offer a more scalable option for businesses that are planning on expanding their level of connectivity in the future.

Where’s the value?

Wireless technology can offer a cost-effective option for businesses connecting a large number of devices. While the upfront costs can be high, the flexibility offered to grow businesses can lead to better value in the long term. However, if your company aims to automate a single part reliably and securely then wired automation can make good business sense due to its fidelity. Remember that the larger the wired network, the more expensive it is to install, maintain and manage.

As the IoT continues to grow towards the 30 billion devices forecast by Statista, businesses are faced with decisions about how best to connect their equipment. While wired technology offers a trustworthy option, businesses looking to scale up their connectivity in the long term may find wireless technology is more suited to them.

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Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief welcomes back Kevin McNally, Sales Director of Asolvi as they look through five key considerations to factor in when trying to build a case for investment within a field service management solution including, definable return on investment, health and safety compliance, increasing customer engagement, reducing staff turnover and avoiding a competitive disadvantage....

Is building a case for investment in FSM a key topic for you?! There is a full white paper on this topic available to fieldservicenews.com subscribers. Click the button below to get fully up to speed!

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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 who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this content.  

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Berg Insight presents a unique database covering the 350 largest cellular IoT deployments identified as part of the company’s world-class IoT market research activities since 2004.

The extensive list includes various types of projects and product categories deployed across all types of vertical markets including aftermarket automotive, fleet management & MRM, healthcare, OEM automotive, retail applications, smart homes and buildings, utilities, wearables & consumer electronics as well as industrial M2M and other. The database includes project size and geographical distribution by the end of 2017 as well as a 5-year forecast for each individual project.

“The projects included in the top-350 list together account for approximately 214 million active cellular IoT subscriptions”, said Rickard Andersson, Principal Analyst, Berg Insight. He adds that this corresponds to as much as 33.0 percent of the total number of cellular IoT connections worldwide at the end of 2017.

The 350 projects on the list are in the coming years forecasted to grow to 521 million units by 2022, corresponding to an overall compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.5 percent. “More than 40 deployments on the list have surpassed 1 million subscriptions and the top-10 projects alone account for over 80 million units”, continued Mr. Andersson. Fleet management & MRM is the largest vertical in terms of the number of projects that made the top list, followed by retail applications, aftermarket automotive and OEM automotive as well as smart homes and buildings.

When comparing the number of active subscriptions represented by each vertical for the entries in the top-350 list, OEM automotive is instead the largest vertical, accounting for 46 million units, ahead of utilities at about 34 million units and fleet management & MRM representing 31 million units.

Download report brochure: The 350 Largest Cellular IoT Projects Worldwide

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A recent survey has revealed that 88% of field engineers see no opportunity to progress in their careers.

This less than favourable statistic comes from specialist field engineering recruitment consultancy, Concept Resourcing’s latest Field Engineering Salary and Engagement Survey where they delved into average salaries across the industry as well as fluctuations and expectations in pay, employee happiness and ranked the most desirable perks and benefits.

Engineer’s reports of a lack of career progression were backed up by the fact that 81% of Concept’s respondents reported having more than 10 years’ experience in the industry, and yet 75% of them were still in the same role. Not only does this pose a problem for those who are feeling stagnant in their career, but it does very little to help draw the next generation of engineers into the sector, with progression seemingly curbed.

Between an ongoing battle with the STEM skills shortage and burgeoning concerns over an ageing workforce, some would say the field engineering industry has its work cut out when it comes to attracting new talent. When we look at how the sector has changed in recent years, from advancements in innovation - such as automation and augmented reality, to a natural increase in customer demand for instant resource in the digital age - it comes as no surprise that the sector is crying out for new talent.

Aside from attracting individuals into the industry, retention of existing skilled employees is equally as crucial. Particularly to facilitate knowledge transfer to new starters to ease the pressure on the ageing workforce. With that in mind, it comes as something of a surprise that the survey revealed that 44% of field engineering professionals are feeling undervalued at work.

Retaining your field service engineers

It’s easy to assume that field service organisations would be desperate to retain their existing workforce and would be bending over backwards for them as a result. This may well be the case, but if employers are concentrating their efforts in the wrong places – their engineers simply won’t reap the benefits.

Of course, salary is always going to be a big factor to employee happiness, but with a whopping 79% of field engineers stating that they were dissatisfied with their salaries, the industry may well have a problem on its hands.

"Just 9% of those who requested a pay rise were successful, and of those, 62% were still dissatisfied with their salaries, an indication that perhaps the salary increases weren’t significant enough..."

Just 9% of those who requested a pay rise were successful, and of those, 62% were still dissatisfied with their salaries, an indication that perhaps the salary increases weren’t significant enough.

A potential reason for this could be the commoditisation of traditional field engineering sectors and the skillsets of engineers becoming increasingly focused on replacement over repair, meaning salaries have been driven down.

It seems as though the sector as a whole is missing the mark when it comes to giving their workforce what it wants, not through lack of trying – but simply through not knowing what they truly value where non-financial benefits and rewards are concerned.

Thankfully for employers, it’s not all about money. Feeling valued at work can overshadow a less than desirable salary. However, it’s worth noting that it works both ways, 80% of those who said they didn’t feel valued at work were actively looking to leave the company within the next 2 years.

Making your workforce feel more valued

Whilst salary naturally came out as the most important factor when choosing a job, company culture-related factors such as job security, work-life balance and a good work environment all followed.

When asked which benefits made the most difference to their happiness at work, field engineers ranked having a generous annual leave package, access to a good pension plan, a company vehicle and fuel card as their top priorities.

We saw a direct link between employee happiness and training. While only 6% of respondents felt that they didn’t have the necessary skills for their role, the gesture of being supported with personal or professional development clearly had a positive impact. Of those who said they were ‘happy’ and ‘very happy’ at work, 94% had been on a training course in the last 12 months.

Dan Sholl, Concept Resourcing’s Business Development Director for the field engineering division had this to say, “The results of the salary survey have been really eye-opening, to say the least. It’s clear that the sector has some work to do when it comes to both employee retention and attracting new talent.”

“Not every organisation has the budget to be able to provide regular substantial pay increases, but there’s a lot that can be done to make field engineering employees feel valued and happy at work. In our experience as a field engineering specialist recruiter, we often advise our clients on the significant impact that things like regular training can have on engineers and their happiness. Evidently, it’s these additional benefits and perks that can make all the difference when it comes to bringing the next generation of field engineers into the sector.”

If you’re interested in learning about average salaries in field engineering, or if you’re working on your hiring strategy for the year and would like some extra insight, read the rest of Concept’s Field Engineering Salary and Engagement Survey here.

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