ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘fieldaware’ CATEGORY
Sep 03, 2019 • Features • Fleet Technology • dynamic scheduling • fast lean smart • FieldAware • fleet • The Big Discussion
In the Big Discussion we bring together a panel of industry experts and focus on one key topic within the field service sector. In the first of a new four part series, we turn our attention to dynamic scheduling where our panel includes...
In the Big Discussion we bring together a panel of industry experts and focus on one key topic within the field service sector.
In the first of a new four part series, we turn our attention to dynamic scheduling where our panel includes FieldAware's Mark Tatarsky and Fast Lean Smart's Chris Welsh...
Given the increasing challenges of last-mile service delivery, how crucial is optimised scheduling for field service excellence?
Marc Tatarsky, SVP Marketing, FieldAware
As markets become hyper-competitive, service delivery has become a key differentiator in winning and retaining customers.
Delivering consistent, high-quality service in the last mile is essential. New sources of competition are entering from different verticals, and service organisations are required to support a broader range of products, service offerings, and customers across both metropolitan and rural regions.
These increasing competitive pressures have service organizations turning to optimized scheduling to improve the delivery of their service commitments. Optimized scheduling now encapsulates the workflows, decision-making processes, and the criteria service providers use to execute on the customer journey and create genuine differentiation consistently.
Key to this approach is new generation optimisation engines. These modern optimisation tools provide the ability to configure “micro scheduling.” These new tools enable providers to uniquely configure optimisation capabilities to support different team sizes, multiple product lines, as well as regional and seasonality needs.
This approach of building business policies that reflect optimisation needs at an atomic level provides the basis for rapid time to value. Micro scheduling not only facilitates efficient execution of the initial implementation, but it also helps with the introduction of new service lines, products, and regions. It enables service providers to react to and create a competitive advantage based on changes in the market and seasonal demands.
Chris Welsh, Director, FLS – FAST LEAN SMART
Last mile service delivery has always relied on good scheduling for field service excellence. With increasing pressure to achieve more with less and time-window/SLA expectations shortening, it is harder than ever to achieve this well without a schedule optimiser.
The best scheduling technology will not only plan accurately but also have ability to dynamically react in real-time to the progress of travel and work changes on the day. Engineer job allocation will re-optimise automatically to ensure priorities, including emergency jobs, are best met within available resources, highlighting SLA’s or appointments that will be missed so a Planner can override by exception.
This dynamic operation does not suit all service businesses and the technology is flexible. For example, many appointment based companies want the schedule finalised and ‘fixed’ for engineers the night before.
In this case the system will display real-time progress and give accurate prediction of when appointment windows will not be met or the engineer late home. By exception, the company may then decide to reassign using system recommendations.
The further importance for optimised scheduling is the ability to provide auto notification of arrival times and Uber-style tracking the engineer’s arrival by the customer on their phone. FLS were ahead when we launched this with FLS Portal last year and the function is increasingly an expectation for field service.
The second part of the big discussion will be published next week, when the panel are asked if optimised scheduling should be an accepted part of a wider FSM platform.
In the first of a new four part series, we turn our attention to dynamic scheduling where our panel includes FieldAware's Mark Tatarsky and Fast Lean Smart's Chris Welsh...
Given the increasing challenges of last-mile service delivery, how crucial is optimised scheduling for field service excellence?
Marc Tatarsky, SVP Marketing, FieldAware
As markets become hyper-competitive, service delivery has become a key differentiator in winning and retaining customers.
Delivering consistent, high-quality service in the last mile is essential. New sources of competition are entering from different verticals, and service organisations are required to support a broader range of products, service offerings, and customers across both metropolitan and rural regions.
These increasing competitive pressures have service organizations turning to optimized scheduling to improve the delivery of their service commitments. Optimized scheduling now encapsulates the workflows, decision-making processes, and the criteria service providers use to execute on the customer journey and create genuine differentiation consistently.
Key to this approach is new generation optimisation engines. These modern optimisation tools provide the ability to configure “micro scheduling.” These new tools enable providers to uniquely configure optimisation capabilities to support different team sizes, multiple product lines, as well as regional and seasonality needs.
This approach of building business policies that reflect optimisation needs at an atomic level provides the basis for rapid time to value. Micro scheduling not only facilitates efficient execution of the initial implementation, but it also helps with the introduction of new service lines, products, and regions. It enables service providers to react to and create a competitive advantage based on changes in the market and seasonal demands.
Chris Welsh, Director, FLS – FAST LEAN SMART
Last mile service delivery has always relied on good scheduling for field service excellence. With increasing pressure to achieve more with less and time-window/SLA expectations shortening, it is harder than ever to achieve this well without a schedule optimiser.
The best scheduling technology will not only plan accurately but also have ability to dynamically react in real-time to the progress of travel and work changes on the day. Engineer job allocation will re-optimise automatically to ensure priorities, including emergency jobs, are best met within available resources, highlighting SLA’s or appointments that will be missed so a Planner can override by exception.
This dynamic operation does not suit all service businesses and the technology is flexible. For example, many appointment based companies want the schedule finalised and ‘fixed’ for engineers the night before.
In this case the system will display real-time progress and give accurate prediction of when appointment windows will not be met or the engineer late home. By exception, the company may then decide to reassign using system recommendations.
The further importance for optimised scheduling is the ability to provide auto notification of arrival times and Uber-style tracking the engineer’s arrival by the customer on their phone. FLS were ahead when we launched this with FLS Portal last year and the function is increasingly an expectation for field service.
The second part of the big discussion will be published next week, when the panel are asked if optimised scheduling should be an accepted part of a wider FSM platform.
Aug 20, 2019 • Features • Software & Apps • FieldAware • SaaS
FieldAware’s Marc Tatarsky explains what field service companies should expect from the software companies they are working with...
FieldAware’s Marc Tatarsky explains what field service companies should expect from the software companies they are working with...
The global software market has gone through a revolution over the last decade caused by the accessibility and scalability of cloud applications. Cloud, and specifically, SaaS (software as a service), have driven this change through lower costs and faster implementations.
According to Right Scale’s annual State of the Cloud Report for 2019, 91% of businesses use public cloud, and 72% use a private one. Most enterprises utilize both options – with 69% of them opting for a hybrid cloud solution. Many more are making plans to move additional systems to the web, including moving their core business processing software.
If you are not familiar with what SaaS is, a quick Google search will reveal a definition and many of the SaaS advantages. As a baseline, here are some of the well-known and documented technology benefits you can expect to realize from using cloud software for your Field Service Management platform:
• Lower costs, faster ROI;
• Faster implementation and easy upgrades;
• More flexibility, scalability, and accessibility;
• Enhanced security and backup.
There is no questioning the value of the software side of the SaaS equation. However, even with all these benefits, some organizations still do not reap the full impact of SaaS when they purchase a new cloud-based FSM platform.
Why is that? Well, in actuality there are two 'S' in the SaaS equation – software and service. 'Service' typical explains how the software is delivered. Another definition for “service” is the full scope of the capabilities a technology provider brings to bear for clients to ensure an end-user organization is successful.
After working for more than 25 years in the IT and software industry, I have learned that matching the technical capabilities of a solution with an organization’s underlying business need is critical. However, the more significant determination of long-term success is the “service” a technology partner provides throughout the customer lifecycle.
So, if this is true, what “service” factors should a technology provider be evaluated on?
What is the Service portion of SaaS?
There are some vital services a SaaS FSM Platform provider must excel at to help field service organizations achieve the promise of quick time to value. These include:
• Robust & Accessible Research & Development (R&D);
• Integrated Client Service Teams;
• Knowledge Management & Transfer Methods;
The global software market has gone through a revolution over the last decade caused by the accessibility and scalability of cloud applications. Cloud, and specifically, SaaS (software as a service), have driven this change through lower costs and faster implementations.
According to Right Scale’s annual State of the Cloud Report for 2019, 91% of businesses use public cloud, and 72% use a private one. Most enterprises utilize both options – with 69% of them opting for a hybrid cloud solution. Many more are making plans to move additional systems to the web, including moving their core business processing software.
If you are not familiar with what SaaS is, a quick Google search will reveal a definition and many of the SaaS advantages. As a baseline, here are some of the well-known and documented technology benefits you can expect to realize from using cloud software for your Field Service Management platform:
• Lower costs, faster ROI;
• Faster implementation and easy upgrades;
• More flexibility, scalability, and accessibility;
• Enhanced security and backup.
There is no questioning the value of the software side of the SaaS equation. However, even with all these benefits, some organizations still do not reap the full impact of SaaS when they purchase a new cloud-based FSM platform.
Why is that? Well, in actuality there are two 'S' in the SaaS equation – software and service. 'Service' typical explains how the software is delivered. Another definition for “service” is the full scope of the capabilities a technology provider brings to bear for clients to ensure an end-user organization is successful.
After working for more than 25 years in the IT and software industry, I have learned that matching the technical capabilities of a solution with an organization’s underlying business need is critical. However, the more significant determination of long-term success is the “service” a technology partner provides throughout the customer lifecycle.
So, if this is true, what “service” factors should a technology provider be evaluated on?
What is the Service portion of SaaS?
There are some vital services a SaaS FSM Platform provider must excel at to help field service organizations achieve the promise of quick time to value. These include:
• Robust & Accessible Research & Development (R&D);
• Integrated Client Service Teams;
• Knowledge Management & Transfer Methods;
• Continuous Training & Support.
Let’s take a closer look at these service factors to understand how each can ultimately impact your long-term success.
R&D
A robust R&D organization is fundamental. Having significant and ongoing investment in development to ensure the solution is continuously improving and expanding is essential. Along with this investment, an R&D organization must be accessible and exposed to the customer base. This transparency ensures the solution and new features are based on actual needs and use cases. A technology provider’s R&D organization should not be in a silo. It should systematically gather and incorporate client feedback for product and feature enhancements.
Client Service Teams
Technology providers should have well established and defined client service teams such as Presales Services, Implementation and Professional Services, Customer Success, Training, and Support. These teams should be engaged at every step of the customer lifecycle to ensure success.
Beyond just engagement, these teams should operate in “lead-time” vs. “lag-time” mode. “Lead-time” mode means that they are integrated throughout the lifecycle and create hand-offs before any single phase is complete.
Operating in “lead-time” mode ensures each team is knowledgeable about the client’s business well before their activities fully take shape. This coordination eliminates any “lag-time” between phases. Lead-time mode speeds up knowledge transfer and hand-offs.
Knowledge Management
Beyond the clear capital savings, one of the best values of working with a technology provider vs. building an in-house solution is access to the provider’s best practices. After working with hundreds and thousands of clients and processes, standout technology providers create a library of best practices.
Appropriately integrated client service teams can methodically collect and share best practices, ensuring end-user organizations will reap the rewards. The results will manifest throughout the organization in better service and support, as well as improved product features.
Training & Support
Continuous training and support bring it all together and is an essential capability of any world-class technology partner. Every company is on a field service maturity journey. As products and businesses change, field service teams will need help to navigate and take advantage of the evolution.
Training and support, in conjunction with a “lead-time” based customer success team, will help ensure your field service organization is always getting the most out of your investment.
SaaS - backward and forward
Organizations are at different stages along the field service maturity journey - both from a technology and operational perspective. As companies aspire to improve and make the changes necessary to achieve ongoing success, their requirement to balance the “S” in the SaaS equation ebb and flow. It is critical for long-term success for these organizations to partner with a technology provider that understands the dual role of “S” in the SaaS equation. It is equally, if not more important that the provider fully invests in the “service” elements of SaaS.
Marc Tatarsky is SVP, Marketing at FieldAware
Let’s take a closer look at these service factors to understand how each can ultimately impact your long-term success.
R&D
A robust R&D organization is fundamental. Having significant and ongoing investment in development to ensure the solution is continuously improving and expanding is essential. Along with this investment, an R&D organization must be accessible and exposed to the customer base. This transparency ensures the solution and new features are based on actual needs and use cases. A technology provider’s R&D organization should not be in a silo. It should systematically gather and incorporate client feedback for product and feature enhancements.
Client Service Teams
Technology providers should have well established and defined client service teams such as Presales Services, Implementation and Professional Services, Customer Success, Training, and Support. These teams should be engaged at every step of the customer lifecycle to ensure success.
Beyond just engagement, these teams should operate in “lead-time” vs. “lag-time” mode. “Lead-time” mode means that they are integrated throughout the lifecycle and create hand-offs before any single phase is complete.
Operating in “lead-time” mode ensures each team is knowledgeable about the client’s business well before their activities fully take shape. This coordination eliminates any “lag-time” between phases. Lead-time mode speeds up knowledge transfer and hand-offs.
Knowledge Management
Beyond the clear capital savings, one of the best values of working with a technology provider vs. building an in-house solution is access to the provider’s best practices. After working with hundreds and thousands of clients and processes, standout technology providers create a library of best practices.
Appropriately integrated client service teams can methodically collect and share best practices, ensuring end-user organizations will reap the rewards. The results will manifest throughout the organization in better service and support, as well as improved product features.
Training & Support
Continuous training and support bring it all together and is an essential capability of any world-class technology partner. Every company is on a field service maturity journey. As products and businesses change, field service teams will need help to navigate and take advantage of the evolution.
Training and support, in conjunction with a “lead-time” based customer success team, will help ensure your field service organization is always getting the most out of your investment.
SaaS - backward and forward
Organizations are at different stages along the field service maturity journey - both from a technology and operational perspective. As companies aspire to improve and make the changes necessary to achieve ongoing success, their requirement to balance the “S” in the SaaS equation ebb and flow. It is critical for long-term success for these organizations to partner with a technology provider that understands the dual role of “S” in the SaaS equation. It is equally, if not more important that the provider fully invests in the “service” elements of SaaS.
Marc Tatarsky is SVP, Marketing at FieldAware
Click here to find out more about FieldAware
Jun 27, 2019 • Features • Management • Software & Apps • FieldAware • Service Evolution • Software and Apps • Customer Satisfaction and Expectations
Frankie Guynes, Customer Success Manager of FieldAware outlines what field service organisations should consider before making the next move in their field service maturity planning...
Frankie Guynes, Customer Success Manager of FieldAware outlines what field service organisations should consider before making the next move in their field service maturity planning...
You might think I am biased, but I truly believe that my Customer Success team has the best job. Why? Because that job allows us to participate in our client’s growth and success. Each day, we guide our clients to overcome all types of obstacles, ensuring they are getting everything they need from their field service solution. In fact, identifying these obstacles together, and supporting the client through their own individual maturity model is what ultimately makes the difference in their organisations.
To explain better: we work with clients who are at various stages of field service maturity. We use a well-established model which outlines five stages. By identifying a client’s current stage, we can more succinctly consult with clients on process improvements and activities that will progress them through the stages of maturity.
The stages start at basic, reactive business operations moving to more transformative business operations. The obstacles faced by these businesses are different; varying from lack of standard processes, poor change management, or inadequate technology. We focus on overcoming these obstacles, and the role that can play to advance an organisation to a market leader in their industry.
Wherever an organisation is in their field service maturity, what matters most is for the organisation to: map out a quick-path-to-value in their current stage of maturity, visualise where they want to be in the maturity model, and execute on operational changes that move the organisation to that goal.
The Right Fit Software
My team is greeted by many organisations that are “getting by” with existing technologies and processes. These technologies and processes are typically born from gaps in business processes as their business continues to grow. When technologies are deployed from necessity, organisations find themselves unable to scale; hampered by these disparate processes.
Although there are many factors that are involved in an organisation’s maturity stage, it is without question that the effectiveness of their technology is highly impactful. With technology as a cornerstone to success for an organisation’s maturity, organisations need to evaluate software based on the current state and the goal state for their business.
"The effectiveness of their technology is highly impactful..."
This doesn’t mean to implement technology well beyond the organisation’s current field service maturity, making change management and success difficult to achieve. Rather, find software that stretches beyond the current maturity stage and that allows the organisation to evolve within the technology.
The Path to Success
A fundamental step to success is for field service leaders to invest time to map out the current state of their organisation, along with a clear vision of the goal state. They must ensure that the technology for which they invest can evolve and support the business through their own field service operational maturity.
Mapping out the current state of the organisation consists of three activities. First, carry out a need’s assessment with an honest evaluation of current inefficiencies in organisational processes. Then, evaluate how current technology could evolve to support organisational changes, and finally, take a critical look at the decision-making process of investing in new technology.
Making the Next Move
This exercise inevitably means greater knowledge of your business; its operations and areas that are preventing the organisation from increased growth or value. It is essential to identify,
document, and “well-circulate” the goal state of the organisation and the measurements that will be used by leaders to identify success in these metrics.
When tackling this, it can help by focusing on the business goal and work backwards from that point. For example, delivering added-value to customers is a priority for many organisations, so it is given that operational changes should support this, and technology developments should enable it. Therefore, starting with this end point will mean a greater understanding of how the business can deliver this customer value successfully and consistently and what that looks like.
Use What you Have
Mapping out your current state will also uncover if you are making the most of your current technology. An important part of my role is to ensure our team is helping clients get everything they need from the solution. This means all software releases are communicated and demonstrated through solutioning sessions. It means new users are fully trained, and advanced solutions on the platform are well implemented.
In the end, I advise organisations to seek guidance from software experts to help with the journey. Transformative technologies can be difficult to navigate and implement into an organisation’s business processes. Find a technology partner that well identifies your organisational maturity path and that will help evolve your field service maturity from concept to reality.
This exercise inevitably means greater knowledge of your business; its operations and areas that are preventing the organisation from increased growth or value. It is essential to identify,
document, and “well-circulate” the goal state of the organisation and the measurements that will be used by leaders to identify success in these metrics.
When tackling this, it can help by focusing on the business goal and work backwards from that point. For example, delivering added-value to customers is a priority for many organisations, so it is given that operational changes should support this, and technology developments should enable it. Therefore, starting with this end point will mean a greater understanding of how the business can deliver this customer value successfully and consistently and what that looks like.
Use What you Have
Mapping out your current state will also uncover if you are making the most of your current technology. An important part of my role is to ensure our team is helping clients get everything they need from the solution. This means all software releases are communicated and demonstrated through solutioning sessions. It means new users are fully trained, and advanced solutions on the platform are well implemented.
In the end, I advise organisations to seek guidance from software experts to help with the journey. Transformative technologies can be difficult to navigate and implement into an organisation’s business processes. Find a technology partner that well identifies your organisational maturity path and that will help evolve your field service maturity from concept to reality.
Want to know more about FieldAware? Click here to access their page in the field service directory for more information , articles and resources.
Apr 25, 2019 • Features • Business Transformation • FieldAware • Software and Apps
Kris Oldland talks exclusively to Steve Wellen, CEO of FieldAware about today’s field service operation, maturity model adoption and when the time is right for an organisation’s evolution…
Kris Oldland talks exclusively to Steve Wellen, CEO of FieldAware about today’s field service operation, maturity model adoption and when the time is right for an organisation’s evolution…
Evolution of an organisation’s field service and field service maturity models are hot topics and gaining increasing attention in field service management right now. Moving from basic, manual processes through to automated stages and beyond can deliver significant results to an organisation. But what does this maturity model mean in reality to an organisation and do all field service companies need to strive for the highest levels of field service maturity?
With over 35 years’ experience in the technology industry, Steve Wellen is somebody who knows more than most how important developing maturity is to business success. Prior to joining FieldAware, nearly two years ago, Steve held executive positions with software giants Domo, Inc and Omniture and his passion for the results that technology can deliver is clear.
It is useful to get his insight into how the concept of a field service maturity models can turn into reality for organisations and to take a closer look at the evolution that is happening right now. “I hear time and time again from our clients directly and through our customer support teams that field service is moving on from simply bringing efficiencies into operations, keeping customers happy and managing costs.
“These are important factors in any business, without doubt, but the focus is shifting and that shift is away from service delivery being considered to be an overhead within the business model and for field service to be an integral part of the company, that adds real value. With this strategic shift on the operational side, technology has to at least match these objectives or better still drive and deliver the outcome. Field service leaders realise they have the means to be empowered by the many recent developments in software capabilities - and how forward thinking companies are applying them - to become true value drivers in their business.”
As Steve highlights, technology and operational maturity are integral to one another, so it is useful to talk through the stages that are identified in the FieldAware model.
“In the simplest terms, we have outlined five stages going from the basic, paper-based processes through to a wholly transformative level of maturity which embraces the latest capabilities and emerging technologies.”
At the most basic stage, the field service team is seen as purely reactive, Steve explains. “The organisation’s operational development is restricted by the use of paper-based processes; there is reduced visibility of the workflow and the approach to managing work will generally be function-based and hence, reactive in nature. The field team is likely to be a siloed operation with strong focus on the department, rather than any wider business requirements.”
Moving up to the next level to part-automation means with near real-time management the work can move to a less reactive, more controlled approach with procedures and processes more easily established. However, while field service KPIs may be more easily defined because of the enhanced visibility, they may not align to wider business strategy, so the field service operations may continue to operate within a silo.
The next stage identified in the FieldAware model brings in integrated technology, and as such the operations become more managed. At level three, an integrated operation brings realtime visibility across all of the elements that need to be considered, bringing improved collaboration between teams and increased accountability within them.
Operational growth across the wider business can start to be realised, extending the impact of the field service organisation without compromising effective delivery of service promises and SLAs.
The fourth level is an optimised stage of technology maturity which means operationally field service turns into an opportunity to drive business as continual operational improvement becomes the norm. Processes become underpinned by true business intelligence and trend analysis.
Operations become more quantitatively measured and managed. An optimised stage brings with it a shift from being seen merely as service delivery, to unlocking the business value of field service with the competitive advantage that this can bring.
Finally, the most advanced stage of maturity in the FieldAware model is transformative, where the emerging technologies of IoT, AR, AI and Machine Learning become the norm and this stage has potential to have huge influence on field service operations. At this stage of maturity, the field service organisation is wholly connected across the company, applying analysis to continually improve performance, and adding value to the business through product and service innovation.
Ultimately, this enables field service to drive, not only the business, but the market, which is how companies differentiate themselves from their competition and lead company growth. The maturity of a company’s field service operations is dictated by many factors, explains Steve. Company size, type of industry and customers served, complexity of workflow, value of the assets and equipment they supply and service, and importantly, their leadership.
So, taking these into account, what then drives a company to develop and evolve their field service solution and how is FieldAware seeing this firsthand I ask. “There are four key drivers we see within organisations looking to evolve. The first driver is growth as it is imperative that a growing field service organisation has solutions to support it and keep pace with operational needs. Next is flexibility, which is crucial to a developing field service organisation – being locked into using any solution that can’t easily adapt, handcuffs the business and restricts its development. Efficiency is critical as not having the right technology in place can be a cost driver, limit productivity and compromise service delivery.”
Last, but certainly no means least important is the increasing need for business insight. With more data available to field service organisations than ever, field service leaders demand better insight into their business and they understand that the right software holds the key to this.”
One of the most significant transitions for companies, Steve believes comes when they focus on their business insight. It becomes clear as Steve talks that business intelligence and analytics is an area he is particularly passionate about. His previous role as COO at Domo, Inc has enabled him to bring a fresh look at the application of analytics capabilities in field service.
“The premise of Domo is that it unifies every component of your business and while field service solutions have long had the capability to integrate into other business systems, such as CRM, ERP and accounting, it is analytics that provides the means for field service organisations to realise their full potential.” “Companies that recognise this value, see the importance of a closely integrated and connected field service within the wider business. The new interactions that come from this connection, further unlock the value for the company in terms of customer service, sales or product development to fuel competitive advantage.”
FieldAware has a strong focus on enabling clients to know more through their business insight, allowing them to serve more and grow more as a business. Steve again believes that analytics underpins much of this and for him seeing FieldAware clients achieve their objectives for company growth is another area he has great passion for.
“We are starting to see analytical data being used in unique ways to help field service organisations leverage the findings that are uncovered to drive innovation into their products and services. Forward-thinking companies apply these insights to help customise the service they offer to their customers more easily, deepening the customer relationship and improving levels of satisfaction.” “At the transformative level, the creation of new, unique, predictive and preventative services will help them to serve more and ultimately achieve greater growth.”
FieldAware is working with many organisations through their stages of maturity to address issues they encounter when their operational and technology stages are not aligned. Meadows Office Interiors is just one example. With over 50 years in business, Meadows Office Interiors creates innovative workspaces and company growth along with a strong customer focus, meant the creation of Meadows Service Group to offer ongoing support to their customer base.
A dedicated team was set up to focus on maximising the lifetime and effectiveness of their clients’ workplace assets, but as Steve explained it soon become clear to the management that current processes and practices couldn’t keep pace and more streamlined ways of working had to be introduced.
“Meadows quickly realised they had to be more strategic in the way they worked, to effectively manage the operational side of the business. Working with them to develop their technology maturity enabled improved day-to-day operational management, which has translated into driving their revenue growth. A great success for our client.”
It certainly seems like a successful approach for FieldAware and it is interesting times with their field service maturity model, which will mean more and more organisations will be asking themselves the question is the time right for their evolution in field service maturity.
For more information on field service maturity visit www.fieldaware.com or see Marc Tatarsky, SVP Marketing at FieldAware who joins a panel at Field Service USA 2019, Wednesday April 24th at the JW Marriott Palm Desert Resort & Spa
Evolution of an organisation’s field service and field service maturity models are hot topics and gaining increasing attention in field service management right now. Moving from basic, manual processes through to automated stages and beyond can deliver significant results to an organisation. But what does this maturity model mean in reality to an organisation and do all field service companies need to strive for the highest levels of field service maturity?
With over 35 years’ experience in the technology industry, Steve Wellen is somebody who knows more than most how important developing maturity is to business success. Prior to joining FieldAware, nearly two years ago, Steve held executive positions with software giants Domo, Inc and Omniture and his passion for the results that technology can deliver is clear.
It is useful to get his insight into how the concept of a field service maturity models can turn into reality for organisations and to take a closer look at the evolution that is happening right now. “I hear time and time again from our clients directly and through our customer support teams that field service is moving on from simply bringing efficiencies into operations, keeping customers happy and managing costs.
“These are important factors in any business, without doubt, but the focus is shifting and that shift is away from service delivery being considered to be an overhead within the business model and for field service to be an integral part of the company, that adds real value. With this strategic shift on the operational side, technology has to at least match these objectives or better still drive and deliver the outcome. Field service leaders realise they have the means to be empowered by the many recent developments in software capabilities - and how forward thinking companies are applying them - to become true value drivers in their business.”
As Steve highlights, technology and operational maturity are integral to one another, so it is useful to talk through the stages that are identified in the FieldAware model.
“In the simplest terms, we have outlined five stages going from the basic, paper-based processes through to a wholly transformative level of maturity which embraces the latest capabilities and emerging technologies.”
At the most basic stage, the field service team is seen as purely reactive, Steve explains. “The organisation’s operational development is restricted by the use of paper-based processes; there is reduced visibility of the workflow and the approach to managing work will generally be function-based and hence, reactive in nature. The field team is likely to be a siloed operation with strong focus on the department, rather than any wider business requirements.”
Moving up to the next level to part-automation means with near real-time management the work can move to a less reactive, more controlled approach with procedures and processes more easily established. However, while field service KPIs may be more easily defined because of the enhanced visibility, they may not align to wider business strategy, so the field service operations may continue to operate within a silo.
The next stage identified in the FieldAware model brings in integrated technology, and as such the operations become more managed. At level three, an integrated operation brings realtime visibility across all of the elements that need to be considered, bringing improved collaboration between teams and increased accountability within them.
Operational growth across the wider business can start to be realised, extending the impact of the field service organisation without compromising effective delivery of service promises and SLAs.
The fourth level is an optimised stage of technology maturity which means operationally field service turns into an opportunity to drive business as continual operational improvement becomes the norm. Processes become underpinned by true business intelligence and trend analysis.
Operations become more quantitatively measured and managed. An optimised stage brings with it a shift from being seen merely as service delivery, to unlocking the business value of field service with the competitive advantage that this can bring.
Finally, the most advanced stage of maturity in the FieldAware model is transformative, where the emerging technologies of IoT, AR, AI and Machine Learning become the norm and this stage has potential to have huge influence on field service operations. At this stage of maturity, the field service organisation is wholly connected across the company, applying analysis to continually improve performance, and adding value to the business through product and service innovation.
Ultimately, this enables field service to drive, not only the business, but the market, which is how companies differentiate themselves from their competition and lead company growth. The maturity of a company’s field service operations is dictated by many factors, explains Steve. Company size, type of industry and customers served, complexity of workflow, value of the assets and equipment they supply and service, and importantly, their leadership.
"One of the most significant transitions for companies, Steve believes comes when they focus on their business insight..."
So, taking these into account, what then drives a company to develop and evolve their field service solution and how is FieldAware seeing this firsthand I ask. “There are four key drivers we see within organisations looking to evolve. The first driver is growth as it is imperative that a growing field service organisation has solutions to support it and keep pace with operational needs. Next is flexibility, which is crucial to a developing field service organisation – being locked into using any solution that can’t easily adapt, handcuffs the business and restricts its development. Efficiency is critical as not having the right technology in place can be a cost driver, limit productivity and compromise service delivery.”
Last, but certainly no means least important is the increasing need for business insight. With more data available to field service organisations than ever, field service leaders demand better insight into their business and they understand that the right software holds the key to this.”
One of the most significant transitions for companies, Steve believes comes when they focus on their business insight. It becomes clear as Steve talks that business intelligence and analytics is an area he is particularly passionate about. His previous role as COO at Domo, Inc has enabled him to bring a fresh look at the application of analytics capabilities in field service.
“The premise of Domo is that it unifies every component of your business and while field service solutions have long had the capability to integrate into other business systems, such as CRM, ERP and accounting, it is analytics that provides the means for field service organisations to realise their full potential.” “Companies that recognise this value, see the importance of a closely integrated and connected field service within the wider business. The new interactions that come from this connection, further unlock the value for the company in terms of customer service, sales or product development to fuel competitive advantage.”
FieldAware has a strong focus on enabling clients to know more through their business insight, allowing them to serve more and grow more as a business. Steve again believes that analytics underpins much of this and for him seeing FieldAware clients achieve their objectives for company growth is another area he has great passion for.
“We are starting to see analytical data being used in unique ways to help field service organisations leverage the findings that are uncovered to drive innovation into their products and services. Forward-thinking companies apply these insights to help customise the service they offer to their customers more easily, deepening the customer relationship and improving levels of satisfaction.” “At the transformative level, the creation of new, unique, predictive and preventative services will help them to serve more and ultimately achieve greater growth.”
FieldAware is working with many organisations through their stages of maturity to address issues they encounter when their operational and technology stages are not aligned. Meadows Office Interiors is just one example. With over 50 years in business, Meadows Office Interiors creates innovative workspaces and company growth along with a strong customer focus, meant the creation of Meadows Service Group to offer ongoing support to their customer base.
A dedicated team was set up to focus on maximising the lifetime and effectiveness of their clients’ workplace assets, but as Steve explained it soon become clear to the management that current processes and practices couldn’t keep pace and more streamlined ways of working had to be introduced.
“Meadows quickly realised they had to be more strategic in the way they worked, to effectively manage the operational side of the business. Working with them to develop their technology maturity enabled improved day-to-day operational management, which has translated into driving their revenue growth. A great success for our client.”
It certainly seems like a successful approach for FieldAware and it is interesting times with their field service maturity model, which will mean more and more organisations will be asking themselves the question is the time right for their evolution in field service maturity.
For more information on field service maturity visit www.fieldaware.com or see Marc Tatarsky, SVP Marketing at FieldAware who joins a panel at Field Service USA 2019, Wednesday April 24th at the JW Marriott Palm Desert Resort & Spa
Apr 15, 2019 • Online Directory • Field Service Management Software • Field Service Management Solutions • FieldAware
Contact information:
To learn more about FieldAware solutions or to schedule a demo:
Phone:
- US and Canada: 800-935-0736
- UK: 0800 098 8487
- Australia, APAC: 1800 821 628
Email at sales@fieldaware.com
Web:t www.fieldaware.com
Contact information:
To learn more about FieldAware solutions or to schedule a demo:
Phone:
- US and Canada: 800-935-0736
- UK: 0800 098 8487
- Australia, APAC: 1800 821 628
Email at sales@fieldaware.com
Web:t www.fieldaware.com
Services Provided by FieldAware:
- Mobile Applications
- Scheduling and Dispatch
- Work Order Management
- Asset Management
- Barcode Scanner
All About FieldAware:
FieldAware is re-shaping the field service industry.
FieldAware has a solution to automate field service workflows and activities that is a made-for-mobile, cloud-based software architecture. We designed our solution to address the decades old challenge of automating field service activities and workers from the ground up. We enable them to capitalise on a modern technology infrastructure for ease of use and incredible flexibility. We combine our software with the industry’s best implementation, on-boarding and support services enabling companies to take full and rapid advantage of today’s mobile environment throughout the organisation.
FieldAware delivers an end-to-end solution encompassing a robust suite of core functionality bundled into the primary solution that automates most field service organisations. In addition, FieldAware offers value-add modules for enhanced capabilities, such as analytics, optimisation, dynamic workflows, all with the benefits and accessibility that only a made-for-mobile platform architecture can bring.
Our focus is 100% on field service management, which means we can continuously expand, improve, and optimise the end-to-end suite of capabilities we deliver to best serve field service organisations. This allows us to deliver on our vision to help our clients drive value across functional and organisational boundaries. It enables them to evolve their field service maturity to address their changing business requirements as dictated by strategic direction or growth.
Field service is complex, and our clients want to fully enable their remote workers. They want to provide them with easy access to the information they need, when they need it. They also want to provide the back office and management teams with complete visibility too. This means providing transparency to the workflows, the worker, assets and parts that are being used in the field, so that operations can be managed effectively and productively. But the need for transparency doesn’t end there. In order to drive value within and across the organisation, our clients need their data and business intelligence to lead to actionable outcomes to support the strategy, growth and profitability of the business.
FieldAware provides the comprehensive solution to address all of these requirements.
For more information on FieldAware visit www.fieldaware.com
Latest Video from FieldAware:
Apr 02, 2019 • Features • analytics • Data Analytics • Future of FIeld Service • BigData • business intelligence • FieldAware
Marc Tatarsky, SVP Marketing of FieldAware outlines the increasing importance of business intelligence in field service management. Without doubt the use of analytics is having an increasing impact in field service. In 2018 we saw more interest than...
Marc Tatarsky, SVP Marketing of FieldAware outlines the increasing importance of business intelligence in field service management.
Without doubt the use of analytics is having an increasing impact in field service. In 2018 we saw more interest than ever from field service leaders wanting better insight into their business and they understand that analytics holds the key to this.
We are expecting a further shift in the way analytics is applied in field service so what are the main challenges that organisations face that analytics can address today?
The Evolution of Analytics
The early adopters of field service analytics were quick to realise that it was not simply data that mattered, but how the data was turned into information that was key. They focused on how data was aggregated from multiple sources to give a unique and unprecedented visibility into the end-to-end operations.
They took a basic understanding of the ‘what’ and ‘where’ and enabled the next leap of the ‘why’ with advanced analytics capabilities that truly enhanced the value of their data further still. Analytics provided business insight and allowed management to focus on taking action based on decisions made from the real-time information available. Operational issues can be more easily identified and rectified quickly and effectively. Business intelligence helps identify trends and creates context, so productivity can be improved, and efficiencies made, so field service organisations have reaped the benefits.
Learn More, Serve More, Grow More
As field service organisations mature in their use of analytics they demand more from business intelligence. There is a definite shift in the application of analytics from simply turning data into outcomes, to enabling leading companies to take a more strategic approach. Analytic driven organisations can learn more about their operational performance and the needs of their customers empowering them to address the trends that are revealed.
Going forward into 2019 we will see analytical data being used in unique ways to help field service organisations leverage the findings that are uncovered to drive innovation into their products and services. Forward-thinking companies will be able to apply these insights to help customise the service they offer to their customers more easily, deepening the customer relationship and improving levels of satisfaction.
The creation of new, unique, predictive and preventative services will help them to serve more. Ultimately this greater understanding of their customers’ needs and expectations, is what will help companies differentiate themselves from their competition and lead company growth.
This shift to a strategic use of data is becoming more and more prevalent in field service and leaders are making it a priority in their business drivers.
An Integrated Future
As company leaders recognise that field service has the potential for becoming a more strategic driver within the wider business, the need for improved integration within the business becomes even more critical.
Service teams have, in the past, often been considered to be simply an overhead within the business model rather than adding value. However, the ability to leverage information across the organisation in real time and bring additional context to the broader business insights, empowers field service organisations to become value drivers in the business.
Analytics provides the means for field service organisations to realise their potential and companies that recognise this value, see the importance of a closely integrated and connected field service within the wider business.
Field service solutions have long had the capability to integrate into other business systems, such as CRM, ERP and accounting, to extend the power of these solutions and the combined information provided. Business leaders understand that the true integration of these technologies maximises the overall value beyond the sum of the parts. A comprehensive field service management platform integrated with a suite of solutions is where we are seeing the greatest application of analytics.
As field service becomes a greater part of a fully connected business, the empowered field workforce, armed with contextual insights, are enabled to creatively interact and work with other teams and departments. These new interactions further unlock the value for the company in terms of customer service, sales or product development to fuel competitive advantage.
The Analytics Advantage
Analytics will continue to develop and the potential in field service is vast. It is no surprise that research consistently shows that field service leaders see analytical tools as a priority for their technology investments.
Business insights elevate the field service operation, transforming it to a value-driving organisation within the wider company, that delivers real results: Increasing productivity, customer satisfaction and revenue, taking service to the next level of providing competitive advantage – a vital step in any business.
Companies should take full and rapid advantage of the critical role analytics has in field service.
Mark Tatarsky, is SVP Marketing at FieldAware and will be part of a panel at Field Service USA, discussing the latest developments in field service analytics. The event takes place from April 23 to 26 at JW Marriott Palm Desert Resort and Spa, CA and ou can register for the conference here.
For more information on how to take advantage of analytics in your field service, visit FieldAware's Insights page here.
Without doubt the use of analytics is having an increasing impact in field service. In 2018 we saw more interest than ever from field service leaders wanting better insight into their business and they understand that analytics holds the key to this.
We are expecting a further shift in the way analytics is applied in field service so what are the main challenges that organisations face that analytics can address today?
The Evolution of Analytics
The early adopters of field service analytics were quick to realise that it was not simply data that mattered, but how the data was turned into information that was key. They focused on how data was aggregated from multiple sources to give a unique and unprecedented visibility into the end-to-end operations.
They took a basic understanding of the ‘what’ and ‘where’ and enabled the next leap of the ‘why’ with advanced analytics capabilities that truly enhanced the value of their data further still. Analytics provided business insight and allowed management to focus on taking action based on decisions made from the real-time information available. Operational issues can be more easily identified and rectified quickly and effectively. Business intelligence helps identify trends and creates context, so productivity can be improved, and efficiencies made, so field service organisations have reaped the benefits.
Learn More, Serve More, Grow More
As field service organisations mature in their use of analytics they demand more from business intelligence. There is a definite shift in the application of analytics from simply turning data into outcomes, to enabling leading companies to take a more strategic approach. Analytic driven organisations can learn more about their operational performance and the needs of their customers empowering them to address the trends that are revealed.
Going forward into 2019 we will see analytical data being used in unique ways to help field service organisations leverage the findings that are uncovered to drive innovation into their products and services. Forward-thinking companies will be able to apply these insights to help customise the service they offer to their customers more easily, deepening the customer relationship and improving levels of satisfaction.
The creation of new, unique, predictive and preventative services will help them to serve more. Ultimately this greater understanding of their customers’ needs and expectations, is what will help companies differentiate themselves from their competition and lead company growth.
This shift to a strategic use of data is becoming more and more prevalent in field service and leaders are making it a priority in their business drivers.
"As field service organisations mature in their use of analytics they demand more from business intelligence..."
An Integrated Future
As company leaders recognise that field service has the potential for becoming a more strategic driver within the wider business, the need for improved integration within the business becomes even more critical.
Service teams have, in the past, often been considered to be simply an overhead within the business model rather than adding value. However, the ability to leverage information across the organisation in real time and bring additional context to the broader business insights, empowers field service organisations to become value drivers in the business.
Analytics provides the means for field service organisations to realise their potential and companies that recognise this value, see the importance of a closely integrated and connected field service within the wider business.
Field service solutions have long had the capability to integrate into other business systems, such as CRM, ERP and accounting, to extend the power of these solutions and the combined information provided. Business leaders understand that the true integration of these technologies maximises the overall value beyond the sum of the parts. A comprehensive field service management platform integrated with a suite of solutions is where we are seeing the greatest application of analytics.
As field service becomes a greater part of a fully connected business, the empowered field workforce, armed with contextual insights, are enabled to creatively interact and work with other teams and departments. These new interactions further unlock the value for the company in terms of customer service, sales or product development to fuel competitive advantage.
The Analytics Advantage
Analytics will continue to develop and the potential in field service is vast. It is no surprise that research consistently shows that field service leaders see analytical tools as a priority for their technology investments.
Business insights elevate the field service operation, transforming it to a value-driving organisation within the wider company, that delivers real results: Increasing productivity, customer satisfaction and revenue, taking service to the next level of providing competitive advantage – a vital step in any business.
Companies should take full and rapid advantage of the critical role analytics has in field service.
Mark Tatarsky, is SVP Marketing at FieldAware and will be part of a panel at Field Service USA, discussing the latest developments in field service analytics. The event takes place from April 23 to 26 at JW Marriott Palm Desert Resort and Spa, CA and ou can register for the conference here.
For more information on how to take advantage of analytics in your field service, visit FieldAware's Insights page here.
Mar 20, 2019 • Augmented Reality • connectivity • Data • Future of FIeld Service • Workforce • Bill Pollock • Cloud services • FieldAware • IoT • skills • Strategies for GrowthSM • The Big Discussion • Marc Tatarsky • SimPRO • Waste Management
Concluding our series our experts, Bill Pollock, Strategies for Growth, Marc Tatarsky at FieldAware, and Richard Pratley from SimPRO, identify potential areas of concern for service companies to look out for in 2019.
Concluding our series our experts, Bill Pollock, Strategies for Growth, Marc Tatarsky at FieldAware, and Richard Pratley from SimPRO, identify potential areas of concern for service companies to look out for in 2019.
What is the biggest area of concern that field service companies should address in the next 12 months?
BILL POLLOCK, PRESIDENT, STRATEGIES FOR GROWTH
The biggest area of concern for field service companies in the next 12 months will be, if they’re already somewhat behind the technology curve (or with respect to the competitive landscape), what do they need to do today to ensure that they will not fall further behind? And, it’s not just a matter of technology either; many FSOs will need to alter their corporate philosophy and mentality as well.
Technology goes hand-in-hand with the personnel that use it, so attention must also be given to how the organisation goes about replacing, and/or supplementing, its existing field force with new hires or the use of outside, third-party “feet on the street” support.
The services world is evolving so quickly, that any missteps along the way can be devastating – so every step, every move counts.
There will also be no time for any intra-mural infighting – only for collaboration and inter-departmental cooperation. Equipment will keep on breaking, and end-of-lifecycles are getting increasingly shorter. As such, there will always be the need for services organisations to deliver their support! However, only those that have the technological and corporate wherewithal to continually improve the way in which they deliver their services will rise to the top of the competitive order – and stay there!
MARC TATARSKY, SVP MARKETING, FIELD AWARE
The phrase ‘doing more with less’ is common in field service and that can be in relation to numerous resources and assets.
The workforce is a key element in this equation and can preoccupy a great deal of management time. There are concerns over an aging workforce in field service, a high turnover of workers and a shrinking pool of talent as demand increases.
Technology plays a critical role in any succession and resource planning. This may be empowering the workforce with automation to streamline operations, bring in best practice and increase productivity without the need to increase numbers. Using technology differently or embracing emerging technologies to enable remote expert capabilities, so a more experienced worker assists others.
Also attracting new workers, especially millennials, for whom, the latest technology is a big part of everyday life. The technology has to be right for both worker and the organisation to get maximum benefit
RICHARD PRATLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR UK, SIMPRO
Technology is changing at a rapid pace. The technology we use today is very different from that we used five years ago so businesses will always have the challenge of how they can ensure the systems and technology they use are still current. Taking a long term view of the business requirement is vital.
Many businesses consider an off-the-shelf solution won’t fit the unique needs of the business. But think again! Overtly customised solutions can lead to restrictions with software updates and integrations with other systems in the future - not to mention a great deal of ongoing expense and time that should be spent on running the business.
Cloud-based software providers frequently release new updates (that are included in the licence fee) to help businesses stay ahead of tech trends. By ensuring the systems you use now are fit for-purpose, you’ll be able to keep up with future technological developments.
You can read the first instalment of The Big Discussion here, the second here and the third here.
Mar 11, 2019 • Augmented Reality • connectivity • Data • Future of FIeld Service • Workforce • Bill Pollock • FieldAware • IoT • skills • Strategies for GrowthSM • The Big Discussion • Marc Tatarsky • SimPRO • Waste Management
In the third of our four-part series, our industry experts Bill Pollock, Strategies for Growth, Marc Tatarsky at FieldAware, and Richard Pratley from SimPRO, identify key areas of focus for field service managers in 2019.
In the third of our four-part series, our industry experts Bill Pollock, Strategies for Growth, Marc Tatarsky at FieldAware, and Richard Pratley from SimPRO, identify key areas of focus for field service managers in 2019.
What do you think should be the key areas of focus for field service managers across the next twelve months?
BILL POLLOCK, PRESIDENT, STRATEGIES FOR GROWTH
The next most important areas of focus for field service managers in the coming 12 months will likely be among the following three items:
(1) embracing the “new” technologies to support an expanded and enhanced capability to deliver their respective service offerings. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning have been around for more than 50 years, but are still relatively new to the services segment – but, it’s time to build them into your service operations!
(2) Changing the way in which you deliver – and price – your service offerings. Traditional break/fix service is essentially “dead”. Long live predictive diagnostics and predictive maintenance! Have you spoken to any chat bots lately? Well, you will!
(3) Re-engineering the way you measure performance metrics, or KPIs. MeanTime Between Failures (MTBF) and Mean-Time-to-Repair (MTTR) will not mean anything in an environment where services are being performed remotely on an ongoing basis. It will be time to replace some of the old “tried and true” KPIs with new ones that can measure systemic productivity, rather than merely individual field technician productivity. It’s time to rethink the entire service delivery process – and adjust to it!
MARC TATARSKY, SVP MARKETING, FIELD AWARE
Integration capability tops software selection criteria consistently for field service leaders. Even those who have been hesitant to integrate in the past, can now see that integration capabilities are far more advanced. Working with the right FSM software creates rapid time to value and ensures minimal risk.
Essentially the integration of FSM solutions into existing business systems of record means there is no disruption to ERP, CRM and accounting systems. Ultimately the real value is delivered through synchronized workflows, enhanced reporting and extending results beyond the current systems. Data integration yields actionable outcomes and connectivity to the wider business.
Field service has long been seen as simply a business cost, but leaders now recognise that integration can elevate their service operation, transforming it to a value-driving organisation that delivers broader business results. The evolution of field service through integration should be a focus to unlock this business value.
RICHARD PRATLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR UK, SIMPRO
We continue to see businesses turning to software and technology to improve the efficiency of their workforce and to support customer service.
Smart connected products and IoT technology is transforming field service operations and we’ll see more adoption of this over the next twelve months. The predictive model not only reduces the cost of reactive maintenance but it addresses any issues before they become critical. For the customer, they won’t ever need to worry about needing to deal with a broken asset ever again.
We already have a number of customers running trials of our IoT technology. Not only are they winning new contracts off the back of it but it’s helping to increase the lifetime value of their existing customers.
The final part of The Big Discussion. You can read the first instalment here, and the second here.
Mar 04, 2019 • Features • Augmented Reality • Future of FIeld Service • Workforce • Bill Pollock • FieldAware • IoT • skills • Strategies for GrowthSM • The Big Discussion • Marc Tatarsky • SimPRO • Waste Management
In the second of our four-part series, our industry experts Bill Pollock, Strategies for Growth, Marc Tatarsky at FieldAware, and Richard Pratley from SimPRO, tackle the area of IoT and its role in field service.
In the second of our four-part series, our industry experts Bill Pollock, Strategies for Growth, Marc Tatarsky at FieldAware, and Richard Pratley from SimPRO, tackle the area of IoT and its role in field service.
In The Big Discussion we bring together three industry experts and put four key questions for them to answer to give us a balanced view of the major trends impacting the field service sector. This week, the panel look at the impact of IoT in field service and whether it will become a necessity for firms to embrace if they are to keep ahead of the service curve.
IoT has become an increasingly key discussion amongst field service companies in recent years - do you think it will soon be essential for field service companies to embrace IoT?
BILL POLLOCK, PRESIDENT, STRATEGIES FOR GROWTH
I believe it is already essential for field service companies to embrace the IoT. That ship has already sailed – and those FSOs that run their services operations on an IoT platform are already beginning to see the return on their investment.
The enormous amount – and wealth – of data that is now being generated through the use of an IoT platform is turning many of the traditional ways of thinking upside-down. For example, it has created an environment where the “old” (i.e., last year’s) way of measuring performance is becoming almost instantly outdated. For example, last year, an FSO might have been assessing its service delivery performance on the basis of asset uptime or SLA compliance, etc. However, this year, they may need to gauge their performance via an entirely “new” set of KPIs!
Measuring your performance in providing “power by the hour” or “airplanes in the air” is quite a bit different than measuring on the basis of the number of monthly site visits, PM calls and asset uptime.
MARC TATARSKY, SVP MARKETING, FIELD AWARE
Undoubtedly, IoT has the potential to revolutionise field service in terms of moving to a predictive model of service, increasing efficiency, reducing cost while improving customer service. But any move to IoT is dependent on various operational factors. These include the prevalence of assets and existing IoT sensors, the ability to add IoT sensors to new sources to collect meaningful data and the technology maturity of the organisation and the FSM platform.
These factors can be dictated by numerous elements – company size, the industry and type of clients they serve, the complexity of the work, the value of assets and equipment they supply and service, and their leadership.
It is important for organisations to establish where they need to be in their operational and technological maturity to help the business thrive. For some companies transformative technologies, like IoT, are a key element of their planning and for others they may not figure at all.
RICHARD PRATLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR UK, SIMPRO
IoT is fast become an essential service offering that customers will ultimately demand of their service providers and it helps meet the requirement to deliver more for less for customers particularly for those installing and maintaining high-value assets!
When connecting these ‘Things’ to the Internet, using the live operational data and machine learning to analyse performance, it opens up the possibility of variable-based services based on machine condition and utilisation, rather than prescriptive frequency based visits and reactive calls.
This proactive approach can help lower TCO and increase uptime for customers and asset owners, whilst lowering the cost of operation and providing differentiation for the Service Provider. If you want to stay relevant in a competitive evolving market, now is the time to be considering how this technology can be incorporated into your own processes and service offerings.
The third part of The Big Discussion will be published next week. You can read the first instalment here.
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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