Research Nester has recently announced its latest research on “Global Internet of Things (IoT) in Energy Sector Market: Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2023”.
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May 15, 2017 • News • Future of FIeld Service • Research Nester • Energy • IoT
Research Nester has recently announced its latest research on “Global Internet of Things (IoT) in Energy Sector Market: Global Demand Analysis & Opportunity Outlook 2023”.
Rapid growth of urbanization across the globe is changing the way of using devices and things present in the technological environment. Internet of Things (IoT) in energy sector includes the devices and software which have connectivity feature with internet. The devices are embedded with sensors, chips, and others to enhance the user’s experience and to increase the operational efficiency of the operations in energy sector.
These devices and software are efficient to operate various tasks with less time consuming methods. The growing need of internet enabled devices and rising need of internet connectivity are some of the major factors which are anticipated the positive growth of internet of things in energy sector globally. Technological advancements in semiconductors offer the advantages to develop lightweight and efficient devices which are much smarter than the conventional and heavy devices. Internet of things (IoT) in energy helps the sector to reduce the loss of resources and also help them to optimize the use of available resources through smart grids.
Moreover, rising need of remote monitoring systems and internet enabled devices had supported importance of internet of things (IoT) in energy sector especially in utility and power distribution. These devices and systems enabled to operate efficiently and serve better to consumers.
The growing concern towards energy management is one of the major factors which are fuelling the demand for internet of things (IoT) devices and software.
The connected devices help the users to maintain their lead time and increase their operational efficiency. The demand for power and fuel is growing in developing countries across the globe due to rapid pace infrastructural development. These factors are creating a huge pressure on the energy sector to increase the supply by utilising their resources efficiently.
Further, rapid pace development in energy sector including the power and oil & gas sector is changing the ecosystem of these sectors. Urbanization across the globe is increasing the demand for resources such as fuel, power and others. In addition to this, the robust pace in smart cities and smart infrastructure in various developed countries such as U.S. and others are encouraging the energy sector to adopt advanced technology such as internet of things (IoT).
Moreover, the smart power grids are showcasing a tremendous growth on the back of rapid adoption of IoT in energy. The construction of smart power grids with hundreds of sensors and devices further help the energy sector to increase the response and supply.
Privatization and newer regulations is expected to increase the penetration of internet of things in energy sector. Government authorities are taking initiatives in developing regions such as Asia-Pacific, Europe and others to strengthen the energy sector by adopting internet of things (IoT) in energy sector. The setting up of smart cities along with growing concern towards optimisation of resources is bolstering the growth of IoT in energy. However, issues related to security and privacy of data and connectivity of devices is the major restraint for the market which is creating cynicism among the end-use sector.
The global internet of things (IoT) in energy market reached USD 6.8 Billion in 2015 and the market is expected to reach USD 26.5 Billion by 2023
From a field service perspective it is interesting of course to see yet further evidence in the rapid rise of IoT given the comprehensive impact it is set to have on our industry.
To know more about this research visit: http://www.researchnester.com/reports/global-internet-of-things-iot-in-energy-sector-market-global-demand-analysis-opportunity-outlook-2023/256
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May 11, 2017 • News • Augmented Reality • Future of FIeld Service • Peter Evans • PristineIO • Dr. Magid Abraham • Upskill
Upskill (formerly APX Labs), a leader in enterprise software for augmented reality (AR) devices, recently announced the acquisition of Texas based Pristine, a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of AR collaboration and video streaming...
Upskill (formerly APX Labs), a leader in enterprise software for augmented reality (AR) devices, recently announced the acquisition of Texas based Pristine, a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of AR collaboration and video streaming software.
Pristine’s remote assistance and knowledge capture solutions will complement Upskill’s existing Skylight industrial AR platform to offer the most comprehensive product offering in the industry, making it easier for customers to meet their operational needs and IT requirements.
“Augmented reality is driving incredible productivity results across functional areas in industrial enterprises. Our customers are seeing an average of 32 percent performance improvement from their very first use of Skylight,” said Brian Ballard, co-founder and CEO, Upskill.
“There aren’t very many new technologies that can deliver this kind of ‘out of the box’ value creation, which is why adoption of AR technology is accelerating at an incredible pace. This underscores the importance for Upskill to leverage new opportunities that will help us scale and innovate faster than anyone else in the space. The acquisition of Pristine will allow us to do just that.”
With Pristine solutions in its repertoire, Upskill will be able to add breadth and domain expertise to its product offering and more choices for customers seeking to implement AR across manufacturing, logistics and field service applications.
Through the acquisition, Upskill will now offer Pristine’s portfolio of field-worker collaboration solutions including EyeSight. These applications are typically deployed on smart glasses, but are also available across Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad and Android devices. With Pristine solutions in its repertoire, Upskill will be able to add breadth and domain expertise to its product offering and more choices for customers seeking to implement AR across manufacturing, logistics and field service applications.
Along with the added technology capabilities and product solutions, Pristine also brings to Upskill a talented engineering and product team with deep industry experience in scaling deployment of enterprise wearables across an impressive client base, including Coca-Cola, Bayer, The Hershey Company, National Oilwell Varco, Sandvik and Bureau Veritas.
Pristine’s CEO, Peter Evans, will step into a newly appointed role as Executive Vice President. The acquisition will also establish Upskill’s third U.S. office in Austin, expanding recruiting to a growing epicenter for tech talent and providing increased regional support to customers located in the Southwestern US.
As customers expand the use of AR across their operations, a scalable AR platform with direct integrations to their IT and OT investments becomes more important - Peter Evans, CEO, Pristine.
“As customers expand the use of AR across their operations, a scalable AR platform with direct integrations to their IT and OT investments becomes more important. With Upskill’s Skylight platform, we can now address the entire operational lifecycle of an enterprise and do it in the cloud, on premise or in hybrid cloud environments.”
“With these combined capabilities, Upskill now powers an unparalleled suite of applications covering complex assembly, process management, service, inspection, material handling and logistics.” said Dr. Magid Abraham, Executive Chairman, Upskill.
“Further, we can offer even more flexibility to our customers in how they create and support a connected workforce across their operations. It also fortifies Upskill’s position as the leading choice for powering the industry 4.0 workforce with augmented reality.”
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May 11, 2017 • Features • Augmented Reality • Future of FIeld Service • Michael Blumberg • FieldBit
Michael Blumberg, President of the Blumberg Advisory Group looks at how Augmented Reality can quickly become a standard part of the very fabric of field service delivery...
Michael Blumberg, President of the Blumberg Advisory Group looks at how Augmented Reality can quickly become a standard part of the very fabric of field service delivery...
The importance of service to the manufacturing sector
Industrial Machinery and Equipment (IM & E) manufacturers form an integral part of the manufacturing supply chain as their equipment plays a critical role in the automation of production processes such as shaping, extruding, moulding, crimping, cutting, folding, etc.
In addition, every manufacturing process has its own set of specialised machinery. For example, manufacturing equipment in the food processing industry is different from equipment found in the apparel manufacturing industry.
These machines must perform at very high levels of reliability to keep manufacturing processes operating at optimal levels of productivity.
The lost value to manufacturers of machine downtime is extremely high. It is not atypical for a manufacturer to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars a day in lost revenue due to machine downtime.
Challenges to keeping factories running
Providing fast and efficient service in the industrial machinery world is no a small feat for equipment service providers. Diagnosing and resolving equipment problems quickly is challenging when the machinery is highly complex, the installed base is relatively low and plants are scattered worldwide. Service organisations of IM&E manufacturers are usually staffed by a small cadre of field service engineers (FSEs) and technical experts. IM &E FSEs often possess deep subject matter expertise in some but not all product lines.
The FSE who assembles and installs the machine is often the same person who diagnoses the problem and initiates corrective action.
Tribal service knowledge, where knowledge that rests in the minds of individual FSEs is shared with others through verbal communication, is the norm within the IM &E service market.
Furthermore, machines often have a long service tail and be in operation for 10 or 20 years. Thus, there may be no one at the customer’s site who has the knowledge to maintain the equipment properly. Tribal service knowledge, where knowledge that rests in the minds of individual FSEs is shared with others through verbal communication, is the norm within the IM &E service market.
The Service Conundrum
IIM&E manufacturers typically help customers resolve service issues by first attempting to diagnose and resolve problems over the telephone and prior to dispatching a FSE to repair the machine. However, there are certain times when the service expert cannot resolve the issue remotely. In other cases, the remote service expert may not understand what the customer is describing over the telephone or vice versa, or maybe the technician simply needs to see the problem for himself.
When situations like these occur, the FSE must travel to the customer’s site to troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve the problem.Onsite travel is both time-consuming and expensive. It may involve a flight to another country and days at the customer site to resolve the issue. Capacity constraints may prevent that technician from traveling to the customer’s site. Also, if the FSE is at the customer’s site, no one else may be available to handle incoming requests from other customers.
At times the IM&E service provider may send an alternative FSE. There is a chance that the FSE who arrives onsite may not have seen this issue before and needs additional assistance to resolve the problem. In this case, the FSE assigned may need to telephone a more experienced technician for back-up support.
Other challenges include the fact that many IM&E manufacturers do not charge for service.
Furthermore, lengthy road trips add significantly to operating costs and place a great deal of stress on technicians.
From Road Warrior to Service Hero
Fortunately, IM&E Manufacturers now have a solution to their challenges; Augmented Reality.
By using smart glasses or a smart phone, machine operators at the customer site can capture a video image of the equipment and then transmit it to the equipment manufacturer’s service technician at another location.
If it is a relatively simple issue, for example one that can be resolved through a customer replaceable unit, the remote support specialists can send images, text, and annotated repair instructions back to the customer so that the customer can resolve the issue himself.
This saves time and money, as downtime and lost productivity is minimised for the customer. A live chat session can also be opened so that the customer and technician can communicate in real-time.
Considering FSE travel and per diem costs (e.g., meals, hotel, etc.) to another country can be quite expensive, savings from providing remote support through an AR platform can add up to thousands of dollars per service event.
This is a huge savings given the fact that a large percentage of service issues are the result of enduser (e.g., machine operator) error.
[quote float="right"]With AR, the remote service specialist can obtain rich contextual information about the machine problem, isolate or identify the fault, and then determine what skills and parts the FSE needs to have with him when he arrives onsite.
Fieldbit, Ltd., a leading provider of AR solutions, has been able to help its customers in the IM &E market improve remote resolution rates by as much a 50% AR solutions like those provided by Fieldbit also make it possible for IM & E suppliers to improve first-time fix rate. Repeat visits to solve the same problem are costly for the IM &E service provider not to mention stressful and embarrassing to their FSEs.
Normally, if the FSE lacks proper parts and/or skills to enable a fix, he must return or wait onsite until the correct resources are supplied.
However, with AR, the remote service specialist can obtain rich contextual information about the machine problem, isolate or identify the fault, and then determine what skills and parts the FSE needs to have with him when he arrives onsite.
The FSE can also use the live chat to communicate with the remote support specialist while onsite if additional troubleshooting and diagnostics are required. Utilising AR to improve FSE proficiency minimises the percentage of times onsite service calls are broken or extended due to the lack of spare parts or skills, thus improving “First Time Fix” rate.
Another practical application of AR solutions like Fieldbit is in the creation of a self-learning knowledge base. Remote support specialists can use the platform to develop and record step-by-step repair procedures for resolving equipment issues that are stored in a searchable database.
When a customer or FSE encounters a similar situation, he can search the database for the right solution.
The technical learning curve is shortened and on-the- job training time can be reduced by as much as 40% using this approach.
Recognising the high value in use for machine uptime and the tremendous impact Augmented Reality plays in cost avoidance, many end-users have begun to monetize their investment in these platforms.
For example, Fieldbit’s customers include downloadable, one-time-use licenses for Fieldbit Hero™ in the service level agreements they sell to their end customers (i.e., machine users).
These end customers can of course purchase additional licenses when they need them.
However, the benefit is clear: AR not only improves customer satisfaction and reduces service delivery costs, but drives additional profit to the service provider’s bottom line.
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May 09, 2017 • News • frost & sullivan • Future of FIeld Service • Yiru Zhong • Internet of Things • IoT
Commercialisation of narrowband IoT technology is widening growth opportunities, finds Frost & Sullivan’s Digital Transformation team...
Commercialisation of narrowband IoT technology is widening growth opportunities, finds Frost & Sullivan’s Digital Transformation team...
Growth in the Internet of Things (IoT) market, as evinced by increasing launches, investments and partnerships, will accelerate in 2017 with the commercialisation of narrowband IoT (NB-IoT).
This cellular communications technology uses licensed spectrum and offers a standardised low-power, wide-area network (LPWAN) that can capture previously untapped segments of the market. Further, machine learning and block chain technologies are being integrated with different industries, such as financial services and energy.
In Europe, IoT connections are set to exceed 9 billion by 2021.
“IoT applications integrate the consumer into the wider connected system to reflect a truly intelligent society,” said Digital Transformation Research Analyst Yiru Zhong.
“Significant funding in the last 18 months suggests that the IoT market is poised for another shift. The next evolution will be from using data to react to events, to using sentient tools and cognition or ‘predictive computing. IoT 2.0 will thus eventually enable self-healing events in a connected system.”
European Internet of Things Market Outlook, 2017, new research from Frost & Sullivan’s Connected Industries Growth Partnership Service, summarises the IoT landscape in 2016 in terms of adoption, applications and key market players, and forecasts development areas. The study examines enterprise attitudes to IoT adoption and offers eight market predictions for IoT in 2017 and beyond.
IoT 2.0 will thus eventually enable self-healing events in a connected system.”
Five emerging growth areas for IoT identified by the research are:
“Q3 2016 witnessed a surge of large industry participants coming together to establish partnerships for promotion of the IoT ecosystem,” noted Zhong.
With it's impact on the field service industry rapidly shifting from huge potential to huge reality such conversations around IoT 2.0 and it's alliance to sentient tools is a vital focus for the evolution of our industry.
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May 04, 2017 • Features • Ali Ziaee Bigdeli • aston university • Future of FIeld Service • Servitization • Servitization Conference
Ahead of this year’s Spring Servitization Conference, Dr Ali Ziaee Bigdeli explores three key reasons why companies should be considering a move towards servitization...
Ahead of this year’s Spring Servitization Conference, Dr Ali Ziaee Bigdeli explores three key reasons why companies should be considering a move towards servitization...
One of the questions that keeps coming up when I talk about servitization is “what are the key examples that really demonstrate the scope of this concept?” There are many examples in the B2B world, where the concept originally took hold, but increasingly examples are emerging in the B2C world, and I often find that these examples that touch people’s daily lives as consumers help to make the point.
Examples of servitization first emerged in the development and delivery of Business-to-Business (B2B) offerings. In this regard, debates almost invariably refer to Power by the Hour, the pioneering engine maintenance solution introduced by Rolls Royce in the early 1960s.
Necessitating extensive changes to processes, structures, technologies and personnel within Rolls Royce, this iconic service provides a perfect example of the experiences and ambitions of many manufacturers who embrace a servitization-based business model. It also had a fundamental legacy in terms of altering the way that customers contract with the company, with a move away from the transactional purchase of equipment towards a 10-year contractual relationship.
More and more manufacturers are moving towards this initiative. Other B2B examples include Alstom’s TrainLife Services. In this, French group Alstom provides the train with a bundle of repair and maintenance services and charges the operators (such as VirginTrains) based on the miles travelled through 15-20 year contracts. Xerox’s Print Management system offers a services and copier bundle which charges customers based on the number of papers they have copied or printed, and MAN’s pay-per-kilometre programme does a similar thing based on the distance its trucks are driven.
The extension of servitization into a product like tyres, which on the face of it is a ‘simple’ and commoditised product, shows just how widely applicable the idea is.
This will aim to use new technologies such as predictive analytics to help truck fleet managers better handle how their vehicles are used. The common thread is that the outcome is not the sale of a product, but capability delivered through the performance of the product.
The extension of servitization into a product like tyres, which on the face of it is a ‘simple’ and commoditised product, shows just how widely applicable the idea is.
As I mentioned in my introduction, the concept is also slowly-but-surely getting into the Business-to-Customer (B2C) level too, where it touches our everyday lives. You may have experienced something like it if you have ever gone for a new car on a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) contract.
It is basically a leasing model, in which the car manufacturers charge their customers based on the estimated mileage for a fixed period, rather than just the price of the asset. Repair and maintenance are usually included in these contracts, meaning that the customers would only need to fill the tank and enjoy the drive.
Other examples include Brompton, the British manufacturer of popular folding bikes, now rents the bikes via docks across the UK to provide a more hassle-free option; Daimler’s Mercedes Me platform which remotely notifies drivers if the car requires maintenance or repair work; and OTIS’s Remote Elevator Monitoring (REM), which provides safety and continence 24/7 through the data collected, recorded and analysed from the lift. In this, the manufacturer enables to detecting trapped passengers, collect lift performance data, communicate lift performance data to Otisline, and establish a voice link from the lift car to the Otisline or another manned location.
These examples may lead to the question of why is it critical for manufacturing firms to move towards servitization? I can think of three principal reasons:
1. Growth and sustainability.
Through the development and delivery of advanced service offerings, the manufacturer enables its customers to achieve their key strategic aims. This focus on helping customers to achieve their own Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is how these manufacturers are differentiated from competitors, and delivers business growth and sustainability for both themselves and their customers.
For manufacturers it generates long term contracts, closer relationships with customers, new business opportunities and revenue streams, and an enhanced image and market differentiation. The customer is able to realise greater value from its operations, better understand and predict its costs and financial profile, and potentially have the opportunity to scale-up operations.
2. Locking-out competitors.
Today, more and more technology-focused intermediaries are moving into the product manufacturing space and disrupting their value networks.
Indeed, significant disruptions are already happening in some sectors. For instance, the technology giant Uber is moving into the long-haul transport business with a new division called Uber Freight, in which the shipper directly connects with the truck, challenging the traditional business models of all stakeholders in this network from manufacturer through to user. Servitization strategies push manufacturers to move towards collaboration with other members of the network (e.g. distributors, suppliers, supplier of suppliers, technology vendors, and customers) and this will create a resilient barrier that inhibits the entry of new players.
3. Sharing risks of new technological innovation.
Manufacturing firms generally perceive implementation and adoption of advanced services as a high-risk strategy, perhaps due partly to a traditional product-based mind-set. The perceived risks are operational (e.g. capacity constraints, human resourcing and leadership issues), strategic (e.g. decline in competitiveness, reputational issues) and financial (e.g. direct negative impacts on profit, revenue and market share).
As with any new initiative, manufacturing firms that start to compete through services must internalise new risks. In this respect, the alignment of the incentive with other stakeholders in the value network enables risk sharing and mitigates unnecessary costs.
There are so many aspects to servitization; the benefits are quite well documented, but the challenges of adopting it are numerous, and our understanding- both as researchers and practitioners in industry trying to make an influence change- of how to overcome these is still developing.
This month I’ll be heading to Lucerne for the annual Spring Servitization Conference.
Over the past few years it’s become a key event in the calendar for researchers and thought leaders who want to share and progress their knowledge and understanding of how the theory of servitization can be applied in practice to manufacturing businesses around the world.
This year, I’m looking forward to the discussion on research topics such as: The impact of top management team composition and past performance on servitization; changing the revenue model for individual services; assessing your readiness for servitization with a diagnostic tool to measure service capacity, as well as industry keynotes from representatives of Sulzer Rotating Equipment Services, Testo Industrial Services, ABB Turbo Systems and Ali Group.
You can join the conversation by coming along to the conference, it’s running from 15th-17th May, and more details and registration are on the website https://www.advancedservicesgroup.co.uk/ssc2017w
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Apr 27, 2017 • Features • Coresystems • crowd service • Future of FIeld Service • manuel grenacher • field service
Manuel Grenacher, CEO at coresystems looks at why the predicted boom of the field service management market is set to bring workforce challenges of its own and proposes that the crowd-sourcing of field service could be the solution to these issues...
Manuel Grenacher, CEO at coresystems looks at why the predicted boom of the field service management market is set to bring workforce challenges of its own and proposes that the crowd-sourcing of field service could be the solution to these issues...
According to a recent report from Markets and Markets, by 2020 the field service management (FSM) market will be worth $5.11 billion – nearly triple its size in 2015. Major drivers behind that projection include skyrocketing customer expectations, the ever-increasing demand for enhanced productivity, and the steady escalation of field service operation costs.
Furthermore, Gartner forecasted that by 2020, two out of three large field service organisations will equip field technicians with a mobile application that drives profitability by creating revenue streams, efficiency and customer satisfaction. This is a positive outlook for the FSM market, but there’s a problem with the traditional field service delivery model that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
The exponential growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the real-time connectivity it enables has led to a massive spike in consumer expectations for instantaneous customer service
Compounding this resource availability problem is the fact that every day the number of IoT connected devices in circulation is increasing, which further adds to organisations’ backlogs of field service requests. But what if the field service industry were to adopt a new delivery model – one that could shift the balance of technology versus technicians back to a sustainable equilibrium for organisations?
This would be the tipping point that could help organisations leverage FSM to realise the true promise of the IoT. And the field service industry need look no further than some of the forward thinking companies that lead the way in the sharing economy, such as Uber and Airbnb.
By introducing technology that enables the crowdsourcing of field service to independent, for hire field service technicians (just like Uber does for drivers), FSM software providers would be able to help their customers find those field service technicians anywhere and anytime. This would check organisations’ critical box of providing real-time customer service.
[quote float="right"]The bottom line is that businesses today need to focus as much – if not more – on stellar customer service as they do on building innovative products
Furthermore, by utilising crowdsourced field service (or “crowd service”) for IoT-connected technologies, organisations will not only be able to deliver real-time customer support, but could also provide service and maintenance before those technologies suffer an outage. For larger organisations, we see two scenarios: a “public crowd” of crowdsourced freelance-technicians and a “private crowd” of technicians within your business ecosystem such as contractors, partners, subsidiaries and corporate professionals. Imagine that: through crowd service, organisations can proactively ensure that they never face the dreaded downtime that can end up costing millions of dollars per hour.
The bottom line is that businesses today need to focus as much – if not more – on stellar customer service as they do on building innovative products, but finding the time and resources required to meet rising consumer demands for real-time service has become increasingly difficult.
With crowd service, organisations can streamline their field service operations to deliver service as quickly as the same day the customer requests it
FSM software providers are not only laying the groundwork for crowd service as we speak, but have customers deploying the technology in the real world – and many in the FSM industry, including Coresystems, expect crowd service to revolutionise the way that organisations service their customers in 2017 and beyond. So, as organisations look for a solution to the field service resourcing problem created by the IoT, they should turn to the crowd.
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Mar 28, 2017 • Features • 3D printing • Forrester • Future of FIeld Service • Juniper Research • KPIT • wearables • driverless cars • drones • gartner • Gary Brooks • IoT • Syncron
Gary Brooks, CMO, Syncron outlines some of the key technologies set to have a significant impact on field service in the not so distant future...
Gary Brooks, CMO, Syncron outlines some of the key technologies set to have a significant impact on field service in the not so distant future...
Regardless of industry, emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, wearable devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing and drones, will have a significant impact on how after-sales service, the service delivered after the initial sale of a product, is performed. For manufacturers of long lasting durable goods specifically, these new and evolving technologies will enable them to respond to the increasing demands of today’s consumers.
After-sales service is now one of the biggest opportunities for manufacturers to generate revenue, increase margins and improve customer loyalty. For field service repairs, emerging technology used correctly could become a huge source of competitive differentiation and improved service levels.
Below, I outline five emerging technologies and how manufacturers can use them to positively impact their field service organisations.
Driverless cars:
According to Juniper Research, by 2025 there will be 20 million driverless cars on roads around the world, with them becoming most popular in North America and Western Europe by 2021. For manufacturers, this emerging technology could be especially beneficial to field service. Driverless vehicles mean technicians can multitask – something that they can’t (or at least shouldn’t) do behind the wheel today.
The possibilities are endless – if a vehicle is not stocked with a needed service part, it could self-drive to a warehouse to retrieve it while the technician is working
Wearables:
Gartner anticipates smartglasses, like Google Glass, could impact the field service industry by $1 billion in 2017. The biggest impact wearables could make is in efficiency – if technicians can diagnose and fix problems more quickly without bringing in additional experts, both the cost savings and improved customer experiences could be monumental.
The augmented reality associated with smartglasses provides on-the-job training to technicians, and enables them to more easily repair goods, especially those they have less experience repairing. Additionally, the hands-free nature of smartglasses allows technicians to complete tasks without having to start and stop to read or view instructions. Video collaboration with remote experts could also add to efficiency.
While adoption of wearable technology has been slow due to the dependence on apps and services targeted to field service, companies like KPIT have already deployed smart glass technologies for field service specifically. As barriers to entry become lower, brands will be forced to adopt ‘smart’ devices to meet demanding customer expectations.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Forrester foresees IoT as a means to create more valuable customer interactions and improve the customer experience. And, this holds true for field service, which oftentimes serves as the ‘face’ of manufacturing brands.
The intertwined network of physical goods with sensors and software allows manufacturers to freely exchange data between the products they sell and their internal systems in place. This helps both the manufacturer and end-customer – products built with ‘smart parts’ can send a signal to both the manufacturer and customer to alert them a repair is needed and to schedule a service appointment soon. With the appropriate service parts management technology in place, the manufacturer proactively ensures the needed part is available and sends a technician to repair the product quickly, alleviating any downtime, and delivering the amazing experience customers expect.
3D Printing
3D printing has long been used in manufacturing to create part prototypes. Now, with the advances made to the technology, they can print parts in metal, which means 3D printing can be used to create actual replacement parts.
The impact 3D printing could have on parts inventory levels, warehouse needs and the logistics of moving parts from one location to another could be monumental.
Drones
Drones are becoming increasingly common for personal use. You’ll oftentimes see them at high school sporting events, outdoor concerts or being used for personal photography. For field service specifically, there are both immediate and long-term benefits of drone technology.
More immediately, drones can be used as a means of diagnosing issues on large-scale equipment like oil rigs. This means less risk for the field service technician, as drones can help them survey large or hard-to-reach areas without putting themselves in dangerous situations. Or, they can be used in warehouses to retrieve parts, making the process much more efficient.
In the future, drones could even be used to deliver a part in the field. If a technician is on-site making a repair but doesn’t have the necessary part, a drone could bring it to him or her, eliminating the need to make an additional service call.
These emerging technologies are beginning to impact businesses today, and manufacturers must consider adopting them to meet the needs of today’s customers, while simultaneously driving revenue. Soon, everyone will be able to say they’ve received exceptional customer service, as long as manufacturers embrace these new tools.
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Mar 23, 2017 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • management • Mark Brewer • field service • IFS • Servitization • Uncategorized
Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director - Service Management, IFS explains how the field service sector is being undeniably changed by the growing shift of companies towards servitization...
Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director - Service Management, IFS explains how the field service sector is being undeniably changed by the growing shift of companies towards servitization...
When I first started working in the field service management (FSM) space more than a decade ago, the industry landscape looked much different than it does today.
Ten years ago, organisations were looking to automate their field service processes in an attempt to decrease unpredictable costs and inefficiencies while gaining a little more control and visibility over an otherwise unpredictable industry. The core focus was scheduling and dispatch. Today, the focus has shifted, moving from core functionality towards a new, more holistic emphasis on the end customer.
It is estimated that the field service management market will grow from $1.97 billion in 2015 to $5.11 billion by 2020.
Low profit margins, increased competition and growing consumer demand fuelled by technological revolution have contributed to a major shift in the field service management market, both in demand and vendor response.
As field service organisations look to find new innovative ways to maximise operational efficiency and reduce operational costs, enterprise software vendors have established a sweet spot, spurring a flurry of field service management vendor acquisitions.
This change has created a fundamental shift in field service management, from expectations through to functionality and approach. As product-based organisations transition towards servitization and as traditional field service organisations look to adapt and grow, the following trends have emerged in order to enable the transformation.
1. END-TO-END. A NEW APPROACH MOVING AWAY FROM BEST OF BREED
Ten years ago, service organisations were simply looking to automate their existing processes.
In the majority of cases, schedules were generated on whiteboards or spreadsheets, paper work orders were manually distributed and communication between the field and back office was limited or non-existent. Best of breed solutions provided badly needed automation enabling organisations to increase efficiencies and reduce costs. Automation is now a given.
Today it is all about the data. As technology has advanced, organisations are now able to capture the data required to drive key business decisions at the highest level.
Where an automated solution provided process efficiency, an end-to-end intelligent service solution provides the seamless data flow required to optimally drive and scale the business while delighting customers. With end-to-end field service management, an organisation has access to real-time data, empowering fact based decisions and future plans.
2. CONSUMER-DRIVEN PRODUCT AND SERVICE DIRECTION
Now more than ever, today’s consumer is empowered and knows what they want. The world has become smaller thanks to globalisation, social media and connectivity in general.
Experiences are more important than ever as today’s customer has a multitude of platforms available to make their voice heard. Customer engagement is now imperative.
The shift now is moving away from selling products towards delivering ‘product-as-a-service’
The shift now is moving away from selling products towards delivering ‘product-as-a-service’. Where price has traditionally been based on product output and performance, now ‘contract value’ is based on a defined outcome, thus moving away from a transaction based model to a value based partner relationship. A field service organisation needs the right platform to facilitate this change in order to drive value from the product throughout its entire lifecycle.
3. REINVENTING OPTIMISATION
Whilst Servitization can be a strategy to drive enhanced revenue, this should not be to the detriment of service execution. Service will always be measured by how well you perform, and that means optimising the entire service chain from human capital to parts and logistics.
It also encompasses real-time measuring and monitoring of service execution enabling the transition to a proactive ‘manage by exception’ model, rather than providing a reactive response.
Optimisation is no longer viewed in isolation, optimising intraday schedules and inventory. Rather it should be considered holistically in an effort to deliver flawless end-to-end service.
The most successful field service organisations have a clear understanding of the end consumer’s expectations for today and tomorrow
The first step is to ensure they have a strong foundation or platform to start from. Core processes and systems should be running optimally to allow an organisation the ability to effectively scale and adopt new technology.
Organisations must embrace change with an enterprise-wide change management strategy.
Lastly, the most successful field service organisations have a clear understanding of the end consumer’s expectations for today and tomorrow to ensure these can be met or exceeded today as well as anticipated for the future. Value added service is no longer optional, it is the very future of service.
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Mar 22, 2017 • Features • Augmented Reality • autonomous assistance • Future of FIeld Service • Bas de Vos • drones • field service • field service management • Hololens • IFS • IFS World Conference • IoT
In his role as Director of IFS Labs Bas de Vos, is at the heart of driving innovation forward in our industry. So who better to talk to find out what technologies we should be eagerly awaiting and what is the process to take these technologies from...
In his role as Director of IFS Labs Bas de Vos, is at the heart of driving innovation forward in our industry. So who better to talk to find out what technologies we should be eagerly awaiting and what is the process to take these technologies from cool ideas through to practical applications...
FSN: What are the three most exciting technologies that have yet to come fully to light that you and your team are currently working on?
BdV: Firstly it is augmented reality or mixed reality as I see it, secondly I would say that drones are still in there as well and the third one is something that we have been working on for some time that we keep coming back to - autonomous assistance. New ways of interacting with business applications - can I talk to my device? Can I chat with my device - it’s a very interesting subject. We have a prototype and we are going to researching and further developing that.
Whether it will be an IFS product one day, that is something that with Labs I can never say up front - but I see the development now in the consumer space with speech control like Siri and Cortana and on the other hand chat-bots for Facebook and Snap Chat etc it’s all very interesting, so we shall see.
FSN: Your team demonstrated a great example of Drones, IoT and FSM software all coming together at the last IFS World Conference - is that product ready to go or was it just a proof of concept demo?
BdV: Well, yes it is ready to go but it won’t be an actual IFS product - we won’t have the IFS drone product out in the market - definitely not.
No, what we wanted to do was demonstrate how companies who want to do stuff like this can do so through using our IoT business connector. Basically everything that we demonstrated at the World Conference in that session, the integration of drone technology, image capture and recognition and automated data analysis was made all possible through the IoT business connector.
FSN: How much of what you and your team do is about actually giving your customers the ideas of what is possible to allow them to innovate themselves?
BdV: If you look at the mission we have as IFS labs it is threefold. Firstly, we exist to guide, basically we do a lot of research. We don’t get to only do the cool stuff - so it’s not only playing with drones! We do a lot of proper research into database technologies etc. So we are there to guide the R&D teams on what we think they should be picking up and taking further.
Secondly, we are here to talk to influencers, to help explain to the wider world what we are doing at IFS and what the purposes of IFS Labs as a technology incubator is all about.
Then thirdly, and perhaps the most important part of the job for me is that we are here to inspire our clients to do more with their business applications. If you look at my work personally it’s an equal split across these core functions.
FSN: In general do you ever feel an urgency to push a project out whilst it may be still in Beta or do you think it is better to wait until the product is fully refined and completely free of bugs?
BdV: That’s a very good question.
First of all do I feel pressure to deliver IFS products around any given technology? The answer is always no and the reason for that is fairly simple. We are not here to compete with say Microsoft HoloLens in terms of technology. We will not be providing the actual AR technology ourselves.
What we need to do -which is part of the mission of IFS labs is to make sure that our business application is ready for when these technologies do become viable products.
What I mean by that is we need to be able to have an app ready to go on HoloLens to take advantage of that technology, or any other similar new emerging technologies.
Are we the guys that will actually create the technology? No I don’t think that is our core business and to be honest I don’t think that we would have the skill set to do that as well as others who are focussed on that area.
Our task at labs is to keep on monitoring the market and being able to leverage these exciting technologies once they are industry ready.
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