The world of field service and the world of technology have been intertwined for a long time now. In today's world of IoT, Artificial Intelligence and machine learning it could be put forwards that Data is not the fundamental building block of field...
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Jun 14, 2019 • Features • Augmented Reality • Cognito iQ • Data Analystics • Future of FIeld Service • GDPR • Mobile Technology • Video • wearables • Cloud computing • IoT • David Bochenski
The world of field service and the world of technology have been intertwined for a long time now. In today's world of IoT, Artificial Intelligence and machine learning it could be put forwards that Data is not the fundamental building block of field service excellence. Field Service News and Cognito iQ have explored this concept in a new series and here in this first instalment David Bochenski, CTO Cognito iQ outlines how field service companies can the data within the organisation and why they should be doing so.
Want to know more? There is a video with Konica Minolta's Head of Direct Service, Ged Crannny outlining how they have revolutionised their business through data analytics available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscribers on the link below...
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The rate of change in technology in technology continues to accelerate and shows no sign of stopping. Whereas ten years ago it was broadly the case that the technology you used at work was superior to that which you might have had at home, the arrival of smartphones and the app stores that support those devices them, has fundamentally flipped that relationship. For most of us, and especially the digital native Millenial cohort feeling like the tools that they are given to use at work are pretty much from the dark ages compared to the phones, tablets and wearables they use at home.
The abundance of end-user mobile devices has created a paradigm shift in user expectations for any company providing service into peoples homes or businesses. Customers now assume that within seconds, they should be able to request whatever they want, be it a service or product and track it on route to them instantly via their handheld devices.
Being told these days by a provider that someone may arrive between 8 am and 6 pm and "by the way can you make sure someone will be around to let them in" is not even close to an acceptable level of service.
The disruptor companies have driven much of this change in expectations. People like Uber, Amazon and Deliveroo have been changing the game in their respective industries. Amazon, for example, has recently announced that they can deliver your package directly into the boot of your car without you even being there.
"Being told these days by a provider that someone may arrive between 8 am and 6 pm and "by the way can you make sure someone will be around to let them in" is not even close to an acceptable level of service..."
The reason these 'Internet Age' companies have been able to fuel and satisfy this shift in expectations, is in part down to their ability to leverage Cloud technologies. In the case of Amazon, they have even pioneered those technologies themselves. Whereas just five years ago there was still legitimate debate about whether the Cloud would become a truly viable option, today this debate has been firmly settled in favour of the Cloud.
Even the most risk-conscious sectors such as banking and finance are seeing Cloud native disruptors enter their market, with the FinTech sector thriving with companies like Monzo and Starling making the established banks sit up and take note. In fact, with the more stringent GDPR coming into force those companies who chose to move early into the Cloud are finding the compliance requirements that much simpler to implement than those still reliant on their own data centres and infrastructure.
Having taken the leap into the Cloud, those companies that are willing to continue their investment now have access to world-class data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies to further drive home their advantage.
However, it is not all doom and gloom for the established field service companies out there trying to keep up with the technological changes and ever-increasing challenges faced from disruptors. Let's not forget that these companies can be at the bleeding edge of technology adoption. After all, field service companies were putting mobile devices into the hands of their engineers and receiving real-time data live from the field long before Steve Jobs, and Apple had put the Internet in everyone's hands.
I firmly believe there are emergent technological trends that will allow such companies to do so again and remain relevant in a digitally ubiquitous world. As well as providing exceptional user experience through their Cloud-based apps, the companies that are succeeding know how to use the data that is collected by these applications, to close the feedback loop and use that data to drive further improvements to their businesses.
Now, of course, GDPR has been introduced in part to stop companies doing just that and to ensure that their users are given proper visibility, control and consent over their data - which is entirely right, but again I believe this actually presents an opportunity for the more established SME companies to 'win one back' over the start-ups.
"Field service companies were putting mobile devices into the hands of their engineers and receiving real-time data live from the field long before Steve Jobs, and Apple had put the Internet in everyone's hands.."
SMEs are more likely to be better placed to comply with the new GDPR requirements, having more likely already got ISO certified and are also probably more used to operating effectively within regulated and controlled markets. So the learning curve for such companies adapting to these regulations is less challenging than companies grappling with such legislation for the first time.
There are also a few critical areas of technology where I can see innovative field service organisations being able to capitalise to deliver the next wave of innovation into our sector.
The first of these is being able to make sense of the explosion of data now made readily available as more and more devices become Internet-enabled. The hype around IoT has, in my view, yet to be justified. But once you are in a position as an organisation to harvest data from your machinery directly into the Cloud, and then apply machine learning and artificial intelligence capabilities on top of that data - you can start to gain real actionable insights into the fundamentals of your business that can allow you to gain significant advantages over your competition.
The final part of the puzzle is now how to best close the feedback loop and leverage those insights back into the field in real-time.
We are now seeing companies increasingly looking into how they move past the handheld mobile app into more advanced interface solutions. For example, advances in voice technology now mean an engineer can talk directly into their device rather than having to stop and enter information into the tablet.
Augmented reality devices such as Google Glass, which were shunned by the consumer market are experiencing something of a renaissance within specific workplace settings including of course field service and are now capable of surveying the area and alerting engineers to impending health and safety risks.
This approach can also deliver process based benefits in terms of a reduced time to train engineers on new skills and assets and to help resolve issues faster and more effectively.
In summary, combining new types of user interfaces, voice gesture and AI, together with real-time streaming of IoT data and intelligent learning algorithms all running in the Cloud can unlock tremendous efficiencies for field service organisations and help them deliver the next level of service for their customers.
Want to know more? There is a video with Konica Minolta's Head of Direct Service, Ged Crannny outlining how they have revolutionised their business through data analytics available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscribers on the link below...
sponsored by:
Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this content...
Mar 14, 2019 • News • Artificial intelligence • Future of FIeld Service • GDPR • Cyber Security • Security
New research suggests adherence to GDPR compliance will influence company's spending around cybersecurity.
New research suggests adherence to GDPR compliance will influence company's spending around cybersecurity.
Cyber security revenues in 2018 were $160.2 billion and will jump $11.2 billion during 2019, as the focus moves to GDPR compliance. Growth will slow to around $9.8 billion per annum, spiking once a in 2023/4 as AI based Cybersecurity escalates, reaching $223.7 billion, says the report from Rethink Technology Research.
The European Union’s GDPR (General Data Protection Registrar) has set the agenda for legislation over data privacy and protection worldwide and that is generating a spike in spending on security measures that ensure compliance. This will continue to ripple around the world between 2019 and 2021.
North America is expected to continue to spend the most on security (27%), but both Europe (22%) and China (20%) which are rapidly accelerating their spend, with the rest of Asia following closely behind on 16%. North America is expected to lead on almost every market with the exceptions of Industrial and Automotive, where China leads, by a small margin.
You can read the full report here.
Cyber security revenues in 2018 were $160.2 billion and will jump $11.2 billion during 2019, as the focus moves to GDPR compliance. Growth will slow to around $9.8 billion per annum, spiking once a in 2023/4 as AI based Cybersecurity escalates, reaching $223.7 billion, says the report from Rethink Technology Research.
The European Union’s GDPR (General Data Protection Registrar) has set the agenda for legislation over data privacy and protection worldwide and that is generating a spike in spending on security measures that ensure compliance. This will continue to ripple around the world between 2019 and 2021.
North America is expected to continue to spend the most on security (27%), but both Europe (22%) and China (20%) which are rapidly accelerating their spend, with the rest of Asia following closely behind on 16%. North America is expected to lead on almost every market with the exceptions of Industrial and Automotive, where China leads, by a small margin.
You can read the full report here.
Mar 19, 2018 • Fleet Technology • News • GDPR • Briaqn Hardwick • fleet management • Fleet Operations
Fleet Operations, the UK's leading independent provider of outsourced fleet management services, warns that many businesses within the fleet industry remain underprepared for the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Fleet Operations, the UK's leading independent provider of outsourced fleet management services, warns that many businesses within the fleet industry remain underprepared for the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The GDPR comes into force on 25th May 2018 and requires businesses to comply with a new set of rules designed to safeguard personal data.
One of the most significant changes means that organisations will now take responsibility for data protection breaches at any point within the supply chain. This puts fleet suppliers and operators at particularly high risk due to the large amount of personal data transactions that occur within the fleet supply chain.
And Brian Hardwick, Head of Operations at Fleet Operations, believes too few companies have got to grips with the full extent of their new responsibilities under the GDPR.
It appears many organisations still have not assessed the full impact of the GDPR and taken the requisite action to ensure they will be compliant. There exists a perception that this is a minor adjustment when, in fact, businesses need to assess their entire supply chain to ensure each link is secure
“As a starting point, it is vital for organisations to map all data flows across the business, which means documenting all data coming in and going out, as well as the various organisations or individuals that process information at each point in the supply chain. Contracts must now be in place between the data controller and data processor in each of these data transactions covering all the requisite details outlined by the GDPR.”
The consequences for failing to comply with the GDPR are high, with the maximum fine for infringements set at 20 million Euros or 4% of turnover, whichever is greater.
In this context, Hardwick insists it is the responsibility of everyone within an organisation to minimise the potential for breaches.
He added: “It is not sufficient for an organisation to simply hand all responsibility for the GDPR to a designated data controller – everyone should bear some of the burden. There are obvious data streams, such as payroll, but there are less obvious ones that include everyday emails. In this context, a breach could occur due to something as simple as copying someone into an email thread that contains data they do not have consent to view.
“That’s why it is important to communicate the new regulation – and the steps you are taking to address it – very clearly to all staff and put data protection at the centre of your organisational culture.”
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