Tom DeVroy, Senior Product Evangelist for field service management in North America, at IFS explores the relative benefits of Software as-a-Service (SaaS) and perpetual licensing models for FSM, and argues that businesses need to choose the software...
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Jun 09, 2017 • Features • Perpetual Licence • IFS • SaaS • Software and Apps • Tom DeVroy
Tom DeVroy, Senior Product Evangelist for field service management in North America, at IFS explores the relative benefits of Software as-a-Service (SaaS) and perpetual licensing models for FSM, and argues that businesses need to choose the software that meets their business needs first, then select the delivery model that best suits their business model – not the other way around.
The global field service management (FSM) software market is set to grow by more than 11 percent annually until 2020, driven by advancements in data analytics and mobile technology. As more companies select FSM software, they will have choices to make about how they license the software and where the software resides—on hardware they own themselves or in data centres operated by their software vendor or a third party.
FSM software is a vital tool for companies that operate mobile workforces. It can do everything from optimising the service schedule to ensure that the right technician is at the right job at the right time, as well as encompass the service supply chain to ensure appropriate parts are available to complete service projects. Advanced capabilities may even include complex depot repair, reverse logistics and the delivery of prescriptive maintenance information to technicians to guide them through complex service processes.
According to Gartner, more than 80 percent of software vendors will change from traditional licenses to subscription-based by 2020
Today, enterprises are much more likely to look at subscription-based Software as-a-Service model (SaaS), with the solution hosted off-site in the cloud. According to Gartner, more than 80 percent of software vendors will change from traditional licenses to subscription-based by 2020. But even if subscription pricing makes a lot of sense to a software vendor, it may or may not make sense to the software buyer depending on their needs.
Perpetual licenses attractive long-term
Up until the internet and broadband connectivity became a central component to most businesses, software was sold by default on a perpetual license basis. Purchased through a one-time license fee, the solution can be run either on a company’s own hardware or private cloud. The cost of the license is paid up-front and allows businesses to own the software outright with the rights to use it indefinitely, even if ongoing maintenance and support contracts are discontinued.
A company can provision software sold through a perpetual license on their own servers and support it with their own IT personnel. Or they can place it in a private or public cloud run by a third party vendor, including their software vendor.
Running software in the cloud allows a company to outsource common IT administration tasks while ensuring the server capacity can scale effortlessly as increasing user count or transaction volume demand. Cloud provisioning can also be attractive for FSM software because it can make it easier to access in the field.
The attraction of the subscription model
Software sold via subscription-based SaaS is also provisioned in the cloud. But unlike a perpetual license, the software is paid for typically through a nominal start-up fee to cover implementation and a monthly fee, generally on a one to three-year contract, rather than an up-front lump sum for permanent ownership. This is beneficial as the expense may be assigned to a given department’s expense budget because SaaS tends to involve a smaller up-front investment, below the normal threshold for a capital budget spend.
The lower up-front investment of SaaS also makes it attractive for businesses looking to start with a smaller footprint in FSM software that they can grow over time.
Organisations can implement an FSM solution in a single division or office as a proof of concept, perhaps limiting the scope of the initial implementation. When starting with a small number of SaaS users, businesses should always plan for the implications and costs of a wider implementation so the solution can be easily scaled across a broader number of users when needed.
Address the Service Lifecycle
A field service software buyer should prioritize their specific requirements first before looking at deployment models and license methods. It is important to remember that regardless of whether the FSM solution is purchased through a perpetual license or by subscription, FSM software will always fall short if it does not address the entire service lifecycle.
Beyond scheduling, dispatch and field mobility, there are many areas of field service applications should include to drive substantive value. Automated call handling, routing and dispatches are important to optimize call center functionality and day-to-day tasks, while traceability systems and spare parts management can give complete control over supply chains - keeping businesses safe and compliant.
Reverse logistics is another key requirement for businesses dealing with complex repair environments, as is project management for instant communication with remote personnel out in the field. Strong support for serialization will ensure compliance in regulated industries and support recalls when necessary.
Flexibility First
Another important thing to consider is the timing of software updates. Even when field service management is purchased through a subscription-based license, your business should always maintain control over when you upgrade to new versions.
Having the option to choose if owning the software outright on a perpetual license, or acquiring software through subscription, is a benefit to a potential buyer
Businesses need a solution that works around them and their operations, not the other way around. SaaS deployments ought to deliver pricing convenience, reduce potential downtime by hosting software in an ITIL environment, and reduce the level of effort required to manage the solution.
Having the option to choose if owning the software outright on a perpetual license, or acquiring software through subscription, is a benefit to a potential buyer. Rather than the vendor dictating your IT infrastructure and license acquisition, it gives you the customer the flexibility to choose what is best for your organisation. If a software vendor is committed to giving you control over your software environment, they will offer you this flexibility.
Software first
Whether businesses choose a perpetual license or SaaS field service management software, the focus must always be on the FSM solution and that it matches all of the key business needs. Only then can you choose your delivery model. With a fully optimized FSM solution available on both models, businesses can make sure their field service can meet specific needs, now and in the future.
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May 19, 2017 • Features • Predictive maintenance • resources • White Paper • White Papers & eBooks • dynamic scheduling • IFS • IoT
Resource Type: White Paper Published by: IFS Title: Utilising dynamic scheduling in a predictive maintenance world
Resource Type: White Paper
Published by: IFS
Title: Utilising dynamic scheduling in a predictive maintenance world
Synopsis:
People assume that machines will talk to each other as part of IoT, but it seems that the integration of data from IoT projects is something that is lacking.
In fact, it’s common to see organisations working with multiple IoT projects because of the disconnected flow of data. Effective use of real-time data from IoT projects enables operative predictive maintenance, which can link to advanced scheduling, more effective delivery of service, and higher customer satisfaction ratings. But how do these three business strategies link together?
In the context of this white paper, IoT means using data coming from sensors, in combination with data interpretation to predict maintenance needs. From those predictions of maintenance needs, the most efficient field schedule can be created through advanced scheduling based on data provided from the machine in the field, technician skills, and parts and tools needed for maintenance.
These predictions in combination with advanced scheduling take the schedule beyond drive time and identify the most effective use of your most important asset—the field service engineer
Overview:
This white paper covers four key areas:
IoT Strategy:
No matter the industry, any company can leverage an IoT strategy. Mobile phones, tables, machines and other devices continuously collect information that can be analysed and acted upon.
Cisco IBSG predicts there will be 50 billion internet-connected devices by 2020. This is an astonishing 100 percent increase from 2015.
This increase in internet-connected devices provides the opportunity to embrace IoT in a big way by leveraging large quantities of data from connected devices.
Predictive maintenance:
As unplanned downtime can disrupt an entire organisation, diminishing down-time is invaluable to organisations.
A survey conducted by Nielsen Research demonstrated that downtime costs an average of $22,000 per minute.
Because downtime can be so costly, most organisations invest in predictive maintenance in an effort to replace worn-down parts before they cause downtime. A well-designed IoT solution is a step in the right direction.
Leveraging real-time with advance scheduling:
When real-time data from an IoT solution connects with an advanced scheduling solution, a field technician can be notified of high-priority maintenance, prioritised by the advanced scheduling solution’s ability to adjust a schedule by responding to customer SLAs as appropriate.
The solution generates the most efficient, cost-effective schedule, identifying travel routes for the technician in closest proximity to the site of maintenance, with the right tools and skill-set to meet the maintenance needs.
Benefits of an IoT solution:
To move from reactive maintenance to predictive and preventive maintenance, an IoT solution providing real-time data should be implemented. By attaching sensors to equipment and facilities, an organisation can gain information about the condition of the equipment and facilities and how they are being used.
A task could be assigned to a field technician who travels to a customer site to address an issue before a customer is even aware that they have an issue.
The field service system analyses the data and issues prescribed actions that automatically lead to tasks being performed based on rules defined by the user. For instance, a task could be assigned to a field technician who travels to a customer site to address an issue before a customer is even aware that they have an issue.
Talk about a high customer satisfaction rating!
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May 11, 2017 • Features • Michael Blumberg • WBR • Bill Pollock • Blumberg Advisory • ClickSoftware • IFS • Sara Mueller • servicemax • servicepower • Software and Apps • Strategies for GrowthSM
Within the last twelve months we have seen a sudden rush of Merger and Acquisition activities within the field service sector with many major brands including ServiceMax, ClickSoftware and most recently ServicePower all being acquired. So why has...
Within the last twelve months we have seen a sudden rush of Merger and Acquisition activities within the field service sector with many major brands including ServiceMax, ClickSoftware and most recently ServicePower all being acquired. So why has the field service sector suddenly become such a hotbed for investment and what does it mean for the innovation in our industry?
Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News reports...
I’ve referred to field service as a sector at times as a ghost sector because despite field service impacting almost everyone, and it crossing across almost all verticals outside those who work within our horizontal sector the role of field service management and certainly the tools that those in this field use are relatively unknown.
Yet, it seems that over the last few years someone, somewhere has certainly started paying attention.
Of course, the growing trend within global manufacturing circles towards embracing servitization has put service front and centre whilst various projected estimates of the value of the Global FSM market ranging from $5BN to $25BN will of course be flagged up on the radars of money men, and it certainly seems that the field service sector has come under more of a spot light than it has in its recent past.
“This is occurring for several reasons,” explains Michael Blumberg, President of the Blumberg Advisory Group, when I asked him why it seemed Field Service Management providers had recently become hot targets for prospective investment.”
Field service businesses tend to be less susceptible to changes in the economy - Michael Blumberg
“Second, field service businesses often generate a recurring revenue stream (e.g., service contracts) which is also something that is very attractive to investors and also field service providers often hold a defensible market position because of their long-term relationship with customers and unique capabilities.”
“When a company acquires a field service provider they also acquire its customer base which provides a captive market for cross-selling and up-selling additional products and services.”
“Finally and most importantly, field service is usually a basic offering and building block in delivering a subscription based, product-service model (think Servitization) to customers.”
With so many key reasons why field service solution providers are an attractive proposition isn’t the recent run of acquisitions somewhat overdue?
Bill Pollock, President of Strategies for GrowthSM, certainly thinks so.
“It should have happened years ago!” He proclaims when I put this question to him.
“However, the acquiring organisations seemed to have other priorities in mind with respect to broadening and strengthening their existing offerings, and tailoring them to a more narrowing-defined market space.”
Remember, there were days, way back when – when a Field Service Management (FSM) solution provided only the functionality required to run a services operation – but not a services business - Bill Pollock
“It’s a bit different today. As more and more software providers expand their offerings to run the entire business, they now market themselves as offering a “new” type of platform for doing so.”
“In general, it will be those organisations that move into (or buy into) the field services arena – for all the right reasons – that are most likely to be successful. That is, if a field service functionality makes sense as a logical extension of their existing offerings, then they will be more likely to succeed.
However, those that attempt to “ram their way” into what is already a fast growing and vibrant market sector, some without even having a complete FSM offering, will find themselves “busted” in the eyes of their targeted market base.”
Meanwhile, Sara Mueller, Field Service Portfolio Director, Worldwide Business Research believes that the fact that service has increasingly become a key battleground for competing companies is another key reason why the FSM sector as a whole is gaining more and more attention.
“Since many products have become largely commoditised, service is the competitive differentiator for organisations.” She begins.
Technology is dramatically shifting the performance of service organisations, allowing them to grow exponentially - Sara Mueller
“While technicians are an integral part of field service, technology solutions are necessary to minimise human error, capture the knowledge of and account for the retiring baby boomer generation of head technicians, even to keep technicians safer on the job.”
Mueller’s point however does perhaps reveal a potential double-edged sword.
Innovation in technology and service delivery have become wonderfully entangled within the last decade - which is why many companies have been able to move towards outcome based contracts, and why service is beginning to outgrow the ‘aftermarket’ tag and become a key revenue stream now being discussed much more seriously amongst the C-Suite.
This is of course a fundamental reason why our FSM solution providers have become such attractive investment options. However, could the very innovation that put the sector on the map dry up when independent, entrepreneurial tech companies get swallowed up by larger organisations?
Pollock certainly doesn’t think that we need to worry about the level of technology available to field service organisations failing to meet requirements at any point in the near future however.
“The currently available technology, coupled with newer technology that always seems to be lurking “just around the corner”, is already sufficient to meet (and exceed) all of the FSO’s requirements for managing their field service operations – and then some! It’s already here!” He comments.
The global services market is not likely to experience a plateau in terms of recognition, adoption and/or deployment of these new technological advances anytime soon - Bill Pollock
“This accelerating growth is likely to bring more FSM provider suitors to the forefront rather than less. For example, three or four years ago, how many field service managers thought that Microsoft would acquire itself into the fray? Many industry analysts missed the signs that Oracle was about to acquire TOA Technologies. However, with several major players already having acquired, licensed and/or organically entered the field services market, the question arises: Who will be next?
On the demand side, where has Apple been? What about SAP? What about any of the large, global, systems integrators? On the supply side, what, if anything, will ultimately happen with ClickSoftware? What about the “tried and true” historical vendors, like Astea? And what about all of those Venture Capital and investment firms that seem to be gobbling up one FSM vendor after another?”
Indeed, Mueller’s view also supports the assertion that the current technology is certainly sufficient to meet the growing needs of service delivery.
“The field service management technology today can accomplish remarkable results and drive business transformation. But service organisations are at widely varying degrees of adoption and sophistication, and are looking for more diversity in solution offerings in order to find the right choice for their priorities and budgets.”
However, she also sees the innovation at the heart of our industry as a key driver for continued technological innovation as well adding, “Just as customer needs keep evolving, FSM solutions will need to do so as well.”
And this latter point is also echoed by Blumberg.
There will always be lean, nimble, start-up companies focused on FSM that drive innovation and fill any void created by M & A - Michael Blumberg
“I’ve been a consultant to the Field Service Industry for over 25 year and have experienced several M & A cycles, and this is exactly what has happened. It is also very unlikely that innovation will plateau even within larger software companies who have acquired FSM solutions. To quote management guru Peter Drucker, business has only two functions… innovation and marketing.
This a basic tenant of business. Without innovation, companies lose their relevancy and competitive edge.”
So whilst the consensus is that the current M&A cycle won’t lead to any halt in the ongoing development of technology to support field service, one message does seem to be coming out of each of the field service providers acquired and that is reference to the future of FSM solutions being part of wider platforms.
But how far will the FSM platform go? Will we ultimately see FSM become as integral to business systems as ERP and CRM?
Mueller for one believes that this is where the future lies.
“It can be as integral to business as ERP and CRM systems.” She comments
“Given that service is a competitive differentiator for these organisations, FSM platforms are essential to provide the level of service now being expected from customers. The experience a customer receives through field service is often how they will shape their opinion of the product and whether they will buy again. Field service is the front line of the organisation and FSM ensures the experience with field service is ideal.”
Pollock, however, disagrees.
For the time being, FSM will likely remain subservient, in most cases, to CRM and ERP - Bill Pollock
“The difference between an FSM solution and an FSM platform is that the former is essentially used to run the services operations, while the latter is used to run the entire business. As far as marketing and market positioning go, doesn’t “platform” sound more important than “solution”, anyway?”
“CRM-based solution providers have long touted their products as full “platforms” that may be used to run an entire business; ERP-based solution providers have essentially marketed their offerings in the same manner. By incorporating an FSM solution into their respective offerings, they can now all claim (and, probably, rightfully so) that their offerings represent a complete (or near-complete) platform upon which future services functionalities can be built – whether strictly in support of field service operations, or any other business activity.”
“However, it is not necessarily a “slam-dunk” that FSM will become as integral to business systems as ERP and CRM, as not all businesses have field service offerings – while all have (or should have) an ERP and/or ERP capability.
Further, as remote and predictive diagnostics, powered by the Internet of Things (IoT) and Augmented Reality (AR), make further footholds in the general services arena, running a field service operation may become more important, while become less cumbersome to run (and, as such, more likely to be outsourced, possibly, to a third party).” Pollock concludes.
“FSM software is already an integral part of business systems among those companies that operate Field Service as either a strategic line of business or a profit centre. And there’s the rub, many companies that service products do not have requirements for FSM functionality.” comments Blumberg.
I find it interesting that there are no fully integrated, end to end FSM platforms on the market today that include the complete array of functionality for managing a Field Service Organisation - Michael Blumberg
“If an FSO wants to implement such as solution, they often must deploy multiple enterprise systems and point solutions from different vendors. In addition, FSM functionality usually needs to interface with other enterprise system platforms such as CRM, ERP, and most recently IoT to obtain critical data to complete the service transactions,” he adds before summarising.
“On the other hand, I certainly see a need in the market for standalone, functional robust FSM platforms. In fact, I have been advising both private equity groups (PE) and software developers for the last 20 years to make investments that achieve this outcome. Unfortunately, given market dynamics, capital requirements, and technology considerations, it unlikely that PE or software developers will invest the necessary resources to create such a platform.”
“Therefore, it is likely that FSM functionality will continue to remain an add -on purchase to existing enterprise systems.”
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Apr 28, 2017 • Features • Management • Mark Brewer • field service • IFS
Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director, IFS looks at the changing realities of business and how field service companies must adapt to new expectations...
Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director, IFS looks at the changing realities of business and how field service companies must adapt to new expectations...
A 2015 study conducted by Microsoft concluded that the average human attention span was 8 seconds, down from 12 seconds in 2000.
Technology has changed considerably since the year 2000, our smartphones have become smarter, social media has exploded and instant gratification is at every consumer’s fingertips thanks to faster-than-ever service from Amazon Prime and others.
But what does a shorter attention span have to do with field service? Firstly, it directly correlates with expectation. Consumers expect organisations to effectively capture and keep their attention. As well as do the legwork for them, facilitating constant interaction and information. Secondly, marketing becomes less effective. You have to find new, innovative ways to attract and retain customers.
So how do you combat the curse of an “uberized” world that demands instant gratification, short attention span and all? Here are three ways to solve your organisational woes to delight your customers and maximise your potential.
Problem: your future (and current) customers don’t have time for you
Solution: increase engagement using various media Attracting potential customers and keeping current customers engaged demands an understanding of their needs and behaviours.
According to a Microsoft study, 84% of millennial customers have used a self-service portal for customer service.
84% of millennial customers have used a self-service portal for customer service.
With ever-mounting consumer demands and dwindling profit margins, empowering your technicians seems like common sense. Just make sure you have provided them with the right tools and technologies to be sales heroes as well as install-it, build-it, fix-it experts.
Use your field service technicians as your frontline sales guys. Maximise those closely developed relationships by teaching them to up-sell and capture customer attention and loyalty on-site, in person.
Problem: customers expect a completely engaged field service transaction
Solution: uberize your offering to the best of your ability
ComScore reports that, on average, 65% of consumer digital media time is spent on mobile devices. Customers now expect that the experience they get with Uber will translate into field service.
Customers now expect that the experience they get with Uber will translate into field service.
Send your customers a link to a customised portal that allows them to track technicians and stay up to date. Provide customer surveys onsite or after the field service interaction to close the feedback loop and improve performance.
Make your customers feel empowered at every stage of the service lifecycle by providing them with more options when it comes to their schedule, appointment windows, service offerings and add-ons.
Problem: instant gratification means no margin for error
Solution: mobility is the answer
First-time fix rate is imperative to customer satisfaction as well as maximised service margins. Short attention spans translate into higher expectations.
Convenience is key for buyers and oftentimes it is the aftermarket service that becomes the competitive differentiator.
In their 2016 Mobile Enterprise Applications survey, Frost & Sullivan reported that a mobile solution increased competitive advantage by 55% and enhanced customer engagement by 52% for enterprise users. As your organisation moves to embrace and adopt new technologies for increased efficiencies like IoT, a strong mobile strategy is imperative to continued success.
The future of field service
The world has changed forever. It’s not enough to just sell a product, and then provide service if something breaks. Customers expect more. This goes hand-in-hand with diminishing attention span. Even the process of evaluating and buying a product has changed dramatically.
Convenience is key for buyers and oftentimes it is the aftermarket service that becomes the competitive differentiator.
Thanks to the reducing attention span and the need for instant gratification, the process of buying has changed, the criteria for product selection have changed, and the expectation for aftermarket service has changed. Are you ready to embrace this transformation in your organisation?
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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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Mar 14, 2017 • video • Medical Devices • WBR • Field Service Medical • healthcare • IFS • IoT • Software and Apps • Tom De Vroy
Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief talks exclusively to Tom De Vroy, Senior Product Evangelist, Field Service Management with IFS at the Field Service Medical conference to find out why they were involved within the Field Service Medical sector, what...
Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief talks exclusively to Tom De Vroy, Senior Product Evangelist, Field Service Management with IFS at the Field Service Medical conference to find out why they were involved within the Field Service Medical sector, what unique challenges he saw for field service management in the healthcare and medical sector and what key points he took away from the three day conference held in San Diego a few weeks ago.
at Field Service Medical held at Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego.
We also take a sneak peak at what to expect at this year's Field Service USA event being held in Palm Springs this April
Thinking of attending Field Service USA this year? Field Service News subscribers are entitled to a 25% discount!
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Mar 06, 2017 • Features • Aston Centre for Servitization Research and Practi • copperberg • Cranfield University • FSN20 • Future of FIeld Service • Jonathan Massoud • Mark Brewer • Mark Holleran • WBR • Xplore Technologies • Bill Pollock • Dr John Erkoyuncu • field service • field service europe • Field Service Forum • Field Service Medical • Field Service Summit • Field Service USA • IFS • Strategies for GrowthSM • sumair dutta • The Service Council • Thosas Igou • tim baines
Who are the most influential people in the global field service sector that you need to pay attention to in 2017?
Who are the most influential people in the global field service sector that you need to pay attention to in 2017?
The Field Service News #FSN20 is our list of the individuals we believe will be key influencers in our industry across the next twelve months. Those included in the list have been selected by our own panel of industry insiders, who were given the simple criteria of identifying people who will have a significant impact on field service thinking.
However, more than just an annual list of 20 individuals the #FSN20 has grown since it’s launch to become a true celebration of excellence and innovation within our industry.
There are some familiar names and some new faces on this years list and as always we don’t expect everyone to agree with our selection - at it’s heart the #FSN20 was conceived as a tool to get everyone in our industry thinking about who it is that they have come across in the global field service sector that has made them think, who has made them question the accepted paradigms, who has inspired them to do just one little thing more in their own day to day role.
The #FSN20 is not just about the list our panel has put together. It is about fostering discussion that celebrates the unsung heroes of the field service sector. So look out for the online version of this list as well to take part in the debate.
But for now, ladies and gentleman and without further a do, in no particular order, we are pleased to introduce the #FSN20 of 2017...
Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director - Service Management
Brewer is a new entry to the #FSN20 having recently moved to IFS from PTC.
The message from the IFS hierarchy was loud and clear when they held their last World Conference in Gothenburg towards the end of last year. Field Service was a key priority moving forward and their new owners EQT had every intention of pushing the Swedish company to keep doing what has made them a well respected brand within manufacturing and field service management circles - but do it bigger, better and to get to there faster.
Having taken the reigns of the service management division globally Brewer is set to figure prominently in the industry across the next twelve months.
Professor Tim Baines, Group Director of the Aston Centre for Servitization Research and Practice
Baines retains his place on this years list and is perhaps he one person that has appeared multiple times on the list whose entry becomes even more deserved each year.
Baines has been at the centre of the servitization movement for as long as anyone and although many of his peers such as Neely and Lightfoot should share equal status for being the Godfathers of Servitization, it is fair to say that Baines’ work as a leading proponent of the servitization movement is as unparalleled as it is inexhaustible. The Aston Spring Servitization Conference which is the show-piece of the Aston Centre for Research and Practice continues to grow in terms of both audience and importance each year and it’s location in Lucerne, Switzerland this year is a testament to it’s growing status on the international industrial map. Whilst Baines’ would humbly point to the great team he has working with him at Aston, his role in the global shift towards servitization simply cannot be overlooked.
Bill Pollock, President and Principal Consultant, Strategies for GrowthSM
Another that has been ever present on the #FSN20 since it’s inception and someone who is likely to remain on the list until the day comes where he retires, which given Pollock’s passion for the industry and seemingly eternal youth may won’t be any time soon!
Pollock is not only still a key commentator and analyst within our sector whose papers and features are not only widely read but also hugely respected, but he has been a mentor for a number of key figures within the global field service industry, including a number of other #FSN20 members, and also Field Service News’ own highly respected Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland.
However, Pollock’s inclusion on the #FSN20 isn’t just based on his past merits, his organisation Strategies for GrowthSM continues to provide some of the most detailed research and insightful analysis for the field service sector that is essential reading for any field service executives that wish to stay in touch with what is driving our industry forward.
Thomas Igou, Editorial Director, Copperberg
Igou has been integral to Copperberg’s continued success and growth in the European field service conference circuit, In fact with five industry focussed events now running across the continent that should be of interest to senior field service and aftermarket executives, Copperberg are firmly established central pillar within the European field service community, and Igou sits proudly at the heart of that. In his role as Editorial Director, Igou is responsible for making sure the key topics in the industry are raised and the leading thinkers within our space are given a voice.
A key influencer within our industry.
Mark Holleran, COO, Xplore Technologies
Under Holleran’s leadership Xplore Technologies acquired Motion Computing and became the 2nd largest manufacturer of rugged tablets in the world.
Holleran is a man who not only truly understands the different sectors his clients operate in but also who truly appreciates the importance of understanding his customers’ work-flows and therefore their technological needs.
A perfect case in point being the inclusion of a HDMI in on their XSLATE D10 rugged tablet, which makes it a perfect device for Telco and Pay TV engineers needing to test signals - which is exactly why it is there.
We don’t expect anything other than rugged tablets to be coming out of Xplore, but we do expect them to keep delivering best-in-class products in this form factor. As Holleran says “that’s what we do and we are the worlds best at it.
Dr John Erkoyuncu, Through-life Engineering Services Institute, Cranfield University
Erkoyuncu takes over from Professor Howard Lightfoot as a representative of Cranfield University in the #FSN20 this year, however it isn’t just a straight like for like swap. Whilst the two worked together at the Through Life Services Institute, Erkoyuncu’s place on this year list is based primarily around the work he is doing in both industrial maintenance simulation and also augmented reality, and as such we believe he will be a key commentator and influencer on our sector in the years to come.
Jonathan Massoud, Divisional Director & Market Analyst Field Service, WBR
Massoud’s role as Divisional Director at WBR puts him in control of a number of the industry’s key events including Field Service USA which is the jewel in the crown as the key point in the USA field service calender.
In addition to Field Service USA, WBR also run a number of important industry focussed events including Field Service Medical and Field Service Europe and in his role as Divisional Director Massoud is directly involved with each of the events and responsible for delivering industry leading content to keep field service professionals up to date with the key trends with in the industry. Massoud is also responsible for overseeing WBR’s research and a respected analyst within the sector
Sumair Dutta, Customer Satisfaction Officer, The Service Council
Chief Customer Officer for The Service Council™ Dutta is responsible for new member acquisition, member engagement, community expansion, as well as the development and expansion of TSC’s Smarter Services oriented research agenda and portfolio.
He is also heavily involved in The Service Council’s ability to provide service executives the ability to benchmark their operations and also provide guided insight to improve service organisation performance through dedicated research programs. Dutta also plays a key role in building out TSC’s community platform focused on becoming the single source of information and networking for service executives globally and is a prolific author on the matter of field service.
Click here to see page two of the 2017 #FSN20
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Jan 10, 2017 • Features • Future of FIeld Service • drones • IFS • IoT • Managing the Mobile Workforce
The IFS World Conference has been held in Barcelona and Boston in recent years, A telling testament to the Swedish software company’s growing importance on the global stage. However, in 2016 it was time for a successful homecoming as the conference...
The IFS World Conference has been held in Barcelona and Boston in recent years, A telling testament to the Swedish software company’s growing importance on the global stage. However, in 2016 it was time for a successful homecoming as the conference headed to Gothenberg.
Field Service News was there to report on the key announcements made...
At the IFS World Conference in Boston held 18 months ago the headlines were all about milestones. The company had recently hit their millionth user, Applications 9 had just been launched and key partnerships with the likes of Microsoft and Accenture had seemingly launched them into the world of enterprise level organisations as a genuine challenger to the likes of SAP and Oracle.
So looking ahead to this year’s event in Gothenberg there was an anticipation of just how the Swedish ERP provider had moved onwards from those milestones - just how much progress had been made?
However, just ahead of the conference in September 2016 it was announced that private equity firm EQT had acquired 97% of the company which added a further dynamic to the backdrop of the conference’s three day agenda - what did the acquisition mean for IFS and would it change the roadmap for better or for worse?
These questions were addressed swiftly as Alistair Sorbie, CEO IFS took the stage for the opening keynote session - and the message was clear.
It was still business as usual and field service remained a significant priority for the company.
This sentiment was echoed when we spoke to Paul Massey, Managing Director, IFS Europe West, about the take over.
“They’re very hands off, have been positive in terms of their messaging and are supportive of the existing management” Massey commented.
Taking an initial view of where we might target some early investment field service is an obvious candidate because we weren’t maximising the benefit we’ve got from having that product. - Paul Massey, Managing Director, IFS Europe West
“It’s a growing market that we have got some really good stories in which we haven’t exploited as well as we might, so with EQT coming in and us taking an initial view of where we might target some early investment field service is an obvious candidate because we weren’t maximising the benefit we’ve got from having that product.” he added.
So with field service still very firmly on the agenda and the private equity acquisition looking - upon initial observations at least, to be something that is good for both IFS and their existing users the tone of the conference was able to gain sharper focus - and that tone was very much all about innovation in the technology. The headline stealing announcement being the introduction of IFS IoT Business Connector...
With IoT still very much the key technology on everyone’s buzz list it was an anticipated launch and potentially an essential one, as competitors in the FSM space at least, race to deliver similar tools.
What is interesting about the IFS solution is that as you may guess from the name it is a tool that connects other systems potentially shortening the time from ‘ideas to tangible benefits’ for IFS customers’ by providing an end-to-end architecture.
Designed to de-risk and accelerate IoT initiatives in areas such as predictive maintenance, service management, asset management, and manufacturing, it provides the ability to harness data gathered from products, assets and equipment to identify actionable observations that trigger either user-defined, automated or semi-automated workflows in the wider IFS software suite.
Another important benefit is that it also comes with plug-and-play connectivity to the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite (but also has open APIs to connect other IoT platforms also.)
Essentially the IFS IoT Business Connector is designed to bridge the gap between analysis of IoT data and using the output to then execute maintenance and service more efficiently.
A number of earlier adopter case studies were rolled out during the announcement including Songa Offshore, an international mid-water drilling contractor, ATS, a leading provider of factory maintenance and IT services based in the U.S., Anticimex, an international pest control company, and Hecla Mining, the North American precious metals mining company.
By working with our customers and partners we are able to connect the dots so that investments in IoT not only yield piles of data and pretty charts, but result in real actions... - Dan Matthews, CTO IFS
ATS Automation Director of IT Christopher Lebeau said. “By connecting our field service value chain we are able to automate our processes in a new way and use the insights to make smarter business decisions.”
IFS CTO Dan Matthews added, “By working with our customers and partners we are able to connect the dots so that investments in IoT not only yield piles of data and pretty charts, but result in real actions that are co-planned and executed in an optimal way together with everything else that is going on in a business. For our customers it means an easier way to get started with IoT, lower risks, and faster time to realised value.”
The new version of our dynamic work scheduling solution represents a major product investment aimed at helping our clients streamline and automate their scheduling processes... - Jørgen Rogde, FS product director for service, asset, and project based solutions
Major feature updates include automated resource planning, rostering and shift scheduling as well as extended deployment options in the cloud. Commenting on the updated solution IFS product director for service, asset, and project based solutions Jørgen Rogde commented,“The new version of our dynamic work scheduling solution represents a major product investment aimed at helping our clients streamline and automate their scheduling processes while maintaining and enhancing the flexibility of the solution through new options for cloud deployment and big data management.”
“It will help our customers use their resources more effectively, ultimately saving them time and money.”
Another important announcement made at the conference was the unveiling of a new version of IFS Enterprise Operational Intelligence (EOI).
Included within the new version - the first major release since the solution was acquired through the acquisition of VisionWaves in July 2015 were a number of new features such as capabilities for adding custom visualizations,
plug-and-play integration with IFS Applications, and of course integration with the IFS IoT Business Connector.
A number of elements of EOI are particularly suited including of course the scheduling element, which is powered by the IFS dynamic scheduling engine that users will be familiar with.
This tool used in combination with the ability to customise maps by incorporating drawings, illustrations or performance data onto a map could be a fantastic tool for prescriptive analytics and potentially modelling different schedule scenarios. In combination with the in-memory database technology demonstrated in Boston last year could theoretically mean that running simulations to find optimum workforce division could be done in minutes as opposed to weeks or even months that such a task using manual tools.
However, whilst the developments of both EOI and MWM and their integration to the wider suite of IFS Applications were not only impressive but also have easily identifiable use-cases within field service operations, it was the glimpse into the not too distant future from IFS Labs that was the show stopper from a field service perspective.
At IFS Labs, we look beyond the current needs of businesses to anticipate what solutions will be required in the future... - Bas de Vos, Director, IFS Labs
The drone proof-of-concept featured live integration between a drone and IFS Applications for automatic generation of work orders whilst inspecting assets on a scaled model demonstration.
Using computer image analysis, a drone flown by a member of the IFS labs team was able to recognise a break in a power line within the model and automatically generated an observation that is registered in IFS Applications via the IFS IoT Business Connector.
The end user can analyse and process the drone observations via the IFS Lobby interface, in which additional information such as geolocation and customer feedback is cross-referenced to help the user action appropriate maintenance and repair.
Although still not available, the proof-of-concept demonstration certainly opened up a number of eyes as to the power of technology to help in the delivery of field service within the not too distant future.
“At IFS Labs, we look beyond the current needs of businesses to anticipate what solutions will be required in the future,” IFS Labs director Bas de Vos said.
And perhaps this is the key takeaway from the three day conference, for those asking how the EQT acquisition will affect the IFS, the message was it’s business as usual - and on the evidence on show in Gothenberg this year, the usual is innovation.
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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