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Having undertaken a detailed research project together assessing the use of IoT in field service and also the relationship between IOT and the growing trend of servitization, Field Service News and Gartner field service management magic quadrant leader ServiceMax delivered a webinar exploring the research findings.

You can find links to download the full webinar and the related white paper below but here as a taster is a brief section of the Q&A held at the end of the webinar featuring Patrice Eberline, VP Global Customer Transformation and Kris Oldland Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News

 

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Click here to access the webinar

 

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Field service management software providers Coresystems showed us a glimpse into the not too distant future, bringing together field service and consumer IoT.

As smart homes become more prevalent one of the key hubs leading the way in integrating a variety of disparate smart devices is Amazon's Echo which features voice controlled personal assistant Alexa.

Commands such as 'Alexa switch off the downstairs lights' or 'Alexa turn the heating up to 68 degrees' allow the Echo to control the heating lighting, security and much more in your smart home.

And now as demonstrated in this video by Philipp Emmenegger, Deputy CEO and Head of Sales EMEA with Coresystems Alexa can schedule a field service call for you as well. 

In the brief demonstration above, filmed at Field Service Europe held in Amsterdam last week, Emmenegger is able to schedule a service call on the day of his choice simply by telling Alexa "Alexa, tell coresystems to schedule a service call'.

After a brief exchange a day is confirmed and we can see the appointment added into a dispatch schedule.

Of course, further development would be required to make this a solution rather than just a gimmick, for example identifying exactly what it is I want the engineer to come and fix, however, it is an interesting glimpse into how we could be arranging our field service schedules in the not so distant future...

 

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Tom DeVroy, senior product evangelist, Enterprise Service Management at IFS outlines three technology driven developments poised to disrupt field service...

Effective field service is about proactively managing your workforce and inventory in order to meet the constantly sliding scale of customer expectations. As a result, field service organisations are constantly looking to improve on the key metrics to better serve customers: first-time fix rate (FTF), mean time to service (MTTS) and mean time to repair (MTTR).

Three new technology driven developments are establishing themselves in the market, with the potential to dramatically impact these field service metrics to benefit both the customer and service provider:

• Advanced mobility: augmented reality, instant messaging platforms and native apps
• Predictive analytics enabling prescriptive maintenance
• Optimised scheduling and demand forecasting in an IoT world

First: Beyond mobility: augmented reality, instant messaging and native apps

A mobile workforce needs a mobile-driven field service strategy. In a recent study on mobility, performance and engagement, 60% of employees said mobile technology makes them more productive in the workplace. But field service organisations are now moving beyond simple mobility, looking for more intelligence and flexibility from their mobile computing platform in order to take full advantage of next generation devices.

Native apps are a key part of this - allowing engineers to receive instant updates, access repair information or collaborate with product experts without leaving the job site. Instant messaging platforms such as Slack and WeChat are also allowing field service engineers to keep connected, with more information and collaboration supported on their mobile device. Engineers are able to contact other colleagues for assistance in real-time – reducing the need to return to base for assistance.

Seeing is believing

 

 

ABI Research shows augmented reality is on the rise, and Gartner predicts businesses will purchase 53 million tablets by 2016. There are instant benefits for field service engineers. Mobile solutions now allow engineers to receive real-time feedback and expertise while on the job, enabling repairs to be completed more quickly and efficiently. An IFS partner, XMReality, is already working on pioneering augmented reality projects like this.

 

With this remote guidance, a support technician is able to watch and guide the engineer through every step of the repair without having to leave base. Using smartglasses, engineers are able to see a real-time and interactive demonstration of the repair job right in front of their eyes. These skills can be leveraged anywhere, any time with the capability of modern mobile technology – drastically improving FTF.

Second: Beyond business analytics: predict and prescribe maintenance:

The rise of IoT sensors and integrated technology on equipment is also enabling more efficient field service. Instead of scheduling maintenance when a fault is recorded, predictive analytics and the remote monitoring of equipment through IoT means faults can be detected before they become a problem.

Combined with business intelligence to make sense of the big data being captured through IoT, predictive analytics can be used to find actionable data to inform business decisions. Enabling service organisations to be proactive in regard to equipment performance means moving away from calendar-based scheduling, and towards predictive maintenance.

IFS has a predictive maintenance capability embedded in its field service applications, allowing better allocation of an engineer's time. With sensors deployed on the factory floor, service organisations can monitor vibration analysis of bearings and predict when machine parts will start to degrade, then schedule maintenance proactively.

Field service solutions should be able to find and collect patterns of data from past actions and use this information to create generic rules to highlight how processes and services can be improved in the future - delivering new insight into operational efficiency.

Mobile devices are now able to run intelligent diagnostics and capture potential problems. Based on the diagnostic output, the mobile device is able to recommend a maintenance plan and the various tasks needed to be performed, before the engineer gets on site. This technology is going one step further than just predicting when faults will occur, and will prescribe which action needs to be taken in order to fully maintain that asset.

Prescriptive maintenance will take into account budget, time and other constraints and provide an optimal order of actions and the work orders to fully maintain that equipment – all in a matter of seconds.

Third: Staying ahead of schedule

First-time fix rates are an important KPI for field service organisations, but recent Blumberg research shows that the industry average for first-time fixes was under 80%, meaning 20% of jobs require additional follow-ups. Inefficient scheduling results in a lower first time fix rate and longer time to final resolution, as unqualified engineers can be sent and the necessary equipment may be unavailable.

Although not a new technology, schedule optimisation is a foundation on which new technologies can thrive. By combining scheduling with data from IoT devices, the next generation of schedule optimisation tools go much further and help to forecast field service demand, SLAs and potential resource needs – all in real-time.

IoT-enabled sensors can trigger actions when an event changes, and automatically re-schedule jobs around this. This combination allows field service organisations to improve FTF, MTTS and MTTR by consistently scheduling the right engineer for the right job, at the right time.

When one hand washes the other

Take one recent example. A custodial services company - that uses IFS to optimise their field scheduling - is responsible for maintaining and replenishing washroom supplies for a large number of hospitals, restaurants, and other commercial facilities. The company has a sizeable contingent of mobile workers who provide delivery and replenishment services.

Much of the work is done on a planned basis, so delivery schedules are organised in advance to streamline operations. In addition, the optimisation software analyses all SLA obligations, geographic considerations and other relevant parameters to design service routes that minimise travel times and costs, and produce the highest possible productivity levels.

 

Since optimising its field scheduling software, the company has saved nearly $3 million in fuel costs alone – thanks to the optimal routes and planning the software generates and its integration with field workers' mobile devices.

Don't get left behind

These new technologies are going to bring serious benefits to field service organisations because they are so tightly integrated with delivering improved customer service and improved bottom lines.

In what is a dynamic and changing market - with tech-savvy customers demanding higher and higher levels of service - it is vital for organisations to be able to implement these cutting edge technologies.

The new breed of enterprise solutions takes away the risk

Traditional field service management solutions are simply too cumbersome and inflexible to enable field service organisations to reap the benefits. To quickly benefit from these latest advances, organisations need the backing of a new generation of flexible, agile enterprise solutions.

Traditional enterprise solutions can take months or years to simply implement, let alone adapt to an entirely new technology. The new breed of modular enterprise solutions are designed to remove the time and pain of modifying existing processes, and instead maximise the opportunities of new technology. These agile systems negate the need to fully customise legacy systems - a costly and timely process - and are enabling organisations to quickly adopt new technology, without the risk of losing out on a competitive edge.

These disruptive technologies and the digital transformation they require offer benefits that resonate throughout the whole service organisation - from the top-down. Strategic planners have real-time visibility to plan tasks and schedule the workforce in an industry with many unknown elements, from customer unpredictability to traffic, and even the weather.

 

This, in turn, directly empowers technicians, providing them with the right tools and information at their fingertips to better perform their job. But ultimately the most important stakeholder reaps the benefits - the customer receives the best possible level of service.

 

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Resource Type: Research report
Published by:  Field Service News and ServiceMax
Title: IoT, Servitization and Field Service (2016)

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Synopsis: 

In 2015 Field Service News and ServiceMax teamed up on a research report to look at the appetite for IoT as a mechanism for field service delivery, now one year on we return to the topic to see if the clear desire for IoT has translated into real-world application and ask just how key is IoT to the growing trend of servitization....

With responses from over 120 field service professionals, this exclusive independent research project undertaken byField Service News, in partnership with ServiceMax aimed to cut through the hyperbole and establish if IoT is truly set to become a standard tool within field service delivery.

In addition to this we focussed our research on the apparent symbiotic rise of IoT and Servitization to try to understand further just how closely these two important trends within the field service sector are linked and how emerging technology and strategy are intertwined...

Download this report to find out:

• Is the clear appetite for IoT in last year's research is translating into real-world implementations?
• What are the key reasons field service companies are adopting IoT?
• How important is IoT in the move to a servitized business?
• What are the key perceived barriers to adoption for IoT and can they be overcome?
• What is the recommended approach to IoT from those who have already adopted the technology?What cultural impact will IoT have amongst field service companies?

Overview: 

In 2015 Field Service News and leading FSM software provider ServiceMax teamed up on a research project to assess the appetite for IoT as a tool for improving field service delivery.

Now one year on we return to the topic to see if the clear desire for IoT based field service delivery has turned to reality and if so what impact is it having on the growing trend towards servitization as a business model...

When we looked at the potential of IoT in field service last year we were confronted by what can only be called a genuine phenomenon beginning to emerge. One that could potentially change the way companies approach field service delivery entirely.

Indeed, whilst field service technology has been evolving at great pace across the last decade, much of the developments that have arrived - such as enhancements in artificial intelligence driving ever more sophisticated scheduling engines or mobility tools enhancing field service technicians workflows and eliminating unnecessary paper based administration, have been focussed on improving efficiencies and boosting productivity.

 

IoT on the other hand has the potential to completely revolutionise the processes and methodologies of field service delivery, and in doing so shift the service model into a new paradigm where contracts involving tightly adhered to SLAs are replaced by guarantees of uptime.

In this brave new world of servitization, service is no longer the supporting player there just to add value to a product. Instead, the product is now the facilitator for companies to deliver advanced services.

And this is largely made possible by the IoT giving us the ability to monitor assets in the field and react to fluctuations outside of accepted working parameters, delivering proactive maintenance to ensure that the asset continues to deliver its set outcome.

The benefits of such an approach are a more consistent and reliable solution for the customer and a more profitable business which is closer engrained to customers for the service provider - a win-win if ever there was one.

But whilst the theory may sound great, how is this translating into reality?

This is what this year’s survey set out to understand. Building upon last year’s research project which was predominantly focussed solely on IoT this time we have widened our focus somewhat to understand not just if companies are now actively adopting IoT, but what is their motivation for doing so and just how closely is that

Further reading within the research report: 

• Overview of previous studies
• Year on year trends that have emerged
• Other technologies being employed by field service companies
• The cultural impact of IoT
• Servitization as a key driver for IoT adoption
• Best practice for IoT implementation
• Expert insight from Athani Krishna and Davw Hart, ServiceMax

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At its annual business conference, Telogis, A Verizon Company, announced that it is partnering with John Deere to enable construction companies to derive key data and insights from their connected John Deere equipment to help drive cost savings, efficiency and productivity.

Through this alliance, Telogis and John Deere will enable existing and future mutual customers to leverage John Deere construction equipment's built-in connectivity. Customers will benefit from access to a richer data set that will help to eliminate manual data entry and generate deeper insights into customers' operations.

Customers also benefit from the ability to connect back into JD Link™ to order parts and service or contact local John Deere dealers for questions, appointments and equipment troubleshooting. They will also receive more accurate equipment maintenance records that can help lead to better uptime and lower total cost of ownership.

Customers can also take advantage of the Telogis Mobile Resource Management (MRM) software platform's comprehensive feature set, such as jobsite utilisation alerting and reporting that features engine hours, whether equipment is being fully utilised, fuel consumption and details on diagnostic codes. Customers' cost structures are also optimised by leveraging the John Deere telematics devices that come built into the equipment from the factory or installed aftermarket at an authorised dealer.

 

"Telogis' successful track record working with both off highway and on highway customers gave us great confidence that this is the right strategic relationship to bring these mission-critical technologies and services to our customers," said Jena Holtberg-Benge, Director Worksight Solutions at John Deere.

"By working in tandem with Telogis, we're giving businesses the ability to run their entire mobile equipment business on one comprehensive software platform with one login for all their vehicles and equipment – whether it's John Deere or a mixed fleet."

"Equipment – not just vehicles – represent an enormous investment for mobile businesses, and it's more important than ever to ensure that equipment is running safely, and that it's out there earning money and delivering value and ROI every day," said Jeff Cohen, Vice President, Asset and Security Solutions at Telogis, A Verizon Company.

"By understanding how the equipment is being used, how many hours it's running and where there are opportunities to maximise uptime and utilisation, customers can identify opportunities to drive cost and time savings, plus productivity and efficiency in every aspect of their mobile businesses."

The offering will be available to organisations of any size through connected John Deere equipment or through authorised dealers through the end of 2016, and each new piece of equipment will have access to both JDLink and Telogis.

 

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In 2015 Field Service News and leading FSM software provider ServiceMax teamed up on a research project to assess the appetite for IoT as a tool for improving field service delivery.

One year on we followed up with a fresh research project into the area to see what trends have emerged and now in a four part series we bring you the findings of this latest research. In part One of this series we explored the headline findings of this year’s research against the context of the previous year’s results. 

In part two we dug deeper into the study to explore what additional technologies are sitting amongst companies either planning to, or actively using IoT as a tool for field service delivery as well as what the cultural impacts of implementing IoT are and whether these are being considered by organisations.

In part three of this exclusive series we looked at the impact of servitization as a key driver for the adoption of IoT.

Now in the final part of this series we look at best practice for IoT implementation and some concluding thoughts on the research findings as well as hearing expert views on this research from Athani Krishna, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer and Dave Hart, Senior Vice President, Customer Success, ServiceMax...

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Best practice for IoT implementation:

Finally, let’s look at what we can learn from the group of respondents who have either actually already undertaken an implementation of an IoT solution as part of their field service management operations, or were currently actively in the process of doing so.

We asked respondents in this group to identify which steps they would take and in what order to make an IoT implementation as simple as possible whilst avoiding any common pitfalls.

The general consensus led to the following best practice steps:

• Research the concept - including attending trade-shows, reading relevant trade journals such as field service news etc
• Developing a business plan for how your service division will operate once IoT is implemented
• Identify relevant providers
• Seek professional advice (from either solution providers or consultants)
• Gain backing for the project from the executive board
• Select a solution provider
• Establish new business processes and role these out internally
• Connect assets in the field

What is particularly interesting about this set of findings is that the collected wisdom of those who have either gone through or are currently going through the implementation process is that there is a lot of work devising strategy and a sensible roadmap ahead of actually connecting assets out in the field.

Conclusions:

For those companies still not considering IoT there are some clear warnings here.

The general consensus is that those companies that fail to adopt IoT and adapt to a more proactive means of working are at risk of falling behind.

Indeed, even procrastination could be a risky game to play when we consider that there is a long suggested process in terms of best-practice implementations of which connecting assets (which could in itself be a considerable task depending on the size of your install base) sits right at the end of the road map.

And with 78% of field service professionals believing there will be significant competitive gains for those companies who become early adopters of IoT as a field service tool, with increased efficiency, customer satisfaction and profits being the three most anticipated benefits (each are expected by over 75% of respondents with 98% of respondents expecting increased efficiency) the rewards certainly appear to be widely accepted as both tangible and genuine.

 

IoT seems like a clear destination for field service operations. It seems it is now just a matter of who can get there first.

Expert View: Athani Krishna, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, ServiceMax

The Internet of Things as a concept is nothing new. I’d wager most people have been familiar with the novel applications of IoT since Cisco started championing the “Internet of Everything” ads several years ago. Nowadays, IoT is infusing itself into just about anything, from oil rigs and proton therapy machines to municipal trash cans and elevators.

But novelties aside, we’ve had a front-row seat to where IoT is truly proving its value – field service. And in this survey gauging the IoT appetite among largely UK-based manufacturing leaders, we’re seeing clear hunger.

It makes perfect sense – in a world where manufacturers face stagnant product-centric margins and pressures to grow their businesses, service is the natural next place to look. But we’re not talking about selling mere warranties and service plans – the stuff of yesterday. We’re talking about investing in IoT to remotely diagnose machine issues, guarantee uptimes and move to an outcomes-based selling model. That gives manufacturers more predictability in revenues and customers predictability in uptime of equipment.

This isn’t a future dream. Our customers such as Elekta, McKinley Equipment and Medivators have all demonstrated real business results using our Connected Field Service solution to unlock new revenue streams and improve customer satisfaction. These companies are moving their service operations from a reactive scenario, where technicians are dispatched once a customer calls, to one where the customer never even needs to call.

 

But what’s interesting is that while connectivity is the greatest benefit, it’s also one of the greatest hurdles. For companies, opening up systems for a connection to equipment vendors can pose security challenges. Networking & IoT technology companies understand these hurdles very well, and are working to make security better everyday. For this new reality of outcome-based services model to proliferate, companies need to understand that this is all a partnership.

As technology gets better, and early adopters embrace this new business model, I do expect this increasingly become industry standard – companies won’t see customers & vendors anymore; they will only see partners.

Expert View: Dave Hart, Senior Vice President, Customer Success, ServiceMax

Moving from a product-focused business to a service-centric operation can unlock growth potential like never before. But getting there indeed requires a cultural shift.

Just about half of those surveyed here admit that servitization - that is, delivering a service component as an added value when providing products – will have a disruptive influence on company culture. Now, understand there’s a spectrum when evolving service. Sometimes it’s limited to selling more warranties and contracts; that’s less what we’re talking about. What we’re talking about is leveraging IoT to get to an outcomes-based service model; indeed many of our customers have taken this approach or are starting to do. That’s where things get more complex.

From where I stand, having spent nearly three decades as both a field service technician as well as a service leader, the cultural impacts of infusing IoT are real and they are significant – and it’s likely, according to this survey, the impact will be greater than expected.

Think about it: an outcomes-based service model affects the finance team in the sense they need to plan for recurring revenue streams versus the days of on-premises software sold as a hard good once. Marketing and sales teams need to shift their focus from pitching product to selling the idea of service. Field service engineers themselves now can work with R&D teams more intimately to share specs on how products are performing – or not – in the field. And with IoT-laced infrastructures, it obviously has huge implications for IT departments as well.

 

All of this means the C-suite must be intimately involved in an outcomes-based approach. Migrating to this business model equates to effectively turning the organisation on its head, and that is a very difficult exercise that needs a holistic approach from the top.

Our customer IBA, which manufacturers proton therapy machines for cancer treatments, has noted it doesn’t necessarily expect its field engineers to become R&D professionals but that it envisions a reality where on-site technicians efficiently share product performance knowledge with those teams. That will require a shift in thinking and process.

At the end of the day, too, managers, directors and VP’s need to consult those actually performing the services – the field technicians. Thankfully, 80 percent of those surveyed said they are already consulting with their service engineers with regards to this transition. That’s a good first step.

Servitization is not necessarily and easy plug-and-play journey. Change is hard, but taking the right steps to align prior to implementation will save hurt down the road.

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In his role co-ordinating Field Service Conferences on both sides of the Atlantic Jonathan Massoud , Divisional Director , WBR is quite uniquely placed to see the differences between how things are done differently on both sides of the pond. Here he gives us his view on why things , fundamentally aren’t actually too different at all....

 

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2016 has proven to be a groundbreaking year for Field Service.

Manufacturers have continued to implement features from industry 4.0 on their business activities as services like cloud computing, and the internet of things (IoT) have revolutionized how companies manage their workforce in the field. In making certain service processes easier, like troubleshooting or diagnosing a repair – service teams have gotten closer to the customer than ever before.

The success of these programs also play a huge part in managing customer satisfaction and retention which are key revenue drivers for many companies. Especially since customers often choose a product based on the level of service they receive instead of less distinguishable aspects of the products themselves.

In response to a vocal, growing consumer base, manufacturers have started to design innovative product and service solutions that address customer needs. With that said, it’s hard to address specific customer concerns as the level and degree of service has to be of a high, consistent quality across the board. European executives are focusing on many of the same initiatives as their North American counterparts – starting the create service oriented, customer facing products and services that augment revenue.

However, their challenges can be a bit different as they work with logistical and cultural issues.

In Europe, it’s already difficult to move parts, people and services across countries quickly and efficiently, it’s even harder to do so while understanding nuanced cultural differences. Even so, there is tremendous opportunity for revenue growth within companies that take the time to prioritise service.

Over the past several years, we’ve actually seen success with the positive relationship between customer satisfaction profitability. The more your customers enjoy and trust the service your provide – the more willing they are to continually buy your products in the future (and also share their positive experience with their peers).

Can smarter service drive revenue and customer satisfaction?

Going beyond 2016, proactive and predictive service will have a large impact on increasing customer satisfaction.

With benefits like an increased first time fix rate, fewer technician visits & truck rolls customers will have higher satisfaction (which results in lower general operating costs for the manufacturer). These will ultimately come to head with the introduction of an enhanced remote monitoring platform.

However, larger challenges like customer push-back and huge start-up costs serve as a red flag for manufacturers. With the general adaptation of industry 4.0 and the IoT – European government will use their high tech strategies to incentivise innovation to create smarter services, smarter factories and smarter products which lead to happier customers.

How do you monitor quality control across European boarders? To ensure a consistent level of service in Europe, many companies have started to provide tiered levels of service based on the specific needs and expectation of their customers. This gives manufacturers the ability to have flexible service on an as needed basis.

However, this presents an interesting problem for European companies as customer expectations drastically differ from country to country.

An Italian customer might be willing to wait five days for a part, while a Finnish customer would be ready to fill out a complaint form after five hours.

Ensuring that service remains consistently great in each country is an important focus point for service executives.

Who is the technician of the future?

Technicians are the public face of your brand, the person who has the most face time with customers and therefore the biggest opportunity to make a difference. A common term used for field technicians is “trusted advisor” and because of this status, they’re often a big driver in customer satisfaction.

So how can service companies make their technicians more effective? What does the ideal technician of the future look like?

Tomorrow’s technician needs to be customer-ready.

Often-times, the technical skills that make someone a superior engineer don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand with customer-facing soft skills (handling a distraught customer for example).

Lastly, tomorrow’s technician needs to be ready for next generation technology. They must be armed with tools containing the latest communication-ready advanced diagnostic capabilities, open to the idea of wearables and augmented reality, and ready to work on machines equipped with IoT technology.

What are the services that customers really value?

Managing the shift to on-demand service solutions Significant changes in customer behaviour have affected the makeup of the service industry over the past few years.

Rather than buying a particular product or piece of equipment, customers are looking for business outcomes and solutions. There’s been a significant shift towards value proposition in service: how do you create value from the things you’ve done in the past?

What do customers truly value and are they willing to pay for it? With the increased usage of on-demand solutions – customer expectations have grown to a new level.

However, for those pro-active companies that are actively seeking to meet these demands by embracing not only the latest technology to help drive their service efficiency and customer engagement levels, but are also embracing the notion of service as a fundamental business driver, there is a wealth of profitable and loyal business to be won out there in this new enterprise landscape of the early twenty first century.

The big question is are you as an organisation ready to take such a service oriented approach.

Having been part of our field service conferences both in the US and in Europe I’ve spoken with a lot of service directors from both sides of the fence - those who are running at full steam towards a more advanced services model and those who are perhaps lingering towards the back a bit more waiting to see how things pan out for those early adopters.

Whilst there is no shame in a cautious approach it is also important not to be the last company to adapt in your sector - no matter how large you are as you might find yourself facing your very own ‘Kodak moment’.

Getting ideas and insight from your peers is a great way of benchmarking what is actually happening in the industry compared to the hyperbole that can surround any given technology or business trend and I guess it’s that one on one peer interaction, that sense of community that has been a fundamental part of why our conferences continue to grow on both sides of  the Atlantic.

 

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IFS Labs unveiled a live demonstration of an innovative project using drone technology in combination with IoT designed to drive digital transformation at their recent World Conference held in Gothenberg last week... 

Designed and realised by IFS Labs, the company’s in-house think tank, the drone proof-of-concept featured live integration between the drone and IFS Applications for automatic generation of work orders when inspecting assets.

Using computer image analysis, the drone can recognize a break in a power line and automatically generate an observation that is registered in IFS Applications via the IFS IoT Business Connector. The end user can analyze 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.

 

“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. “There is enormous potential in drone technology and by presenting this proof-of-concept, we have demonstrated that IFS is ready to help companies not only conceptualise but importantly derive value from new innovations so they can digitally transform their businesses.”

Also presented in the Innovation Area of IFS World Conference 2016 are innovative business applications leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality, wearable technology, beacon technology, and 3D printing.

IFS Labs is inspired by consumer technologies and innovative solutions in a range of industries, and applies these to IFS’s enterprise solutions. IFS Labs proves concepts today that customers will ask for tomorrow to make their everyday work more productive, efficient and inspiring.

Read more about IFS Labs’ past and current projects here: www.ifsworld.com/corp/solutions/ifs-applications/ifs-labs/

 

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IFS announced yesterday the launch of IFS IoT Business Connector, a new product that is designed to shorten the time from ideas to tangible benefits for customers’ IoT initiatives by providing an end-to-end architecture and the ability to turn IoT discoveries into actions.

The product which was first announced yesterday during CEO Alastair Sorbie's  keynote and demonstrated this morning by Dan Matthews, CTO IFS at the IFS World Conference 2016 currently running in Gothenburg, Sweden.

IFS IoT Business Connector has been 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 user-defined, automated or semi-automated workflows in the IFS enterprise software. IFS IoT Business Connector provides plug-and-play connectivity with the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite for device communications and data analytics, alongside open APIs to connect other IoT platforms or specialized IoT discovery applications.

IFS IoT Business Connector bridges the gap between analysis of IoT data and using the output from such analyses to execute maintenance, service, and manufacturing more efficiently. It adds the ability to turn an investment in IoT connectivity and data analytics into savings through process efficiencies, and into new revenues through service innovation.

The key components of IFS IoT Business Connector are:

• IFS IoT Controller, determining what actions to take when IoT data analysis reveals observations relevant to the business. It also handles a range of practical issues that occur when mapping operational technology (OT) into IT and business applications.
•  IFS IoT Gateway, enabling secure communications between the cloud-based discovery and analytics of IoT data, to the on-premise or cloud-based IFS products.
• IFS IoT Discovery Manager, providing additional management and monitoring capabilities when using the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite as the discovery platform.

The IFS IoT Business Connector is currently being implemented at early adopter customers Songa Offshore, an international midwater 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.

“We decided to join the early adopter program because we understood the enormous impact that IoT technology can have on our business,” 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.”

Anticimex CEO Jarl Dahlfors said, “The IFS IoT Business Connector allows us to take control of the data generated by our range of digital pest control devices, improving both the service to our customers as well as providing them with the information they need.”

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 realized value.”

The IFS IoT Business Connector will be released to market in early 2017. Find out more: www.ifsworld.com/iot.

 

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