ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘mark-brewer’ CATEGORY

In the Big Discussion we take one topic, bring together three leading experts on that topic and put four key questions to them across four weeks to help us better understand its potential impact on the field service sector...

This time around we turn to a brand new topic which is the Internet of Things and our experts are Paul Whitelam, ClickSoftware, Mark Homer, ServiceMax from GE Digital and Mark Brewer, IFS...

The first question of this topic was "Just how big is the potential impact of IoT on Field Service?" 

And onto this week's question...

 

---

 

Question Two: Is IoT now making the shift from early adoption to mass adoption amongst field service companies?

Although IoT in field service is still relatively new, early adopters like manufacturers of capital equipment are approaching greater maturity. They’re leapfrogging other industries in terms of first-time fix rates and overall operational efficiency.

Other industries are beginning to recognise the potential benefits, and we’re seeing conversations around IoT shift from wide-eyed wonder to practical next steps. Utility and telecommunications providers are well positioned to benefit by making the infrastructure they maintain smarter and better connected. Consumer-facing organisations can better empower customers to participate in diagnosing and repairing problems.

The Smart Meter initiative in the UK is a perfect example where mass adoption by consumers will force manufacturers to advance. A couple years ago IoT in service was largely seen as tomorrow’s problem.

Today service providers are eager to take the next step.

 

---

 

IoT hasn’t reached mass adoption in any market just yet, but certainly field service is seen as the ‘killer app’ for businesses. And it’s making fast progress.

Senior management are realising that service is the hidden gem within their organisations, largely due to the untapped potential of the Industrial Internet, and it’s something we’re seeing in our own global customer base.

Fuelled by the shift to outcome-based service models, shrinking product margins, and globalisation, and the Industrial Internet, industry watchers have been predicting that service revenue will eventually eclipse product revenue. Smart, connected, optimised equipment assets are accelerating that shift.

As companies begin to properly monetise service with sensors at the edge, they have the opportunity to increase service revenues and margins further, providing an effective hedge in a downturn economy.

That’s why we’re seeing greater adoption and acceleration in this space.

 

---

 

Yes. The concept of IoT and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) isn’t a new one.

It has been around for more than 20 years. But now, thanks to advances in technology and digital transformation, it is at the forefront of business opportunity. There are many field service sectors that have already been working with sensors and IoT technology for a few years now, such as the medical industry (like the IFS customer Sysmex).

Over the next five years we will no doubt see the number of IoT implementations rise among field service organisations as the industry becomes regulated and more best-practice cases are publicised.

 

---

 

Next weeks question: What are the challenges of implementing an IoT strategy within field service operation?

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature

In the Big Discussion we take one topic, bring together three leading experts on that topic and put four key questions to them across four weeks to help us better understand its potential impact on the field service sector...

This time around we turn to a brand new topic which is the Internet of Things and our experts are Paul Whitelam, ClickSoftware, Mark Homer, ServiceMax from GE Digital and Mark Brewer, IFS...

And so onto the first question on the topic...

 

---

 

Question One: Just how big is the potential impact of IoT on Field Service?

The Internet of Things is already transforming field service. Service has traditionally been a reactive practice. Something breaks, a technician is dispatched to fix it, and sometimes the repair is successful the first time. IoT enabled devices provide ongoing visibility into the status of a piece of equipment, as well as a richer view of the severity and source of any issues, and the ability to make predictions based on this information.

The service organisation no longer waits for a panicked phone call from a customer. They can proactively maintain equipment, replace components before they break, and use an understanding of asset lifecycle and usage patterns to inform future product design.

Customers increasingly expect to pay for uptime instead of equipment, and define SLAs based on their business targets. Eventually, all service organisations will have to live up the expectation of seamless  service and minimised  disruptions.

 

---

 

The potential of IoT – and more importantly IIoT (the Industrial Internet of Things) – is immense. So much so, that it’s making service a game changer, fundamentally changing how we optimise equipment and capital assets, and predict their maintenance and service requirements.

By harvesting and applying intelligence that previously would have been impossible to obtain, companies are seeing a major step change this area - that’s why more forward thinking companies are combining IoT-enabled field service management with asset performance management.

This is emerging as the real disruptor because for the first time, customers have meaningful performance and service intelligence at their fingertips to understand potential equipment issues, and pre-empt them or act upon them quickly and efficiently with the correct tools and parts.

It’s important to remember that prescription is equally as valuable as prediction - prescription to make adjustments or refine parameters to improve productivity or throughout, or keep something running to the next planned service outage. That’s one of the things that makes the Industrial Internet so powerful – you can do load balancing, and share the flow and volume across multiple appliances or machines using condition-based monitoring to switch machines in high volume usage areas when required.

 

---

 

IoT has huge potential to transform field service organisations. The concept and technologies allows organisations to take data collected from remote sites and equipment to:

Gain better insights into the usage of equipment.

This will help determine when to perform optimal service. Rather than send technicians to sites on a schedule, you can send them only when you need to. For example, say you service a solar park. One of the main things that can lead to damage solar modules is wind. By remotely tracking the wind speeds, you can better estimate when to perform service.

Run a leaner service organisation.

One challenge service organisations encounter is that they’re reactive in nature. They respond to equipment failing. And without real-time information of equipment, when the equipment fails is unpredictable. This requires the organisations to maintain a fair amount of slack. Both within the inventory they manage, and the people that they’re made up of. Knowing when equipment will likely need service or when it will reach its end of life allows you to better plan.

Improve the competitiveness of your service offerings.

IoT, combined with machine learning, allows you to address problems before they occur. This results in higher availability of your equipment and lower service costs. You can pass this to your customers by improving your service terms and conditions. Higher SLA targets and compliance delivered at lower cost is a win-win all around.

 

---

 

Next weeks question: Is IoT now making the shift from early adoption to mass adoption amongst field service companies?

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature

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.

Find new ways to engage like a customer app or a loyalty reward programme. Incentify your prospects using gamification practices, enticing them to interact with your brand through a mobile game offering or discount site. Make booking a service as easy as possible with options like scheduling via Facebook, etc. According to Bain & Company, it costs 500% more to acquire new customers than it does to keep current ones, and the cost of bringing a new customer up to the same level of profitability as an old one is up to 16x more expensive.

 

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.

They want information at every stage of the service lifecycle, faster resolution times, more in-depth information about parts and processes and reviews to prove you’re trustworthy. Provide customers with a constant information stream from appointment to service to invoice with a robust field service management solution.

 

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.

Customers expect field service organisations to know where their field techs are at all times and be able to report arrival times, traffic delays, and more. On-site, they expect field technicians to have the materials and expertise to accomplish tasks on the first visit. Enabling your workforce with a mobilised field service solution ensures success.

 

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?

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature

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.

The potential is limitless and the changing market cannot be overlooked. In a 2016 research report by Markets and Markets, 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.

In the traditional make and sell model, you design a product, engineer it, procure materials, manufacture the end product, market and sell it to customers and then optionally provide aftersales support.

 

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.

How do field service organisations prepare for what’s next in the industry while ensuring continued success?

 

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.

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature

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

 

---

 

Be social and share this feature