In our recent webinar run in partnership with ServiceMax, we explored two of the biggest topics in field service in 2015.
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May 28, 2015 • video • Features • AGeing Workforce • MIllennials • resources • WEbianrs • Webinars • IoT • servicemax
In our recent webinar run in partnership with ServiceMax, we explored two of the biggest topics in field service in 2015.
Firstly Nick Frank, Principal of Frank Partners explored how field service companies can harness the potential of IoT.
Whilst many of us may have heard the examples of the likes of Rolls Royce, General Electric or Alstom being held up as key case studies of how IoT can improve the way field service operates, Frank was able to bring us some really interesting examples of smaller companies harnessing the technology to improve their workflow busting the myth that such an approach is the sole domain of the blue chip international companies.
Our second speaker, Patrice Eberline, Vice President of Global Customer Transformation for ServiceMax looked at perhaps the greatest challenge field service companies have faced in decades. The threat of an ageing workforce.
However, as Eberline explained whilst there is undoubtedly a potential crisis looming, there is also an excellent opportunity. Whilst the baby boomer generation is preparing to walk out of the door, ma new generation, the millennials, are potentially a perfect fit for field service. In her presentation Eberline outlined exactly what traits millennials have that makes them so suitable for field service and what we need to do attract them to work for our companies and to field service in general.
Click here to download the webinar now!
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May 26, 2015 • Features • MIllennials • Recruitment • servicepower • Software and Apps
Field service organisations face increasing competition, declining margin and high customer expectations. But, they also are challenged by new technologies, such as social, mobile, cloud, analytics, IoT and M2M, and wearables. Each new technology...
Field service organisations face increasing competition, declining margin and high customer expectations. But, they also are challenged by new technologies, such as social, mobile, cloud, analytics, IoT and M2M, and wearables. Each new technology has potential to revolutionise field service just as field mobility technology did several years ago. Marne Martin, CEO of ServicePower looks at why technology is just one ingredient in field service excellence..
ServicePower is spending much time and effort in innovating our field service management software. We are working hard to be innovative and stay ahead of the latest technologies such that our customers have the best in class FSM solution today, but are also positioned to take advantage of new advances as they hit the market. We are completely mobilising the field service call, enabling the field based tech to complete all onsite processes in one trip. We’re incorporating social collaboration to ensure that the tech has access to materials and expert assistance from the office to get the job finished. We’re partnering with one of the world’s leading research institutions, the University of Manchester, to further improve our scheduling algorithms.
We cannot dismiss perhaps the most important element in the delivery of field based services: the field technician.
However, we cannot dismiss perhaps the most important element in the delivery of field based services: the field technician.
How does the emerging workforce, which is young, technically savvy and collaborative, affect your ability to provide exceptional field service? Let’s look at the following important issues regarding the technicians in your workforce.
Recruitment
One of the top challenges field service organisations face right now is the retiring workforce. However, according to Aberdeen more than half of field service organisations wait until there is an opening to fill to recruit a new technician, rather than doing so proactively. While it’s important to find a great technician with the skills required to perform the services offered by the organisation, it’s just as important to also understand the needs and motivations of its young (averaging 32 years old), technically savvy recruits, and do so prior to needing to fill a position. To that end, it’s also important to identify what will ensure the highest retention rates with the new workforce.
Technology Adoption
With the young, and we’re really talking about Millennials, which in 2015 are projected to surpass the Baby Boom generation as the largest living generation, comes adoption of more and more consumer oriented technologies. Aberdeen says that 62% of best-in-class field service organisations are incorporating some level of BYOD strategy. That’s happening because these young recruits are helping to speed the transition due to high adoption rates of mobile, connected technologies for personal use. As a matter of fact, in America, 2 of every 5 households only have wireless telephones. Technology is changing our personal and professional lives.
Service Evolution
The newest generation of young, tech savvy and collaborative field service technicians grew up with computers and social networks, text, email and chat. It’s how they communicate.
For the customer, further downtime and inconvenience are eliminated. For the field service organisation, costs are minimised, customer satisfaction and brand loyalty are improved.
For the customer, further downtime and inconvenience are eliminated. For the field service organisation, costs are minimised, customer satisfaction and brand loyalty are improved.
Strategy
Field technicians are your face to the customer. They are often the only point of contact a customer has with your organisation post sale. So, how do we find the best and brightest field technicians, and keep them?
- Proactively identify what your customers want.
- The Boomers are retiring. Proactively identify how to attract Millennials to your organisation.
- Identify how to keep workers engaged with your field service operation
- Train them effectively
- Offer and support utilisation new technologies such as wearables, which contribute to their success.
- Provide access to the tools, information and experts to make them heroes to your customers
- Support social communications
- Document how and when to use it for company purposes. A 140 character Tweet can be a huge PR success or a nightmare for your operation
- Encourage adoption of new technologies like route optimization, IoT and M2M and video. The business value of these tools empowers the field technician to create happy customers and make their own day a success![/unordered_list]
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May 19, 2015 • Features • Management • MIllennials • Patrice Eberline • Recruitment • servicemax
In our recent series of articles we have asked if recruitment is going to be field services greatest challenge and explored why despite a negative press millennials are in fact a natural fit for field service.
In our recent series of articles we have asked if recruitment is going to be field services greatest challenge and explored why despite a negative press millennials are in fact a natural fit for field service.
The reason for this series is to introduce some of the themes ahead of our next webinar which is being held tomorrow at 4pm GMT. You can register for this webinar by clicking this link.
In the final part of this series we look at how we can attract millennials to our organisation.
“Gone are the days of where a company’s participation in regional hiring events or advertising in a paper or even a website is going to bring in a throng of great candidates.” Comments ServiceMax’s Patrice Eberline.
“This generation has different hot buttons and therefore requires different bait to entice them to your company.”
Eberline is a firm believer in having to understand the mindset of millennials and restructuring our approach towards recruitment if we are to attract the best-of-the-best to our companies.
“In order to attract this generation we need to support the notion that recruiting is a two way street. In addition to screening for skills and fits we need to pay attention to supporting their hot buttons also” She explains.
In our forthcoming webinar Eberline will outline seven of these hot buttons which consist of:
Company Values Mission and purpose.
“At every opportunity underscore your companies higher purpose so they can pull context from social media.” She states
“The values, the mission, the benefits of a company should not be ignored in the recruiting process. Remember that these candidates have an unlimited amount of information and access to that information via the web. They will likely come to an interview with a great deal more knowledge than you might expect.”
The social media presence of your brand.
“Social is where they live we can’t ignore it.” Says Eberline “Use this as an outlet to educate candidates, to pull candidates in, to outline your values, just reach out because they will in turn be reaching out. This is the generation that makes that fan base weak or strong through social and it’s not afraid of liking or unliking so this does play a part in recruiting.”
Work life balance
“Something very important for millennials but it does not necessarily mean they are looking for an easy ride.” She insists
“On the contrary millennials are going to work very, very hard for you. That energy they bring is incredible but they are going to respect your respect for work life balance so don’t forget to include that in the conversation. “
Mentorship and training
“Mentorship and training is huge for millennials who really value face time.” Explains Eberline
“Now this may give us some unique challenges as many in field service are managing remote teams. However, if we put a TM at the end of FaceTime it becomes the app. Bring technology in to the mix to enable one to one time ads millennials value learning from others.”
Teamwork and shared goals
“Setting up situations and setting up role expectations that support their collaborative nature that shouldn’t be ignored.” Eberline comments
“Being able to encourage collaboration is something that will bring this generation to you and keep them with you longer.
Variety of experience and growth potential
“Variety is the spice of life.” She adds “They want to experience it all and they want to experience it as much as possible in their work world as much as in their private life. “
Social responsibility
“Millennials gravitate to companies with a strong social responsibility.” Eberline explains “So if your company has that outreach, if it has that as part of its company values then highlight it.”
To hear more from Eberline as well as an additional feature from Nick Frank looking at monetizing IoT in field service click here to register now.
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May 15, 2015 • Features • Management • AGeing Workforce • MIllennials • resources • servicemax
Featuring exclusive sessions from both Nick Frank who will be looking at how we can harness IoT in field service and Patrice Eberline of ServiceMax who will be sharing her insight into the challenges of an ageing workforce and how we replace this talent with a Millennial generation of workers this webinar promises to be a valuable event for field service professionals looking to the future.
In the first part of this series that looks ahead to the webinar and gives us some insight into what we can expect from the sessions we explored the dangers field service companies are facing when it comes to an ageing workforce and the potential knowledge leak that we could face as our accomplished and experienced field service technicians begin to edge closer to retirement age.
Now in this the second part of the feature we take a closer look at the generation that will be replacing them and try to understand just what it is about the so-called millennials that makes them tick and why they could just be a perfect fit with the field service industries.
There are a lot of traits that define millennials, and despite the sometimes negative perception of them, Time Magazine famously running a cover defining them as the Me, Me , Me generation for example, actually many of these traits are highly positive.
As Eberline exlpains there are perhaps three key traits that truly apply to both the modern workplace and more pertinantly modern field service as we march forward from 2015 and beyond
“The first trait is that they love technology.” Eberline asserts. “In fact Millenials have grown up with technology so much that most only have a cell phone, no landline at all. They have also fully embraced social media as a truly integrated part of their lives”
Indeed there are many statistics which certainly back up this assertion.
52% of Millenials have over 500 facebook friends, whilst 91% make all of the check-ins that you see whether it be going to a concert, a restaurant or applying to a job public to there network.
“This is an expansive group that loves technology” Eberline continues “Beyond this, this is a group that has access to millions of pieces of digital content and they are consuming this content eagerly on both tablets and phones. Google is where they live” she adds
“What is truly important to consider” Eberline comments “is that they tend to believe that technology can be the key that brings people and society together”
If we consider the fact that in just five years, not a particularly long way away at all in fact, millenials will comprise of 50% of the workforce. So it is truly imperative that we really begin to understand their way of thinking, and we start to do so now.
Without doing so, we may really struggle when it comes to adapting what is one of the biggest generational shifts in work force personel for many, many decades.
And it is not just a matter of the technology this generation are born seemingly ready to use. The second key trait Eberline identifies is that the millennial generation have a “truly boundless energy and they genuinely want to make a visible impact on everything around them, be it their work, their community and even on society in general.”
“This is a confident group” Eberline states “They’ve been reared in a world where they’ve been given constant attention and support”
Indeed millennials are shown to place a higher priority on helping people in need than on high paying job roles.
Millennials are much more likely than any previous generation to state making a contribution to society is very important to them.
Again as we return to their potential role within the field service industries this could be another highly important factor to consider.
The third trait that Eberline highlights is that millennials are highly collaborative and creative creatures by default.
“They truly do live in a world of We rather than a world of Me” Eberline expands “and because of that they crave a life of rich experiences based on relationships rather than leverage. They value the creativity and they value the feedback they get for bringing that creativity to the workplace.”
With these three traits it is relatively easy to build a compelling case for millennials to be a perfect profile of candidate for the field service industries.
As Eberline explains “If you think about these three traits technology, impact in society and creativity millennials are a very, very good fit for field service if they are cultivated, coached and developed appropriately.
So as fears of losing both talent and knowledge loom largely on the field service horizon it appears that whilst our young knights in shining armour may be more likely to brandish a smartphone than a spanner. And whilst they may not have all of the answers it’s not a problem – theres almost certainly an app for that.
Look out for the next part of this series where we look at how we can attract this new workforce of millennials to the field service industries.
Want to know more? Join Patrcie Eberline and hear her presentation on millennials in field service PLUS Nick Frank’s session on how we can harness IoT in field service for our next webinar on the 20th May @4pm BST. You can register for the webinar by clicking this link.
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