BSO, the leading global telecoms operator powering the digital age, today announced the enhancement of its Singapore network to enable seamless performance for its customers.
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Jan 11, 2021 • News • Digital Transformation • APAC • Superloop • BSO
BSO, the leading global telecoms operator powering the digital age, today announced the enhancement of its Singapore network to enable seamless performance for its customers.
BSO has partnered with Australia-based network provider Superloop to provide the underlying fibre optic infrastructure to support new ultra-high capacity DWDM across an initial four Singapore major hubs located at Equinix SG1, Equinix SG2, Global Switch 1, and Singapore SGX. BSO now seamlessly delivers up to 100G client connectivity for its OTN, low latency and SDN product range within the metro and meshed to its high-availability global backbone.
BSO HAS UPGRADED ITS SINGAPORE NETWORK TO PROVIDE INCREASED PERFORMANCE TO ITS CUSTOMERS
“As bandwidth demands continue to grow, we are constantly scaling our capacity. The latest enhancements to our network are yet another example of how serious we are about providing businesses in Singapore with faster and more reliable connectivity,” said Stephen Wilcox, Chief Product Officer of BSO. “We are pleased to partner with Superloop and to benefit from their extensive expertise in fibre deployment”.
BSO has been passionately investing and increasing its offering on the very busy Asia-Pacific (APAC) market. Singapore, specifically, is undeniably a major global telecommunications hub with highly developed connectivity and a very progressive regulatory environment. With this newly enabled DWDM/OTN service and the upgrades to its low Latency and SDN global products, BSO offers a world-leading, resilient and scalable solution for companies with growing bandwidth requirements or requiring bespoke solutions over this cutting-edge, high-capacity network, whether within the Singapore metro area or to BSO’s global network spanning 250+ nodes in 30+ countries.
“We are very excited about further building our relationship with BSO and very grateful for the trust that they have placed in us to supply and run their backbone in the incredibly important market of Singapore,” said Paul Tyler, Superloop CEO. “This collaboration helps provide BSOs customers with the confidence that their security, latency and bandwidth requirements are future proofed.”
This partnership with Superloop is the result of growing demand in the region for high-quality local access and high- speed international connectivity.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Find out more more about BSO @ www.bsonetwork.com
- Learn more about Superloop @ www.superloop.com
- Follow BSO on Twitter @ twitter.com/BSONetwork
- Follow BSO on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/bso-network-solutions/
Jan 08, 2021 • News • Fleet Operations • Sustainability • Managing the Mobile Workforce • EMEA
Outsourced fleet and mobility management specialist Fleet Operations has set itself a net zero carbon target by signing up to a carbon offsetting scheme for all the greenhouse gases created by the business.
Outsourced fleet and mobility management specialist Fleet Operations has set itself a net zero carbon target by signing up to a carbon offsetting scheme for all the greenhouse gases created by the business.
The bold move comes in the wake of the company's recent certification by the British Assessment Bureau to the ISO14001 standard for environmental management. This rigorous benchmark provides unequivocal proof of an organisation's green credentials, and alongside the carbon neutrality commitment, underlines Fleet Operations' ongoing commitment to the green fleet agenda.
FLEET OPERATIONS HAS CONVERTED 30% OF THEIR FLEET TO ELECTRIC AND HYBRID VEHICLES AND SWITCHED TO RENEWABLE ENERGY
"With our zero carbon target, we are aiming very much to lead by example,” said Fleet Operations Managing Director Richard Hipkiss. “ISO 14001 puts a management system in place which ensures that we will deliver on this important environmental promise. We help clients to cut their environmental impact and fleet running costs every day, not just by moving to electric vehicles but by empowering their employees to take a more flexible view of business travel."By encouraging drivers to swap their car to more sustainable options like public transport, spot hire or electric pool cars for shorter journeys, we help our clients to green their fleet and mobility policies.As well as converting 30% of their fleet to electric and hybrid vehicles, Fleet Operations has also installed solar panels at their head office in Newcastle-under-Lyme, switched to a 100% renewable energy provider and following a thorough benchmarking of their energy consumption, the company has set clear KPIs to reduce energy and fuel usage over the next two years.
An internal 'Think Green' campaign has also been launched to encourage and motivate staff to change their behaviour with regular updates and poster reminders in every office, and team targets to reduce paper and lighting consumption. The certification adds to Fleet Operations' existing list of quality standards, including the ISO9001:2015 standard for quality and ISO27001:2013 for information security, both secured in 2017 and renewed in 2020.
Fleet Operations is one of the UK's leading independent providers of outsourced fleet management services including strategic consultancy, multi-bid leasing, supply chain management, policy creation and risk management, data consolidation and vendor management.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/managing-the-mobile-workforce
- Read more about Fleet Operations on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/fleet-operations
- Find out more more about Fleet Operations @ www.fleetoperations.co.uk
- Follow Fleet Operations on Twitter @ twitter.com/fleet_ops
- Follow Fleet Operations on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/fleet-operations-limited/
Jan 07, 2021 • News • Sustainability • Telecommunications • Service Innovation and Design • GLOBAL • RECONOMY
Reconomy has revealed which of the world’s largest businesses are bidding to be named as the most sustainable company. The company has produced an algorithm which measures the strength of a business’ ethical messaging on social media and its...
Reconomy has revealed which of the world’s largest businesses are bidding to be named as the most sustainable company. The company has produced an algorithm which measures the strength of a business’ ethical messaging on social media and its individual business strategy.
The waste management service has compared 157 of the world’s biggest organisations across 13 industries. Using Corporate Knights’ leaderboard and YouGov’s ranking of the most publicly perceived companies, each firm was analysed to reveal how many mentions of ‘sustainable’ related key terms were included in their business strategy and on social media. Key terms included ‘sustainability’, ‘renewables’, and ‘green energy’.
The data unveiled interesting statistics about the telecommunications sector. Vodaphone mentions sustainability the most throughout its social media and business strategy. Sustainable keywords were mentioned 238 times across Vodaphone’s public and professional platforms. Overall, it ranked fourth out of the 157 organisations analysed. They emphasise their commitment to reducing their carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2020. BT and Virgin Media followed Vodaphone in this category, with 125 and 54 mentions of sustainability respectively.
RECONOMY REVEALS THE BUSINESS WORLD'S BIGGEST SUSTAINABLE GIANTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR LEADERS
Meanwhile, PlusNet failed to mention any sustainable key terms across its social media and business strategy. The internet service provider ranked 142nd out of the 157 organisations. AOL and Talkmobile also failed to mention any sustainable key terms across their platforms.
Harvey Laud, Divisional Director at Reconomy, said: “Organisations are looking towards sustainability to produce a reformed focus for their businesses. Whilst the research is primarily an indication of which companies are leading the way in terms of ethical management; it does prove that all industries are pointing to a future where sustainability is a priority for all operations.
“This is being achieved through ethical production, smarter waste management, and understanding the long-term effects that businesses can have on the environment. Customers are demanding sustainability, and the best businesses are listening.”
Compared to other industries, the telecommunications sector has an informative approach to sustainable pledges over a persuasive one. This is because a majority of ethical practices take place on the business end, rather than persuading the customer to complete ethical tasks. For example, where Coca-Cola ranks first in the rankings overall with 676 sustainable pledges across their platforms, their message asks customers to recycle. For telecommunications, sustainable practices must take place before the point of sale.
Laud continued: “All sectors and industries have a part to play in creating a sustainable future for both their customers and the wider public. However, for the telecommunications sector, the benefits are widespread. Substituting old copper networks for newer fibre optic connections is more efficient in terms of energy consumption and reduces failures. The removed copper is also highly recyclable. Sustainable options are not limited to benefitting the planet, they can also help businesses grow.”
For more information, visit www.reconomy.com/sustainable-giants/
Further Reading:
- Learn more about Reconomy Sustainable Giants @ reconomy.com/sustainable-giants/
- Read More about Service Innovation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/service-innovation
- Learn more about Reconomy @ www.reconomy.com
- Follow Reconomy on Twitter @ twitter.com/ReconomyNews
- Follow Reconomy on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/reconomy
Jan 06, 2021 • News • WorkMobile • Digital Transformation • software and apps • EMEA
More than four fifths of businesses lack the skills or resources to develop employee-facing mobile apps in-house, new research has found.
More than four fifths of businesses lack the skills or resources to develop employee-facing mobile apps in-house, new research has found.
Research published by mobile data capture specialist WorkMobile, found that employee-facing mobile apps play a key role in the majority of businesses’ enterprise mobility strategies, with 91% of businesses making use of the technology.
However, while in-house app development offers businesses the necessary flexibility when it comes to tailoring and implementing effective mobile solutions – particularly crucial for businesses with a significant proportion of field-based workers – a staggering 85% are unable to do so successfully.
According to the research, 38% of IT teams are overstretched and don’t have the time or capacity to develop their own apps, while 36% do not have the coding skills and expertise required to do so.
IN-HOUSE MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT CAN BE A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY FOR BUSINESSES TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO EVER-CHANGING EXTERNAL FACTORS
Given the growing digital skills shortage, and the prevalence of apps in both our professional and personal lives, it is unsurprising that 47% of businesses have found it difficult to recruit employees with the right mobile development expertise.
The research also found that even among those businesses that are capable of developing their own apps, many have struggled to make them a success.
More than two thirds (63%) of businesses have experienced problems developing apps within a particular timeframe, and as a result 56% have been forced to abandon the development of an app before completion.
More than a third (36%) have had difficulties developing apps within a designated budget, and 30% have struggled to develop apps for a range of operating systems and devices.
Colin Yates, chief support officer at WorkMobile, commented: “These statistics are very concerning in the current climate, given the crucial role that mobile solutions play in a successful enterprise mobility strategy.
“Even pre-pandemic, enabling remote working was the most common pressure CIOs faced from the rest of the C-suite, according to half of those surveyed. And with so many more people now working away from the office, that pressure is greater than ever.
“The past few months have also shown us that in order for businesses to succeed, agility is absolutely key. In-house mobile app development can be a really cost-effective way for CIOs to respond quickly to ever-changing external factors, and ensure employees always have the right tools to do their jobs.
“However, with so many teams facing such significant barriers to in-house app development, they could find themselves struggling more than necessary over the coming months to keep up with rapidly evolving business requirements.”
In light of these difficulties, the research revealed that 64% of CIOs would be interested in using a no-coding mobile app toolkit as an alternative to developing apps in-house themselves.
44% said that they believe no-coding mobile apps would reduce the workload for their team, a third think that they would enable their teams to implement mobile solutions more quickly, and 29% expect they would find it easier to adhere to financial budgets.
Colin added: “It’s clear that effective in-house app development is just not feasible for the vast majority of businesses. Fortunately, technology is evolving and no-coding app development platforms can now offer a fantastic alternative.
“These toolkits make it possible for CIOs and their teams to quickly produce mobile apps that are specifically tailored to the needs of their employees, with no coding expertise required.”
For more information on WorkMobile and no-code mobile apps, visit https://www.workmobilesolutions.com/
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about WorkMobile on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/workmobile
- Learn more about WorkMobile @ www.workmobilesolutions.com/
- Follow WorkMobile on Twitter @ twitter.com/WorkMobile
- Follow WorkMobile on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/esay-mobile
Jan 05, 2021 • News • Optimisation • Digital Transformation • fast lean smart • EMEA • Fix360 • Your Housing Group
Your Housing Group (YHG), one of the UK’s largest housing providers with 28,000 homes, is set to transform the efficiency of their field force operations and customer experience with use of the FLS VISITOUR solution from FLS – FAST LEAN SMART.
Your Housing Group (YHG), one of the UK’s largest housing providers with 28,000 homes, is set to transform the efficiency of their field force operations and customer experience with use of the FLS VISITOUR solution from FLS – FAST LEAN SMART.
Following a strategic business review that set new objectives forambitious operational efficiencies and customer satisfaction targets, YHG decided they needed a more sophisticated and robustdynamic scheduling solution that could integrate seamlessly with their Microsoft Dynamics 365 business platform and Accuserv repairs management system.
YHG AND FIX360 ARE USING FLS SOLUTIONS TO MEET BUSINESS-DRIVEN TIMESCALES AND MAKE SURE EVERY CUSTOMER CONTACT COUNTS.
The first priority is to deliver the solution for Fix360, the YHG dedicated property maintenance arm with circa 200 operatives covering the North of England, before expected progression across other business functions, for example surveyors and tenant liaison officers.
FLS was appointed to implement FLS VISITOUR after a formal tendering process with a requirement to drive forward the business ahead of the norm in the market. Darren Halliwell, YHG’s IT Director says “We did our research and were determined to find a technology and partner that aligned to our 5-year business plan and could flex and adapt as we develop and implement our wider technology roadmap. FLS have multi-sector experience and a stamp of approval from Microsoft which gave us great confidence. We were impressed by their delivery approach and speed to implementation alongside other key factors such as ease of configuration, functionally rich capabilities, customer communication and in-day progress and response accuracy and tooling. Following technical evaluation and discussion with references, including organisations in and out of sector, the FLS offering became our unanimous choice.”
Fix360 have over 3,000 categories of repair. Once a customer’s need is qualified by the call centre or via online self-service, FLS VISITOUR will provide the optimal appointment choices according to available operatives and existing commitments. This will utilise real-time optimisation, not just finding white-space to fill in the diary, with the accuracy of time-of-day traffic speeds for each journey. Each appointment will therefore be cost-effective, punctual, using operatives with the right skills and best possibility for first time fix.
Guy Bebbington, Managing Director of Fix360 says “The Fix360 Board have set ourselves challenging Customer Satisfaction and Value for Money targets and so investment in our technology stack to achieve those targets is vital. We believe FLS are absolutely the right partner for us, a real differentiator within the market. It was clear from references the quality of solution and expertise they offer, increasing field force efficiency and aiding continuous improvement in customer delight. At YHG and Fix360 we make sure every customer contact counts and this technology supports us with that. Other advantages included the speed in which we could implement and rollout to meet the business-driven timescales. We are really looking forward to working together and delivering great outcomes for our tenants in the weeks and months ahead.”
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Fast Lean Smart on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/FLS
- Find out more more about Fast Lean Smart @ www.fastleansmart.com/en
- Learn more about Your Housing Group @ www.yourhousinggroup.co.uk
- Follow Fast Lean Smart on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/company/fls-fast-lean-smart/
Dec 15, 2020 • News • insurance • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA • Mactavish
Mactavish, the specialist outsourced insurance buyer and claims resolution expert, says many commercial policyholders have faced drastic premium increases this year as insurers look to improve margins in a hardening market, sometimes of up to 800%....
Mactavish, the specialist outsourced insurance buyer and claims resolution expert, says many commercial policyholders have faced drastic premium increases this year as insurers look to improve margins in a hardening market, sometimes of up to 800%. This is coming in addition to a greater focus on newer risks such as the increase in cyber crime that has been spurred by the pandemic and the rise of remote working.
As insurers also look to protect their reserves and minimise claims payments, Mactavish says it has also seen considerable erosion in the quality and extent of the insurance cover offered to policyholders. This is often buried in T&Cs without being flagged by either insurers or brokers, meaning that policyholders may not be aware of their increased exposure.
INSURANCE RATES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO RISE IN 2020 AND SOME COMPANIES MIGHT BE UNABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR COVER
Market surveys are showing 34% increases in premiums across the board, but this masks a much more complex picture. Lines such as Crime, Professional Indemnity, Pension Trustees’ Liability and Directors’ and Officers’ insurance have risen far in excess of this. In addition, some industries have suffered much more than others. Firms in the construction, energy, food and beverage, travel, manufacturing and waste sectors will be experiencing particularly challenging renewals.
Mactavish warns that it expects rates to continue to rise in 2021 and says that some companies will be unable to pay for their cover, meaning they will be forced to reduce operations, lay-off employees or even go into administration.
Mactavish is one of the largest independent ‘buyers’ of commercial insurance in the UK, and this year it has helped clients cut the cost of their insurance premiums by 50% in some cases by using a unique approach that runs brokers in head-to-head competition along with their preferred insurance partners. In addition, while cost is an important area of focus, Mactavish has also improved the quality of its clients’ cover by negotiating critical changes to policy wordings.
Bruce Hepburn, CEO, Mactavish said: “For years, the insurance industry has sold its cover on the basis of price as opposed to quality and this has pushed premiums down, when in many cases they should have been higher. The insurance market is hardening now, and premiums are rising dramatically as insurers seek to make up lost ground quickly. The timing couldn’t be worse for firms that are still being battered by the economic fall-out from the pandemic. For some businesses, these unexpected cost increases could be the final nail in the coffin.”
“Aside from playing a role in pushing price increases, COVID-19 has also exacerbated many risk areas. As just one example, there has been a marked increase in cyber crime as employees moved to home-based working. This creates a double whammy effect where policyholders need to buy more insurance at precisely the moment that prices are spiking.”
Hepburn added: “While brokers naturally prefer exclusive relationships, our work shows that you get a much better outcome when there is real competitive pressure between competing suppliers. Since many brokers receive premium-linked commissions from insurers, policyholders should be wary of taking cost increases at face value.”
Mactavish cited a recent engagement in which a financial services firm had been badly let down by its broker. Even on the day its insurance was set to renew, the incumbent was unable to confirm that it had secured 100% of the capacity the firm required. Worse, a number of exclusions had crept into the policy wordings that had removed vast swathes of essential cover. Working at speed, Mactavish was able to put in place all of the required capacity, get rid of the onerous exclusions and achieve a double-digit cost saving.
Mactavish specialises in helping employers enhance their chances of securing reliable insurance policies at competitive prices, and resolving claims disputes.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Leadership and Strategy @ www.fieldservicenews.com/eadership-and-strategy
- Read more about Mactavish on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/mactavish
- Find out more more about Mactavish @ www.mactavishgroup.com
- Follow Mactavish on Twitter @ twitter.com/MactavishGroup
- Follow Mactavish on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/mactavish
Dec 09, 2020 • News • Research • Salesforce • Covid-19
As the serial crises of 2020redefine customer engagement, customer service leaders are transforming their operations, accelerating digital transformation, and overhauling their workforce management strategies. That’s according to Salesforce’s fourth
As the serial crises of 2020 redefine customer engagement, customer service leaders are transforming their operations, accelerating digital transformation, and overhauling their workforce management strategies. That’s according to Salesforce’s fourth State of Service research report, released today, which provides a snapshot of the priorities, challenges, and trajectories of customer service teams around the world. This edition is based on Salesforce’s largest and most global survey of customer service agents, decision makers, mobile workers, and dispatchers: over 7,000 respondents across 33 countries.
“We knew based on our previous research that businesses no longer view their service and support operations as cost centers, but as strategic assets that benefit revenue and retention as customer expectations soar,” said Bill Patterson, EVP and GM of B2B CRM at Salesforce. This research helps us and our customers understand how the playbook is changing, and what the best teams do differently from their competitors as they move back into growth mode.” [CTT]
From the channels they use to serve customers to the spaces employees work from to the skill sets agents require, there’s not much that hasn’t changed for customer service organizations. Here are some key takeaways.
The pandemic has exposed customer service shortcomings, but leaders are taking decisive action
The impacts of COVID-19 were a wake up call for customer service organizations used to the status quo. As workers stayed at home and customers asked questions for which there were no answers, customer service leaders were faced with conundrums with far reaching consequences for their teams.
Eighty-eight percent of service professionals say the pandemic exposed technology gaps, and 86% say the same for service channel gaps as customers flocked away from physical locations and towards digital methods of engagement. Teams also found shortcomings that went beyond the obvious. For example, 87% realized that their existing policies and protocols — such as cancellation fees for events that were prohibited by public health measures — were not suited for current circumstances.
Faced with these challenges, service teams and their leaders are making transformations that will endure beyond the current crisis. Eighty-three percent of service organizations have changed policies to provide customers with more flexibility, for instance, and 78% have invested in new technology as a result of the pandemic.
“Leaders are taking this time to rethink the value of experiences and reimagine engagement with customers and employees alike,” said Brian Solis, Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce.”It’s not just about technology. Sometimes technology is at its best when invisible. We’re going to see significantly more agile, innovative, and relevant organizations emerge from this crisis that provide modern and sought-after experiences that change the game for everyone.”
Digital transformation is accelerating for customers and employees alike
A related research report shows the extent to which customers have shifted to digital, as well as how that shift is expected to persist. Consumers and business buyers estimate that six out of ten of their interactions with companies will occur online in 2021, up from 42% in 2019.
This uptick has coincided with a surge in adoption of various digital channels by service organizations. Video support saw the highest rate of increase in adoption since 2018 (+42%), followed by live chat (+35%) and messenger apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger (+29%). Conversely, the share of organizations offering in-person service and support fell by 16%.
The digital transformation of customer service goes beyond the increased use of digital channels. Service teams also ramped up their adoption of artificial intelligence by 32% since 2018, and their adoption of chatbots shot up by 67%.
"It's never been more important to remove friction from every user experience." says Jim Roth, Executive Vice President of Customer Support at Salesforce. "In our personal lives, we so often solve issues on our own with a simple Google search. We reach out to our friends and family on our preferred communication channels, during a time that's good for us. When we interact with companies, we expect the same level of easy, seamless interactions. If a company makes it too hard for customers to engage, they may become former customers."
Service teams are being challenged by a new era of workforce engagement
Customer service workforces, rooted in contact centers, were spun into upheaval as stay at home orders spread across the world and social distancing became part of daily life. Over half (54%) of global customer service professionals worked from home during 2020, and only 43% expect to return to their normal workplace in 2021.
The shift to remote work has not impacted productivity as much as some may assume, with a majority (72%) of service agents agreeing they have all the tools and technology they need to work remotely. But as 54% of organizations experienced increased case volume, many of them have brought on contractors (42%) or employees from other departments (62%) to help. Just 25% of service professionals say their organizations excel at training such employees from afar, and even fewer (19%) say the same for their ability to onboard these employees in the first place.
Training is a focus as requisite skill sets evolve
Particularly during a crisis, the role of a customer service agent can no longer be limited to closing tickets. Agents are now expected to be knowledgeable, consultative, and above all, empathetic to customers’ unique needs and circumstances. A mix of hard and soft skills — communication, listening, and product knowledge — are in the highest demand. What’s more, service organizations accelerated their tracking of revenue more than any other metric since 2018 (up 57%), putting new expectations for sales savviness on agents’ plates.
Despite tightened budgets, service organizations by-and-large continue to invest in training programs and infrastructure, with a particularly significant bump in the share of teams with access to on-demand training (61%). Far from an entry level position, customer service agents see their roles as providing increasing opportunity even amidst an economic downturn. Sixty-seven percent of agents say they have a clear career path, up from 59% in 2018.
“You’re going to see more blurred lines between different roles moving forward,” predicted Salesforce Global Growth Evangelist Tiffani Bova. “This isn’t new, but it’s accelerating. It’s why so many companies have realized that ‘customer success’ is a more appropriate term than ‘customer service,’ especially when they’ve committed to being more customer-centric. Service has to be part of growth strategies. That’s when customer success truly has a significant impact on the bottom line.”
Field service is thriving, even amid a pandemic
Over the summer of 2020, Salesforce found that 70% of consumers, including 67% of Americans) still preferred in-person appointments where on-site support was a must, such as appliance repairs or internet installs, with the remainder opting for digital alternatives. Accordingly, three-quarters of decision makers with field service continue to see significant revenue from their operations and nearly seven in ten (69%) continue to make significant investments in their mobile workers through tactics such as additional hiring, training, technology investment.
Field Service News Analysis:
Having had access to a selection of the key data relating to the service sector in the UK, some additional key findings Field Service News has identified that will be of interest to Field Service Directors include:
In response to the pandemic:
- 82% of service teams say they’ve shifted workflows/processes
- 85% of service teams say they’ve changed policies to provide more flexibility to customers
- 60% of service decision makers say they’ve invested in new service technology
Agents’ ability to find information needed to do their job:
- 83% of agents can remotely access all the data and information they need
- 57% of service teams have brought in employees from other departments to work in service and support roles
- 49% of agents see a clear path for career growth at their job
- 61% of service decision makers say they’re making significant investments in agent training
Field Service spotlight:
- 76% of service decision markets say field service is a key part of their overall strategy
- 68% of service decision makers say field service drives significant revenue for their company
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about the impact of the pandemic on the field service sector @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/en-gb/covid-19
- Read more key research into the the key trends within field service sector @ https://research.fieldservicenews.com/
- Follow Salesforce on twitter @ https://twitter.com/salesforce
- Find out more about the solutions Salesforce provide to the field service sector @ https://www.salesforce.com/uk/products/service-cloud/field-service/
- Read more features and news relating to Salesforce on Field Service News @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=salesforce
Nov 19, 2020 • News • Cognito iQ • Konica MInolta • Digital Transformation • EMEA
Konica Minolta has won the BLI PaceSetter Award for Serviceability and Support 2020-2021 in Western Europe awarded by Keypoint Intelligence for the second time.
Konica Minolta has won the BLI PaceSetter Award for Serviceability and Support 2020-2021 in Western Europe awarded by Keypoint Intelligence for the second time.
With Cognito iQ flagged as a platform that supported the win, the recognition honours the OEM that offers the best-designed tools, programs and trainings to enhance the serviceability of its products and services. With its “shift left” approach, Konica Minolta provides systems to empower its clients to help themselves, such as using online trainings or providing support through remote tools.
COGNITO iQ's PLATFORM ALLOWS KONICA MINOLTA TO AUTOMATE THEIR FIELD OPERATION, IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND REDUCING ERRORS
Leveraging their Cognito iQ-developed platform, Konica Minolta is able to analyse operational performance of its field service in real time. With this “shift left” approach, the issues are solved closer to their origin and field presence of service experts can be reduced significantly. This helps to limit physical contact points which increases safety for customers and technicians, as travel from client to client can be minimised in the time of Covid-19.
Konica Minolta use Cognito iQ to automate and mobilise their field operation, automating previously manual processes, improving efficiency and reducing errors, and giving Konica Minolta real-time information to control the service support operation. In addition to this they have implemented the Cognito iQ analytics platform, OPA, which gives the field service operation live data enabling them to make fact-based decisions on trends in real-time.
“Pursuing a customer-centric approach, Konica Minolta always focuses on the needs of its users for its products and services’, commented Nick Ranson, UK Director of Value Added Services, Konica Minolta Business Solutions UK, “We have a close relationship with Cognito iQ, their expertise and understanding of our operation has helped to redefine service for the UK business. It’s great to see our efforts recognised with this award”.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Cognito iQ on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/cognito-iq
- Learn more about Konica Minolta @ www.konicaminolta.co.uk
- Find out more about Cognito iQ @ www.cognitoiq.com
- Follow Cognito iQ on Twitter @ twitter.com/Cognito_iQ
- Follow Cognito iQ on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/cognito-
Nov 17, 2020 • News • Cognito iQ • Digital Transformation • EMEA • BAXI
Improving customer service, maximising worker efficiency and meeting SLAs are just a handful of the challenges that field service operators face.
Improving customer service, maximising worker efficiency and meeting SLAs are just a handful of the challenges that field service operators face.
Even field service operations that are working well can find 5% improvements when they set out to become exceptional, and improvements of more than 20% are not uncommon.
Baxi, together with Cognito iQ, recognise the true significance of data and the value it can bring to a business, from cost savings, improving repeat busines through improved customer satisfaction to identifying areas of process improvement that can bring transformational change to a business.
BAXI HAVE MADE THEIR GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE EVEN BETTER BY SUCCESSFULLY LEVERAGING DATA AND ANALYTICS WITH COGNITO iQ
Quality data that can provide insight is key to transformational change and improvements. Cognito IQ’s next generation analytics solution, Insight Hub does just that. Providing real-time analytics, it provides at a glance metrics in its bespoke dashboard that allows you to make instant changes to keep your team on track as well as a longer term view for informed strategic planning and strategy.
Baxi, and Cognito iQ have successfully leveraged data and analytics that enabled them to:
- Increase productivity 25%
- Reduce secondary visit times by 42%
In this webinar, Steve Randall, Baxi’s Head of Service will share:
- The challenges Baxi faced and how they addressed them.
- How technology such as Insight Hub, makes it easier to manage a large mobile workforce.
- The impact of having real-time analytics on their customer service and more.
To register for the webinar 'Transforming Your Field Service Operation from Excellent to Exceptional, visit info.cognitoiq.com/getting-to-exceptional-webinar2.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
- Read more about Cognito iQ on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/cognito-iq
- Register for the webinar 'Transforming Your Field Service Operation from Excellent to Exceptional' @ cognitoiq.com/getting-to-exceptional-webinar2
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