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Field Service News Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland discusses the fact that the choices field service companies are facing today wider ranging and more critical to success than ever before and gives us an overview of what to expect in Field Service News issue 19

 

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Field Service News subscribers are entitled to our bi-monthly magazine in both print and digital versions. Subscription is free for field service professionals click here to apply for a complimentary industry professional subscription now and get a digital copy of issue 19 sent straight to your inbox instantly

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There are of course always big choices to be made in business, but it seems field service companies are facing more big choices than ever in today’s market...

Which of course is not necessarily a bad thing at all. Choices mean options and options are a good thing. They allow us to follow a path that feels right for us.

Of course, options also let us change direction when we’ve headed in the wrong way for a while - although they do tend to come along less often if we spend too long heading up a blind ally.

Perhaps the most important option we can take (and one that is always available to us) is to listen to those around us. I’m a firm believer in the fact that we can learn something from everyone we interact with, but of course if you are facing time pressures (who isn’t these days) then I’d suggest starting with those who are experts in their fields.

Fortunately, we’ve an issue that’s jam packed with expert advice so all you need to do is keep on reading.

We’ve got what for my mind is our best yet panel in this issue’s Big Discussion, which is focussed on the relationship between Service and Sales. As always we’ve brought together three industry experts on the topic and put four questions to each of them.

Our panel consists of Nick Frank, Michael Blumberg and Jim Baston so there is a wealth of deep knowledge and experience waiting for you in that feature which begins on page 16.

Elsewhere we’ve two features that look specifically at how to choose the right field service management (FSM) solution for your business. When we consider just how big an impact the selection of a FSM solution can have on your business - how it can drive efficiency, reduce costs, create revenue...

Then when we consider how many solutions are in the market, each with differing capabilities, and of course when we consider how long implementation and on-boarding of your team can take...

 

Frankly, it really is absolutely vital that this is a choice you get right first time around.

So for anyone considering an upgrade from a creaking old legacy system or looking to implement a system from scratch for the first time then I suggest checking out Bill Pollock’s article “Choosing the most effective FSM provider” and also Marne Martin’s article “Customer Experience is essential to every member in the field service ecosystem” which both offer insight into what makes a good FSM partner for a service organisation, whilst coming at the topic from slightly different perspectives.

Yet as important as selecting a FSM solution is, perhaps the most pressing choice for many field service companies is whether to move away from the traditional break-fix SLA driven model that has served them well for so long and to embrace the more modern and increasingly popular outcome-based service models.

We’ve discussed outcome-based services many times in these pages before and cards on the table, personally I’m a big proponent of the servitization movement. I think it absolutely makes sense. But that’s just my opinion and ultimately, it’s not a choice I need to make - unlike many of you.

So for those of you readers, of whom there are many I’m sure, whose organisations are considering this very question - then I absolutely recommend listening to those who have been there and done it. As whilst the benefits can be many , so too are the risks - it is not an easy path to tread.

One company that has been on that journey is ABB and you can read my interview with Felix Keiderling on the topic on page 44 and also check out my interview with GE’s Scott Berg on page 29 where we also discuss outcome based services in depth.

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Field Service News subscribers are entitled to our bi-monthly magazine in both print and digital versions. Subscription is free for field service professionals click here to apply for a complimentary industry professional subscription now and get a digital copy of issue 19 sent straight to your inbox instantly

 

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

This issue our topic is the relationship between Service and Sales and our experts are Nick Frank of Si2 Partners, Michael Blumberg of Blumberg Advisory Group and Jim Baston of BBA Consulting

In the first instalment of this topic our experts answered the question "It is often said service technicians are the greatest salesmen – what are your views on this?" the second time out the question was Is there a difference between selling service and selling products? and last time around the answered the question Is incentivising service technicians to “sell” opening up new revenue streams or putting their “trusted advisor” status at risk?

Now for the final question of this important topic...

 

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What impact does the rising uptake in outcome based services have on the relationship between service and sales?

 

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Selling outcome based services requires greater collaboration and communication between service and sales than ever before. Service needs to understand and support the solution that the sales force crafts for the customer.

The sales force needs to have a clear understanding of the capabilities of the service team to craft the right solution.

Basically, service and sales must work as a team. In addition, the service organisation must be proficient at sales so they can add-on additional services to better meet outcomes as these opportunities present themselves.

 

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Outcome based services require one of the most sophisticated sales processes as the deliverable is a business outcome, not a well-defined ‘thing’.

Hence the whole process of defining the outcome and configuring a profitable delivery model is very different from a transactional product based sales process. The implications of switching to outcome based business models will challenge almost every aspect of the organisation in terms of mind-set & culture, skills & capabilities and processes & tools.

As the service organisation is such an integral part of the commercial success, it must be closely involved in the sales process from two perspectives. The first is to ensure that within the co-creation process that a delivery model is developed which profitably dovetails into the customer’s operations.

Secondly and probably more importantly, during the sales/co-creation process , to have people within the discussion that convinces the customer that you are the right business partner to deliver an outcome based contract.

 

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In outcome based services, the service company generally is providing an agreed to outcome for a set fee and therefore takes the risk for delivering on their promise at a cost that they can profit from.

Any recommendations for improvements in delivering on that promise more effectively will typically benefit the service company rather than the customer. In these cases, therefore, the results of the field service professional’s efforts are internally focused.

Sales, however, remains externally focused. Their role is to bring more opportunities to the service organisation.

Therefore, the relationship between service and sales can be summarised as follows: In outcome based services, sales is responsible for generating the top line revenue by increasing the number of contracts whereas service is responsible for enhancing the profits on that revenue by improving their efficiency at delivering on those contracts.

 

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Nick Frank & Dag Gronevik of Si2 Partners explore the importance of face to face contact in management and ask if more business leaders should consider moving away from traditional training methodologies towards more free-flowing, dialogue based means of communication within their teams...

Winston Churchill stated ‘Meeting jaw to jaw is better than war’ This great leader understood that people can be influenced in two ways: either their minds have been opened or their heart broken. Opening minds requires talk, exchange of views and reflection. The ‘fear’ alternative of forcing conformity through hierarchies is in the long term destructive.

As a leader, what’s your style? Jaw Jaw or War War?

In today’s world this is a serious issue, as business leaders struggle to keep up with the technology whirlwind that is engulfing every aspect of our lives.

Leaders need to figure out how they adapt to the changing environment around them and in particular how their organisations and people can evolve.

Traditionalists tell their people they must change, offering incentives, assuming that people know exactly what is expected of them. Most people recognise that in world of the millennial and the internet, this approach is becoming less effective. Human beings are a contrary lot and cannot be told how to THINK. But how they THINK can be influenced by what we SAY and what we DO.

As Churchill knew, the way to change is to talk without fear of conflict.

In our own experience as business leaders, we have always placed a strong focus on communication, and in particular on meeting our people eye-ball to eye-ball. In hindsight the easy part is to meet, but how to turn this into true engagement?

In management speak, leaders turn to techniques such as ‘Off-Site’ meetings, ‘work shops’ or 1 on 1’s.

However, having worked as business leaders ourselves and now providing expert support to others, it is clear that to be successful, leaders must transfer control and responsibility to the team to find the solution for themselves.

 

Bluntly put, it means stop using PowerPoint material and similar to control direction (& remember details) and instead, start to think on your feet to develop free flowing yet structured debates. This is an approach many business leaders do not feel comfortable with, but it is critical if you want to engage people to change.

We call this slightly chaotic yet structured approach to group problem solving the ‘Boot Camp’. It is where a cross section of different individuals come together as a team to solve complex problems where the solution is not clear to all. It’s not meant to be a comfortable cosy environment, but one where everyone is challenged to find solutions under time pressure.

But how to achieve this outcome? There are at least five key areas to focus on:

[ordered_list style="decimal"]

1. Problem Definition and Outcomes: It may sound an obvious starting point, but clearly defining the problem, the business context and the expected outcome, is key to bringing smart people together to solve problems. In our experience don’t be afraid to take your time in this process, as it is the start of aligning your teams thinking and language behind a common challenge. Be very grounded in your approach so people find it relevant to their roles. A good way to think about the context is to define what is working in the business, and then what is not working. Break the problem into 4-5 related discussions about real tangible issues your team faces. In our experiences, the more tangible you make the discussion through use cases and everyday examples, the more you will channel the energy of your team towards the outcome you desire.
2. Generate Energy and Curiosity: This is where preparation really pays off. From the way you prime and prepare the participants, to the environment in which you work, all will help you engage interest and action. Most important is to remember that energy comes from people who talk and are active in the debate. Avoid lengthy detailed power points, in fact try to do without. Not using supporting material requires far more detailed preparation, but the result is an environment where the conversation, discussion and decision making, seem to effortlessly move towards your objectives.

3. Debate and Create: It’s when people are talking that they can create solutions together. Plan out the types of discussions and debate, which will move the participants towards your goal. Create opportunities where people can engage with each other. Bring in external perspectives to challenge thinking and the current paradigm. Invite input from customers or suppliers to build focus and urgency. Above all do not be afraid to alter the agenda as you move through the process.

   As long as you have a very clear view on the outcomes you expect, you can flex the conversation to suit the circumstances and the energy of the participants.

4.  Create Allies: It’s important to remember that building relationships will magnify the leaders impact on the business. Avoid the ‘yes, but’ syndrome and emphasise the positive. It is the alliances and relationships that are built that are critical to your success. No one person can change an organisation. Getting to the key influencers through creating a critical mass of thinking is vital.

5. Articulate Results: Great conversation will come to little, unless it is captured and channelled into actions. It is extremely powerful when the participants articulate the outcomes and present to senior management team. This brings focus to the collaboration, as well as a bit of edge to your event.[/ordered_list]

If you would like to know more about the Boot Camp process that helps you create engagement and commitment to tough business problems, please contact Nick Frank or Dag Gronevik through info@Si2partners.com

 

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

This issue our topic is the relationship between Service and Sales and our experts are Nick Frank of Si2 Partners, Michael Blumberg of Blumberg Advisory Group and Jim Baston of BBA Consulting

In the first instalment of this topic our experts answered the question "It is often said service technicians are the greatest salesmen – what are your views on this?" and the second time out the question was Is there a difference between selling service and selling products?

and now onto the third question of the topic...

 

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Is incentivising service technicians to “sell” opening up new revenue streams or putting their “trusted advisor” status at risk?

 

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Technicians represent a ready and available channel for generating incremental service revenues.

After all, they are at the customer site almost every day.

However, service technicians may become over-zealous or pushy about selling, and jeopardise their “trusted advice” status, if they lack proper sales training or if their performance measurement system and company culture are too focused on sales.

 

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A sales professional is a very different person from the service expert in terms of how they think and what motivates them. The service person is more motivated by relationship and recognition of their skills and it is this that allows them to develop the trust-based relationships that make them so special from a commercial perspective.

Companies should use this relationship to increase value, but be aware that as soon as the balance swings from supporting customer success to earning a sales commission, this trust immediately evaporates. To be successful, the question of incentives is critical yet very contextual to the business environment and company culture. Rarely is sales commission the answer as service peoples are not typically sales animals.

Usually having incentives through management objectives or even reward and recognition will encourage the desired behaviours without risking the Trusted Advisor relationship

 

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I am very wary about incentivising service professionals for making recommendations. When we provide commissions or other forms of compensation for selling services to the customer, it sends a message that promoting a service to the customer is an act outside of their normal job.

We are asking them to provide “something extra”. It’s the “while you are there” approach. If making recommendations that will benefit the customer are perceived as an “add on” activity, then this suggests that service professionals can opt out. As I indicated above, I see promoting services as a service itself and therefore as much a part of the job as everything else that they do. Incentives can also encourage the field service professional to make recommendations for the wrong reasons (to get the commission as opposed to acting in the best interests of the customer).

Evidence also suggests that incentivising can actually discourage the type of behaviour it was intended to boost. Daniel Pink’s book Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (New York: Riverhead Books, 2009), provides a wonderful and often counter intuitive account of the impact of extrinsic rewards on employee performance.

Finally, what if the customer asks? What does the field service professional tell their customer if asked if they are getting compensated for make the recommendation? The customer may feel uncomfortable if the technician answers yes. How would you feel if you found out that your auto mechanic was commissioned on all parts sold?

 

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Look out for the final part of this series when we ask our panel "What impact does the rising uptake in outcome based services have on the relationship between service and sales?"

 

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

This issue our topic is the relationship between Service and Sales and our experts are Nick Frank of Si2 Partners, Michael Blumberg of Blumberg Advisory Group and Jim Baston of BBA Consulting

In the first instalment of this topic our experts answered the question "It is often said service technicians are the greatest salesmen – what are your views on this?"

and now onto the second question of the topic...

 

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Is there a difference between selling service and selling products?

 

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Yes, there is an enormous difference.

Selling products requires the salesperson to focus on the form, fit, and function of the product and how it meets the customer’s needs. Selling products is about selling the tangible.

Selling services requires the salesperson to focus on how the service can help the customer solve a problem, improve their situation, or achieve a better outcome.

More importantly, it is about selling the intangible.

 

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In general yes, but not always.

If a service is very tightly defined in terms of the value proposition and delivery, then it can follow a very similar feature/benefit selling process of a product. In other words selling against a tightly defined customer specification. An example of a service sold in this way might be an extended warranty.

The difference comes when the customer need is less well defined. Here the selling process moves towards addressing a business problem and involves an element of co-creation between the customer and supplier.

The more co-creation that is required, the more business orientated the discussion becomes. Not only is the sales process very different in terms of the discussion and detail, but also the management level at which the decision maker sits tends to be more senior. So yes, the more co-creation is required, the greater the difference.

 

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In technical terms, there is a difference between selling service and selling products. You can touch and feel a product. You can see and hear it operate. You can see the craftsmanship in its features.

Selling a product often involves helping the customer see the benefits in the product’s attributes and purchase decisions rely on both the trust built by the seller and the product’s features and track record.

A service, on the other hand, may not necessarily be seen, felt or heard. Good service may even result in the absence of something (fewer unexpected outages, less downtime or fewer complaints for example). Selling a service is more about helping the customer see the benefits of the experience the service will create for them. Success in selling tangibles depends on the salesperson’s ability to help the customer envision the experience the service will provide. Purchase decisions for services tend to rely more heavily – if not exclusively – on the customer’s trust of the seller.

In practical terms I don’t think that this difference is very important when a field service professional makes a recommendation as a trusted advisor. In most cases the field service professional has high levels of trust from both a personal and a professional perspective. The approaches that he or she uses to justify the recommendation will be the same whether product or service.

 

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Look out for the next part of this series when we ask our panel "Is incentivising service technicians to 'sell' opening up new revenue streams or putting their “trusted advisor” status at risk?

 

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

This issue our topic is the relationship between Service and Sales and our experts are Nick Frank of Si2 Partners, Michael Blumberg of Blumberg Advisory Group and Jim Baston of BBA Consulting

So with three fantastic experts lined up lets dive straight into the first question of the series...

 

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It is often said service technicians are the greatest salesmen – what are your views on this?

 

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Service technicians bring a perspective and outlook that makes them great at sales in certain situations. For example, where the sale solves a critical problem for the customer.

Basically, customers appreciate the fact that service technicians are problem solvers and place the customer’s need first. As a result, the service technician has trust and credibility with the customer.

In turn, the customer is highly likely to act on the service technician’s recommendations. Sometimes, the only way a technician can solve the customer’s problem is by having them buy something new like a spare part, new piece of equipment, or value-added service offering.

In these situations, the sale is not viewed as a sale at all by the customer but merely as an attempt by the technician to solve the customer’s problem.

 

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To believe service technicians are the greatest salesmen is to misunderstand the true skills of sales professionals. These are people who have the skills, mind-set and drive required to identify and close new customer opportunities.

It is very different from the more nurturing and customer focused individuals usually found in field service. That said, selling is a team effort and many people are involved in to the GoTo market process. In some respect everyone sells the company and the service technician has an important a role as anyone else. Through being the person who sees the customer more than pretty much anyone else in the organisation, they are ideally positioned to advise the customer on services that can improve value, or identify new opportunities.

But playing an active role in the sales process should not be confused with the sales professional who is accountable for closing deals.

 

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I guess it depends on your definition of “salesperson”. If you mean the ability to recognise opportunities and be successful in helping the customer make a decision to purchase, then this statement is true.

Field service professionals are in a unique position. They understand the technology and where it is going. They know the equipment the customer has and what they are trying to achieve. They have proximity to the customer and generally high levels of trust.

However, I have concerns over the term “salespeople” when it comes to field service professionals.

I take the perspective that when a field service professional brings a product or service that will benefit the customer in some way to that customer’s attention, then that is a service rather than a sale. It’s part of the value that the field service professional brings. It is every bit as important as that field service professional’s ability to troubleshoot and repair.

Those field service professionals that recognise this are usually very successful because they see their role as helping the customer and the customer has confidence in the validity of their recommendations and trust in their motives.

 

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Look out for the next part of this series when we ask our panel "Is there a difference between selling service and selling products?"

 

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Nick Frank, Founder of Si2 partners outlines some fundamental steps that field service organisations can take to ensure their field service technicians hit the holy grail status of ‘trusted advisor'

In Field Service we have heard a lot about the undoubted benefits of developing the Trusted Advisor skill set, but very little on how leaders can achieve this goal. It is about time we looked at this journey from the perspective of the service technician, what kind of behaviours we expect of them and the support that they need.

In my experience, there are four key elements that enable a service professional to develop into a Trusted Advisor.

1. Fix yourself first!

The key to providing excellent customer care is to first know you! What you are good at, where you struggle and how you generally interact with others. Know this and you can start to develop some of the behaviours and capabilities needed to be a Trusted Advisor. Most important is to learn to be customer centred. In any interaction with your customers, a good rule of thumb is that the communication should be 2/3 the customer and 1/3 yourself. The customer must be allowed to explain their situation and expected outcomes.

The service provider should focus on questions that clarify the situation, take the actions required to address the concerns or issues, or explain the benefits of what has been done.

However, just being customer centred is not good enough. We have to know ourselves well enough to keep our emotions in check to stay assertive and solution focussed through the customer interaction.

2. Understand the business goals

The key reason for developing the Trusted Advisor skill set is to support our companies growth. This is not about being nice!! It’s about building a relationship where customers are open to a conversation on maximising value from their equipment. Tech companies such as Oracle have been starting to see this form of ‘Customer Success’ management as a key organisation capability, but it is equally important to equipment manufacturers.

To be able to deliver on this goal, service team members need to understand:

• How the business makes money and their contribution to that process.
• The expectations on them as a Trusted Advisor and where on the Support to Sales continuum we want them to be. This is key! One of the major reasons these initiatives can fail is that the service technician feels they have to sell, which can quickly destroy the ‘trust’ in the relationship. This is when communication and re-enforcement of the message is critical to success.
• The wider business offerings the company provides and the value they can bring to the customer
• In your industry, what does the customer really value and trust.[/unordered_list]

3. Fix the Customer

Only when you understand yourself and the customer, are you ready to act as a Trusted Advisor. There are some helpful guidelines that really can help technicians do an excellent job.

• Make sure there is a clear process and expectation for the customer interaction. For example I have heard many service managers use the mantra; ‘Fix yourself, Fix the customer, Fix the situation’
• Develop communication skills required to be successful such as ‘Active Listening’ to develop empathy with the customer, ‘Talk well’ to quickly identify the issue and ‘Develop Rapport’ to build the relationship.
• Make it easy to accesses information on the customer such as problem & upgrade history, BOM, visits and orders.
• Provide tools and training that helps technicians identify pain points and articulate the value of different options the customer might have.
• Provide a clear path to closing the sale that does not compromise the relationship. In most customer environments, trust is created because there is not a sales discussion but a benefits discussion. To close the sale, the Technician needs to have a very easy process that allows the customer to take the next steps without feeling they have been pressured. Generally this is either a lead generation process where inside sales will follow up and close the opportunity, or it might be the availability of a fast and easy order placement to satisfy the need for ‘low value’ orders.[/unordered_list]

4. Motivation - Practice makes Perfect

But how to ensure motivation? Some people are motivated by money and some are more motivated by solving the customer’s problems (generally technicians). There is no right or wrong answer, it all depends on your people and what makes them tick. Whatever direction you choose, you should make sure that the Trusted Advisor role is embedded in their job profile through balanced performance measures. Another important facet to motivation is to share best practices and experiences with colleagues.

Have senior technicians coach or mentor the more junior. Use direct customer feedback insights and processes to demonstrate that Trusted Advisor behaviour does make a real difference to customer’s satisfaction and loyalty.

Developing Trusted Advisor capability in your team is very much a management art. So gaining different perspectives from internal and external colleagues is extremely important as you raise self-awareness, discover the secrets of consultative selling, coaching and best practices.

If you would like more practical advice on how to get the most from your service operation, you can contact Nick Frank at nick.frank@si2partners.com

 

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If the key to adoption of new technologies in Field Services lies more in people than technology itself, then embedding the self-learning DNA gene must be the priority for all organisations wanting to be winners writes Nick Frank, Si2 Partners...

Previously we have observed that those field service organisations that have been able to quickly adapt to the fast evolving digital environment display a common trait “the self-learning gene”.

This is the innate ability to continually move through the problem, solution, problem, solution learning loop that propels organisations forward, such that they are comfortable experimenting with new approaches, have an outside-in perspective, are able to solve problems systematically and generally embrace change as an exciting part of business life.

There are many change methodologies that can be used to achieve this goal, but if leaders are not careful, they can find themselves hiding behind the process. It doesn’t matter if we are the CEO or on the shop floor, change starts with us ‘the person’. If we as an individual can become solution focussed, then it becomes possible to unleash the natural creativity that lies within most of our people. The good news is that most of us intuitively know the right things to do, we just struggle to implement our thoughts.

 

Perhaps harder to grasp is that there is no defined roadmap to follow, but there are guidelines, which we can apply to our particular situation. If you want to achieve a high performing, adaptive organisation through developing your ’self-learning genes’, then these are seven principals you may consider:

Communicate, collaborate and communicate again:

This is the mind-set of leadership change. Get comfortable with being out there, in front of your team providing a clear direction, but with the clear understanding that it is your team members who will deliver a great solution.

As Dwight Eisenhower US president and Army General said: “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done, because they want to do it”

Ensure your team has a sense of purpose:

A sense of purpose is what drives us all forward in both a private and work environments. It comes from 3 perspectives:

• Know why we are here!
• Feel that the business we work for stands for the things we believe in
• That there is consistency between what a business says and what it does.

By constantly focussing on these three elements, sharing experiences, best practices and success stories people start to believe in an organisations purpose.

Focus on the language of solutions:

It is hard for many English speakers to appreciate, but language is the gateway to understanding culture. Without speaking French, it is challenging to truly understand what it means to be French. The same is true in companies, which means achieving a common solution focused language is a critical step in embedding a ‘way of thinking’ within the DNA of the organisation.

For example a phrase that was embedded in me while I was running a Field Service organisation was “Fix yourself, before you fix your customer”. It was used and applied to every person in the organisation and is still used today!

Be a role model in what you say and do:

It is important to remember that you cannot tell people how to think. They have to figure that out for themselves. The only tools you have is to influence your team by what you say and what you do! A great examples would be the key performance indicators you focus on to manage your business. These say a lot to your people about what are your priorities.

Relentless follow up and training:

Evolving a company intrinsic DNA is not a one shot event. It’s a journey, its relentless, be prepared for the long haul. In small teams it is possible to drive this as a manager, but within larger organisations, a more formalised programme is required to touch every individual.

Training and support programmes that emphasis and re-emphasis solution thinking should be embedded into your annual budget if you are really serious about change.

Be open to Outside-IN thinking:

It’s a sad fact, but people will often listen more to people outside their immediate organisation, whether that be another department, customer or consultant. Be aware of this and use it to your advantage to influence and embed the ‘Self-Learning gene’ in your people

Be prepared to manage people out of the organisation:

Sometime people for whatever reason are not prepared to change. In my experience more people than you might think can live with change (I am an optimist), but when it’s clear that its not working, be prepared to be ruthless and actively manage poor performers out of the organisation.

In a short article it is difficult to fully discuss all the aspects of the self learning culture and why it is important. So in co-operation with Field Service News, we propose to organise a virtual round table later in the year to discuss with peers how to embed the ‘Self-Learning gene’ into your organisational DNA.

If you would like to participate, please contact either Kris Oldland or Nick Frank.

Si2 ON-Demand is a unique advisory and support service that enables top performing leaders to solve problems and get things done, quickly, easily and cost effectively.

 

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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…

 

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Click here to see page one of the 2017 #FSN20

 

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Nick Frank, Founder and Managing Partner Si2 Partners

Having worked as an international consultant for over 6 years, Nick founded Si2 Partners last year bringing a new approach to consultancy by offering services on demand.

Nick’s focus is on service strategy development, servitization business models, ecosystems, innovation management, service operations and service business development. He works with companies in a diverse range of industries including engineering, high volume manufacturing, equipment manufacturers and technology. A regular columnist in the trade press and a excellent speaker often to be found at industry conferences, Nick also plays a pivotal role in organising the conference sessions for the UK not-for-profit group The Service Community.

 

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Michael Blumberg, President of Blumberg Advisory Group, Inc

Michael Blumberg is the President of Blumberg Advisory Group and is a recognised expert in Field Service and Reverse Logistics in High-Technology industry.

Michael’s thought leadership, service system planning and strategy formulation are cited as having helped many organisations increase profits and he is a prolific author publishing a number of well received projects including white papers and educational video projects.

 

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Aly Pinder, Director of Member Research & Communities, The Service Council

In previous editions we had a rule that we would only include one person per organisation within the #FSN20. However, ever since Aly moved from the Aberdeen Group to The Service Council, we knew we would have to repeal the rule, as both Aly and Sumair are industry heavy weights in terms of analysis of our industry.

In his new role he will be looking to further enhance the already well established research projects undertaken by The Service Community and his addition to their team makes The Service Council one of the most important groups in the entire global field service sector.

 

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Tom Heiser, CEO, ClickSoftware

It may perhaps be unfair to comment that when Heiser took the reigns of the field service management software stalwarts ClickSoftware the company was perhaps at it’s weakest point in some years, indeed they remain a leading provider of field service management solutions at the forefront of the industry.

Yet, based on the sheer level of dominance that they once held and in light of the ever increasing quality of the competition in the field service management space, Heiser had little time to find his feet in the world of field service if he was to ensure the ClickSoftware brand remained as synonymous with delivering service excellence as it had to date - particularly in the natural uncertainty that an acquisition by a private equity firm can potentially cause. 

However, having seemingly spent little more than a few hours in his own office for the first six months as he flew around the world meeting analysts, influencers and customers alike Heiser certainly appears to have not only established a firm grasp of the industry at large but also where the future for field service management technology lies and under his guidance the outlook for the iconic ClickSoftware brand appears to be on a very positive footing once more...

 

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Marne Martin, CEO, ServicePower

With their next generation platform Nexus now firmly established within the market place ServicePower have re established themselves as a key company within the FSM solutions sector under the vision of Martin.

However, it is her focus on R&D that really continues to drive Service Power to the forefront of their sector. With a number of patents including a one focussed on quantum annealing that will see them developing cutting edge technology for the foreseeable future. Martin is also a very highly respected speaker on the international field service circuit

 

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Jim Baston, President of BBA Consulting Group Inc

Baston of BBA Consulting is the proponent of Proactive Service, and is a master when it comes to understanding the delicate relationship between service and sales and how companies can maximize that relationship to enhance profits. Author, Speaker and Consultant Baston is an intelligent and experienced leader within his field whilst being a true gentleman and pleasure to talk to, to boot.

 

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Kevin Jones Managing Director Computer Product Solutions, Panasonic Europe

Panasonic remain the undisputed leaders in the rugged space with the ToughPad and Toughbook brands synonymous with rugged computing. The Panasonic ToughBook20 is the worlds first fully rugged detachable and could just be the most perfect device for field service to date being both a tablet and a laptop.

Jones has spent a decade with Panasonic and has total responsibility for the entire ToughBook / ToughPad Products and Solutions in Europe, including Sales, Marketing, Engineering and Operations whilst also sitting concurrently on the board of Panasonic Manufacturing.

 

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Dave Yarnold, CEO, ServiceMax

Within less than a decade Yarnold has taken ServiceMax from start-up to being purchased by GE late last year for close to a Billion Dollars.

However, the meteoric rise of ServiceMax wasn’t solely about the technology. Yarnold has a true passion for the service and that passion has filtered down and shone through at all levels of the organisation, which was perhaps the secret source that put them at the top of the sector - having been recognised as the leading FSM solution provider in the most recent magic quadrant report.

Now as part of GE Digital, Yarnold has even bigger visions of how ServiceMax can play a role in building an operating system for the entire industrial sector of which service will be a key component.

Big ambitions?

Yes. But Yarnold is a man that could possibly just do it.

 

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Click here to see page three of the 2017 #FSN20

 

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