Software firm create 'Oneserve Community' to help key workers during pandemic.

Oneserve is offering a streamlined version of its job management software free to key workers during the COVID-19 outbreak.

'Oneserve Community' is a quick-start pre-configured solution aimed at key workers from the care sector; those that carry out emergency repairs within properties; those that keep utilities networks operating or those overseeing a voluntary group delivering essential supplies, the company says.

Service Management

Managers of key worker teams can use the application-based platform on a mobile or desktop to share jobs created and completed, avoiding paperwork, emails or phone calls. Users can check daily schedules and access specific job information with just one click. Everyone can see what is expected of them and by when. The work they carry out is then recorded within the system to create an automatic audit trail. 

Oneserve work with public and private sector firms who provide essential services and this relationship, CEO Chris Proctor says, combined with the current crisis influenced the decision to create the new platform. "We recognised the contribution they [essential service] made to keeping our nation running before we were in the middle of a global crisis, but now this service is accentuated to a completely new level," he said.

“For this reason, we were very keen to support the critical roles our key workers are undertaking. At the end of the day, the easier it is for these key workers to carry out their tasks, the more people they can support.

"These are unprecedented times, times which require a different way of thinking, a different way of supporting one another. For all of us at Oneserve, we see this free solution as a token of our gratitude to those who continue to support and protect us all.”

For more information and to request access to this free offer visit oneserve.co.uk/oneserve-community.

Are we on the cusp of a revolution or are we experiencing evolution? We spoke to Paul Joesbury, Operations Manager at HomeServe and Chris Proctor, CEO at FSM Software provider Oneserve and got their thoughts on IoT, automation and the general attitude towards new technology adoption...


The impact of technology has been felt far beyond service. Homeserve’s Paul Joesbury worked in finance before joining the utility company “I look back and reflect on my time in finance,” he recalls, “many of the tasks were done manually, like ledger reconciliations, which are all automated now. Previously it would take a bank of humans that would take the best part of a week to reconcile something and now it’s pretty much done with the touch of a button.”

The Operation Manager continues, adamant that his current sector should benefit from the same progress “So why should service operations be different? The technology, I think, is pretty much already there. It’s how it can be applied in a cost-effective way which is going to be the challenge for organisations.”

Chris Proctor is another great believer in technology but he suggests firms should adopt technology for the right reasons. “A lot of companies are trialing new technology at the moment, but it comes down to when it is absolutely necessary, and at what point does the use-case become really tried and really tested.” However, the Oneserve CEO is concerned about the pace of adoption generally in the sector. “I might be lambasted for saying this but I don’t think there has been much innovation,” he says, aware of the statement’s brevity. “It’s disappointing that the last real innovation in field service management was moving to the cloud and even then, I don’t think everyone is fully there yet.”

It’s a bold claim, yet one that has substance. The industry has been accused before of lagging when it comes to embracing disruptive, digital technology. “I think one of the biggest problems the industry has is properly understanding the trajectory of new technology,” he explains. “There’s this concept of necessity being the mother of all inventions and I think there’s a really good point in that. A lot of industries and a lot of sectors are having to go through a lot of change. In the UK there’s so much uncertainty in so many pockets at the moment, trying to make big decisions on how you engage with new technologies is very difficult.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Joesbury who feels the role of technology will slowly phase out that of the engineer...but not quite yet. “I definitely think in five years’ time that there will still be humans around,” he ponders, “but I think we’ll be doing different roles, and I think the important aspect over the next five years is to learn to trust the technology and equally for the technology to work and we’ve got to embrace that. After that you’re on a journey searching for the next big leap of faith but where does it come from? I’m not sure if service operations is going to be the market leader in this space, but I definitely can see lots of value potential, I think we just have to open our hearts a little bit and embrace it.”

"The impact of technology has been felt far beyond service..."

The society that technology operates in can also influence how it is executed. We are on the cusp of a younger generation who expect everything to work first time. The way in which people communicate is also changing, to a point where digital messaging is superseding vocal interaction.

If the trend is to continue then service will have to adapt to this way of communicating and reflect that in its technology usage. Where does Proctor see the service sector heading? Will there be a fundamental shift in approach as more young people enter the arena? Servitization and the gig economy, he predicts, will have an impact on the way services are delivered. Most likely through a subscription-based model, complimented by disruptive innovations and delivered by freelancers who, in order to maintain their personal brand, deliver consistent service excellence. “I can see a world where most of your services are consumed on a subscription-type basis. You contact your service provider who then uses technology similar to programmatic advertising whereby contracts are tended and bid for and secured within seconds, all underpinned by blockchain.” he says.

The role of blockchain in IoT and its evolution will surely be an important one. As more devices connect with one another than security becomes more of an issue, however Blockchain could provide the ring fence Iot needs. However, Proctor, a passionate advocate for blockchain, wants quicker adoption. “I think there are lots and lots of limitations of how we are going to bring [blockchain] in,” he says. “In exactly the same way that iOT and AI is a technology set that people don’t fully understand. There is a lot of hype around how it can help service but when you scratch under the surface, it’s just a hypothesis,” he pauses, “it has the ability to be truly, truly game changing.”

Blockchain, IoT and AI are all huge potential disruptors in the service sector. IoT could, over the next few years, become something that pushes the boundaries of what we now see as traditional service. As Paul Joesbury said, it’s about “trusting and embracing what is available”. Perhaps then will we witness a number of game changing moments.

Game on! 

Field service management software specialist, Oneserve, has hired Alistair Hayter as its new Chief Technology Officer.

Hayter has worked in senior technology and product delivery roles in the education, healthcare and finance sectors. A specialist in solution design, team development and strategic alignment and has previously been Head of Engineering for Equiniti Data,
Technical Director for Lovell Sports LTD, CTO for Imagine Education LTD and Senior Product Manager for VitalPac.

Chris Proctor, CEO at Oneserve said: “This is a key appointment and we are really excited to have Alistair join the team at Oneserve. Our business has grown dramatically over the last few years and Alistair’s skills and expertise will drive forward our exciting development plans for the future.

“Alistair has extensive industry experience which will only serve to enhance our business offering. We are delighted he has chosen to bring this knowledge to Oneserve at a crucial time in our growth and we look forward to product innovations and new launches ahead,” concluded Proctor.

 

As a recent guest on the Field Service Podcast, Oneserve’s CEO Chris Proctor shared thoughts on innovation, servitization and the worrying discrepancy between new and retiring engineers. Field Service News Deputy Editor Mark Glover looks back on a conversation that asked uncomfortable yet insightful questions of the sector.

 

What is digital? “It’s about bringing people together in one global location; a world without boundaries; a world where ideas are born and developed; where people live, and most importantly; where people transact.”

These are the words on Chris Proctor’s Linkedin profile. If it is his mantra it’s a good one. It’s refreshing to get such a holistic view of digital. Do we label it a platform or technology? Who really knows? However it’s useful – and perhaps essential - to try and frame its creative potential and understand how it can seed ideas and drive innovation. 

I was fortunate enough to record a podcast with Proctor towards the end of 2018 and among other threads of conversation (including the definition of digital) I asked about the industry’s progression in adopting new technologies.  “I might be lambasted for saying this but I don’t think there has been much innovation,” he said, aware of the statement’s brevity. “It’s disappointing that the last real innovation in field service management was moving to the cloud and even then, I don’t think everyone is fully there yet.”

It’s a bold claim, yet one that has substance. The industry has been accused before of lagging when it comes to embracing disruptive, digital technology. In fact, writing for this magazine moreMomentun’s Jan Van Veen, suggested a knowledge gap around its definition was contributing to the malaise. “Too often, I see misconceptions about disruption and disruptive innovation and a lack of clarity on what needs to change and too slow a pace of change,” he wrote, “by consequence, manufacturers tend to make inadequate assessments and develop inadequate strategies, allowing leading competitors and new entrants into the industry to take the lead.” 

 

 

“I might be lambasted for saying this but I don’t think there has been much innovation...“

 

 

To halt this inadequacy, Proctor thinks a further disruptive approach is needed to jolt the sector from its lethargy, encased in an attitude he phrases as “okay is okay”. He uses the utility sector as to expand his point. “You only have to look back at the gas or water boards where there was very little competition with very little incentive to be a lot better and I think we’ve lived with that legacy for quite a long time. “Look at what’s happened in some of the other sectors and see how much things can be disrupted when someone comes in and says ‘We don’t believe ‘okay is okay’ and we’re going to offer a very different service proposition,’” he urged.  




To reach this level, servitization and the gig economy, he predicts, will have a fundamental impact on the way services are delivered. Most likely through a subscription-based model, complimented by disruptive innovations and delivered by freelancers who, in order to maintain their personal brand, deliver consistent service excellence. “I can see a world where most of your services are consumed on a subscription-type basis. You contact your service provider who then uses technology similar to programmatic advertising whereby contracts are tended and bid for and secured within seconds, all underpinned by blockchain. You then have the real emphasis of an individual providing a service on behalf of a company, then what you then see is that you don’t get the overheads that come with large contractors, but you do see service excellence from an individual who is trying to make a name for themselves and secure their own future,” Proctor said. 

This small-task employment model could be the remedy for the alarming disparity between new field technicians coming into the industry and those retiring, however despite the need for a swift solution Proctor feels the time frame for such a movement is ambiguous. “Whether it’s five years, whether it’s ten years, I think a move towards that model is irrefutable” he says, “I also think the timings are completely debatable.” 

I enjoyed the conversation, and I suggest you listen to the full podcast on our website. If the point of digital, as Proctor says, is to create a world where ideas are born and then developed then we need to hit reset, disrupt and collaborate. Perhaps then can innovation thrive.  
You can listen to the Field Service Podcast with OneServe's Chris Proctor here.

 

The Field Service Podcast returns for series three with a brand new host Mark Glover who speaks to Oneserve's CEO Chris Proctor. 

in this edition of the podcast fieldservicenews.com Deputy Editor, Mark Glover talks to the ever insightful and engaging Chris Proctor, CEO with Oneserve where they discuss why robots won't be taking over field service operations (just yet) and how OK should no longer be good enough for field service companies that want to excel.

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It has been revealed today that preventable machine downtime in the UK manufacturing industry is costing manufacturers a staggering £180bn every year.

At a time when the UK Economy sets-out to re-establish itself as an economical, industrial and technological powerhouse on the global stage, the knowledge that over £180bn can be added back to the economy by controlling preventable manufacturing downtime will certainly come as positive news.

The comprehensive research commissioned by Oneserve, the award-winning field service management company, exposes the cost and time implications associated with traditional current machine maintenance methods.

There are 133,000 manufacturers in the UK (ONS), contributing a total of £6.7tn to the global economy, and according to industry senior business leaders, the overwhelming causes of machine downtime are internal technical faults and ageing, unreliable machinery. Yet, nearly all instances (94%) can be prevented through harnessing readily available technologies, such as predictive maintenance software. Using machine learning algorithms and data collected from sensors on machines to monitor performance 24/7, Oneserve’s software analyses and learns when and how a machine will fail and then triggers remedial actions to get operatives equipped and on-site before the failure occurs. Harnessing AI and Field Service Management in this way means machine downtime can be prevented.

 

Discussing the findings Chris Proctor, CEO of Oneserve commented “Whilst unsurprising, it is truly shocking to see the scale of losses businesses endure due to machine downtime. It is clear that existing maintenance processes aren’t working and the time has come for predictive methods to become the norm – not the exception. I hope that in light of these findings, businesses can take control of machine downtime and ensure they are working to deliver the best possible service for their customers.”

 

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Oneserve, field service management software specialist based in Exeter, UK has announced a key strategic partnership with machine learning and predictive analytics specialist BiG Consultancy. The partnership will see the companies enhance and accelerate Oneserve Infinite, Oneserve’s Predictive Service Management offering.

Whilst many continue to talk around the prospects and future potential of machine learning and predictive analytics, this partnership make it a reality.

Chris Proctor, CEO at Oneserve,  who was listed in the Field Service News #FSN20 list of key influencers this year, explains more: “Today we live in a world where our cost palatability is decreasingly rapidly, whilst customer expectations of service delivery are increasing at a seismic pace, driven largely by technology and innovations in our ‘consumer’ lives.

“By looking outside the conventional confines of traditional field service principles, technologies and systems we have been able to learn and bring on board a number of solutions and make them accessible to our customers,” concluded Proctor.

 

Initially the Oneserve team looked into the potential of IoT, but found that whilst it provided a decent tool as an edge based trigger, essentially customers could be told that there was a problem without being able to do much about it; there was still going to be a significant downtime, but with perhaps just more time to try and work out how to manage it.

It was when in 2016 that Oneserve began to see what the alignment of a holy trinity of technologies, Big Data, IoT and Artificial Intelligence, could mean to customers that the true potential of a solution began to become clear.

“We’ve used Artificial Intelligence within our current scheduling engine for some time,” explained Proctor.

“However, combining the three provided the ability to look much wider and understand the relationships between failures and the contributing factor. This in turn, provided capabilities that could predict failure months in advance, a hugely significant step for us. In some industries, the costs associated with a responsive breakdown repair job can be as much as 20 times higher than the planned job.”

Partnering with BiG was a key part in Oneserve’s strategy to accelerate developments in this area and develop meaningful, real-world use cases where it could deliver significant advantages to customers. BiG has worked successfully with high profile customers in the past in this type of area including the likes of CrowdCube, The MoD, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme and Microsoft.

BiG co-founder, Gerry McNicol commented. “BiG is excited to be partnering with FSM leaders Oneserve on this innovative project. The combination of Predictive Asset Maintenance and Field Service Management is a fantastic example of how real benefit can be gained for both customer and supplier.

 

“It’s a superb use case for IoT and Machine Learning technology showing tangible and measureable benefits. Once you’ve seen it in action you wish you’d done this sooner,” McNicol concluded.

“So far we’ve been working to predict failures using our system to prevent them and to use deep learning within our existing product to optimise ‘job’ success,” commented Proctor. “Providing users with the ability to know when a given task is going to fail and why, allows for changes to be made pre-emptively. However, we have huge plans at harnessing the power of Oneserve Infinite and Deep Learning in an increasing number of ways and BiG will be critical part of that.”

Oneserve Infinite is able to provide customers with:

• A system that can autonomously recognise a ‘failure event’ with significantly more warning, ensuring that the relevant teams are notified and operatives are scheduled efficiently to undertake planned maintenance to prevent downtime.
• Detailed maintenance schedules of work that will be required over a given time
• ‘Asset Commercial Viability’ projections to help companies understand the remaining useful lifespan on their assets
• On a Service Management platform this technology transforms ‘Responsive Breakdown Repairs’ into ‘Planned Maintenance Events, offering customers, and indeed, theirs, with vast cost efficiencies and a level of service excellence that will set the benchmark for the future

 

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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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Click here to see page two of the 2017 #FSN20 

 

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Chris Proctor, CEO, Oneserve

With their relatively niche operating background primarily serving the UK local government and housing sector Oneserve may not be a company that are as well known as some of their competitors within the FSM solution space, however, there is no denying that in Proctor they have a CEO who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers.

He has called for the Field Service Management software industry to stop “holding innovation hostage” and under his leadership the organisation have won some significant contracts away from their ‘home turf’ of the housing sector including Pay TV leaders Sky and construction giants Kier.

Having been promoted to CEO from Marketing and Sales Director in just 8 months with the company Proctor is a young, dynamic leader who is not afraid of controversy if it means raising awareness of issues within the industry.

 

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Professor Andy Neely, Head of the Institute for Manufacturing, Cambridge University

Professor Andy Neely is Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Enterprise and Business Relations at the University of Cambridge and also Head of the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) and Head of the Manufacturing and Management Division of Cambridge University Engineering Department.

In his role as a Founding Director of the Cambridge Service Alliance he is widely recognised for his work on the servitization of manufacturing, as well as his work on performance measurement and management and as such is often seen chairing sessions in the field service sector.

 

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Hilbrand Rustema, Managing Director, Noventum Service Management

As service management consultancy spanning three continents. With over 200 successful projects and a proven track record of improving growth and profitability Noventum are a tour de force and are firmly established as the leading consultancy within the field service industry.

Hilbrand Rustema has been a driving force in that development and continues to lead the business having been at the heart of evolving service thinking for many, many years.

 

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Jan Van Veen, Managing Director, Van Veen Business Innovation

One of the founding partners of Noventum, Van Veen is now working under his own brand and is currently developing a framework for companies to be able to develop continuous momentum based on a series of detailed benchmarking and researching projects.

A broad and ambitious project, but Van Veen has the background and insight to be able to deliver what should be highly powerful business tool.

 

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Local government needs wider changes if adoption of such frameworks are to rise writes former Councillor and Chief Executive Officer with supplier Oneserve, Chris Proctor...

The recent commitment from Warren Smith, the head of G-Cloud and the DOS framework, to re-look at G-Cloud 9 with a fresh pair of eyes, is a real step in the right direction if we are to overcome many of the obstacles that remain in the way of wider adoption.

However, all of us that have been involved in local government IT procurement know that there need to be wider changes if there is to be a step change in the usage of frameworks such as G-Cloud.

The original aims of G-Cloud, that Smith seems to want to move back towards, remain sound.

Indeed, it could be argued that local government can actually get more value from G-Cloud than other parts of government, both to make the purchasing process easier and for the public sector to implement the best, most innovative solutions; from companies of all sizes.

Obviously this is much easier said than done; lamentably, local government, largely remains behind the curve, especially when compared to central government department levels of engagement.

So, whilst we on the whole welcome a full revision of the framework, in order to increase local government buy-in there needs to be more fundamental change, not necessarily just in the nuts and bolts of how the framework runs.

Having been a city councillor I have experienced how local councils can be a fearful place. Not only do you have a line manager, a supervisor, a portfolio holder and a chief executive, you also have a number of elected members and of course and electorate. All of whom are looking to deliver the best for their own masters, or at least the ones shouting loudest.

 

Decision making within this context can be like entering a bear pit, especially within councils with no overall control. Procurement decisions can frequently face scrutiny at multiple levels, leading to guessing, second guessing, political point scoring and directional changes.

On top of that, we have a whole sea change potential every four years or less in some cases. How really, can one truly expect to make pragmatic, strategic decisions in such an environment?

Does this give councils the confidence to look at large capital projects within the IT infrastructure, which, whilst improving services, would be a large expense, and not necessarily as visible as keeping front line services operating?

What needs to happen is a wider, cultural shift, one that facilitates decision making, both from a capital and an empowerment basis.

Should councillors, who, have no pre-requisite to be business experts, when they are elected have the ability to change the playing field to the extent that they do? Of course there is a more fundamental question here, but in order to facilitate proper planning and strategies, questions do need to be debated as to how this can be made possible, or at least extents thereof.

As well as the wider changes at a procurement level there needs to be more of a focus on ensuring that local government departments are fully up-to-speed with G-Cloud and it’s potential.

Local government has no fear of spending budget on SaaS. Some of our biggest contracts remain with local government but they are almost all exclusively done outside of the framework.

There is a responsibility from Warren Smith and his team, as well as vendors, to ensure that the benefits are well communicated. The G-Cloud framework was set up to give local government more access to smaller, more innovative companies, that can offer great solutions for a great price.

The obsession remains very much with the traditional vendors, which means something is clearly broken at this level.

Education needs to be placed right at the front alongside the wider procurement changes to ensure that local government is fully aware of the potentially fantastic impact working across the framework can have.

But there is hope.

If Smith can truly get G-Cloud into a position where it can provide the entire public sector with access to the extraordinary level of innovation that exists within SMEs in the UK, then that has to be good for those companies, the public sector and most importantly the tax payer.

 

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