ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘parts-pricing-and-logistics’ CATEGORY

Worldwide Business Research (WBR) held its Field Service 2017 conference at the end of April with over 450 service leaders from top manufacturing and service companies in attendance.

With so many service leaders in one place what better opportunity to find out what five key areas field service companies are focussing on? Michael Blumberg, was on hand to find out...

 

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1. Leveraging IoT to drive service efficiency:

There has been a lot of buzz lately in the media and among industry analysts about the value of IoT in improving the efficiency of field service operations. No wonder it was one of the key themes of Field Service 2017!

IoT offers several benefits to field service organisations (FSOs) including the ability to remotely monitor machine performance, make proactive adjustments to improve machine life, predict when a machine is about to fail and provide proactive service, and remotely diagnose problems when the do occur.

As a result, FSOs can gain better control over costs and resources. While IoT holds great promise, many conference participants have not fully implemented end to end IoT solutions. Field Service 2017 provided them with an opportunity to gain new perspectives from Field Service leaders who have already achieved these outcome.

 

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2.  Embracing digital transformation to create a “Uber” like service model:

Today, many Field Service leaders are asking themselves if their service businesses are ready for uberization?

This question stems from the growing trend of companies to offer services through an always on, always connected, always visible, and always available business model. Technologies such GPS, mobility, optimisation software and innovative approaches to sourcing labour (think - gig economy jobs, crowdsourcing, contingent labour) have helped to facilitate these models.

Given that these technologies and labour models are also available to FSOs combined with the fact that consumers have grown to expect an “uber”-like experiences in general, Field Service leaders believe it is only a matter of time before they need to implement similar business models.

 

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3. Creating and finding a new workforce:

A common challenge facing the field service industry, regardless of the technology supported, is the shortage of skilled field service engineers (FSEs).  Let’s face it, the younger generation does not view field service as a “sexy” profession.  Given other career paths, why would anyone want to fix broken products when they can be building the next “big-thing”. 

On the other hand, there are a ton of good people out there who can perform field service jobs.

The problem is they either prefer to work freelance and/or lack the appropriate level of training or experience.

Field Service 2017 provided attendees with the opportunity to learn how Crowd-sourcing applications and Freelance Management Systems can provide access to a broader labour pool, and how Augment Reality tools can help less experience FSEs overcome any knowledge gaps they possess.

 

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4. Optimising service parts management:

Managing service parts is the costliest aspect of field service management after managing labour.

Not only do customers expect their FSEs to arrive in a timely manner, they also expect them to resolve their issues right the first time. Having the right spare parts available at the right time is critical.

However, FSOs can’t afford to have too many parts sitting in many locations for too long as it causes a drain on profits. Optimization of spare parts, in other words, making sure you have just the right amount of parts at just the right number of locations is critical. Although this seems like an age-old problem facing FSOs, it is nice to see the topic on the agenda at Field Service 2017 since Field Service leaders need to continually refresh their knowledge of this subject.

 

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5. Nurturing an environment of customer first:

This topic is also a long-standing issue facing Field Service leaders. It has gained renewed attention as companies place greater and greater focus on improving the customer experience.

However, there are still a great deal of high-tech companies who remain focused on putting their products first, customers second, and service third.

Competitive trends, technological developments, and market requirements are continually forcing companies to rethink this paradigm.

If Field Service leaders are serious about creating at customer first environment and want their service organisations to play a more key role in this shift, they must be able to influence their management teams to invest in the strategies, tactics, and tools that make this transition possible.

Learning about best practices and similar experiences from peers at Field Service 2017 helps facilitate this outcome.

 

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There has been consitent talk about the role of 3D printing could play in field service logistics and spare parts management for many years now but still we have yet to see a clear solution arrive using the technology. Kris Oldland talks to Tim Helsen, UPS to see if it is on the horizon and if so how will it work and what benefits will it bring...

KO: 3D printing has for a while been positioned as a major disruptive technology within supply chain management, but can it really be a magic bullet to help field service companies meet the challenge of getting parts to their engineers in a more timely fashion?

TH: At UPS we see two potential areas for using additive manufacturing in field service operations and spare part supply.

Firstly, 3D printing has the potential to be used for a more tailored part supply based on customer needs at any given moment in time. In particular for older machines where spare parts are not on high demand and the moulders that were used for mass production are not available anymore. In situations such as this, spare parts can be created through additive manufacturing at a relatively low cost and supplied to the engineer in a short amount of time.

A broader use of 3D printing technology can be imagined in situations where the manufacturer is making adjustments to a certain part based on data collected from the field. Here, additive manufacturing can help to redesign a certain part and allow to manufacturer to quickly distribute the improved material.

 

Furthermore, if manufacturers only stock high demand items and switch to 3D printing technology for low demand items, they can significantly reduce their overall inventory levels and operating costs.

KO: What are the challenges and benefits for a field service organisation to adopt 3D printed parts as part of their spare part management strategy?

TH: The key benefit is that field service organisations can tailor spare parts according to the needs of their customers and thereby improve customer satisfaction and loyalty levels. The key challenge for field service organisations will be to make the financial investment and accumulate the knowledge and the expertise to switch from traditional manufacturing to 3D printing.

UPS has integrated 3D printing facilities into its global network and built up expertise in additive manufacturing, so our customers do not have to.

KO: There are numerous examples of high quality 3D printed parts being used in industrial products, but realistically with today’s technology and infrastructure are 3D printed parts a valid solution in terms of spare parts management for field service companies?

TH: Despite 3D printing’s current shortcomings in some field service situations (parts made from several components, large or complex parts that take a long time to print,..), UPS offers field service providers value because we combine an on-demand 3D printing manufacturing network at central air hub locations with a global logistics network. Together, they form an on-demand economy business, allowing for asset-light operations if you are a field service company.

KO: Do you think 3D printing solutions will become a standard tool offered by major logistics providers (such as FedEx, UPS, K&N etc) or do you think it will remain a specialist sector?

TH: 3D printing is going mainstream. And as it does, the technology is likely to revolutionise traditional manufacturing and redefine our notion of supply chain logistics.

3D printing is available at more than 100 The UPS Store locations in the U.S., and the pilot program is so successful among small and medium-sized businesses looking to leverage the technology, that we expanded our 3D services across the U.S.

 

We partnered with a 3D printing company to build a 3D printing facility at our global Louisville hub and in 2016 began offering this service in Asia too, with scope for further expansion.

 

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In this Field Service News webinar brought to you in partnership with Tesseract, we will be exploring five fundamental field service management technologies that every field service organisation should have in place – discussing why each is vital to making sure your service delivery hits your core KPIs as well as taking a look at how to use the technologies in a live environment.

This webinar will provide a strong hands-on overview of the types of technology that your team should be using with demonstrations and user tips from Tesseract’s Kevin McNally to help you get the most value from field service management technology.

The technology we will be showcasing will be Tesseract’s own Service Centre 5.1 the latest offering from a company with over a thirty year heritage in delivering field service management software, so there will be a great opportunity to see the latest generation of FSM solution in action – although there will be plenty of best-practice advice that will be suitable for users of any FSM solution.

The five key areas we will be focussing on are as follows:

• Contract Management
• Scheduling
• Mobile tools and communications
• Parts & Inventory Management
• Integration=

Who is this suited for: Whilst this session should be of interest to any field service management professionals, the session is particularly aimed at organisations who are either currently still using manual processes or legacy FSM systems/, FSM systems with limited functionality and looking to see the tools and applications that should be expected as standard in a modern FSM solution. 

The technology being showcased in particular is ideally suited to those companies with over 10 field service engineers and the information presented will be aimed towards an audience of field service managers/directors, operations directors or owners/MDs of Service Companies. 

 

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The webinar will be held at 13:00 BST and you can register your place for the session by clicking here

 

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Kieran Notter, Director, Global Customer Transformation, ServiceMax from GE Digital, takes a fresh look at some perennial problems...

Field service management hit the headlines in 2016 as automation, the Internet of Things and servitization reshaped the way we service and maintain capital assets.

These trends have now trickled down to the supply chain, providing a fresh approach to age old headaches. In this article, we look at five areas of friction in the supply chain and how combining field service management with assets is solving them.

The Inventory Tug of War

CFOs will always push for lower inventory levels to free up cash flow and reduce the risk of obsolescence. Yet Service Directors want higher inventory to increase First-Time Fix rates, reduce internal costs, improve productivity and raise customer satisfaction.

The supply chain is between a rock and a hard place trying to balance between two opposing arguments. So what’s the solution? In a word, knowledge.

Knowing the assets and installed base – from the basic location knowledge all the way to IoT (smart connected products) – gives the supply chain a much better chance to meet the demands of both sides. It caters for greater availability but with less inventory, thus freeing up cash. By using the data that’s attached to the asset, it’s location, it’s preventative maintenance plan, and its productivity provides an alert when a part is about to break.

 

Expensive, Unplanned Freight Costs

Knowing the frequency of parts that fail, and the correct intervals for preventative maintenance visits reduces freight costs with fewer ‘emergency’ shipments. However, the biggest saving here is actually in reducing the parcel count itself. If you know what parts you are going to need and when, you can consolidate shipments, sending them direct to the technician in advance.

At a basic level, just knowing where your assets are means you can position the inventory in more strategic locations to reduce costs and increase availability.

Product Lifecycle – The Delayed Curve

A supply chain is expected to cover the assets through their lifecycle. However, if you cannot see if the install base is growing or shrinking, you can’t align inventory accordingly.

That means it’s on a delayed curve which will either result in back orders for new product ranges as the planning tries to catch up or obsolete stock for products as they come to the end of their lifecycle, and usage slows down as planning has not reacted quickly enough.

Addressing this issue also means you get insight into the true profitability of a contract or product.

Likewise, knowing the top 20 required shipments rather than just focusing on the 200 makes a huge difference to how a supply chain can react and prioritise their efforts and resources. This also gives a much more focused supply to the field service organisation and the customers with the most need.

Back Orders After The Fault Is Fixed

When parts are ordered direct to the fault on the machine, a small change in process and practice can pay huge dividend – cancel back orders once the fault has been fixed. This may not work for all businesses but it will work for many.

In most cases, back orders are left for the supply chain to fulfil, even though the technician has fixed the issue with a borrowed unit from a colleague or fixing the part rather than the assembly ordered. If the original back order is left, the other technician who lent the part is now second in line to get it returned, which has a knock-on effect with a ‘not required’ demand outweighing a potential ‘urgent’ order.

Also, if the original back order is shipped to the customer and the customer’s machine is up and running, then parts are often lost. One company who introduced this practice (less customer fit parts) reduced their back orders by 52%.

IoT (Internet of Things) – The Holy Grail of Condition-Based Service

Many companies are now firmly into the IoT realm and benefitting from the data that is being provided.

From smart sensors telling them what parts need replacement before an issue arises to optimum intervals between preventative maintenance.

Using this voice of the product alongside customer demand means you can plan your inventory to not only be available before a fault arises, but also plan the consumables and after sales items to a level that has not been seen before.

This moves you into the servitization market with confidence and a predictable profit margin.

Both the supply chain and field service benefit hugely from analytical information, real time data feeds, and expected, predictable outcomes supplied by IoT and its communications. You only need to look at industry verticals benefitting from this already, such as jet engines, fleet management, HVAC and medical devices to name a few.

 

Without asset knowledge, you are essentially working as a ‘demand’ chain and within the limitations of technicians’ ad hoc tasks to manage any intelligent levels of inventory at your locations.

You will always be behind the curve.

Some companies with high volume and low SKU’s can manage with this model, but all businesses will benefit from more real time data and the ability to not just pre-empt future requirements, but act on them.

 

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Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief Field Service News asks isn’t it about time we learnt to manage spare parts as well as we can manage the mobile workforce?

When looking through the list of topics discussed in most field service conferences it seems that there is one area that is often heavily overlooked - which is namely the topic of parts distribution. So often we talk about the importance of getting the right engineer, with the right skills to the right job and getting them there on time.

Of course it’s all a moot point if they don’t have the right parts needed to complete the job.

Yet head to any industry event, or look through the pages of any industry journal (including even our own humble offering) and you will find far more content that is weighted towards managing the dispatch of engineers than you will see focussed on the dispatching the parts that they need to do their job.

In our defence it’s an easy trap to fall into - there are just so many more voices shouting about mobile workforce management than there are shouting about parts management and service logistics.

The challenge is that whilst the service that logistics providers can provide to field service organisations is absolutely crucial (and can offer very tangible performance benefits), in the wider scheme of things we must remember two key factors.

 

Firstly, the number of companies that can offer the ability to deliver across international borders and to the type of time scales that field service organisations require are very few and far between. Secondly, within such organisations, field service and parts management is really just a very small component of their wider operations, so perhaps gets a touch overlooked.

Yet, slowly that is beginning to change.

Companies such as FedEx, Keuhne Nagel and UPS have all stepped up to the plate to try and help resolve some of the pain points felt by field service organisations in relation to their parts delivery. Also we are beginning to see more and more senior logistics professionals become focussed on field service as a sector.

One such individual is Tim Helsen, Netherlands Country Manager, UPS who was speaking recently at the Field Service Europe conference held in Amsterdam, and I was pleased to receive his invite to connect over a coffee at the event to gain his perspective of how companies such as UPS can help field service companies overcome the perennial challenge of cumbersome and ineffective parts management and logistics.

“There are a couple of key trends as we see it,” Helsen commented when asked on why so many companies seemed to struggle getting spare parts into the hands of their engineers, or even in some cases just delivering parts to their customers.

“Firstly, we are seeing a large number of companies telling us that their customers are demanding better aftermarket solutions from them, yet when we spoke to those exact same companies they were not treating the aftermarket side of their business as a priority.”

“In fact, 78% of companies stated that effective spare parts management and delivery was highly sought after by their customers but only 12% were treating this area as a priority, so there is clearly a disconnect,” he adds.

 

Having spent time further investigating this disconnect Helsen believes that the causes are the pragmatic results of a number external pressures on field service organisations.

He identifies the challenges of recruiting, training and maintaining field engineers, who are themselves working on ever more complicated devices, as a key reason why companies naturally tend to push their focus, and indeed their infrastructure towards what he describes as ‘simply getting their guys out on the road.’ As such, parts management is often the neglected cousin.

However, this approach, whilst clearly being endemic to our industry is one of purest folly. In his presentation, given a little earlier in the day, Helsen went through a number of case studies highlighting how paying such little heed to the delivery of parts coukld have a dramatic knock on effect when it comes to the performance of field engineers.

Discussing how they had worked with Snap-On in the UK he explained; “They had 400 engineers and up until we began working with them those engineers would get their goods delivered at home. So whilst they were scheduled to start work at 8am, they would be waiting in between 8 and 10am.”

“The solution that we offered them was ‘you know which customers in the day you know you are going to help so we can redirect those packages so you don’t have to wait at home’. The packages will then be delivered to the closest proximity of that customer - which is typically between 5 and 10 km away maximum.”

The UPS solution also allows the technicians to pick up from locations such as petrol stations and newsagents which expands the available working hours adding additional flexibility (which can be a big benefit to customers and engineers alike) plus UPS also provide a dedicated app which allows for parts tracking but also allows engineers to redirect packages in real time.

One of the whole premises of modern day mobile workforce scheduling is that delays are always likely to happen so changes need to be made dynamically to re-optimise the day. By giving field technicians a means to also adapt the collection of any parts they need in reflection of such changes is a vital tool that should be welcomed with open arms by field service companies.

 

In fact, it could even be argued that seeing as parts should really be more easily managed than people, it’s incredible that such solutions are only now beginning to become part of the fabric of field service management.

For me, it seems that the biggest failing we have all undertaken - practitioners, vendors and media alike, is to treat parts management and service logistics as a separate entity to workforce management. Admittedly there are software platforms that incorporate parts management alongside FSM tools, Astea comes to mind as one solution that offers such a solution, but even then how closely aligned is it to the actual delivery of parts?

How many field service companies have fully integrated parts handling and delivery into their mobile workforce management systems?

Yet the benefits of doing so are clearly vast.

As Holden explains “If you look at the time savings in the magnitude of saving 80 minutes a day and multiply it by the number of engineers they have, this is a saving of anywhere between 2 and 6% of the total staffing of their engineers.”

“Linking back to the fact that many companies have a shortage of engineers [due to the issues around recruitment, training and retention mentioned earlier] then such a saving can go some way to overcoming that because they are able to do more with the same amount of engineers.”

 

Indeed, as I talk to Helsen, I find myself nodding in agreement as not only does his argument very easily stack up, but it’s almost a word for word a repetition of the arguments put forward by the scheduling engine providers.

Arguments which by now most in the field service industry are very well versed in to the point that they’re universally accepted as common sense.

The technology is available, and essentially the argument has already been won by the workforce scheduling vendors - even many SMBs now utilise some form of workforce optimisation, because the R.O.I is clear to see.

It seems the next easy win for field service companies looking to improve efficiency margins is quite simple - revisit your parts management and service logistics chain and put the same emphasis on getting the right parts to the right place at the right time as you do getting engineers - surely it’s about time we were able to get parts in the right place as well as we can people?

 

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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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Logistics provider UPS recently showcased a working prototype of a drone solution that launches from the top of a delivery truck. The test which was conducted in collaboration with drone-maker Workhorse echoes a proposed means of using drones within a delivery mechanism suggested by Ralph Rio, A Research Director with the ARC group which Field Service News reported on back in December 2013 whereby drones are used to augmented existing delivery drivers capabilities whilst they are in the field rather than deliver packages straight from the depot.

UPS believe that sending drones to make deliveries from package cars could bolster efficiency in their network by reducing miles driven across their delivery route and whilst the test was for residential delivery, a similar approach could potentially be adapted for delivery of parts to field service technicians - particularly if combined with other technology such as the location based services offered by organisations such as Glympse. 

 

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David Troll, SVP, Sales & Customer Operations, Glympse puts forward one potential innovative solution of the perennial field service challenge of getting parts and engineers aligned at the same time...

“You can’t deliver a part to a service van.”

This is something we hear often in the field service industry. The reality is, you can.

A recent Aberdeen Group report found the top reason for a failed service visit is parts unavailability1. This is a critical factor in achieving first-time fix (FTF), which is a top driver of customer satisfaction. Without the right parts at the right time, field service businesses face not only increased costs (truck re-rolls) but also lower NPS/CSAT. Yet many factors affecting parts availability are beyond the control of field operations, making the FTF elusive. Assuming the dispatched technician has the skills and expertise to solve the problem, there are still numerous issues that can arise. The initial diagnosis may have been incorrect, only to be discovered on site; the historical record doesn’t match the actual parts used in previous repairs; or fixing the first problem reveals additional issues, requiring new parts.

Some cutting edge technologies like 3D printing (in the field service van) and drone delivery are being explored as possible solutions. They hold promise in the future, but neither is a realistic option today.

Nor will they ever fully address complex, heavy or sensitive parts.

However, current technologies like location services and the Internet of Moving Things (IoMT), including connected vehicles, provide a readily available solution to enable better spare parts delivery, in pursuit of happier, stickier customer engagements.

With three simple steps, you can turn any field service van into a mobile, on-demand parts depot.

Step 1: Source the Right Part

A technician’s options for sourcing a needed part are limited. He can drive to a nearby warehouse, find a co-worker with a spare, or buy it at a local supply store. All of this is time-consuming and inefficient, which can frustrate the customer and worse, jeopardize SLAs – resulting in penalties.

Without a readily available part, the technician may have to wait around (inefficient) or defer to a follow up appointment (bad service experience). SPL providers have the networks and logistics expertise to handle some of this with just-in-time courier delivery, but they still need to connect with the technician.

By logging all inventory (assets, parts, consumables) and making it discoverable based on its location or affiliation with a vehicle, you can gain visibility into all parts options. By integrating your parts management system with your fleet management or field service system, you can achieve maximum efficiency.

Step 2: Apply Location Services to Vans, Parts and People

Regardless of where you source the spare part - a warehouse, a co-worker’s van or an SPL courier -  coordinating streamlined delivery to the job site is crucial.

Leverage a robust location platform to show stakeholders an accurate ETA and location for a spare part handoff. Choose a partner with the flexibility to build sophisticated live map views that enable a real-time holistic vision of people, vehicles and relevant parts in a connected ecosystem.

Finally, determine which scenario(s) you’ll empower your teams to execute:

• A field manager or teammate secures a part from a warehouse and delivers it to the technician
• A technician on the road with the missing equipment drops it off to his nearby teammate
• A colleague or 3rd party courier is dispatched
• The technician locates the part at a warehouse, depot or supply store and travels there himself for a quick pickup

At Glympse, we help customers around the world like Charter (formerly Time Warner Cable), Comcast and others provide the ETA of their field service technicians and deliveries via live map and proactive alerts. We are working with others to provide that same location services platform to inform technicians about exactly when their co-worker or courier will arrive with a spare part and help the delivery person find the technician quickly.

Step 3: Enable the Connected Vehicle for Unattended Delivery

Speed and efficiency are critical for a FTF.

Technicians can’t afford to stop working to wait for a delivery or go into a warehouse/store to pick something up. Instead, make the trunk of your technicians’ vehicles the warehouse or delivery depot.

With location technology and today’s smart-car capabilities, it’s simple. Integrate your connected vehicle with location services to automatically unlock a trunk (using a secure, one-time code and a geofence trigger) once the delivery or pickup person is in proximity of the vehicle.

The part is delivered and ready for the technician when he needs it - right in his own van.

Alternatively, a technician could leverage his connected vehicle to alert a warehouse manager of his ETA and verify his identity for a fast, curbside pickup with zero waiting.

This is just the beginning.

Emerging technologies and location-enabled ecosystems are set to change the way we operate, making field service execution more efficient and effective, driving unmatched customer satisfaction.

For now, we’re well on our way to making sure availability of parts is never a barrier to satisfying customers.

 

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Heating engineers across the UK will enjoy a new, updated version of PartsArena Pro from January 2017 as creator, Infomill rolls out its latest improvements to the leading source of heating parts and technical data to over 2,600 licensed users.

With the ability to access the app offline on iOS, Android and Windows, PartsArena Pro has fast become an essential efficiency tool for heating engineers whilst out in the field. Instant access to technical manuals, part imagery, interactive exploded views, parts codes and a stockist locator helps engineers to reduce time on-site and improve the first time fix rate by ensuring much more accurate parts ordering.

The system is being used by heating companies including larger organisations and SME’s to enhance customer service and cut cost on site. Many engineers are benefitting from integration with their field management systems, enabling automated parts ordering.

The January update of PartsArena Pro will see many improvements and enhancements, often developed from valuable user feedback. These include:

• A new user interface with dropdown menu replacing tabs
•  One-time log-in account for activation
• Manually add notes to an appliance or part for handy reminders
• Create a Favourites list of appliances and parts for swift access
• Quick access to recently viewed parts and documents
• Copy part codes to a clipboard to paste into external documents
• Automated feedback forms as part of the help and support available
• Full on-screen help throughout the app

 Jonathan Ralphs, Managing Director, Infomill commented on the update saying “We’re very proud of our market-leading app that continues to provide huge efficiency benefits for heating engineers nationwide. Forever wishing to keep PartsArena Pro cutting-edge, we have a highly skilled team that reviews all user feedback in addition to technological advances, to understand how we can make this invaluable app even more effective and intuitive to use. The result being that this updated version will certainly enhance service performance every single day."

PartsArena Pro is increasingly being integrated into field service management systems to offer efficiencies at every level coupled with a better customer experience. A recent example concerned field service management company Aeromark working with Infomill and Plumb & Parts Center to deliver a brand new, fully integrated system for use by Swale Heating; a ground-breaking USP for this heating company.

 

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