WorkWave®, a leading provider of industry-changing software solutions that enable field service companies to reach their full potential, today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Real Green Systems, a prominent provider of field service solutions in the green service industries.

This unique combination brings together two proven software solutions in the field service industry and furthers WorkWave’s position as a premier provider of leading solutions, delivering brands that have been proven over decades to drive the success of their customers.

“This acquisition is something rarely seen. It is two successful, fast-growing, market-leading companies coming together to create something truly special,” said David F. Giannetto, CEO of WorkWave. “It marks the beginning of a new chapter where WorkWave will help our customers focus on the future, helping them to go beyond service to create effective, fast-growing, highly profitable service organizations that also deliver the best service experience possible. Real Green believes in this same mission, and together we will allow every solution in this expanded WorkWave product portfolio to deliver greater value. We have tremendous respect for the Real Green team, and the goal of this acquisition is to not just allow them to continue to lead the green industries forward, but to help them make an even greater impact.”

THIS ACQUISITION BRINGS TOGETHER TWO OF THE MOST RESPECTED SOLUTIONS IN THE FIELD SERVICE INDUSTRY

Real Green and WorkWave share a common background as two companies created by industry professionals nearly 40 years ago, both becoming well respected in their respective industries, and continuing that success across the following decades. The merger of these two companies will allow WorkWave to combine the best parts of each organization, allowing Real Green to advance more quickly and WorkWave to embrace their depth of expertise in the green industries that Real Green is known for. While the Real Green solution and PestPac will remain separate, additional product offerings that support customer growth, including the equally respected Coalmarch and WorkWave Agency groups, will combine forces to maximize their development and value.

“This acquisition is one of the most impactful combinations in field service, merging two forward-looking companies who helped shape their respective industries,'' said Darren Roos, Chairperson of WorkWave. “The board of directors, along with EQT Partners, are honored to support WorkWave’s commitment to empowering its customers through strategic acquisitions that make a positive impact on its customers and the field service industry overall.” As a sign of their support, Serent Capital, the former investor in Real Green, and Real Green Founder Joe Kucik will roll significant equity and join TA Associates as minority owners of WorkWave.

“After years of watching WorkWave develop alongside Real Green, we’ve long known that the combination of these two companies would create something special,” said Bill Nunan, President and CEO of Real Green, who will stay on as the head of Real Green operations within WorkWave. “We are thrilled to be joining such a progressive solutions provider that shares our commitment to helping customers thrive, and who so strongly supports the continued growth and development of Real Green solutions, and our passionate customer base.”

This acquisition follows WorkWave’s recent acquisition of Slingshot, a leading provider of customer call center software, and further demonstrates WorkWave’s commitment to building an organization that is the best partner in the industry, enabling its customers to think and go beyond service, to create the best service organizations possible.

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Read more about WorkWave on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/WorkWave
• Find out more about WorkWave @ www.workwave.com
• Learn more about Real Green Systems @ www.realgreen.com
• Follow WorkWave on Twitter @ twitter.com/WorkWave

 

What exactly is RVA, and why is it rapidly gaining traction? In this article by Michael Blumberg, President of Blumberg Advisory Group, we'll get to know more about this game-changing technology.

Remote Visual Assistance (RVA) is not exactly new technology. It has been around for a couple of years now pre-COVID. However, it was only until COVID that it gained the attention of many businesses.

RVA is one of the emerging solutions amid the challenges posed by the pandemic. But what exactly is RVA, and why is it gaining the attention it has today? In Blumberg Advisory Groups’ Buyer’s Guide to RVA Software, we’ll get to know this game-changing tech, why it is a worthwhile investment, and what to look for in an RVA software fit for your business.

WHAT IS REMOTE VISUAL ASSISTANCE (RVA)?

Remote Visual Assistance (RVA) incorporates augmented reality, including merged reality and 3D annotation, along with video collaboration tools to create a virtual environment where the receiver and provider of support can communicate instantly, on-demand, and in real-time.

It can deliver guided troubleshooting and remote assistance to customers and field engineers through remote virtual assistance software. These features meet the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited companies from sending onsite customer support due to health and safety concerns. This is one of the primary reasons RVA has become the new expectation for service delivery within the Aftermarket Service Industry (i.e., field service, call center, technical support).

USE CASES FOR RVA SOFTWARE

Field Service Leaders consider remote assistance software due to its many uses in the Aftermarket Service Industry. As it continues to prove its value to businesses, it has slowly become the preferred model for onsite service. Below are the most common use cases by business function:

• Call Center - Technical Support: Remote Support, Troubleshooting, and Triage, Customer Self-Service
• Field Service: Second Tier Support, Cross Border Support, Workforce Productivity, Scheduled Service
• Others: Application Support, Training, and Onboarding

BENEFITS OF RVA SOFTWARE

To get a more clear picture of the benefits that RVA software provides to companies, below are recorded improvements of companies who utilize RVA software in their business operations:

• 30% reduction in time to resolution
• 20% improvement in phone fix rate
• 35% increase in first-time fix
• 30% increase in customer satisfaction

The numbers above serve as proof of how RVA has enabled companies to optimize their service delivery performance continually. It has helped lower costs by resolving calls remotely and efficiently and avoiding FSE dispatching. Companies are also able to meet and exceed customer expectations through RVA. Besides improving operations, RVA also has a role in reaching business growth objectives - by monetizing its RVA investment when offering remote support or using RVA as a paid service.

CORE FUNCTIONALITIES A RVA SOFTWARE MUST HAVE

When looking for the best RVA software, there are three general core functionalities to look for: (1) collaboration, (2) access and communication, and (3) enterprise administration.

Collaboration: RVA software must have the ability to allow people at different locations to give and receive help through a remote, collaborative experience. There is a broad array of features that can support collaboration. The most critical of these features are 3D annotation.

Access and Communication: A successful remote session is where the giver and receiver can quickly communicate in real-time. Various features make this possible, including but not limited to in-app messaging and mobile web browser support.

System Administration: As with any software, RVA must-have system administration features that provide user access, manages user accounts, monitor system security, and perform many other functions such as call reporting & analytics, and platform integration, and API support.

A complete description of core RVA feature functionality can be found in Blumberg Advisory Groups’ Buyer’s Guide to RVA Software.

RVA SOFTWARE VENDOR CAPABILITIES

Now that you know the key features an RVA solution must contain, the next step is to evaluate vendor capabilities. Here is an overview of the core capabilities and competencies you can use to assess a potential RVA vendor:

• Application Ease Of Use: End-users can quickly deploy the software
• Customer Success Management: Strong bench of implementation subject matter experts
• Strategic Coaching: The vendor offers ongoing guidance on using RVA in other parts of the customer’s organization.
• Maturity Model Framework: Roadmap for end-user organizations to evaluate areas for improvement and future growth.
• Partnership Approach: Vendor is responsive, flexible, and collaborative; has built a partner network.
• Enterprise-Grade Support: Vendor’s support team can support the needs and requirements of enterprise size customers and integrate their RVA software with enterprise systems.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR RVA SOFTWARE VENDOR

Blumberg Advisory Group has also identified a few Should Ask Questions (SAQs) which are critical questions you can ask your vendors to make the best final selection. For instance:

• How sound is the vendor's company?
• How easy is the product to use and implement?
• What level of security and certification does the application have?
• How will the vendor support your future requirements?
• What is the vendor's track record?
• How scalable is the vendor's solution?

The Buyer’s Guide provides model answers to these questions to help you evaluate and select an RVA software solution.

Read more of Blumberg Advisory Group’s in-depth analysis of Visual Remote Assistance by getting a copy of the full version of the Buyer’s Guide today at go.helplightning.com/2021BuyersGuide.

 

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Further Reading:

• Read more articles by Michael Blumberg @ www.fieldservicenews.com/michael-blumberg
• Read the 2021 Remote Assistance Buyer's Guide @ go.helplightning.com/2021BuyersGuide
• Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Follow Michael Blumberg on Twitter @ twitter.com/blumberg1
• Connect with Michael Blumberg directly by email @ michaelblumberg@blumbergadvisor.com

ServiceMax, the leader in asset-centric field service management, announced the debut of ServiceMax Engage, an intuitive mobile application that connects field service organizations with their end customers to increase service visibility, elevate the customer experience, and ensure asset data quality. The announcement was made today at the kick-off of Maximize 2021, the 10th annual Global Field Service Conference.

ServiceMax Engage Helps Asset-Centric Service Organizations Involve and Support End Customers for Improved Service Execution

ServiceMax Engage addresses two major pain points facing service organizations: the desire for greater visibility into and involvement with the service process by end customers; and the challenge of maintaining complete and accurate asset data. “Now more than ever, we want to ensure end customers are active participants in the service lifecycle. ServiceMax Engage enables service organizations to deliver a better customer experience, ensure the asset data needed for effective service execution is precise, and build more resilient service processes with their customers,” said Amit Jain, Senior Vice President of Product, ServiceMax. “Service organizations continue to face challenges maintaining accurate data on complex assets. Engage provides end customers greater visibility and involvement in the service process and lays the foundation for leveraging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence in the future.”

"Empowering customers to be more hands-on in managing their assets also helps to close a critical part of the feedback loop for manufacturers. Customers are best placed to validate information about assets in the field," said Nicole France, VP and Principal Analyst, Constellation Research. "Validating and updating that data increases the odds of getting the right fix the first time and improving preventive maintenance. It also ensures that customers have better visibility into their equipment and are more educated users."

ServiceMax Engage offers a range of benefits, including:

End Customer Benefits:

• Deeper involvement with the service process
• Self-service through remote support
• Real-time access to asset information

Service Outcomes:

• Enhanced customer experience and satisfaction
• Improved asset data accuracy and visibility
• Increased technician productivity
• Improved contract performance
• Increased service revenue

IT Benefits:

• Broader functionality and enhanced usability vs. a customer web portal
• Turnkey app = no additional implementation costs
• Seamless - native to ServiceMax and Salesforce 

Learn more about ServiceMax Engage at www.servicemax.com/engage

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Further Reading:

• Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Read more about ServiceMax on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/servicemax
• Find out about ServiceMax Engage @ www.servicemax.com/engage
• Follow ServiceMax on Twitter @ twitter.com/ServiceMax

Autotalks and Applied Information have teamed up to carry out the world’s first Dual-Mode /Dual-Active V2X deployment, in which Autotalks’ chipsets are installed in roadside units such as traffic lights in Georgia, Texas and Hawaii.

 

Autotalks, which specializes in V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication solutions, has teamed up with Applied Information, Inc., an Atlanta-based provider of intelligent transportation infrastructure solutions, to save lives on the roads of Georgia, Texas, and Hawaii. The two companies are carrying out the world’s first Dual-Mode /Dual- Active V2X deployment, in which Autotalks’ dual mode chipsets are installed in emergency vehicles and on roadside units such as traffic lights.

Applied Information has developed a Dual-Mode/Dual-Active Roadside Unit to communicate with vehicles equipped with V2X On Board Units (OBUs). The main use-cases are for emergency vehicles' traffic signal preemption, transit buses for traffic signal priority and vehicles involved in roadside work zones.

the world's first dual-mode v2x deployment for emergency vehicles

The traffic signal preemption function in Alpharetta, Georgia, the first site of the RSU deployment, transfers the normal operation of the traffic control signal to a mode of operation which gives the right of way to emergency vehicles such as ambulances and firefighting vehicles, while all other traffic is brought safely to a halt. As a result, these vehicles can arrive to their destination earlier and have better chances to save lives.

The deployment is expected to expand to include other use cases beyond emergency vehicles, such as transit bus priority, red light running alerts and “get ready for green” message to make traffic move more safely and efficiently through signalized intersections.

In Alpharetta, over 150 traffic control devices are connected and provide a unique opportunity to make real improvements in safety and mobility on streets and highways. The Georgia site is the first real life testing site of this type of deployment. Applied Information has signed similar agreements in Texas and Hawaii, where the two companies are cooperating in similar deployments.

The deployment takes place throughout a 78.5 square mile area surrounding the Infrastructure Automotive Technology Laboratory (iATL) in Alpharetta. The iATL is the world’s first private-sector facility for developing connected vehicle applications for both vehicles and traffic control devices such as traffic signals.

 

"Enabling the US automotive industry to immediately start large-scale V2X deployment during the period of uncertainty until a uniform technology is chosen."

 

“Our work with Applied Information, which results in the world’s first Dual-Mode /Dual- Active V2X deployment, is another proof that the auto industry is determined not to wait until the US regulator will decide which V2X technology to deploy. Whether C-V2X or DSRC is selected, there is a move to deploy agnostic technologies such as the one we are offering with AI, and to begin saving lives today,” said Yuval Lachman, vice president of business development at Autotalks. He added that the collaboration will expedite Autotalks’ entry into the U.S. market.

“The AI/Autotalks solution enables roadway operators to confidently deploy V2X technology today so the infrastructure is ready for the auto industry deployment, while providing ‘Day One’ benefits such as safer, faster emergency vehicle response times now,” said Bryan Mulligan, President of Applied Information.

Autotalks believes that it has an important advantage as its dual mode V2X chipset can enable the US automotive industry to immediately start large-scale V2X deployment during the period of uncertainty until a uniform technology is chosen. With the company’s dual mode chipset, carmakers can focus on bringing enhanced safety to US roads with V2X without taking into consideration which V2X technology will prevail.

Autotalks’ deployment-ready, 2nd generation V2X chipset is the world’s first available solution which supports both DSRC based on 802.11p/ITS-G5 standards and C-V2X based on 3GPP release 14 and 15 specifications with embedded V2X cyber-security functionality. The chipset allows customers to easily toggle between DSRC and C-V2X communications.

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Further Reading:

• Learn more about AI's TravelSafely™ app @ www.travelsafelyapp.com
• Read more about Software & Apps  @ www.fieldservicenews.com/software-apps
• Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Learn more about Autotalks @ www.auto-talks.com
• Learn more about Applied Information @ www.appinfoinc.com/

 

Kris Oldland talks exclusively to Steve Mason, Chief Revenue Officer with FieldAware about the changing landscape of FSM software...

FieldAware is a brand that has been slowly building a presence as a rising star amongst field service management (FSM) software providers for the last few years now. However, across the last twelve months or so they seem to be distinctly focussing on pulling together a team with an enviable background and history within the sector - perhaps readying for a major assault on the market?

The addition of Tabitha Taylor-Higginson and Caroline Pennington (both from Trimble Field Service Management) has added a depth of industry knowledge and understanding of best-practice, go-to-market strategies on the communications side of the business, whilst new Chief Revenue Officer Steve Mason, has an eight year record with industry stalwarts ClickSoftware to his name - holding a variety of titles ranging from Vice President of Sales for the EMEA region to Vice President of Russia, CIS and Mobility - in short he is not only a man who has experience in successfully working with top-tier enterprise account sales, but also a strong knowledge of product development within FSM systems.

In short, it seems that within the last twelve months things have stepped up a gear for FieldAware in terms of how they intend to approach the market going forward.

“There has been a lot of momentum that has been building over time, but now it is beginning to become more visible as things are all coming together around the product, around the marketing and around our go-to-market strategy,” begins Mason as we touch on the subject.

“We are becoming more visible in the market, but in a controlled way. From the board’s perspective it has been building up the momentum and now they are bringing in key personnel that will drive the company into the next market environment.”

Controlled seems to be the key word here. There seems to have been a very clear plan from the senior team at FieldAware to get the product right, before then building the team that can firmly establish the company as a key player within the FSM software community.

Indeed, as Mason explains there was a lot of behind the scenes work in developing the product in order to be able to integrate easily with others that had to be completed before FieldAware could really begin to move forward into the enterprise.

“Whilst the company were operating primarily in the small to medium sector, we invested heavily in developing a mobile led, innovative solution that was built on an enterprise approach architecture. We wanted the ability to have a field force management solution, where we could have custom objects associated at multiple levels, so the application could through configuration be quickly tuned to the needs of different customers in different verticals.”

“To then expose that flexibility to all of the communications channels - so out through the API, into the integration layer out to the mobile and then out to the web, as you can appreciate it takes time to build that kind of product, but it was where we saw future.”

However, listening to Mason speak it is not just care and attention that FieldAware have put into the development of their product - he is keen to outline how they have taken a very different approach than some of the more traditional vendors in the market have done in the past.

“Our focus has been to develop a mobile application that is very intuitive and easy to use - everything we do is about intuitiveness and being thumb friendly. Successful solutions are always easily adopted because they’re so easy to use.”

“Our approach has been to really focus on empowering the people in the field, the field service technicians that are working directly with their customers and can therefore have the biggest impact on a brand when service is being delivered. By making sure that they have an application that is simple to use but also offers access to rich data that is embedded within the service call (so they don’t have to be reliant on syncing up, it’s all there for them, they can just go ahead and use it) the aim is that it all leads to them being able to deliver better service.”

 

“So we’ve really been focussing in from that perspective. We’ve been taking into consideration how millennials think when they are in the field and how do the older members of the workforce think whilst they are in the field too.

It’s a different approach from the traditional world of big optimisations that are focussed on macro management of a workforce and then driving that work out. In fact, it’s a very different approach.”

Indeed, this shift in thinking is perhaps mirrored in a number of different corners of the industry.

Whereas before the focus has been, both from a technology and a management point of view, about ensuring field service teams are working as efficiently as possible - i.e. on task such as processing the workload and optimising the work schedule, now with customer service rising to the forefront of most conversations about company wide KPIs, the focus is very much on empowering the field service engineer with the tools at his disposal to be able to delight customers on each and every visit.

“The workforce has changed,” comments Mason “even the way that people work and the relationships that there is between the field and those in the office, there is now an inherent trust. If someone has a smartphone then they are visible wherever they are.”

“So companies no longer need all the old tools that were there to micro manage, now it’s about empowerment and working in a trusted sense within the organisation. It is now effectively one department, rather than being field and back office - today everybody is mobile.”

“The whole culture has changed and you need a different approach. That is where we’ve been coming from, we’ve seen this change and been building forward towards it. Now we are becoming more visible in the market because more and more organisations are looking to take that approach and work with organisations who will empower their field force. Also through an open architecture we are also able to extend their previous investments in legacy systems whether those be on-premise or in the Cloud,” Mason continues.

 

“It is a changing market. It is rapidly changing mainly because customer service remains the critical differentiator for many organisations.” He concludes.

Indeed the landscape is ever changing (see Bill Pollock’s feature on page 22) and FieldAware find themselves in the interesting place of being able to compete with other FSM software vendors such as ClickSoftware or ServiceMax but also at the same time offering a solution that can also fully compliment such competitor systems due to their focus on integration.

But perhaps the greatest shift field service companies are having to deal with currently isn’t the ever evolving vendor landscape but more the shift within their own workforces - as Baby Boomers move on and Millennials take their place. But what role can technology play in alleviating the pain points of what is such a distinct changing of the guard?

“I would say that how a solution sits with Millennials in terms of functionality and usability should be one of the top priorities for field service directors because if you look at the Gartner view in terms of digitising the enterprise, they see adoption as the biggest barrier to success,” Mason comments.

“Applications like ours enable companies to effectively digitise the last mile - i.e. get all the work instructions, all the processes out to the workforce. They can use it online or offline depending on their connectivity, but is has to be intuitive.’

“It has to be intuitive for the traditional workers because they need to adopt it quickly, and it has to be an engaging tool for Millennials who want to work differently with modern, refreshing looking apps.”

“Adoption rates are critical for any digitisation strategies - so usability, whether it be for Millennials or Baby Boomers should be very high in the selection process.”

Of course one trusted route to speeding up adoption which we have discussed a number of times in various Field Service News articles is getting the involvement of some of the field service technicians in the selection process of any given new tool they will be using.

This is a trend that Mason admits he has seen growing in recent years with more and more field service organisations involving a selection of service technicians to give their insight into any potential new solution.

“We’re seeing a growing trend where the selection process will include some members of the field team,” Mason agrees. “What this does do is enable both us and the customer to accelerate the time to value because it allows the customer to see how the tool will work within their wider system, but also allows us to better understand the challenges we’ll have to work through in the project.” He concludes.

It is a sensible route and one that is quite indicative of the customer-centric approach that Mason and the team at FieldAware are taking. The question now remains can they build their own acceleration when it comes to gaining a significant role within the FSM landscape? The product is certainly up to par, and with the recent senior talent acquisitions, such as Mason, the team is shaping up very nicely too now.

So could 2017 potentially be FieldAware’s year? They are certainly getting them selves in the right place at the right time...

 

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