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PTC has introduced two new smart, IoT-based connected service solutions: Remote Service and Connected Service Parts Management. Both solutions leverage the company's ThingWorx  IoT platform to help organisations transform the way they execute service for connected products,  optimising decisions for better service delivery.

They are integral components of PTC’s  roadmap for organisations adopting a strategy for smart, connected service.

It helps them redefine their service models to generate unprecedented value for their customers and organisation. The service journey entails three steps:[ordered_list style="decimal"]

1. Understand – Make smarter decisions by analysing service and product data in real-time
2. Advance – Differentiate your service offering by improving and expediting the way products are serviced
3. Outperform – Completely redefine value for customers and the service organization with new offerings and business models.

[/ordered_list]"Many organisations struggle to transform their service environment and desire to take advantage of IoT and the value that can be gained from the data streaming from connected equipment and devices,” says Steve Morandi, senior vice president, Service Lifecycle Management, PTC. “PTC’s connected service solutions help organisations successfully navigate this transformation by optimising their existing service models and creating new value-added offerings. With Remote Service and Connected Service Parts Management solutions, organisations can analyse service and product data in real-time, differentiate service offerings, and improve the way products are serviced.”

Remote Service enables service and support technicians to remotely identify, diagnose, and resolve issues, while continuously monitoring key performance parameters in connected equipment. Remote Service helps service organisations avoid equipment downtime and unscheduled service events enabling organizations to reduce service costs and improve customer service.

Connected Service Parts Management enables service organizations to utilise data directly from connected assets to more accurately forecast and plan service parts demand. Leveraging the power of the ThingWorx IoT platform,  Connected Service Parts Management captures asset location and performance information and feeds that data to the Service Parts Management solution. By collecting, transforming, and organizing data reported directly by equipment in the field, organisations are able to improve service levels and increase equipment availability. 

These smart connected service solutions help companies improve their service revenue and profitability, competitive advantage, and product reliability.

"In delivering better solutions and outcomes to customers, connectivity is a must for service organisations," said Sumair Dutta, chief customer officer, The Service Council. "A connected infrastructure can make a service business more predictive in its service relationships, more efficient in its reactive service delivery, and more responsive in the development of new services that are needed by customers."

 

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ClickSoftware have for a long time been seen as a key leader amongst field service solution providers. But the sector has gone through rapid evolution within the last few years with technology moving forward whilst the market becomes ever more competitive.

Meanwhile, ClickSoftware have been through an evolution of their own, with new ownership and a new CEO Tom Heiser, at the helm.

And he is determined to see the optimisation specialists stay at the forefront of the industry. Kris Oldland reports...

If you ask any seasoned field service professional to name check three field service software providers you can almost guarantee that ClickSoftware will be one of those they mention.

For many years ClickSoftware has been viewed as the gold standard in terms of field service optimisation. However, the market is going through rapid change and is now more fiercely competitive than ever before. In such an environment, relying on past reputations is a dangerous game to play - even when your reputation is one as strong as that which ClickSoftware can boast.

However, across the last year, ClickSoftware have gone through rapid changes of their own. After long running and widespread rumours of SAP acquiring the company proved to ultimately be unfounded, the company was purchased by Californian based private equity firm Fransicso Partners.

This was followed by the appointment of Tom Heiser, formerly of EMC as a new CEO, and whilst many of the Israeli talent that pushed ClickSoftware to the forefront of the sector remain on board, Heiser’s arrival heralds a new era for ClickSoftware, with both their approach to technology and culture having a delicate shift of focus to help them hold on to their position as an industry leader.

When we meet for the first time Heiser himself comes across initially as very much something of a people person, a firm handshake is balanced by a warm ‘Hollywood’ smile and he carries that air of informality and confidence that seems to be becoming commonplace amongst senior executives working for US tech firms these days.

When we meet we are also joined by Mike Karlskind, a man with a career spanning some twenty years plus with ClickSoftware.

Given the recent restructure of ClickSoftware, one could be forgiven for thinking this was the old guard introducing the new. However, as conversation unravels across the next hour or so, it seems more that Heiser understands and values the talent and history embedded within the company, and intends to utilise it.

 

His aim it seems, is not so much a complete re-imagining and reinvention of ClickSoftware, more gentle refinement, to ensure that the company remains ahead both in terms of technology and of course market-share.

Part of that process is ensuring that the company retain a focus on R&D but also that they make sure the market is aware of that focus.

“Before I flew over here I spent sat down with some senior industry analysts in Israel “ says Heiser, “and they were saying to me, the technology behind ClickSoftware is right at the top, but you guys really need to start banging the drum some more.”

Indeed, in their midsts ClickSoftware have some fantastic success stories, including European automobile glass replacement giant Belron, who operate in the UK as Autoglass.

“Mike and I have been speaking to a number of our clients’ COOs, Presidents etc recently and having strategic conversations around how to best leverage our solution and one of the best examples is Autoglass based over here [in the UK].”

 

“They have a net promoter customer satisfaction score which is like crazy high and they’re using  ClickSoftware as a tool to completely differentiate themselves from their competition, and I’m really proud to see that.”

But what about the shift in focus in terms of technology? What can we expect from ClickSoftware moving forwards?

Well it is clear from speaking with Heiser that he sees very much the future of both ClickSoftware and enterprise computing in general, as being based in the Cloud. However, he also understands that the shift from the still prevalent traditional on-premise model to a Cloud based world is not solely about the development of the technology.

“The thing is, shifting and changing the culture is actually harder than getting the technology right,” he begins.

“With the technology, you just get the right people, you invest in it, and you’re going to ultimately do it. The second area is the business model, which as a small public company, which is what we were, makes it super hard to go to the Cloud.”

 

“Now we have with a board of six people in Moshe [former CEO and founder] myself and four guys from Francisco Partners, who are all super smart guys that have done this before. So I feel with the six of us we can do it, but how do we do this with the new business models?”

“How do we go from an on-premise model with cash flow up front to a subscription model which is where we feel we need to be. Everybody wants to be on the other side, nobody wants to go through that process. But we’re set to get there.”

As he speaks, Heiser conveys a sense of the magnitude of the task not only faced by him and his team in terms of moving with the ever growing traction driving software solutions towards the Cloud, but also faced by the industry in general.

However, there is also an underlying confidence that he and his team are more than up to the challenge, that he cannot contain.

[quote float="right']I look at culture as the biggest challenge, but then there are some people here that are so energised by what we’re doing it’s like, ‘let’s go faster’

“Culture is the third element we need to mention. I look at culture as the biggest challenge, but then there are some people here that are so energised by what we’re doing it’s like, ‘let’s go faster’ I feel like I’m holding you back! - It’s really invigorating, but we need to rein it in every now and then and make sure we’re all on the same track.”

 

Having spent an hour with Heiser, it is clear his enthusiasm could genuinely be infectious, yet it is also clear that he is grounded enough to see the woods as well as the trees. He is also smart enough to not only keep key members of his team such as Karlskind close by, but also to admit when it is time to turn to them for support.

There may have been a number of changes for ClickSoftware in the last year or so, but with Heiser at the helm there is a good chance that their position as one of the leading brands in the market will remain firmly intact.

 

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Australian Field Service Management Software provider The Service Manager have put together this infographic and we think it covers a lot of the bases for the fundamental benefits of field service...

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The new wave of field service management technology is here writes Charlie Jackson, CEO, FieldAware...

We’re all customers and have increasing expectations around the service we expect, both in our personal and work lives. For service organisations these expectations bring increased pressure to get it right.

Field service management software is part of the answer and has been around since the late 1970s.

Highly complex, it was originally designed as on premise, server-based scheduling solutions and was very much focused on enabling the work of the back office. Work orders were dispatched, but technicians had only limited access to job and customer information due to the cost and performance limitations of the devices and networks.

With the advancements in field service management software going hand-in-hand with the mobile evolution, the focus in service operations is now firmly on the field worker themselves.

 

And this is quite right - the technician has long been the company face and often the only direct contact a customer will have. The customer experience they are able to deliver counts for a great deal. Complete knowledge of the job is often fundamental in the delivery of this service excellence and turning up to site with this information at hand or having access to it, delivers an improved customer experience.

The technician needs a mobile solution which helps them to do their job in the best possible way.

The workflow to and from the back office has to be seamless as this quick and easy access to information enables better decision-making and ultimately improved resolution.

So how can an organisation manage this shift to focus on the field without losing sight of the importance of back office operations?

Taking the back office into the field 

While back office processes remain essential components of any service operation, we’re seeing far more return from putting the focus on the field where greater value can be derived. The right mobility solution gives the whole organisation the ability to manage the workflow seamlessly and keeps all operational elements connected.

There is visibility of the work and the day’s performance and the mobile piece allows decisions to be based on real-time activity and updates.

 

For the back office, a mobile solution which easily integrates into existing systems is critical, as often a mix of best of breed solutions are used due to the niche nature of the work.

This can mean that systems are used in isolation and data from one system doesn’t always assimilate with another. Integrated mobility means that the two-way flow of data is captured, just once, and in a consistent and efficient way. It means that no data is left unused or delayed while waiting on paperwork or downloads and an audit trail is in place reducing the chance of any missing information.

The result of the right mobility solution is extending the work of the back office out into the field in a robust and reliable way, connecting the operational workflow and ultimately ensuring service objectives are met.

Focus on the right mobility solution 

So, whether you are looking at developing your mobility strategy or introducing mobility for the first time, how do you choose the right software for your business with the many solutions on offer today?

From working with a range of companies, we’ve found that there are some common principals.

Ease of integration is key. You don’t need to have to think about changing your whole field service solution. Extending the life of your current systems is important, so look at mobile solutions which will leverage and expand their use.

Implementation needs to be as quick and straightforward as possible. A lengthy implementation process will defeat its objective. So being up and running in days, not months, should be the realistic goal - delivering a much faster ROI.

 

Any mobility solution should be easy to use. Overly-complicated systems will be bypassed and worked around or ignored all together.The easier to use, the quicker the adoption and the better the ROI.

All mobility software needs to be agile and able to move with the next generation of mobility.

Developments are moving fast so it is important that your provider is keeping up to speed.

It is crucial for any mobility solution to work across mixed digital devices, especially with the growth of BYOD and the rise in the use of contractor workforces. The apps will need to work across different operating systems too.

Essentially, mobility is about the anytime, anywhere access to and sharing of information that makes it the vital, valuable next step a service organisation can take.

To download our white paper – ‘Making the Move to Mobility: The Digitalisation of Field Service’ – please visit http://www.fieldaware.co.uk/movetomobility

 

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Chris Beling, Commercial Director at Zafire, looks at the connection between ‘empowering field service engineers’ and customer satisfaction and some of the business benefits those organisations, who have already made the connection, are experiencing...

Hands up if your customers don’t expect exceptional service anymore they demand it, if they expect you to exceed SLAs and not just meet them?

Fierce competition and evolving customer expectations mean that meeting SLAs, fixing assets and simply turning up on time don’t really do the job anymore.

Why empower your engineers? 

We are now seeing more and more leading service organisations shifting focus from product to service and, by equipping their engineers with the right tools and knowledge many are seeing year-on-year improvements in customer satisfaction, which as you would expect, reflects in contract renewals, client retention and positive noise about the company and the brand.

According to recent reports published earlier this year the number one compliant made by customers is ‘technician was unable to resolve the issue’.

The key reasons for failing to resolve an issue include things such as; lack of knowledge about the customer or asset, incorrect skill set, wrong tools, no parts – these are not new issues so I’m sure you know how the story goes in terms of business impact – multiple customer visits leading to poor customer satisfaction ratings, increased costs and ultimately a reduction in client retention and new business generation.

 

Communication between back office and field service engineers via mobile devices and software applications has been around for years. The step change we are seeing comes from providing the engineer with real-time insight.

So rather than simply firing a job out to an engineer with the focus of arriving within the agreed SLA, service organisations need to ensure that the engineer not only gets on site with the customer on time but also has the parts, skills, and information to resolve the issue.

Of course it’s not just about engineers receiving data, it’s about enabling them to collect insight whilst on-site and feed that back into a central database allowing other areas of the service organisation to leverage that information and also provide added value for the customer.

This could be an update to asset information, not only identifying but also generating quotes or processing purchasing orders whilst on-site, with the customer or having direct access to parts suppliers.

How do you empower your engineers

Today, top service management solutions will provide enhanced engineer planning and optimisation tools that can automatically plan a job based on any number of parameters including SLAs, customer opening times, skill set etc.

They will also have the ability to auto plan multiple engineers to a single job whilst allowing the capture of individual times on site and eliminating double entry of data.

All aimed at getting the jobs/work orders allocated to the right engineer as quickly as possible.

Once allocated the engineer needs the right parts. Automatic stock replenishment for the mobile workforce means spares can be ordered to a designated ‘Pick up Drop off’ (PUDO) point eliminating the need for engineers to return to the main warehouse to replenish stock.

 

More specifically top service management software providers understand the need to keep mobile solutions simple whist actually providing more functionality to support on-site real-time insight.

Key areas such as on-site quoting, allowing engineers to quote for, and customers to authorise work within a few quick steps eliminates the need for office staff to follow up on quotes, improving both first time fix rates and customer satisfaction.

At the risk of getting overly technical, direct system interfaces play a big part in ’empowering the engineer’.

For example, systems are now linking directly to 3rd party parts suppliers to provide ‘Live Part Lookups’ which means engineers can view the entire parts database, search for and order parts, and manage the requisition-to-receipt process from end-to-end allowing on-site ordering and receipt directly from the mobile device.

The ability to be reactive on site by using ‘Live Checklist Lookup’ functionality means that if the situations changes on site, engineers can reflect this in the paperwork they raise, decreasing time spent altering or changing job details or forms.

So the introduction and adoption of mobile solutions to empower your mobile workforce is not just about saving paper, reducing errors generated through manual processes or improving the speed at which a work order is processed.

It is also about giving your engineers the tools to adopt a truly customer centric approach on every job they attend.

And that customer centric approach will also lead to improved ‘first time fix rates’ and will help  reduce downtime and loss of productivity for customers – things your customers really want their service organisation to deliver.

 

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Komatsu Forest, the sole supplier for Komatsu timber harvesting equipment in the UK and Ireland, is reaping the rewards having implemented a Mobile Workforce Management solution from BigChange Apps. Since introducing JobWatch, Komatsu Forest estimates it has improved operational efficiency with engineers achieving a three percent gain in productivity. Customer service has been boosted with same day reporting and timely invoicing, and the company has also improved health and safety compliance with automated vehicle checks and risk assessments.

David McIlwraith, Managing Director of Komatsu Forest Ltd, commented, “This was a completely new system for us. For years we have been running our business on spreadsheets, and this resulted in a high level of admin due to the paper trail produced. We were also in the market for vehicle tracking but knew we wanted to everything through a single system.”

[quote float="left"]“On the few occasions we have needed it, the 24/7 RoadCrew support has been excellent; good response times and regular updates.” [/quote]JobWatch from BigChange Apps offers a paperless way to plan, manage, schedule and track Komatsu’s mobile workforce. This powerful web-based platform combines back office software, mobile apps, fleet management and real-time vehicle tracking in one simple to use system.

Prior to the introduction of JobWatch, Komatsu operated a paper based reporting system with engineers completing paper timesheets and job reports – often late and with varying competency. This information was then manually entered into a number of different systems, for example, customer invoicing and payroll. Since implementing JobWatch, Komatsu Forest estimates it has saved in region of 1,000 man hours per year through the automation of essential documents and timesheets. Customer service has improved as service reports are filed on the same day the work is completed, and invoices are issued more promptly, improving the business’s cash flow.

“We now handle all documentation and all time management through JobWatch,” continued McIlwraith. “This includes vehicle checks, timesheets, risk assessments, job cards, machine inspection reports and much more. When we need it, JobWatch will also handle our stock control and invoicing, and we have even had the system adapted to cover workshop usage too. Literally, our engineers do not need to pick up a pen – everything is done at the touch of a screen.

“On the few occasions we have needed it, the 24/7 RoadCrew support has been excellent; good response times and regular updates.”

BigChange founder and CEO Martin Port added, “Securing tangible returns on investment for our customer is what BigChange and JobWatch are all about, and working with businesses like Komatsu Forest to achieve this is truly rewarding.”

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Resource Type: White Paper
Published by:  Oneserve
Title: The Oneserve Field Service Survey
Download: Click here to download the white paper

By downloading you agree to the T&Cs listed available here

Synopsis

At the end of 2015 Oneserve conducted a comprehensive survey of c.15,000 organisations of various sizes across the UK. The aim was to understand:

1. How UK field service businesses prioritise their operational and strategic objectives
2. To what extent their field management software is successfully used to achieve them

Together the results highlighted a key issue: that many businesses are missing out on the potential value of field service software, and may need to re-assess their choices. The survey responses also threw up more questions around the causes of this missed potential, and what the future holds for field service management. This white paper evaluates these findings...

Overview

Drawing on a comprehensive and far reaching survey this white paper distills the research into a number of key findings including:

Key priorities for growth:

To understand the relationship field service software has to business success, Oneserve asked their respondents what their top priorities were for achieving business growth. The three key drivers were maximising efficiencies, utilising data and exceeding customer expectations.

The missed potential of field service software

Working smarter and for less cost is clearly of huge importance to field-based businesses. It is here that field service software holds the most value for organisations; driving both competitive advantage and revenue growth. Yet the survey revealed that many organisations are missing out on the potential business value that correctly used field service software can provide.

Untapped efficiencies

What does efficiency mean for field service delivery? Intelligent stock and asset management, high ‘first-fix’ rates and fast response times, preventative initiatives, and improved scheduling? Or, getting the right person with the right parts to the right place at the right time? A deceptively complex interplay between people, processes and technology. However,  3 out of 4 companies said they could do a lot better at maximising efficiencies.

Unused Data

All efficiencies and customer service improvements come from intelligent and proactive use of data. Leveraging the comprehensive data points that arise from an intuitive and well-integrated field service software solution should provide essential information on trends and inefficiencies, and allow crucial insight to improve processes.

Yet, despite spending large amounts of money on expensive software packages that should provide valuable information in an easy-to-use, relevant format, 80% of the survey respondents admitted they proactively use less than half of their available data.

 

What’s the issue?

The results from our survey appear to show a clear disconnect between the strategic objectives of businesses and the value they are extracting from their field service software.

Whether it’s missed opportunities for promoting efficiency, under-used data insights or compromised customer care, the potential benefits of a fully integrated field service solution are simply not being fully realised.

More control for less cost

The future of field service management lies in providing more control, with less cost. Allowing businesses to adjust their solution to fit their own specific requirements no longer requires a team of experienced coders or hugely expensive professional service days that are lucrative to the software providers but prohibitive to the customer.

The recent development of ‘low code’ software solutions that allow the client’s business to implement, configure, amend and evolve their solution themselves through easy-to-use application development dashboards now means more robust, flexible and intuitive options are available - a true ‘Software-as-a-Service’ offering that provides maximum value for minimum long term cost.

 

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For more detailed information on each of these topics and a more in-depth look at overcoming the challenges the survey presents click here to download the white paper now!

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Return on Investment and workforce management should go hand in hand but it can take careful application explains Marne Martin, CEO, ServicePower...

Return on Investment “ROI” is such a buzz word, especially in field service.

Most organisations, which offer some sort of field based services eventually realise that to achieve their productivity, customer satisfaction and cost metrics, some level of automated workforce management (WFM) technology is required. Even small productivity gains bring guaranteed benefits to any organisation.

Making the Case

The business cases for WFM vary, but generally, the most common goals are improved efficiency, increased customer satisfaction, decreased costs and streamlined processes, such as collaboration, inventory management and billing.

 

 

While WFM technology does require an investment of course, it can generate huge returns, in as little as nine months according to Gartner, throughout the field service process.

 

The most successful WFM deployments begin with a commitment to improving existing processes and a focus on productivity enhancements.

An example of the sorts of key performance indicators that are possible with the implementation of a WFM technology that includes configurable parameter-based optimisation include:

 

• Total capacity increased from 6,427 jobs to 8,579 jobs (33% uplift)
• % jobs completed late decreased from 78% to 33%
• Average jobs/day/tech increased from 4.72 to 7.18 (52% uplift)

 

To achieve these sort of improvement in your organisation through the implementation of a WFM including algorithm-based technology to maximise your productivity, it starts with well laid plans.

Evaluate WFM vendors:  Select a vendor based on supported deployment models, especially in 2016 when SaaS deployments are increasingly important due to speed of implementation, cost savings in terms of IT resources, hardware, licensing and security. Integration capabilities, and features such as schedule optimisation, mobile dispatch/support of on site processes and business intelligence are also important.

And, look to the future. Business models, customer expectations and technologies change.

The best WFM vendors offer technology which supports your current business model, but also provides a roadmap to support growth and evolution in the future.

Build a solid team: Cross functional project teams, which include executive sponsorship and a strong project leader with the relationships and negotiation skills to navigate across the teams are key to driving consensus and success. Don’t forget the tribe.

 

 

Much information about current operations and the ability to enforce the changes necessary from the bottom up depend on the techs, dispatch, call centre, finance and HR teams that general aren’t initially included in the project because they fall outside to the core field service and IT teams.

 

Every functional group will have its own goals (or not) for the project and varying commitment to it.

Document plans and goals: Drive commitment by attributing specific ROI metrics to each functional group and use a formal ROI model to measure the results.

Collect data: Ensure data is collected prior to launch so that recalculation of the metrics after can be calculated the same way to provide a solid, unquestionable analysis.

Calculating the results

Documenting a ROI on a WFM investment is an exercise which requires data from across the enterprise to accurately measure and understand where you started and the productivity gains that were the result.

Again, the most common data used to measure success and ROI on a WFM deployment are improved efficiency, increased customer satisfaction, decreased costs and streamlined processes.

Specifically, measure technician and dispatcher efficiency. Has the WFM solution increased the number of jobs scheduled per day, per technician?

Has the solution decreased the number of dispatchers required to manage field technicians?

Has technician utilisation improved based on the solution’s ability to handle intra-day schedule changes, decreasing non-working time and overtime?

 

Have field techs been able to improve their efficiency, completing more jobs per day or decreasing the time on the job site? Have first time fix rates improved?

 

Have fuel costs decreased due to more efficient routing? Has headcount been optimised such that resources can be reallocated to other tasks or eliminated? Has schedule compliance improved, decreasing missed or late appointments?

Have customer satisfaction scores increased due to shorter appointment windows, improved schedule compliance or proactive maintenance work supported by the WFM tool?

Collect baseline data and use a robust, integrated, in-memory business intelligence tool to measure the baseline and post deployment data against one another.

ServicePower recently helped a client evaluate the ROI on its deployment of ServiceScheduling.

The client documented increased productivity of 29% and a 32% return on its investment in ServicePower’s mobile workforce management software platform, including fewer miles driven,across the entire fleet, resulting in a $1,611,055 savings per year, and improved schedule compliance resulting in $165,600 in late penalty savings per year.

Continued Success

Mobile workforce management software solutions are critical to maximising the productivity and efficiency of employed resources. Measurable, sustainable ROI is absolutely possible. Positive ROI depends on solid planning, cross functional, deeply experienced teams, agreement on the metrics, data collection and robust, integrated BI. To learn what your ROI on a WFM investment could be, run the numbers with our ROI calculator.

 

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Rebecca Barnett, VP Marketing Cognito iQ guides us through how they worked with Konica Minolta to improve far more than just service standards...

At Cognito iQ, we love seeing what we do, come to life in the businesses we are lucky enough to call customers.

Konica Minolta UK produces business and industrial imaging products, such as MFP’S (multifunctional peripherals), copiers, laser printers and digital product print.

The company has over 275 service engineers providing planned, reactive maintenance and support to businesses throughout the UK.

Over relationship with Konica Minolta started 15 years ago and exemplifies much of the recent history of mobile workforce technology. From simple automation to today’s solution which provides unrivalled visibility of operational and employee performance.

Konica Minolta originally selected the Cognito iQ mobile application to automate and mobilise their field operation. In 2004, following the merger of Konica and Minolta, the UK business implemented a Europe-wide SAP ERP system which replaced the incumbent mobility solution.

After a few months, the UK team reverted to the Cognito iQ solution which we then integrated into their SAP application.

 

In 2014, Konica Minolta following a market review, we took the opportunity to showcase our new solution, Operational Performance Management (OPM). Cognito iQ OPM represents the very latest in field service analytics.

With easy to understand dashboards and the ability to drill down into granular detail, be it at an individual employee or indeed at a task level, the team at Konica Minolta quickly understood how powerful this would be for them.

18 months on and the Cognito iQ OPM solution is firmly embedded at the heart of the service operation. Here’s a snapshot of just some of the results.

Customer Service

Via their handheld devices engineers are able to request customer feedback on completion of their jobs. The number of customers giving NPS (Net Promoter Scores) scores has more than doubled over the past 18 months.

However, what’s really impressive is that, on average, the Konica Minolta field team are achieving an NPS score of 85.

As a sustained average, 85 is fairly unheard of in NPS terms and here’s the really clever bit - the scores are received by the back office in real-time. Managers have a KPI to call every customer who scores a 10 within an hour to say ‘thank you’ and enquire as to why they felt the service warranted such a high score.

 

In parallel, any customers scoring a 6 or below (NPS calls them Detractors) are called to enquire what the engineer could do better next time.

The insights from all calls are recorded and used to drive a programme of continuous improvement through training, feedback to the engineers and process change.

Productivity

The Cognito iQ OPM solution gives real-time visibility of what is happening in the field. With this comes a greater understanding of where improvements can be made.

By analysing the data through the Cognito iQ dashboards, significant savings have been made by reducing travel times between jobs. Over the course of year, small savings in time have added up to significant savings in pounds.

In addition, the team have measurably been able to service many more machines per man through improvements in training and process.

Employee Engagement

The Cognito iQ OPM solution produces what we call the Worker Scorecard. In simple terms, it measures each engineer against 6 Key Performance Areas and produces an overall, aggregated individual score at the end of each day.

This then feeds into the League Table which shows, at the click of button, who the highest performers are over whatever period of time you choose.

By understanding exactly where improvements in service needed to be made, Konica Minolta developed a whole new engineer career development programme.

To move up the levels an engineer has to consistently achieve certain KPI’s and undertake and pass certain training programmes. Pay and reward is linked to this development and guided by quality markers taken from the Cognito iQ OPM solution such as NPS scores, levels of productivity etc.

 

Sharing performance information transparently has enabled productive conversations and Konica Minolta have quickly developed a reputation for being an ‘Employer of Choice’ enjoying many benefits such as reduced recruitment costs, reduced attrition rates and a happy, motivated, loyal workforce.

Now, I’m not all that keen on tech buzzwords.

Frankly ‘transformation’ is about as overused as they come. However, having worked with team at Konica Minolta on this story, I really couldn’t justify using anything else.

 

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Want to know more? You can read the full transformation story on www.cognitoiq.com/case-studies

 

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