A new report from Vimcar, the fleet management provider for SMEs, reveals that the majority of petrol and diesel fleet cars on the roads in the UK and Europe could be switched to electric vehicles.
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Jan 11, 2022 • News • Electric Vehicles • fleet management • Sustainability • UK • Service Innovation and Design • EMEA • VIMCAR
A new report from Vimcar, the fleet management provider for SMEs, reveals that the majority of petrol and diesel fleet cars on the roads in the UK and Europe could be switched to electric vehicles.From analysis of over 67,000 company fleet vehicles, the findings take into account the average distance fleet vehicles are travelling, compared to the mileage range on electric vehicles.
87% of companies said that the mileage range of electric vehicles is the main concern when considering whether or not they should make the switch to electric. However, the data suggests that mileage range is only an imagined obstacle in fleet electrification and that despite popular beliefs, most companies are in fact able to use electric vehicles without impacting the level of fleet usage. Currently, only 3% of fleet vehicles are run on electric or hybrid engines.
DATA ANALYSIS FROM ACROSS THE UK AND EUROPE REVEALS THAT MAJORITY OF FLEETS CURRENTLY ON THE ROAD COULD BE REPLACED WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES WITH MINIMAL DISRUPTION TO PERFORMANCE
At a time when many businesses (96%) are beginning to increase their stock and delivery offerings in the run up to Christmas, there are calls for businesses to re-evaluate their current systems to ensure they are being as eco-friendly as possible in the process.
Sami Eric, UK Country Manager at Vimcar said: “With the recent discussions held at COP26, there is no hiding the fact that we all need to be doing more to reduce our carbon footprint. One of the biggest changes businesses can make is the switch from petrol or diesel vehicles, to electric or hybrid. Unfortunately, there is often negativity associated with electric vehicle usage, and the efficiency they have for longer journeys. However, this data proves these fears wrong and that, in fact, the majority of businesses could make the switch and continue to use their fleets in the same way as they are now.”
Eric added: “Charging an electric vehicle is usually cheaper than filling up at the pump, with recent reports claiming they are also £131 a month cheaper to run. Because electric vehicles have fewer moving parts, they break down less and are cheaper to maintain – and therefore come with lower insurance costs and a longer life span. On top of this, electric vehicles have a 0% road tax and Benefit in Kind rate, therefore using electric vehicles in a company fleet will incur fewer costs for both employers and employees. And if businesses can make these changes with minimal disruption to current performance, there’s even less reason not to consider replacing their petrol and diesel vehicles with electric or hybrid vehicles instead.”
Further Reading:
- Read more about Service Innovation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/service-innovation-and-design
- Read more about Fleet Management @ www.fieldservicenews.com/fleet-management
- Learn more about Sustainability @ www.fieldservicenews.com/sustainability
- Read more about Electric Vehicles @ www.fieldservicenews.com/electric-vehicles
- Learn more about Vimcar @ vimcar.co.uk
- Follow Vimcar on Twitter @ twitter.com/goVimcar
Jan 06, 2022 • News • Brexit • drones • UK • Parts Pricing and Logistics • EMEA • drone major group
The future of the UK drone industry, one of Britain’s prime opportunities for growth, and many other UK-based manufacturing exporters, will be severely threatened once the UK’s eligibility for the EU’s CE accreditation regime expires at the end of...
The future of the UK drone industry, one of Britain’s prime opportunities for growth, and many other UK-based manufacturing exporters, will be severely threatened once the UK’s eligibility for the EU’s CE accreditation regime expires at the end of December 2022.
Robert Garbett, one of the world’s leading advisors on drone technology and Founder and Chief Executive of Drone Major Group Limited, today warned the UK Government of the need to speed up post-Brexit accreditation and establish a clear pathway to United Kingdom Certified Assessed (UKCA) accreditation ahead of the fast-impending deadline.
VITAL UK INDUSTRIES THAT INCREASINGLY RELY ON DRONE TECHNOLOGY ARE FACING UNCERTAINTY
If an alternative UKCA accreditation scheme is not in place in the next 12 months, UK UAS (Unmanned Air Systems) businesses – including drone manufacturers and operators – risk being unable to trade within the global marketplace in the absence of the necessary new international regulatory accreditation.
This pressing issue, if not addressed with greater speed, will have serious consequences for many UK manufacturers looking to sell their products internationally. The issue is set to be tabled for discussion in the UK Parliament later this month.
Robert Garbett commented: “We must not sleepwalk into this urgent issue. It is essential that the UK takes a clear, committed and consistent approach to the development of CA accreditation, something which would have a significant impact on the aviation and drone industries, and will also impact many others. The UK currently has no system in place for the certification of aviation materials and also drones, and with all CE Certification no longer valid, firms will have to return to EU certification providers to re-certify, at a great cost both financially, and to the detriment of UK PLC. We now face a potential cliff edge threat which requires urgent attention.”
This has huge implications for many vital UK industries that increasingly rely on drone technology, including energy, agriculture, construction and rail.
Prior to Brexit, the UK utilised the (European Conformity) CE mark which ensured full compliance of a product with all applicable European health, safety, performance and environmental requirements. Post-Brexit however, the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark is now required for goods and products being placed on the market in Great Britain and currently covers most goods which previously required the CE marking, known as ‘new approach’ goods.
From the end of this month (December 2021), the UK will have just 12 months remaining of the ‘transitional period’ to introduce and develop the requisite accreditations to ensure global compliancy of UK products before the upcoming deadline for full compliance on 1 January 2023.
Commenting on the timeline for the accreditation, Robert Garbett continued: “It is essential that a clear roadmap is established for the UK’s accreditation. The process of implementation in itself is already highly complex and, as it stands, it will be very difficult for a certification scheme to be established with United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) in time for the December 2022 deadline, unless the current pace is speeded up.
“The UK’s departure from CE certification post-Brexit, has created an opportunity for the UK to develop an acceptable means of compliance in line with emerging international standards. It has the potential to allow the UK to look outwardly, facilitating a faster pace of innovation in a move away from the more prescriptive approach taken by the EU’s CE accreditation.
“We must get this right to leverage one of the UK’s biggest opportunities for growth in a technology where if we move fast, we could lead the world.”
Further Reading:
- Read more about Parts, Pricing and Logistics @ www.fieldservicenews.com/parts-pricing-and-logistics
- Read more about the drone industry on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/drones
- Read more about the impact of Brexit in the service industry @ www.fieldservicenews.com/brexit
- Learn more about Drone Major Group @ dronemajor.net
- Follow Drone Major Group on LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/drone-accelerator/
Dec 22, 2021 • News • UK • Small Medium Businesses • SMB • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • EMEA • Fintech
Despite lingering anxieties about the pandemic and a variety of economic and commercial issues, the majority of SMEs believe it is now imperative to begin building back from the crisis.
Despite lingering anxieties about the pandemic and a variety of economic and commercial issues, the majority of SMEs believe it is now imperative to begin building back from the crisis.
They are ready to step up their business investment, with ambitious plans for recruitment, renewal of equipment and machinery, and both domestic and international expansion. Fintech business lender MarketFinance asked 2,000 SME owners across the UK about their outlook for 2022 and beyond, gauging their short and long-term plans for business investment and growth. MarketFinance has today released a comprehensive research report of its findings, which are summarised here.
Confidence
Analysis of the survey results has shown that business confidence amongst SMEs is improving, with many firms now focused on recovery and growth. With pandemic disruptions now largely settled, half of SMEs (48%) expect their turnover to stabilise or to increase over the next 12 months. Similarly, 50% of SMEs expect demand for their products or services to stabilise or to increase over the next six months. MarketFinance’s research has found that the majority of SMEs (63%) expect their business to grow over the next three years
Investment
With survival mode no longer a necessity and cash flow pressures beginning to ease, the vast majority of SMEs (70%) now feel confident enough to increase business investment over the next 12 months. A quarter of SMEs plan to hire new staff, while 24% expect to purchase new equipment and machinery. When asked how they were factoring borrowing into their investment plans, 23% of SMEs said access to a broader range of borrowing options could enable them to increase investment even further.
Borrowing
The research findings demonstrate that borrowing will play a key role in recovery and growth with 62% of SMEs saying that prudent borrowing could help them fund growth. However, three quarters (71%) of SMEs do not believe traditional banking products are the most obvious and convenient way to borrow for investment. Despite this lack of alignment between current finance needs and the options available through traditional routes, more than a third of SMEs (37%) are looking to take on new borrowing facilities.
Growth
With confidence high and a sense of having moved beyond recovery and into a new stage of growth, many businesses are looking forward to seizing a host of opportunities in 2022. Almost all SMEs surveyed (81%) plan to invest in sustainability, while 30% say they are considering merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the year ahead – more than twice as many as those primarily focusing on organic growth (14%). Over a third of businesses (34%) say they already sell overseas, or have plans to begin doing so. That figure is highest amongst the largest businesses surveyed (turnover between £5m and £6.5m) but even amongst smaller enterprises significant numbers are focused on export.
Anil Stocker, CEO at MarketFinance, commented: “It’s clear that the business environment has shifted and SMEs are looking ahead with a quietly confident and cautiously optimistic view. UK businesses intend to ramp up growth through domestic and international expansion, digital transformation and even M&A activity. But as they reset their post-pandemic goals for a post-pandemic, they’ll need to be confident of their funding base.
Given that so many SMEs are looking outside of traditional routes in their search for finance, we’re particularly proud to have been accredited by the British Business Bank as one of the few alternative providers under The Recovery Loan Scheme. Schemes like the RLS are a golden opportunity for SMEs looking to gear up for growth, providing easily accessible funding at a lower cost across a wide range of products. We expect to see a large number of SMEs taking advantage of the scheme over the next 6 months as their growth and expansion efforts gain momentum and they invest in ambitious plans for 2022 and beyond.”
Further Reading:
- Read more about Leadership and Strategy @ www.fieldservicenews.com/leadership-and-strategy
- Read more about the impact of COVID-19 @ www.fieldservicenews.com/COVID-19
- Read more about Fintech on Field Service News @
- Learn more about Market Finance @ marketfinance.com
- Follow Market Finance on Twitter @ twitter.com/marketfinance
Dec 17, 2021 • News • fleet management • UK • Covid-19 • Managing the Mobile Workforce • EMEA • VIMCAR
UK small and medium sized food businesses are feeling the pressure for customer deliveries in the lead up to Christmas, according to new research released by Vimcar.
UK small and medium sized food businesses are feeling the pressure for customer deliveries in the lead up to Christmas, according to new research released by Vimcar.Over half of those surveyed have experienced an increased demand for food deliveries in the lead up to Christmas compared with the last two years.
This pre-Christmas rush is putting clear pressure on deliveries and demand on fleets, with almost 90% of those surveyed offering a delivery service for their customers. A need which has been galvanised by a change in customers’ purchasing habits since the start of the pandemic, with many now expecting delivery options to be available as standard, rather than as an additional option.
OVER HALF OF FOOD DELIVERY BUSINESSES ARE EXPERIENCING A HIGHER DEMAND FOR DELIVERIES THIS CHRISTMAS, COMPARED TO THE LAST TWO YEARS
Undertaken by Vimcar, the fleet management software for SMEs, the survey comes at a time when food retailers are needing to increase their fleet size (93%) to keep up with demand, but are grappling with the impact of delivery driver shortages. Furthermore, almost all (96%) food businesses currently running fleets to fulfil delivery needs, expect their costs to increase between now and Christmas.
Despite the increased pressure and challenges facing SME food retailers, the majority of respondents (78%) are feeling optimistic about business performance for the Christmas period 2021, as a result of the increase in demand and the lifting of COVID restrictions in comparison to 2020.
Sami Eric, UK Country Manager at Vimcar said: “It is really uplifting to see that small and medium sized food retailers are thriving in the run up to Christmas, especially after a very challenging couple of years. With these higher demands comes higher expectations for businesses to meet. This research shows the challenges that the food industry is facing during the busiest time of the year, and the need for customers to be understanding of the changing landscape to which businesses are adapting to.”
Eric added: “As pressure mounts, efficient fleet management will be crucial in helping SMEs to offset rising fleet costs as well as maximise the investment they have made into new delivery services. Poorly managed fleets and drivers can quickly drain a business’ costs and resources, so implementing a fleet management tool is vital to simplify time spent on fleet admin and maintenance.”
Further Reading:
- Read more about Managing the Mobile Workforce @ www.fieldservicenews.com/managing-the-mobile-workforce
- Read more about Fleet Management @ www.fieldservicenews.com/fleet-management
- Learn more about Vimcar @ vimcar.co.uk
- Find our more about Aircargo Transport @ www.aircargo-transport.eu
- Follow Vimcar on Twitter @ twitter.com/goVimcar
Jul 30, 2019 • Features • Management • Retail • bybox • Cashless Society • Claudine Mosseri • field service • field service management • Service Management • UK
Retail in the UK is changing rapidly and it is placing ever greater importance on same-day-fix requirements of solution providers writes Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, Field Services, ByBox explains...
Retail in the UK is changing rapidly and it is placing ever greater importance on same-day-fix requirements of solution providers writes Claudine Mosseri, General Manager, Field Services, ByBox explains...
As card payments and online banking continue to rise, Britain’s high street banks are facing closure. Research suggests that two local branches have shut shop every day for the past three years. And, with RBS recently announcing the closure of 162 physical branches, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. For local towns and high streets, this poses a problem, as it becomes increasingly difficult for consumers and merchants to access and manage cash.
Traditionally, many small businesses would only deal exclusively in cash, a whopping three million* in the UK alone. Owing to rental prices on payment terminals, facilitating card payments can often be too expensive to maintain when operating on small margins. Yet not having access to a local bank, means these retailers are not only missing out on possible revenues streams but they now need to also travel to a different town during business hours to pay in takings. Leading to additional expenses, missed interest and other threats such as theft if cash is left on the premises.
As large retailers lead the charge, offering more payment options and increased technology within stores, it’s not just bank closures putting pressures on local, high street stores. Today’s consumer is used to a seamless, integrated shopping experience, whether in-store or online.
Working with a provider that offers same-day fixes and ensures device uptime can help stores adapt to an increasingly cashless societyIn July this year, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported that with cash no-longer being the most popular payment method, card payments accounted for 54% of retail transactions and almost 75% of total sales in the UK. In addition, demonstrating our desire for fast convenience, contactless payments were up 121.9% in April 2018, compared to the same period the previous year.
Now a more connected and contactless nation, reliance on payment terminal uptime is paramount. It’s not enough to simply accept card payments onsite anymore, with research suggesting that non-functioning payment devices leave one-in-three customers unable to complete a purchase. Even with more payment options in place, retailers must ensure they are working in order to enhance the customer experience.
Bank closures and changing customer expectations will undoubtedly result in a shake-up of the payment industry and retail environments, but how can independent merchants be supported during the transition?
For starters, as facilitating card payments becomes the only convenient option, technology providers will need to ensure that devices, and the supporting software, is affordable, dependable and user-friendly. Two-thirds of consumers report experiencing failing card machines on at least one occasion. For small organisations, this could easily result in lost customers and business. And if card is the only option, it’s even more important that devices are functioning.
With any new installation, device maintenance must be considered to minimise faulty technology, negative shopper experiences and lost sales. For small businesses, the support of the payment industry in increasing uptime isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a necessity. ByBox’s Switch service aims to mitigate the knock-on effects of retail device downtime, on the consumer, merchants and the payments industry. The service, which uses a network of App and Bluetooth controlled lockers in strategic locations, ensures same-day fixes via pre-positioned parts.
Britain’s high streets are changing. Stores, whether large or small, are under increased pressure to modernise in-store offerings. Customer demand and closing banks are resulting in independent retailers needing to keep pace with large, big-name chains.
In order for any store to succeed in this competitive, connected environment, they must adopt new technology with confidence in the reliability of such devices. Working with a provider that offers same-day fixes and ensures device uptime can help stores adapt to an increasingly cashless society while offering an enhanced customer experience.
Resources Used
- https://brc.org.uk/news/2017/debit-cards-overtake-cash-to-become-number-one-payment-method-in-the-uk
- https://www.theukdomain.uk/smaller-businesses-offer-cashless-payments/
- https://squareup.com/gb/news/one-in-six-brits-is-now-a-card-only-shopper
- http://www.theukcardsassociation.org.uk/contactless_contactless_statistics/
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Feb 27, 2018 • Management • News • Adil Kabel • Ashley Weller • Augmented Reality • Nick Frank • big data • Cambridge Service Alliance • Dr Mohamed Zaki • Events • self-service • Service Community • Trusted Advisor • UK
UK based non-profit knowledge sharing group the Service Community which Field Service News is proud to partner with has recently announced one of the most diverse events they have organised in the last couple of years.
UK based non-profit knowledge sharing group the Service Community which Field Service News is proud to partner with has recently announced one of the most diverse events they have organised in the last couple of years.
The next Service Community event will be hosted by the Cambridge Service Alliance at the Institute for Manufacturing (a division of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering) on the 19th April 2018.
Being at one of the world’s leading service research organisations means that we hope to mix the very best in thought leadership, with practical hands-on experiences of transforming service businesses. Each discussion will be approximately 40 mins enabling you to discuss real issues with real people. We are also very lucky to have a The Digital Manufacturing Tour, where you will have a chance to hear about the research initiatives that the IfM are undertaking on digitalisation in manufacturing.
In addition to a speaker from the CSA, we have leaders from MARS, Oracle and Fujifilm joining us to discuss and share experiences on how they have tackled some of their key service business challenges.
How to register
You can reserve your place by sending an email to info@service-community.uk. We will then contact you to confirm registration and will send out the joining instructions nearer to the event.
Please feel free to forward this information to colleagues who you think would be interested. We look forward to seeing you in April
Agenda for the 19th April 2018
12.00 - 13.00: Meet at the Institute of Manufacturing at Cambridge University
13.00: Nick Frank: Welcome
The Impact of Big Data and Machine Learning technologies on developing Customer Experience in manufacturing companies Dr Mohamed Zaki: Deputy Director of the Cambridge Service Alliance will introduce the work the Cambridge Service Alliance does and share recent research he has undertaken into Customer Experience development
Leading Service to a Trusted Advisor Culture: Ashley Weller: UK Service Director at Mars drinks will share his own journey in driving sustainable cultural change
The Digital Manufacturing Tour
Coffee & Networking break
Real World Challenges of implementing Augmented Reality in Field Service Adil Kabel: Technical Support Manager, at Fuji Film responsible for EMEA 2nd line support for Wide Format Digital Printers will share his experiences of running two pilot projects in the Field Service organisation looking at 'glasses' and handheld augmented reality apps
Benefits and Challenges of Self Service models - Stephen Darkes Snr Process Analyst: Global Systems Remote Support at Oracle: Steve will give us some insights into the different Self-Service support models that Oracle have introduced to enhance customer satisfaction and make their business more cost-effective. He will cover a range of models, from the use of community forums for Diagnosis and Resolution to the development of Customer Replaceable Units for hardware. He will share his experiences of the range of benefits that self-service brings, as well as the challenges of implementation. Many businesses can make their customer support more effective through self-service business models.
17.00 Networking Drinks
Reserve your place by sending an email to info@service-community.uk. We will then contact you to confirm registration and will send out the joining instructions nearer to the event.
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Dec 01, 2017 • Features • Research • Benchmarking • Bill Pollock • europe • Strategies for GrowthSM • UK
Bill Pollock reveals some of the key findings of this year's Strategies for GrowthSM benchmark survey with a specific lens on the Uk and European market...
Bill Pollock reveals some of the key findings of this year's Strategies for GrowthSM benchmark survey with a specific lens on the Uk and European market...
Want to know more? Bill will be presenting the results in a webinar hosted by CSDP on Wednesday, 6 December, 2017; to register visit or to download a copy of SFG℠’s companion Analysts Take report, please visit the registration Webpage at: http://bit.ly/2zt4eu0.
Each year, Strategies For GrowthSM (SFGSM) conducts a series of Benchmark Surveys administered among its global outreach community.
The results of SFGSM’s 2017 Field Service Management (FSM) Benchmark Survey, as they pertain specifically to the UK/Europe FSM market base, identify the following as the top factors, or challenges, currently driving Field Service Organisations (FSOs) to optimise field service performance (compared to the overall global results) – basically, they have been mandated by their respective managements to “meet customer demands” and “drive increased service revenues”, as summarised below:
- 50% Customer demand for quicker response time (less than 55% Global)
- 46% Internal mandate to drive increased service revenues (more than f30% Global)
- 38% Need to improve workforce utilisation & productivity (less than f50% Global)
- 38% Need to improve service process efficiencies (less than 39% Global)
- 23% Customer demand for improved asset availability (less than f29% Global)
- 23% Customer demand for more accurate service call scheduling (same as 23% Global)[/unordered_list]
However, while some of the key UK/Europe market drivers, such as customer demand for quicker response time and focusing on customer demand and workforce utilisation may be lower than their global respondent counterparts, the recognition that there is a need to improve service process efficiencies is pretty much at par with the rest of the world.
As such, it should come as no surprise that, similar to the 2017 global survey results, UK/Europe FSOs are still planning to invest more in new technologies in support of their respective field forces than other global geographies represented in the overall survey universe.
However, in order to effectively address these key challenges – and strive to attain Best Practices status – UK/Europe respondents then cite the following as the top strategic actions they are currently taking:
- 65% Develop / improve metrics, or KPIs, used to measure field service performance (more than 48% Global)
- 38% Automate existing manual field service processes and activities (more than 36% Global)
- 35% Integrate new technologies into existing field service operations (i.e., iPads, Tablets or other devices, etc.) (more than 31% Global)
These data strongly suggest that there is a pattern of synergy among the top three cited strategic actions that builds a foundation for all of the other actions that will ultimately be taken by the organisation; that is, that nearly two-thirds of the FSOs comprising the UK/Europe services community already recognise the need to build and/or improve their KPI measurement program.
In fact, the percentage of UK/Europe FSOs currently developing/improving their respective KPIs, at 65%, remains higher than even the 62% cited by the survey’s historical Best Practices respondents (i.e., those attaining at least 90% Customer Satisfaction and 30% Services Profitability).
Based on the current SFG℠ survey data, Jerry Edinger, President, CEO and Chairman of CSDP Corporation, a leading Service Relationship Management software developer, explains, “This is why we start every one of our client engagements with consulting.
We ensure that your business processes are designed correctly before automating them. Software alone cannot improve KPIs. We design the exact Field Service Management solution based on the needs and requirements of the organisation.
We detail how a solution automates the entire service delivery and customer service processes into a fully integrated field service management system and maps it into the overall enterprise workflow. Once the consultative effort is completed, we then have a detailed roadmap of how to build the most effective solution to meet the organisation’s field service goals and objectives.”
The 2017 SFG℠ survey results identify the following as the main factors that characterise the UK/Europe FSM market:
- The top future challenges for UK/Europe FSOs with respect to the acquisition and implementation of new technologies are essentially cost-related (i.e., ROI and TCO)
- The top future opportunity/benefit anticipated by UK/Europe FSOs through the acquisition/implementation of new technologies is improved customer satisfaction, primarily through the ability to eliminate internal silos, and provide customers with an end-to-end engagement relationship
- UK/Europe Field Services Organisations (FSOs) are largely driven to meet customer demands for quicker response time, and internal mandates for driving increased service revenues
- A nearly two-thirds majority of UK/Europe FSOs are adding, expanding and/or refining the metrics, or KPIs, they use to measure service performance
- Over the next 12 months, more than two-thirds (70%) of UK/Europe FSOs will have integrated new technologies into existing field service operations, and automated existing manual fields service processes or activities (70%)UK/Europe Field Technicians are increasingly being provided with enhanced access to real-time data and information to support them in the field
- UK/Europe FSOs are providing customers with expanded Web-enabled self-help capabilities (i.e., to order parts, track the status of open calls, and create service tickets, etc.)[/unordered_list]
Want to know more? Bill will be presenting the results in a webinar hosted by CSDP on Wednesday, 6 December, 2017; to register visit or to download a copy of SFG℠’s companion Analysts Take report, please visit the registration Webpage at: http://bit.ly/2zt4eu0.
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Jun 15, 2017 • Features • Management • mplsystems • research • Bill Pollock • Strategies for Growth • Susannah Richardson • UK
"Bill Pollock, President Strategies for GrowthSM takes a look at some of the findings of their 2017 Field Service Management Benchmark Survey to explore the degree to which UK Field Service Organisations are investing in new technologies and...
"Bill Pollock, President Strategies for GrowthSM takes a look at some of the findings of their 2017 Field Service Management Benchmark Survey to explore the degree to which UK Field Service Organisations are investing in new technologies and analytics…”
Each year, Strategies For GrowthSM (SFGSM) conducts a series of Benchmark Surveys directed to the global services community. The preliminary results of the 2017 Field Service Management (FSM) Benchmark Survey clearly reflect that UK/Europe Field Service Organisations (FSOs) are continuing their focus on addressing the top market drivers that impact their geographic marketplace – and in many cases, at a significantly higher rate than their global respondent counterparts!
For example, UK/Europe FSOs currently place their greatest emphasis on dealing with such key market drivers as:
- Customer demand for quicker response time;
- Internal mandate to drive increased service revenues;
- Need to improve workforce utilisation and productivity; and
- Need to improve service process efficiencies.[/ordered_list]
In fact, the 2017 results clearly show the increased importance of making process improvements compared to just one year earlier when process efficiencies did not even place among the top three market drivers. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that UK/Europe FSOs are continuing to invest more in new technologies – most notably, the Internet of Things, or IoT, and mobile tools – in support of their respective field forces.
It’s no longer simply about field technicians being at the right place at the right time with the right parts, but also about them being empowered to excel in the service that they offer and to provide additional services - Susannah Richardson, mplsystems
“We’re also seeing organisations looking at ways to better manage the planning of their workforce in real-time. Typically planners spend lots of time managing exceptions, such as: emergency jobs; customer changes or job overruns and delays; even if they have scheduling in place, too often these are not flexible enough to handle live situations. We are seeing lots of interest in our new scheduling algorithms to handle real-time changes and IoT feeds (AESOP) and so improve efficiency in both planning teams and the field workforce.”
However, one of the greatest differences reflected in the UK/Europe survey results is in the percent of services organisations that are currently developing and/or improving the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) they use to measure service performance; (i.e., cited as a top strategic action by 65% of UK/Europe respondents, compared to only 47% overall.
Richardson agrees that, “Business analytics are a large part of all of our customers’ field services and business operations, which is why it is such an integral component of our solution offerings. Traditional measures don’t offer service performance, as they are operationally focused and don’t reflect customer experience. However, now we’re seeing our clients using our analytic tools to develop their own dashboards as they have become increasingly focused around KPIs specific to the service and experience that they are delivering to their customers.”
Another key factor that may be used to explain the heightened focus of UK/Europe FSOs for stepping up to improve their lot is that they continue to lag slightly behind their global counterparts with respect to service profitability (mean average of 35%, or slightly lower than the 38% attained among the overall respondent base, both in 2015/16 and 2017 surveys).
In addition, at a mean average of 81%, UK/Europe FSOs are also currently falling somewhat below the global survey population with respect to attaining desired levels of customer satisfaction (i.e., 83%). However, the research also strongly suggests that the market recognises the importance of stepping up to the challenge of improving their performance for these two key metrics.
Planned strategic actions by UK/Europe services organisations through 2017 reflect an even more dynamic, rather than static, approach to the field services marketplace
While UK/Europe services organisations cite current investments in mobile tools to support field technicians as somewhat lower (27%) than the overall survey base (40%), future plans (i.e., over the next 12 months) for integrating new technologies are reported virtually at par with the rest of the world (i.e., 35% in the UK/Europe, compared with 37% for the global survey base). Accordingly, these data suggest that the adoption of new technologies in the UK/Europe may be roughly only one year behind that reflected by the general survey population (which is mainly comprised of respondents from the Americas).
Planned strategic actions by UK/Europe services organisations through 2017 reflect an even more dynamic, rather than static, approach to the field services marketplace. For example, 54% of respondents plan to develop and/or improve their use of field service KPIs, or metrics; and just as many plan to improve planning and forecasting activities with respect to field operations (54%).
What these data primarily show is that the UK/Europe field services community recognises the need to take specific strategic actions to enhance and improve existing service processes and operations, and that these actions begin first and foremost with the need to develop and/or improve the use of service metrics and KPIs.
The greatest impact on the future of Field Service Management is most likely to come as a result of the growing acceptance of Cloud-based technology
However, the greatest impact on the future of Field Service Management is most likely to come as a result of the growing acceptance of Cloud-based technology. Among those UK/Europe organisations currently planning an FSM implementation in the next 12 months (or considering doing so in the next 12 to 24 months), a Cloud-based solution is preferred by 40% of respondents, compared to only 20% citing a preference for Premise-based – basically, a 2:1 ratio in favour of Cloud.
However, roughly two-out-of-five respondents (40%) remain undecided at this time (compared to only 33% for the general survey population). Still, Cloud-based FSM solutions appear to be the dominant preference, regardless of global geography.
In 2017 and beyond, the focus will likely be even stronger on the customer in terms of striving to meet (and exceed) their demands, preferences and expectations – or “back to the basics”. UK/Europe FSOs will continue to plan to accomplish this mainly by improving the processes they use for delivering their services; the KPIs they use to monitor their improved performance over time; investing in new tools to support both field technicians and customers; and integrating new technologies into their existing FSM or Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) systems.
Richardson and the team will be attending Field Service Management Expo next week where mplsystems will be unveiling a new genetic algorithm based scheduling tool, to find out more visit them on stand N650 and for those unavailable to attend you ca contact Richardson directly at susannah.richardson@mplsystems.co.uk
Field Service News is published by 1927 Media Ltd, an independent publisher whose sole focus is on the field service sector. As such our entire resources are focused on helping drive the field service sector forwards and aiming to best serve our industry through honest, incisive and innovative media coverage of the global field service sector.
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