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In the first part of this series we looked at the why despite Google removing their Glass Xplorer program in field service at least the future of Glass and other competitor products is very much alive and well. Now in the second part of the series we continue our exclusive interview with Pristine IO CEO Kyle Semani as he outlines some very significant savings that can be made through the correct application of smart glasses in field service... 

Indeed when it comes to genuine cost savings the early statistics from Pristine make a very compelling case for adoption. Something Samani is clearly keen to get across in our conversation. His business is built on offering significant savings to their client base. “I think the ROI of implementing smart glasses actually delivers far more than a smart phone or tablets did when they first appeared.” He begins

“Our data is still young but looking at our primary customers these companies are going to save millions of dollars by using our technology.”

What is particularly compelling about the smart glass argument, and Pristine’s approach is that such savings are far more tangible than those discussed when we talk about other devices such as smart phones, laptops, tablets etc.

As Samani puts it “It’s not all theoretical efficiency gains, this is money going right back on the bottom line. This is cash.”

 

“Our general line in the sand we’ve drawn is if the cost of downtime is above $2,000/hour then we get really excited because we know we can deliver you an awful lot of value.” He surmises.

Perhaps we are putting the cart before the horse here though.

Of course such talk of tangible cost saving is attractive to any company, but what exactly does the Pristine product do and how can it be used to offer such significant rewards?

Samani describes the Pristine app as the only pure solution to stream live audio and video from Google Glass (or any other smart glasses) to any other device within the world in a secure capacity so it can be deployed in an enterprise setting.”

Basically the app in combination with a pair of smart glasses will provide a true “see what I see” experience which will in turn enable people to collaborate remotely, whilst the engineer (or even customer) on site are able to keep their hands completely free.

In Samani’s own words “Rather than actually sending a technician to a site now customers can put on the Glass and walk through what the problem is whilst being is remotely connected to a service centre.”

“If field service companies can centralise their workforce somewhat then their field workers can get a better quality of life and their customers are getting better customer support in every case.”

“The goal here is to save field service trips, so to save cost and also to help companies deliver a better customer experience.”

One immediate thought around such a proposition is that this could literally change the way field service operations are structured.

 

With such remote access tools becoming readily available, this could genuinely open the doors to many companies centralising their operation, bringing their most experienced engineers into a central hub, and outsourcing a large amount of work to less skilled (and therefore less expensive) local workers, or even getting the customer to take on the work themselves.

This is certainly something that Pristine are seeing within their growing customer base.

“We’re seeing our customers equip both their existing customers and their existing field engineers with the technology. The goal is to deliver a player to every single case.” Samani explains.

However, the benefits of such a move aren’t solely financial there is also the soft benefit of improving the work/life balance of existing engineers.

“If field service companies can centralise their workforce somewhat then their field workers can get a better quality of life and their customers are getting better customer support in every case.” Samani asserts

“They [the field engineers] used to fly around 50 weeks a year now they fly around 20 weeks a year - it’s a totally different lifestyle for these guys and they spend more time with their kids and their families.”

A noble, if exceptionally forward thinking sentiment of course.

However, there are certainly the seeds of not just change but revolution being sowed as smart glass manufacturers, empowered by companies such as Pristine turn their focus onto field service.

This is a good point to bring up the fact that whilst Google are the most prominent manufacturer of smart glasses they are certainly not alone.

In fact both Epson and Vuzix sit proudly on the Pristine website front page alongside Glass. Pristine already work with pretty much every manufacturer of Smart Glasses available – a market Samani believes will continue to expand.

“Just Like there are 100 different mobile phone makers there will be 100 different manufacturers of Smart-glasses.” He explains “We’re going to be rolling out lots of different hardware to our customers. Our customers are going to get cost benefits from there being more choice and competition and they are also going to be able to choose the device that is right for them and right for their needs”

Of course developing a product to sit across a number of devices has it’s own challenge and as our recent research outlined there is a preference amongst field service companies for native applications (i.e. applications that are developed specifically for the device it is to be used on rather than device agnostic apps).

 

Is this a potential issue for a developer working in a fledgling market that is, by it’s definition, going to be fragmented as a number of companies release their own products?

Well it would seem that here smart glasses have been able to take advantage of the evolutionary path of the smart phones that went before them.

In short for Samani and his team at Pristine the variety of devices doesn’t raise too many issues. Outlining their working process in greater detail Samani commented “Whilst we are not using HTML5 we are using some web technologies, however we are using primarily Android type platforms. Basically we are now starting to see the types of decisions the device manufacturers are likely to make and are able to design for that.”

“Generally we find that our platform will work out of the box with most devices but if it doesn’t it’ll take one business day of tweaking to get it right.. We’ve encountered most of the variables of change and we don’t expect there to be that many more as the market evolves” He adds It all sounds rather exciting. (Something that is also clearly detectable in Samani’s voice is not just the passion he has for his product but the general excitement that smart glasses will changethe world in the not too distant future) But let’s not forget the huge amount of excitement when Glass was first announced.

Teesdale Renewables, a fast-growing provider of renewable energy services to homes and businesses in the North East of England, has reported an improvement in its customer service capabilities following the introduction of Fleetmatics’ mobile workforce solution known as Fleetmatics REVEAL™.

The system has been installed throughout the company’s fleet of six vehicles to ensure that the location of engineers can be pinpointed in real-time via the Live Map functionality. This has assisted with efficient scheduling of customer visits and faster response times when emergency call-outs are received.

 

Kevin Maughan, Media & Marketing Manager at Teesdale Renewables, said: “We use the Live Map feature all the time. It’s invaluable to us. In cases where there’s an emergency, we know immediately which engineer is nearest and send him or her to the job. This means they get to the customer much faster than they would if we were still having to manually check the location of each engineer. In addition, the system helps the engineer takes the fastest route to a job, which not only improves our service but saves fuel and time.

 

“As a company, we are dedicated to energy efficiency so it’s important we adhere to these principles in the way we operate.”

Teesdale Renewables, based in Barnard Castle, County Durham, specialises in biomass fuel installations but also offers conventional heating, plumbing and electrical services via its AG Bainbridge and CMJ Electrical divisions. The company has been using the Fleetmatics system since September, when the decision was made to invest in a fleet management solution for a number of reasons. One of these was security, with the management keen to ensure staff were not using their vehicles after designated working hours. Additionally, there was a desire to improve route optimisation and emergency response times.

“The engineers have embraced the technology very well,” said Kevin. “It is fair to expect a little resistance to this change in working practices but we were pleasantly surprised by how well it has been taken on board by the staff.”

 

One unexpected benefit of the system arose when it helped to resolve a dispute over driver behaviour. The company received a call complaining that one of its drivers had been driving excessively quickly when overtaking an elderly driver, but on closer inspection of the vehicle data, the company was able to demonstrate that its driver had not exceeded the speed limit. In fact, it was the unusually low speed of the other vehicle that gave the incorrect impression that the van was travelling very fast.

 

Having made an immediate impact in its first few weeks, the importance of the Fleetmatics system is likely to grow as Teesdale Renewables continues to expand.

“The demand for biomass fuel in this area has been massive,” said Kevin. “The price of fossil fuels keeps going up and people are recognising the long-term benefits of a more efficient and sustainable option. We are expecting to grow our workforce in 2015 and the Fleetmatics system will be very helpful in managing that team efficiently and effectively so that our customers receive the best possible levels of service.”

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Sunrise Software survey reveals Gamification could need a makeover despite increases in productivity and customer satisfaction...

It's a business strategy that has created both a buzz and a backlash but the findings of a new survey indicate that gamification is a growing trend delivering the right results.

The findings of the Sunrise Software Gamification Survey, show that 13% of respondents, from a range of commercial and public sector organisations that use Service Desk management software, are using gamified applications and a further 71% plan to introduce them in the future. All the managers who responded to the Sunrise Software survey felt that the introduction of gamification had resulted in more engaged staff. 86% of managers said gamification had benefited their organisation with increased productivity and 43% cited an increase in customer satisfaction.

 

End Game for Gamification? 

However there has been something of a backlash against the term gamification with some staff complaining that the "fun" element of the software actually trivialises important tasks. The survey showed that only 25% of workers felt more engaged, motivated and productive since gamification was introduced. The results also highlight that most employees favour tangible rewards for their hard work although they did acknowledge that recognition of a job well done increased their motivation.

 

The findings also show some interesting differences in attitude towards gamification between the age groups. Of the three age groups questioned 18 to 32-year-olds in organisations not using gamification were the least keen on the technology. Even so 85% of that age group said they were motivated by competition at work and once the gamified application had been installed they were actually the most likely to be more engaged. Of the three age groups they were also more convinced that gamification was just a passing fad, with ages 33 to 45 being most positive that it is here to stay, followed closely by the 46 to 65 year olds.

 

Can gamification evolve?

The future of gamification has been questioned by many industry leaders with some suggesting that the technology is overhyped and the terminology needs to change. Neil Penny, Product Director at Sunrise Software which has deployed gamification within its own Service Desk operation, commented: “The survey highlighted that anything that increases motivation and reduces employee turnover will improve productivity, leading to the twin benefits of raising customer service and cutting the cost of recruitment.”

He added: "We have seen from our own experience that by introducing gamification successfully, companies can look forward to increased employee motivation that boosts productivity and impacts positively on customer service, and ultimately the organisation’s bottom line."

A copy of the Sunrise Software Gamification Survey Findings can be downloaded at

https://www.sunrisesoftware.com/2014/12/white-paper-gamification-survey-results-2014/

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Our exclusive series on applying change management in field service continues as we look at the fourth of five key steps outlined by Sharon Moura, VP of IT Transformation and Strategy with Tyco as she moved the company to ServiceMax’s field service management platform…

So far in this series we have covered the key concepts of change management, then looked closer at the 5-step approach Moura herself took. These were assessing the change ,engaging the head and the heart and then in our most recent feature, building a change agent network.

There is also a white paper that accompanies this series, which you can download here.

As we mentioned earlier in this series the goal of a successful change management program should not be to completely eradicate resistance to change, as this is an almost impossible task that will take far too much energy.  However we must focus on reducing the impact of resistance, and overcoming it as quickly as possible to move the change management project from concept to full adoption as swiftly as possible.

A key element therefore in a successful change management program is minimising the impact of resistance in your workforce and to achieve this we must understand the types of resistance we are likely to encounter. According to Moura these will come in three broad categories.

1. I don’t get it
2. I don’t like (or trust) you
3. I don’t like it

So let’s take a look at each of these in turn.

I don’t get it.

This is an intellectual where there is a lack of understanding of the reason for your change management program. This is one area where it truly pays to become a broken record. If your cannot comprehend the change or are confused by why your change management project is being undertaken then getting their buy-in is going to be impossible to achieve.

[quote float ="left"]It is vitally important that you communicate across multiple different channels – not just resending the same memo over and over.

Therefore it is vitally important that you communicate across multiple different channels – not just resending the same memo over and over. The content here is critical, before you dive straight into the ‘how’ things will be changing you need to make sure you have fully addressed the ‘why’ and again as we have mentioned in previous features position yourself in your employees shoes and outline why it is beneficial to them not just to the company as whole.

 

Also remember that change management is about people and people are different, and they adapt to change at different speeds. So whilst one member of staff might grasp the reason for the change when they receive that first memo it may take a different member of staff a little longer to fully get behind the change. Again repeating the message across multiple channels is crucial, to ensure you are getting the message across and understood by all of your team. Try to think of as many ways as possible you can make the case and remember the golden rule – once is not enough!

I don’t like (or trust) you

This is an emotional response and therefore perhaps potentially a little trickier to overcome. Ultimately this comes down to trust, and whether your workforce trusts you to lead them to a good future state. Perhaps they recall something that happened in the past that they didn’t like? Maybe the company wasn’t as upfront with them as they should have been when changes were made in the past? Why should they trust you this time around when you let them down in the past?The only way to overcome this type of resistance is to acknowledge it head on. Now is the time for rebuilding broken relationships and tending to neglected ones.

At the very beginning of the planning process of your change management program you should have assessed what the impact of this change should be on the various different stakeholders within your organisation. However, it is not enough to just assess how big impact is.  You must also be able to manage that impact and evaluating your relationships with these differing groups will be a core part in how you do so.

 

If there is damage to be fixed then taking responsibility for the mistakes of the past whilst simultaneously being seen to deliver on promises today is the only true way you can gain trust. However, as with the whole change management project itself establishing an effective change agent network can really help you get on track much faster and make the process of winning back trust much smoother.

I don’t like it

Firstly, if something is genuinely difficult to use, if it is clunky and unintuitive or overly complicated then this is going to be an issue. We cannot overlook the usability of any new technology when we look to invest in modernising our workflow.

So once again we return to a point we have already made within this series – bring in your field engineers, the guys that are going to be using this tech on a day to day basis, into the decision making process. By doing this and then effectively using a change agent network you can side step this issue and build genuine excitement amongst the staff for the new tools you are investing in for them.

[quote]You need to remove as much fear as possible about the new devices or applications whilst increasing the excitement around the change

And here in lies the key to overcoming this type of resistance. You need to remove as much fear as possible about the new devices or applications whilst increasing the excitement around the change by once again reaffirming what is in it for your workforce.

 

As we discussed when looking at engaging the head and the heart, our natural reaction to change is not the positive understanding of this being good for the organisation on some level. No, the first question we will ask will be “what exactly is this going to mean to me?”

If they feel they have been represented in not only in the selection, but also the configuration, deployment and roll out stages of the change management program then they will feel that their needs will have been considered, so once again we see the value of the change agent network.

Finally if you do see potential challenges in the short term then the only way to face these is head on. Work with your end-users and your provider to identify these challenges and how best to overcome them. Once more by bringing your field engineers into this process you will not only be overcoming challenges but also gaining trust throughout the process also. Meaning the next change management program you undertake will be that much easier!

 
Click here to download the white paper that accompanies this series

This series is sponsored by: 

Welcome to our live coverage of the fantastic Mobility of Things Event, hosted here in the fantastic venue The Brewery sat right between London's City district and Silicon Roundabout. Throughout the day we will be updating this blog live so be sure to keep coming back to get all of the latest insight from what is promising to be an excellent day focussing on Enterprise Mobility.

7:44 AM: 

Everything is all set now for the event and I have to say the team at McDonald Butler have done a superb job in terms of both selecting this fantastic venue and getting everything set for the off. Looks like its going to be an excellent day. Be sure to keep coming back to us throughout the day as we keep you updated on the superb agenda which you can check out here 

8:45 AM:

Just waiting for things to get started now with the main conference room filling up nicely.

9:00 AM:

Some early forced networking from done very well by our host and a very slick app for audience interaction well demonstrated. Now up is John Delaney IDC...

9:50 AM Overview of The Critical Path to Enterprise Mobility Maturity – How Ready is Your Organisation?

The first speaker of the day John Delaney, Associate Vice President, European Mobility at IDC opened up his presentation stating that he believes we are in the early stages of enterprise mobility. "We are now starting to see companies stepping into the front foot in terms of enterprise mobility." he explains.

Next Delaney takes us through the what he sees as the key indicators that enterprise is starting to take a more mature approach towards mobility. A serious approach to mobile app development is one of the biggest of these.

Delaney outlines the fact that the enterprises have mostly been dealing with enterprise mobility are focussing on 'consumersiation' This is a huge sea change from last big shift in enterprise computing that we saw in the 80's where enterprise drove technology we eventually adopted in our personal lives.

Today consumers have adopted smart phones and apps into their personal lives first. Now they can see how useful these are in their working lives and want this translated into their working lives. However, there are of course clashes between security and personal technology.

Delaney defines this phase as Mobility 1.0 which is all about getting the balance between corporate security and the devices we are used to in personal lives.

i.e. Manage the cost of buying & using mobile devices. Keep pace with device development. Manage fragmented mobile OS environment. Manage device capabilities such as GPS . Protect the devices from loss, theft and damage. Protect corporate content from loss theft & unauthorised sharing, control manage corporate usage of personal devices.

Delaney next moves on to Mobility 2.0. He defines this as moving from current trend consumerisation (mobile 1.0) to mobile becoming the primary platform. He explains that in Mobile 2.0 Mobile must become part of the fundamental enterprise IT structure. It is key that IT understands the need to start driving mobile not just treating it as a side job. The shift to a Mobile 2.0 phase is characterised by a shift in thinking Delaney continues. "We need to look away from risk and towards benefits."

Delaney then moved on to highlight that in mobility 2.0 the shift is away from devices and more with applications. The simple reason for this he explains is that in mobility 2.0 companies begin to think of competitive advantage - which is app driven not device driven.

Delaney then moved on to approach and process.

Companies moving to Mobile2.0 will begin to think of a lifecycle approach to mobility - how to bring in mobile applications into the same process as traditional IT. Interesting point around app wrapping and security where apps can only be accessed via VPN for example are becoming increasingly common solution to security concerns.

One of the major driving enablers of enterprise mobility is 4G. Delaney explains 4G widens the scope of application mobility. Mobile devices can now be utilised like a desktop application, with higher speeds, lower latency, higher capacity, and it is a global standard. This means things that you would only do on a mobile device with a 3G network if it was absolutely essential, are now commonly done on a mobile device on a 4G network. This move is driving enterprise mobility in that the mobile device is becoming the number one means of interacting with IT systems.

An interesting point Delaney makes is that Mobile investment plans are shifting from device management to application development. IDC research shows that Western European governments are looking to spend far more on applications than device management. Of these Office Apps and file sharing/collaboration top the charts in terms of apps companies are intending to being develop. Interestingly 34% of companies of companies plan to deploy some components of mobile conferencing.

10:48 AM Overview Business In Motion – Transform Your Organisation Into A Profitable Mobile Enterprise

Second speaker today is Piero A. Chiodo, Director, Mobility Services Center of Competency IBM Global Technology Services.

Chiodo picked up very much where Delaney left off basing his presentation around three waves of enterprise mobility. However he first of all gave us a fantastic fact in that there are more smartphones than toothbrushes in the world! Chiodo also outlined that mobile data traffic predicted to be 11.2 exabyte by 2017 an incredible amount.

Chiodo then outlined two major areas of mobility as defined by an IBM survey of 600 customers. First of all enhancing customer experience. Secondly improving employee productivity. It is the second of these that Chiodo is primarily focussing on today.

Chiodo outlined that the same research outlined for key aims for best-in-class companies utilising mobile.

These were: Transfrom the way they do business, engage their customers, build apps that unlock core business knowledge, and finally protect and securely manage devices.

Chiodo then began to look at what he defined as three waves of mobility ranging from enterprise mobility to mobile enterprise. Echoing Delaney's earlier presentation Chiodo also asserted that the move from wave one to wave three required rethinking enterprise mobility.

 

Looking at each wave in turn Chiodo outlined Wave 1 as Enterprise mobility. This he defined as risk and cost avoidance when focussing on Mobile. The companies in this space have been looking primarily at mobile device management MDM, and how to secure the devices and keep them connected.

Chiodo next outlined some further insight form IBM research which followed one specific client implementation of BYOD program which showed a reduced cost of mobility infrastructure by $5.5M.

Turning to Wave two. Chiodo defined this wave as that of Optimisation and productivity. Companies that currently sit in this wave are looking to improve productivity, optimise efficiency, increase collaboration , and manage expenses. The mobile solutions for this area are more of a managed mobility approach, something much more complex then the simpler MDM we saw in wave one.

Chiodo also explained that here we also start seeing application stores within your infrastructure, and application platforms are required to develop the products. Telephony and collaboration are also integrated within this wave and of course the management of telephony costs need to be managed accordingly.

The final phase is Wave3: which Chiodo defines as The mobile enterprise - which he essentially defines as businesses essentially born on mobile.

Companies in this wave are looking at mobility to drive transformation. They are likely to drive forward with mobility led business process,which enable them to engage with customers in real time, provide insight at the point of analytics, and there apps are designed for mobility first, cloud is transforming IT and business process into digital services.

Chiodo concluded by looking at what a company that operates as a Mobile Enterprise should look through the term "Individual Enterprise"

Describing how mobility can redefines business Chiodo explained that mobile first approach should create new business value, be powered by analytics, take advantage of the new technologies mobile devices offer and finally unleash employees power.

11:20 AM Overview of Digital Citizen: You

Dragan Pendić, Chief Security Architect, Diageo finished the morning session with a vibrant presentation that was refreshingly focussed on the possibilities of mobility from a IT security professional. Pendic opened up by firmly stating that we have no choice but to be a mobile focussed company as mobility is everywhere.

Through a series of clever, image driven slides Pendic firstly highlighted how mobility is simplifying our consumer lives, explaining the importance of context to the consumer, and the power that mobility can bring to us in understanding our customers.

The world is complex so lets focus on two simple elements the person and the application, Pendic asserted. If we focus on these then we can start to understand how to harness the business and also then we keep that mobile business secure.

 

Having then  provided a great and vibrant overview of the digital world we are living, Pendic took a  focus on privacy. Describing the relation of business and consumer in terms of privacy as a fine line that can deliver either a rich contextual experience or 'a little bit creepy.' He pointed out that it is up to us to get the right balance, to keep our clients onside.

Focussing still on the reward rather than the risk Pendic explained that we should be asking ourselves what do we know about our customers identity? How long does it take for people to buy our products? Do we understand what people are saying about us? These are options that can help us develop the understanding of our customers but of course they bring security issues.

Talking on Security - Pendic sommented "It is important to focus your attention on the top priorities of your company, what are the key resources you are making money on?  Then you can start to understand how people are likely to attack you? It will likely be a sequence of attacks, but  we know what they will be up to?"

12:20 PM Overview of Embracing the Mobile Customer Experience of the Future

After a brief refreshment break we return to the sessions with Sylvaine Smith, Field Mobility Director, Motorola Solutions. Mobility is data begins Smith, how can we collect it, manage it visualise and communicate internal data.

The future of mobility... as a device manufacturer Smith has seen how the world of mobility has changed completely. "How can we change the form factor of a device can fit into the workflow that it will be used within?" Smith asked. She answered this question by showcasing a fully handsfree device the HC1 which allows the field worker to completely hands free. Whilst its a bit of a bulky looking device it certainly offers fully handsfree user experience, and this was outlined in a case study video with Areva.

Smith followed the video introducing the device by outlining the need to work alongside their customers to understand their workflow. Another video followed, this time showing the power of RFID via the Zebra motion works sports solution which utilises RFID both within the stadium and the players themselves to provide data on how sports players are performing. Again a very cutting edge technology and an exciting application.

"To harness the power of mobility we need to understand what our strategies and objectives are before assessing the technologies we are using" Smith comments.

Taking a more specific look at specific industry verticals Smith then outlined how mobility solutions can enhance productivity in Utilities, before looking at how mobility can enhance the customer experience in retail.

Again we turned to video to see another futuristic glimpse of how retail can be shaped by mobile based solutions. This time it is Motorla's Wing5 that was showcased and the result of integrated technologies is impressive and again backs up Smith's viewpoint that understanding goals and pain points is the starting point for building an enterprise mobility session.

 

Moving on from retail Smith next showed us a video on how mobility solutions can benefit the housing association sector. This case study showed how South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA) were able to bring their mobile workers into the twenty first century by moving away from laborious paper based processes to a fully mobile environment. As well as productivity improvements there were important benefits to loan worker protection.

One of the key messages of the case study was the benefit of working with a specialist mobility consultant (Peak Ryzex). The result of the shift was impressive, over 1,000 jobs completed in the year and significant cost savings also.

Smith concluded by stating that to take a mobility roll out from concept through to live and it is important of understanding key factors such as operating temperatures, battery usage, data input requirements etc and then running a pilot to ensure that the solution is the right fit for your needs.

12:47 Overview of Transforming the Mobile Workspace

The next presentation is from John Spencer, Director, Systems Engineering, Citrix Systems. Who gave us a an overview of how companies can be moving towards a more fluid mobile workspace.

Spencer began with a look at why we need enterprise mobility citing workforce mobility, flexible working, next generation workspaces, BYOD, security & compliance, and business continuity.

Spencer then posed the question is there a way to make everybody happy? Looking at the balance between IT, end users and the business. IT no business/end user yes.

Spencer then followed on to highlight that on the whole people just want to be productive. However, this often means a working around IT rather than with IT. 90% of people want to access email., 52% want to be able to focus on lines of business. and 48% want to data share - are these secure - there are challenges around all of these applications - how do we overcome these?

Spencer then introduced the Citrix Workplace Suite which incorporate Xen Desktop, Xen Mobile, Sharefile & NetScaler - which Spencer asserts can resolve many of the issues he has just outlined.

Xen Desktop - is a desktop as a service solution, it is a very secure model as it is essentially server basedand what Citrix have built there business around. Xen Mobile runs native devices and comes with out of the box MDM capability to add in security and incorporates secure Mail, Web, Cloud based storage, Note keeping, an office editor and XenDesktop.

Spencer next outlined the integration of the devices whilst highlighting that whilst there are many competitors to Citrix across there different offerings no one else can deliver across the whole range.

13:17 pm Panel Debate: Who’s Stealing Your Lunch?
First of todays panel debates: (abridged paraphrased notes)

On the panel:
Roy Sheppard – Facilitator
Dr. Thorsten Kramp, Researcher and Master Inventor, IBM
Kenny Fraser, Editorial Board, Enterprise Mobility Network
Stuart McKnight, Managing Director, Ascendant Corporate Finance

RS: What is the most exciting mobile enterprise example you have worked with

KF - Working with a scheduling tool for SME's. Why mobile is the next big thing is that SMEs are personal and mobile is personal.
RS: Is mobile perhaps bigger for SMEs then?
SM: Mobile is an enabler... small business are becoming much much more able to compete due to mobile.
RS: How is technology helping UK companies to move away from HQ's
KF: The technology is there to engage and collaborate far more than you have ever been able to do in the past. Is the technology there? Yes Are companies taking advantage of this? Not as much as they could be.
TK: From my opinion still nothing quite meets with kicking around ideas around the watercooler. The challenge is how do we do this in the virtual world.
RS: What industries are more under threat than others from mobile start-ups

SM: There is no place hide. IBM have a venture fund, Motorola have a fund. These companies are looking to find the latest innovation. In London it is the financial services market where there is a big focus on technology.
RS: What threats would say people need to be more aware of?
KF: I think that the threat is twofold. Firstly People will work out a workflow that uses non-corporate tools, with the best of intentions but they are working in a way that you don't know about. Secondly watch out for unestablished providers, particularly from emerging markets.
RS: Is mobility another .com bubble
SM: In short No.There are a number of different reasons why not but no.

14:15 Breakout session: Building the case...

Fantastic breakout session... look out for a future feature detailing what was discussed. Some excellent tech showcased by Lenovo. More to follow

16:09 Customer Case Study: Consistent Customer Experiences In a Mobile World 

As we head into the final sessions our next speaker is by Ashley Payne, Former Head of Digital Operations, Alvarez & Marsal

Online usability used to be dead simple is Payne's opening gambit. In explantation of this Payne outlined a brief history of web commerce. From 2,000 - 2006 the only real worries were a new web browser. Website usability was the hot topic. Then along came customer research firms, sign in barriers became removed etc. and we got it right.

However, today now 'online' means something different. Retailers typically maintain multiple sites as we use multiple devices.

Almost 2/3rd of retailers now operate 4 or more touch points. Yet only 1/3 however feel these are integrated. The customer needs consistency and ease of use. Mobile optimised presence, tablet friendly sites, seamless interaction with email across channels. We're not delivering.

We must go back to basics. A simple customer journey should not require learning. Websites should be fast and slick with reviews and ratings to help make objective buying options. We now expect not having to learn, for mobile we have neglected the basics in favour of rapid adoption.

 

Payne next moved on to things to avoid.  Content is the first thing to go missing when things are delivering at a pace. TopShop was a prime example of getting this wrong although they have since improved their approach. There needs to be continuity across mobile and desktop versions of websites otherwise the customer journey is a disparate and uncomfortable journey which will lose sales, Payne argues.

Retailers have experienced that conversion is much lower on a tablet than a desktop. However, should this read to panic? Not necessarily... understanding the customer journey is important. Mobile are predominantly used for research whereas desktops are used more frequently for purchase. Although mobile commerce now counts for 36% of online sales.

To conclude Payne further emphasised the need for a cohesive journey across the variety of devices we are using.

17:32 Overview of the final session Insight and Lessons From London 2012 Olympics: The Power of a Mobile Enabled Customer Experience

After a long and enjoyable day focussing on the issues around enterprise mobility we turn to the final session which brings us Greg Nugent, Former Director of Brand, Marketing and Culture for the London Olympics and Paralympics.

As the man responsible for the two largest ever marketing campaigns the UK has ever seen (he was also responsible for LeChunnel) Nugent spoke at length about the approach he and his team took.

However, the key take away - mobile and physical should sit together and as an integrated whole. As Nugent states the best brands thrive on Change.

In the wake of a BBC Panorama documentary highlighting the dangers of cognitive distraction among motorists, TomTom Telematics Director UK & Ireland, Giles Margerison, considers what road risk means for fleet managers and how it can be best managed.

More people than ever before are now being convicted for causing death behind the wheel of their motor vehicle – and the consequences of this for businesses can be severe.

Back in 2007, there were a total of 233 convictions for causing death by dangerous driving. That same year the offence of causing death by careless driving was introduced – and according to the Ministry of Justice, by 2013 the number of convictions for death caused by both dangerous and careless driving had reached 310.

In light of these statistics, and the alarming fact that around a third of all road traffic accidents are believed to be work-related, businesses need to take the management of road risk extremely seriously.

The long arm of the law

Employers, after all, have the same duty of care obligations for their mobile workers as they do for all their office site staff. The Health and Safety at Work Act requires them to ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees while at work.

What’s more, the legal implications of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act should provide all the motivation needed for service fleet managers to ensure adequate road risk management systems are in place.

 

Courts can impose unlimited fines for Corporate Manslaughter convictions and the damage to a company’s reputation could have even graver implications. In addition to corporate exposure individual criminal charges, including manslaughter, can be brought against directors or ‘thinking minds’ of an organisation.

 

As for field service employees, under sentencing guidelines a driver can face up to 14 years behind bars for death by dangerous driving.

The Health and Safety Executive’s advice is clear – companies should ensure work-related road safety is integrated into wider arrangements for managing health and safety at work. To ensure risks are effectively managed they must address their health and safety “policy, responsibility, organisation, systems and monitoring”.

Fostering a safety culture

Simply ensuring drivers hold valid licences and that their company vehicles have valid MOT certificates is not enough to ensure their safety. Beyond the introduction of a company-wide health and safety policy, organisations must strive to achieve a cultural shift among their employees to make sure policies are adhered to. This is where fleet management systems have a big role to play – helping enforce behavioural changes and significantly modifying driver attitudes.

On a basic level, telematics can be used to monitor the number of hours a driver spends behind the wheel and enforce a policy of regular breaks. This however is just the tip of the iceberg, with driver performance tools allowing managers to monitor the behaviour of their mobile workers – providing data on factors such as speed, fuel consumption and even harsh steering or braking.

A survey by road safety charity Brake discovered people driving for business purposes are more likely to take risks on the road than the general driving population. For example, more than half (54 per cent) admit speeding on 60mph limit roads, compared with 34 per cent of non-work drivers.

Helping the driver

What’s more, the importance of being able to monitor and act on such data was highlighted in a recent BBC Panorama documentary that examined the dangers of cognitive distraction.Professor Paul Atchley, Cognitive Psychologist at the University of Kansas, revealed that drivers using hands-free device mobile phones, for example, suffer from a mental workload and that reduces their ability to deal with hazards on the road, increasing the likelihood of crashes.

 

Telematics systems that automatically send job details and route drivers to customer locations via integrated in-vehicle navigation devices can reduce this mental workload. They also empower drivers them by feeding live performance information to their in-vehicle navigation devices, enabling them to change their behaviour in real time.

 

In the office, managers can use the performance data to build accurate profiles for every driver and identify where their strengths and weaknesses lie, allowing training to be tailored to suit individual requirements. The opportunity to measure driver performance in a sustainable manner following training sessions also becomes a reality, protecting the business investment in meeting duty of care obligations.

Scotia Gas Networks (SGN), for example, reduced incidences of negative driver behaviour (speeding, harsh steering, braking or acceleration) from 1,600 a day to less than 400 after implementing teleamtics technology.

Although there can occasionally be resistance from staff with such systems involving in-depth performance analysis, this can be overcome if they are positioned correctly and implemented with employee involvement.

Consultations should be held with staff throughout the process and open lines of communication maintained. Incentives offered for improvements in performance can also result in healthy competition among staff.

By understanding their obligations and committing to road safety, service companies can stay on the right side of the law, safe in the knowledge they have secure business future.

This is page two of this feature. If you arrived here first then click here to go to the beginning of the feature.

There is also a corresponding white paper on this subject, which you can access by clicking this link and completing the brief registration form.  

Process

The next area of consideration is process. What is the level of process change? Once again we look to the above points to be able to begin to what we will need to change in terms of processes in our business, how these changes will impact our business and ultimately how we can best manage these changes.

As with structure the key to managing change in processes is to be able to see the full picture and understand how each interaction within your company may be affected. [quote float="left"]As you assess the impact of your change management program it is essential to look across each and every process that is undertaken to understand if it is subject to change

 

Whether it is between office and field based staff, differing divisions within your company (service operations and sales for example) or even between your company and other third party organisations (either client or provider) you need to understand how your change management program will impact these interactions.

What changes will need to be made to your internal processes in order to accommodate these alterations? As you assess the impact of your change management program it is essential to look across each and every process that is undertaken to understand if it is subject to change and if so what those changes will be.  Then as with structure it is imperative that these changes are identified with all stakeholders informed and where required, new lines of responsibility clearly demarcated.

Tools

Finally we come to the point where perhaps many of us may have thought we should start –the actual tools that we will be bringing in, indeed those very tools that are the driving force of the whole change management project itself. Depending on where you are in the process of selecting your new system you may well have already chosen your new solution/configuration etc.

However, if you are still in the early stages perhaps you should consider bringing in representatives from various divisions of the workforce including managers, as well as field and office based operatives, as part of the selection process.

Not only will they give you great insight into how the tool will be implemented, but also they will form a core of your change agent network – a topic we will look at in further detail later in this series.

Yet if the decision has already been made in terms of selecting the tools you will be using then this may not be an option. You can however certainly turn to your technology provider to ask for their guidance at this point – they should be prepared to be share with you their experience of previous implementations and any good technology provider should be offering their full assistance throughout the implementation process and can be an invaluable partner as you tackle your change management program.

 

It is important to explore each of the above areas, assessing how they will be impacted by your change management program and planning how to best manage each of the steps of change. It is also important to remember that Change Management is not a one hit procedure and you should be continuously reviewing the impact of change on each of the above areas as you continue through to full adoption and beyond.

In the next feature in this series we will look at the importance of engaging both the head and the heart as you go through the Change Management Process.

In the meantime we recommend you download a copy of the white paper “5 principals of change management in field service click here and complete the brief registration form.

As the organisers of the Field Service Solutions Theatre at this year’s Service Management Expo, Field Service News was on hand to speak exclusively to a number of leading industry professionals straight as they stepped off the theatre podium. In this video series we are pleased to bring you the highlights from the Field Service Solutions Theatre.

Here we hear from Caroline Pennington of Trimble Field Service Management.  Caroline's presentation was based around their recent insight report focusing on the challenges and issues of field service companies which service managers face on a day to day basis. Including managing mobile devices, customer service and critical elements around how Big Data can be used.

To download the slides from Caroline's presentation click here

Time critical logistics provider Bespoke Distribution Aviation (BDA) have made a flying start to 2014 with a focus on their wider international distribution service, and the recruitment of a new European Managing Director to spearhead the operation.

The company who are based at Coventry Airport is going through a period of extended growth, which has seen the significant expansion of its night Air and Road operations with increased levels of distribution business over the past six months.

The newly appointed European Managing Director Kevin Turner, who is responsible for leading the continued growth of the logistics provider ,brings with him 25 years’ of experience in the Same Day and Next Day delivery markets.

With expertise in European Air and Road express services as well as Warehousing Solutions, the appointment of Turner aims to further strengthen the BDA team as they aspire to continue building their  international footprint across the next 12 months.

With a network of airport based hubs throughout the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, BDA already operate an extensive end-to-end supply chain which allows for pan-European, time critical daily deliveries.

Turner will be based in the company’s Maastricht Air-Hub in The Netherlands, with the intention of developing the company’s overseas market presence. His  experience, having previously worked in European and UK distribution, logistics warehousing and air freight, will be a key advantage as he spearheads BDA’s strategy of increasing market share and growth across both European and International markets.

Turner commented:

“BDA has a great structure in place to allow it to grow its capacity throughout its UK, Ireland and European divisions. The company’s service offering is unique and tailored to every customer and this is why it is an international market leader for bespoke distribution services and supply chain solutions. The company has plans to increase its market presence further and I am excited to become an integral part of this.”

The appointment arrives at a particularly exciting time for BDA. The company are currently undergoing a period of unprecedented  growth with the purchase German Airline and In-night freight specialist NightExpress last year, as well as moving into new geographical markets and also a move into the B2C sector as a result of a new partnership with an established  e-commerce organisation.

BDA operate nightly cargo flights, which are then supplemented by daily road express linehaul routes, between its Coventry hub, Dublin, and Frankfurt in Germany. With flights five nights a week allowing them to offer a guarantee for overnight and early morning delivery for time-critical cargo. As a result they are particularly strong in sectors such as hi-tech IT and printing, materials handling equipment, automotive industries, medical equipment and agricultural machinery as well as more recently, direct selling e-commerce businesses.

BDA sales director, Steve Court stated:

“Last year was a fantastic year, during which we further established our infrastructure and platform for growth, and we are looking forward to continued growth and success in 2014.  He continued: “We’re growing all the time and with Kevin heading up our European division, we will continue to offer an unrivalled service throughout Europe and add value to the supply chain markets. We are prepared for a very exciting year ahead.”