As part of our partnership with Field Service Asia and just ahead of their conference running on the 4th and 5th November Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief Field Service News spoke with one of the key speakers Jamie F. Morais, General Manager Aftersales...
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Oct 30, 2020 • Features • automotive • Video • APAC • Field Service News Digital Symposium
As part of our partnership with Field Service Asia and just ahead of their conference running on the 4th and 5th November Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief Field Service News spoke with one of the key speakers Jamie F. Morais, General Manager Aftersales Dealer Operations Asia and Oceania.
This video was recorded for our brand new channel the Field Service News Digital Symposium which is only available to our Premium Subscribers. However, to shine a light on the calibre of speakers at the next Field Service Asia event, Field Service News has made this interview available on our free-to-access channels as well.
You can sign up to attend Field Service Asia's Digital event for free and hear both Morais and Oldland plus a huge range of other top notch speakers https://bit.ly/30zNugP
If you would like full access to the Field Service News Digital Symposium where we publish in-depth interviews with senior industry leaders in our industry every week plus a huge range of other benefits then head over to https://www.fieldservicenews.com/en/subscrition/premium-subscription
There are also a ton of other benefits which you can find out about on the link above.
Already a premium subscriber? Don't forget to check out Field Service News Digital Symposium regularly for new content!
Aug 27, 2020 • Features • 3D printing • Artificial intelligence • Video • Aquant • Parts Pricing and Logistics • north america • Field Service News Digital Symposium • 3D Systems Corporation
Having given an excellent presentation in the Field Service News Digital Symposium on the application of Artificial Intelligence in service triage, Mark Hessinger, Vice President, Global Customer Service, 3D Systems Corporation spoke with Kris...
Having given an excellent presentation in the Field Service News Digital Symposium on the application of Artificial Intelligence in service triage, Mark Hessinger, Vice President, Global Customer Service, 3D Systems Corporation spoke with Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News at length about the Aquant solution that they had implemented.
The session was designed to shine a light on the many benefits that 3D Systems Corporation realised from implementing the Aquant AI tool. However, it was also a golden opportunity to explore the potential of 3D printing in the service supply chain - which the two discussed briefly towards the latter part of the conversation.
During his presentation, Hessinger outlined that companies are beginning to move away from seeing 3D printing as a tool for prototyping and moving towards using the technology more in production as well.
Given the recent pandemic where supply chains were put under massive pressure as borders came crashing down, could it be that we'll see a further shift towards 3D printing and use of spare parts within the manufacturing sector and beyond?
"The thing about 3D printing is that it is not just making the same things differently. It enables you to do things a lot differently..."
"Yes, with what has happened throughout 2020, and supply chains being interrupted, we do see businesses especially manufacturing sites rethinking their supply chain, how they can do things and using 3D printing is going to really be something that these companies are looking at.
"We are starting to see that feedback already. There was one of the large UK companies just came out with 30% of their new products have to be produced through additive manufacturing.
"Also, the thing about 3D printing is that it is not just making the same things differently. It enables you to do things a lot differently. That bracket I showed [during the presentation] combined 13 parts. Fuel nozzles can be created much more efficiently because you can create geometries that you could never do in traditional manufacturing. I think we're going to have the impact from both sides. Supply chains need to rethink how they build things, and engineering needs to continue to get creative on how they make things to have better quality."
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about Artificial Intelligence @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=Artificial+intelligence
- Read more exclusive FSN news and features from the Aquant team @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=Aquant
- Connect with Mark Hessinger on LinkedIN @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhessinger/
- Find out more about Aquant's AI-powered service triage @ www.aquant.io/
- Follow Aquant on Twitter @ twitter.com/Aquant_io
Aug 20, 2020 • Features • Artificial intelligence • Remote Assistance • Video • Zero-touch • Digital Transformation • Aquant • north america • Field Service News Digital Symposium
In a recent presentation for the Field Service News Digital Symposium, Mark Hessinger, Vice President, Global Customer Services, 3D Systems, Corporation, outlined the benefits his organisation had witnessed having implemented an Artificial...
In a recent presentation for the Field Service News Digital Symposium, Mark Hessinger, Vice President, Global Customer Services, 3D Systems, Corporation, outlined the benefits his organisation had witnessed having implemented an Artificial Intelligence solution provided by Aquant.
One of the areas that Hessinger referenced during the presentation was the reduction in repeat visits and the increase in first-time fix rates. This, of course, will have a significant impact on the bottom line of the service P&L with the truck roll almost always being the most expensive line on the spreadsheet. As the adage goes, if you have to send an engineer on-site once then you are breaking even, even if you have to send an engineer twice, you're losing money. So this improvement, in and of itself, was a massive plus in the presentation.
However, given the backdrop of 2020 where the world has radically changed as a result of the reaction to Covid-19, the question was raised during the Q&A that followed Hessinger's presentation whether Aquant's AI-powered triage tool could be suitable to help facilitate zero-touch or remote assistance services as well?
Could the Aquant solution help provide a mechanism for service delivery for those customers who require a guided self-help approach to issue resolution?
"I'd say the tool is a building block to enable us to get there," Hessinger answered when the idea was put to him.
"We need it integrated with the other systems and information because it connects them to the knowledge management, to the information. We're currently doing a proof of concept to pull in some AR (augmented reality) technology as well. We believe integrating the AR technology can help guide someone first using the AI tool to go in the right direction and then guide them remotely on how to execute a repair. If you put both of these pieces together, I think the quantity of remote resolutions will go up dramatically," Hessinger added.
"Typically, your field service engineer builds a good relationship with the customer and becomes part of the face of the company right. We still want to have those touch-points, but we need to make sure we're doing them differently..."
This leads us to an interesting question - in a post-pandemic world just how much has the perception of value shifted in terms of remote service vs on-site service delivery?
Often it has felt that there's been a more perceived value to a site visit than remote services. As we mentioned earlier, it is an expensive line on the P&L compared to a remote service. This was one of the reasons that many felt that remote assistance technologies such as Augmented Reality have never quite taken off in the way that we might have imagined. However, that has changed massively in the last five months in the eyes of many customers.
Yet, for the savvy service organisation, the on-site service call is far more than a mere maintenance operation. It is an opportunity to engage with the customer, to showcase the expertise within the organisation, and ultimately to secure ongoing business and even open up new revenue streams.
So the question is, how do field service organisations use remote service within their service portfolio as an active engagement channel as many have mastered with the service call?
As Hessinger explains "Typically, your field service engineer builds a good relationship with the customer and becomes part of the face of the company right. We still want to have those touch-points, but we need to make sure we're doing them differently. If I can see you on video, I've made a better connection than if I sent you a text message.
"We need to leverage how do we continue to build those relationships. If we were with a customer three times a year, and now we can do things better, only one time a year, we need to make sure we still have a high touch with the customer to build that kind of rapport and relationship."
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about Artificial Intelligence @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=Artificial+intelligence
- Read more exclusive FSN news and features from the Aquant team @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=Aquant
- Connect with Mark Hessinger on LinkedIN @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhessinger/
- Find out more about Aquant's AI-powered service triage @ www.aquant.io/
- Follow Aquant on Twitter @ twitter.com/Aquant_io
Aug 13, 2020 • Features • Ageing Workforce Crisis • Artificial intelligence • Video • Digital Transformation • Aquant • north america • Field Service News Digital Symposium
During a recent Field Service News Digital Symposium presentation on the use of Aquant's Artificial Intelligence tool within their service triage process, Mark Hessinger, Vice President of Global Customer Service, 3D Systems Corporation, touched on...
During a recent Field Service News Digital Symposium presentation on the use of Aquant's Artificial Intelligence tool within their service triage process, Mark Hessinger, Vice President of Global Customer Service, 3D Systems Corporation, touched on perhaps probably the most pervasive issues that our industry faces.
That issue is how do we stop the tribal knowledge contained in our ageing field service workforce walking out the door. It is a challenge we are seeing emerge across all regions and all industries.
It is a well-documented issue. Many field service companies are currently staring down the barrel of an ageing workforce crisis while struggling to engage with a future generation of workers. Some industries may have a slight advantage, companies at the cutting edge of technology such as 3D Systems for example, who will likely attract bright young minds eager to embrace a technology set to be a fundamental part of the future. Yet, even these companies generally still face higher rates of attrition than acquisition when it comes to talent.
This is perhaps why this presentation by Hessinger resonated so strongly with its audience. As Hessinger went through the multiple benefits of implementing Aquant's AI-powered triage tool, this was one aspect that really struck a chord.
3D Systems had, via Aquant's AI, found the keys to unlock much of the core knowledge locked away in the vast pools of data that all service organisations will hold. They found a way to keep the decades of tribal knowledge within their walls.
"Like other companies, we do have [staff] turnover," Hessinger explains.
"We were able to use all that information we had, to continue to support the product so that that was a nice real-life outcome of using the the Aquant tool..."
"And on certain product lines, we don't have a lot of printers installed, so we don't have a lot of people trained. For example, on one Multijet printer, our subject matter expert chose to retire a couple of years earlier than we expected. So everybody started to get a little nervous as we only had one other person who did not have the same depth of experience on that product."
"Yet, that person told me, 'you'll be fine, it's all captured in the Aquant tool. I validated that it works,'" Hessinger commented as he outlined a perfect example of a challenge many service leaders may recognise. As Hessinger explained, it was a situation that soon became even more challenging.
"Shortly after that, our second person that knew that technology also left," he continued, "so there I am without our two tech support people for this product line. However, we were still able to continue to run and support customers and actually, we haven't had any escalations on that product in the last nine months since those guys left.
"That is because we were able to use all that information we had, to continue to support the product which is a nice real-life outcome of using the the Aquant tool," he adds.
Essentially, what Hessinger and the team at 3D Systems implemented was an additional AI 'trainer'. They found a technological solution to a human problem. Ultimately, the AI allowed 3D Systems to make that transition from losing two central members of staff on a specific product line. They managed to stop that tribal knowledge leaving the organisation.
This also appeared to be something that could be almost universally applied to any field service scenario - indeed for any organisation that held sizeable layers of data that is currently a massively underutilised information resource. What came across in Hessinger's presentation was that the was already buried within their systems - Aquant surfaced it, neatly and effectively.
As Hessinger explained "Typically we require our field service or tech support personnel to document in the case what happened and that's written down. When you go back and look at it at those notes, [it is usually] because there was a similar case at some point and you start searching for cases to find the information, those are the times you go digging for it.
"Yet, now you're not digging for it. It's accessible and there, everything you've captured," Hessinger explains.
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about Artificial Intelligence @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=Artificial+intelligence
- Read more exclusive FSN news and features from the Aquant team @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=Aquant
- Connect with Mark Hessinger on LinkedIN @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhessinger/
- Find out more about Aquant's AI-powered service triage @ www.aquant.io/
- Follow Aquant on Twitter @ twitter.com/Aquant_io
Aug 06, 2020 • Features • Artificial intelligence • Video • Digital Transformation • Aquant • north america • Field Service News Digital Symposium • 3D Systems Corporation
In a recent presentation in the Field Service News Digital Symposium, Mark Hessinger, Vice President, Global Customer Services, 3D Systems Corporation outlined how his organisation had harnessed Artificial Intelligence within their service triage...
In a recent presentation in the Field Service News Digital Symposium, Mark Hessinger, Vice President, Global Customer Services, 3D Systems Corporation outlined how his organisation had harnessed Artificial Intelligence within their service triage and delivery having implemented Aquant’s AI-powered tools.
It was an impressive presentation that outlined several different benefits that 3D Systems Corporation realised in just a matter of months since the implementation.
Perhaps the one critical takeaway from Hessinger’s presentation was just how many aspects of their service delivery had been touched and optimised by the Aquant AI solution.
During the presentation, Hessinger referred to benefits that included vital areas that are high on the agenda for improvement, by many if not all field service organisations. Hessinger explained how they had seen direct performance improvements in the optimisation of the service logistics chain, a significant reduction in truck rolls and an increase in perhaps the most crucial metric within service delivery – first time-fix rates.
"All those things come together, the better information you have, the better accuracy you have on resolving things..."
However, during the Q&A segment of the presentation, Hessinger was quizzed by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News about what was the critical factor that drove 3D Systems Corporation to seek out an AI solution and engage with Aquant?
“We met with Aquant at a field service conference, and found somebody who was trying to solve the problem that we were trying to address” Hessinger had commented during the presentation – so what exactly was that problem?
Mostly, it was the result of the evolution of the 3D printing sector itself as the industry evolves from supporting prototype development to full production.
As Hessinger explains, “The key driver was after I joined 3D Systems, we had to make that shift from supporting a prototype house to a production environment. If the printers are not working in a prototyping environment, they [the client] may call today, with an expectation of us being with them in a few days. In production environment you have to be so much faster because a 3D printer not producing final parts directly impacts revenue."
“I was looking for a tool that could help us with just improving the speed and the rate of resolution. All those things come together, the better information you have, the better accuracy you have on resolving things. It just allows you to get to solve the problem faster,” Hessinger adds.
“Resolving problems quicker and more accurately was one of them was the key driver initially.”
Further Reading:
- Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
- Read more about Artificial Intelligence @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=Artificial+intelligence
- Read more exclusive FSN news and features from the Aquant team @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hs-search-results?term=Aquant
- Connect with Mark Hessinger on LinkedIN @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/markhessinger/
- Find out more about Aquant's AI-powered service triage @ www.aquant.io/
- Follow Aquant on Twitter @ twitter.com/Aquant_io
Jun 18, 2020 • Features • Video • Si2 partners • Covid-19 • Leadership and Strategy • Digital Symposium
In the first of our series of features looking towards building a new normal that was better than what we had before, with the insights collated from the many panel sessions hosted by Kris Oldland throughout the pandemic, we begin with establishing...
In the first of our series of features looking towards building a new normal that was better than what we had before, with the insights collated from the many panel sessions hosted by Kris Oldland throughout the pandemic, we begin with establishing an understanding of what leadership looks like in a post-pandemic world...
The challenges of coping with the sudden on rush of a series of global lockdowns as governments across the globe reacted to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic meant that many organisations who were in the midst of planning how they could evolve their service offerings were suddenly faced with a much more pressing concern – how could they stay operational.
One man who was involved in a number of such situations was Harald Wasserman, Co-Managing Director Si2 Partners.
Field Service News has produced an eBook '10 Thoughts for Service Leaders Planning Recovery' for our subscribers based on the many hours of live streams we hosted to support field service organisations.
If you are already on either our Access All Areas or VIP subscription tiers you can access this on the button below now. If you have yet to subscribe or are on our complimentary subscription tier then click the button to upgrade or subscribe now
The FIeld Service Centre is a Key Asset in Today's new world
“Only a few weeks ago I was working with a number of companies and we were talking about how to transform the company into a pro-active service organisation. Then as the onset of the coronavirus and the global lockdowns arrived, the situation changed rapidly and totally. We were no longer talking about high level strategies, but instead our focus was now centred on immediate challenges. Where do we get the workload for our service technicians tomorrow?” Wasserman explained.
“It soon became clear that the service centre was one of our key assets in this discussion, as they are in contact with the customers and so were fundamental in establishing where the work could be for our service technicians. What we discovered very rapidly was that having this customer contact would be key to our survival and that the service centre would be instrumental in establishing that contact.
Another early discovery that was crucial that Wasserman believes played a pivotal role in companies being able to adapt to the new world that we all suddenly found ourselves in as the pandemic spread was the importance of an orderly approach to initiating customer contact.
“I noticed that it was important that we have a structure which is effective and allowed for fast contact with our customers,” he recounts “it was absolutely this customer communication that has allowed us to continue with a workload that has remained at 80% to 100% of our capacity - which was excellent at such a challenging time.
"We have also started an initiative to contact customers who we may not have been in contact with for a number of years, and this proactive approach has been very much welcomed by these customers..."
- Harald Wasserman, Si2 Partners.
“We have been able to adapt our organisation to a more customer focused organisation now,” he says reflecting on the work that has been put in place since the onset of the lockdowns. “Instead of waiting for the customer to make contact with us we have pivoted to become much, much more proactive in reaching out to them and this has meant that we are still able to generate the work required to keep our business operational.
“We have also started an initiative to contact customers who we may not have been in contact with for a number of years, and this proactive approach has been very much welcomed by these customers. So, we have implemented both new engagements with our lapsed customers and also a more proactive approach to our existing customer base and this has been the positive approach we have taken to guide us through this crisis.
It has meant getting some of our people out of their comfort zones - we have changed the status quo in that whereas before we would have waited for the customer to initiate the conversation, now our team are contacting the customers themselves and kicking off the conversation. It is not easy, in some cases it is like searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack, however, it has been an endeavour that has been essential.”
Another aspect that has changed radically as a result of the crisis is how the role of management has changed and this is another area that Wasserman feels has been under increasing scrutiny.
“The management role within field service has become increasingly important during this time. Perhaps at the top of their responsibilities is the ongoing communications with their team. This is vital because our field service engineers and technicians, those in the front line are often operating more or less alone at the moment and they of course have many questions at this time.
“For example, what are the guidelines for them if the customer isn’t taking the necessary precautions that can ensure that our engineers are working within a safe environment given the current conditions? Our approach has been to issue clear advice to give our field workers firm support in their decision making. In this situation for example, if the customer is not willing to provide an environment in which our people can work safely then they must respect that the importance of our staff is our most fundamental priority. This had to be a management decision and had to be communicated strongly to give our staff the confidence to act when they are isolated in the field, and to know that they had our full backing.
‘Day by day we have to make a lot of these types of decisions to support our field workers, but also we have to ensure we are able to adapt our working processes to be able to be more flexible to fulfil the workload we have.
"We see that the companies that are probably dealing with the situation the best are those who have a built-in resilience. It is those companies who have a built-in adaptability and flexibility embedded within their DNA already..."
- Nick Frank, Si2 Partners
“The very way we in which we work has changed fundamentally both in the field but also the way we as management are working. For example, I would normally have four or five meetings a day, now I am having ten or more which are all remotely hosted. The meetings we have now are quicker and more intense, which is of course a part of the current situation, but also, they are more direct."
It is clear that much of the areas which Wasserman outlines as crucial elements shared amongst those companies he has seen adapt best to the challenges of Covid-19 have centred around strong and decisive leadership. This he believes is no coincidence. “There has absolutely been a correlation between those organisations that were able to make quick decisions and show strong leadership and those who were able to adapt easiest to the shifting sands of the operational environment of the pandemic,” he comments.
“The people on the working level they need guidance. They need clear rules. If you don’t give them this, they will struggle. There simply isn’t time for them to be thinking about ‘am I doing the right work?’ ‘Should I do X or Y in this situation?’ or even ‘what do I do?’.
Such questions will have a direct impact on the productivity of your field workers. Therefore, strong leadership and providing strong support for your team is absolutely critical in maintaining efficiency in crisis situations.
“We saw this very early and the importance of ensuring that we were communicating important decisions very quickly to our people and continuing this level of clear, consistent communication with our workforce on an ongoing basis is essential, “ he added.
However, one of the that has arisen as we work under the confines of the current lockdowns, is finding the time for communications that are discussions rather than announcements. For many of us now is a time of action as we continue to constantly adapt and fight to hold onto to the business we have and meet the needs of the customers we serve.
“We are all dealing with a critical situation and it is hard to find time for anything else when we are in the midst of the challenge,” comments Nick Frank, Wasserman’s Co-Managing Director at Si2 Partners.
“However, when we are able to bring our key personnel together there are so many lessons to be learnt. This is because it is so extreme, everything has happened so quickly, and we haven’t really had time to think about it. We see that the companies that are probably dealing with the situation the best are those who have a built-in resilience. It is those companies who have a built-in adaptability and flexibility embedded within their DNA already.
“Those are the companies that we are seeing emerge as those who are ‘most comfortable’, certainly as comfortable as it is possible to be at such a time. They are making decisions; they are showing strong leadership and I think if there is one lesson to be learnt it is the value of strong leadership,” Frank concludes.
Field Service News has produced an eBook '10 Thoughts for Service Leaders Planning Recovery' for our subscribers based on the many hours of live streams we hosted to support field service organisations.
If you are already on either our Access All Areas or VIP subscription tiers you can access this on the button below now. If you have yet to subscribe or are on our complimentary subscription tier then click the button to upgrade or subscribe now
May 06, 2020 • Features • Gig Economy • Video • field service • field service management • field service software • localz • Blended Workforce
In this final video in our series looking at the grown-up gig economy and field service, we discuss the importance of customer perception when utilising gig workers as field service technicians...
In this final video in our series looking at the grown-up gig economy and field service, we discuss the importance of customer perception when utilising gig workers as field service technicians...
Would You Like to Know More? There is a Field Service News white paper on this topic available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscriber. Click the button below to access it now!
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How to Protect the Brand Reputation of Your Field Service Operation, While Harnessing the Gig Economy
An important question remains when it comes to the gig economy. What about the perception of the gig worker in the eyes of the consumer – in an era when the service call plays a significant part of a company’s reputation and brand is it wise to hand that responsibility to someone who is not part of your corporate family?
There is a certain amount of trepidation amongst some companies around this approach for exactly this question. However, ultimately if the engineer is on an emergency break-fix call and gets the customer back up and running, realistically will they really care whether the engineer is a direct employee or a gig worker? Probably not.
Similarly, if the engineer is performing fairly routine preventative maintenance, then will it really matter if the engineer is gig worker or employed? Again in reality, the customer is unlikely to have too much of a concern. However, there is a potential negative impact to a brand if it becomes apparent that the company is sending out what could be viewed as cheaper, less qualified labour to maintain their customers assets.
There are a number of ways in which this could be overcome, however.
Employ in the Gig Economy Like You Would for your Own Team. Hire Excellence.
One suggestion could be leveraging the natural gravitas and authority that more experienced engineers are able to bring to the table.
Of course, we are not suggesting that an organisation employ based on an age criterion here (that would be unfair, illegal and limit your potential reach into the gig economy market).
However, it could be wise to set a slightly higher experience requirement level for your jobs than is actually needed. This would have the benefit ensuring that each of your gig workers is overqualified for the work they are going to undertake on your behalf.
This may approach may be a bit more expensive than the regular approach to harnessing the gig economy, but it is still cheaper than it would be to develop and retain your own workforce, and you would be likely to see high level first-time-fix rates which not is not only good for your own P&L negating any additional expense, but perhaps more importantly would allow to maintain a strong brand reputation for your service operation whilst leveraging the gig economy.
This is however, just one potential suggestion, but there is one thing which is a simple necessity required in order to make sure you are able to successfully leverage the gig economy, whilst retaining the trust and loyalty of your customers. That is to present a consistent and unified look across all your communications with your customers regardless of whether they are internal workers or gig economy.
Embrace the Technology That Empowers Your Organisation and Delight Your Customers
It is essential that from your customers’ perspective that they still have clear visibility and a route of communication that is seamless.
This is where technology such as Localz can play a major role in facilitating field service organisations to truly harness the power of the gig worker market.
In fact, moving towards an on-demand service model doesn’t have to be a huge operational or organisational change.
By using the power of location technology, such as that which the Localz solution has been designed to maximize, you can “offer” jobs to available engineers in the area with the right skill set, delivering a flexible schedule for employees and a seamless on demand experience for consumers, who are demanding more services which work around them.
Would You Like to Know More? There is a Field Service News white paper on this topic available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscriber. Click the button below to access it now!
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Apr 29, 2020 • Features • Gig Economy • Video • field service • field service management • field service software • localz • Blended Workforce
In the fourth part of this series looking at the grown-up gig economy in field service we explore the win-win benefits of the older gig worker being utilised within the field service sector...
In the fourth part of this series looking at the grown-up gig economy in field service we explore the win-win benefits of the older gig worker being utilised within the field service sector...
Would You Like to Know More? There is a Field Service News white paper on this topic available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscriber. Click the button below to access it now!
This premium content is sponsored by:
Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this content.
NEW! If you would prefer to access our full premium content library without having to submit data to our sponsors you can opt for a paid subscription for as little as £15/month find out more @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/subscription-tiers
What the More Experienced Field Service Engineer Brings to the Table...
So, let’s take a look at why the gig economy can be of benefit both for more seasoned engineers and for field service organisations themselves.
Flexibility
The frequent travel of a field service engineer can be an exciting life for a younger worker. Indeed, this variety is something that field service organisers are starting to leverage as they seek to employ from the millennial labour pool.
However, it is a work-life balance that is perhaps less attractive for the engineer who has settled and doesn’t want to spend time away from their family so often.
Equally the older engineer, who is perhaps entering into semi-retirement may not want to (or be capable of) climbing up pylons or squeezing down cubby holes everyday but whose technical skills can be leveraged in less demanding roles.
Additionally, as our society adapts to newer thinking towards work, the entrepreneurial approach is becoming increasingly common amongst older workers as they have the necessary diligence to continue to seek out the work needed to provide them with financial support, but relish the freedom of being able to set their own agenda.
Experience On Tap:
For the field service organisation, the ability to tap into a pool of experienced engineers, on demand, allows them to minimise the risk of unnecessary costs while still being able to meet any peaks in service requirements.
Whilst this is of course true of any gig-worker, regardless of age, field service companies are seeking out more seasoned engineers for a number of reasons.
Experienced with the Assets
The engineer that has been there, done it and got the t-shirt is likely to hit the first-time-fix rates.
Not only are they likely to have vast experience on multiple assets within the industry segment, but also their experience will shine when it comes to fault identification as well. This is crucial considering that no fault found is one of the over-riding biggest causes for costly second visits.
Good Under Pressure
When every second of downtime is costing your client money the front line of the service cycle can be a high-pressure environment.
In such pressure, mistakes can be made which can be costly for both you and your client. The experienced engineer is likely to be able to draw on a well of experience to help them get the job done as efficiently as possible.
Indeed, this is the reason that so many field service organizations actively seek out ex-military personnel.
Good with the Customers
Of course, if the customers problem is resolved nice and quickly then they are likely to be happy.
However, a confident and well-mannered engineer can then be the link in solidifying their relationship with your organisation and potentially paving the way for renewed or upgraded service contracts in the future.
The gig-economy engineer doesn’t need to be part of your sales process to achieve this, but they are the representative of your brand and the quality of their interaction with your customers will impact your sales teams conversations at some point in the future.
The experienced engineer is more likely to understand the wider business processes and be more comfortable engaging with customers whilst also naturally carrying a more authoritative tone.
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Apr 22, 2020 • Features • Gig Economy • Video • field service • field service management • field service software • localz • Blended Workforce
In the next part of our video series published in partnership with Localz that looks at gig economy in field service, we take a look at some of the core misconceptions of the gig workers and employers...
In the next part of our video series published in partnership with Localz that looks at gig economy in field service, we take a look at some of the core misconceptions of the gig workers and employers...
The Misconceptions of the Gig Economy in Field Service
Having outlined the growing case for the field service sector embracing the gig economy in earlier features within this series,, let us now take a moment to bust some of the myths surrounding the conversation…
Misconception #1 : The gig economy is just young kids on bikes
If you look at the various gig work platforms that are available, it quickly becomes clear that many are targeted at workers with a specific level of expertise. When we think of the gig economy we often automatically think of platforms such as Uber or Task Rabbit. But the truth is the gig economy is a broad and wide spectrum. For example at the other end of the spectrum high level, management consultants have essentially always been part of the gig economy, long before the term was ever coined. In fact over two-thirds (66%) of the gig economy are over thirty.
When we look at field service engineers, successful platforms have emerged such as FieldNation or WorkMarket that have allowed field service organisations to effortlessly tap into a contingent labour market full of qualified and experienced service engineers.
Misconception #2: The gig economy is only utilised by certain types of company
Actually, 40% of companies expect that gig workers will become an increasing part of their workforce.
Many businesses are clearly seeing the value in using freelance workers to meet their staffing needs. Companies like Swiss telco giant SwissCom for example are rapidly expanding their teams and building new service revenue streams by utilising an abundance of gig workers.
This is a trend that we have seen increasing in field service and as it offers a win-win for gig workers and field service companies alike we anticipate it will only continue.
More field service companies hiring gig workers will only serve to drive the acceptance of the gig economy further bringing more experienced engineers to the gig economy market.
Misconception #3: Gig workers are just waiting for a ‘proper job’
There is the common misconception that gig economy work is a means to an end whilst workers seek out a more traditional form of full time employment.
In fact research by Forbes shows that only 20% of freelancers would prefer full time employment Despite scare stories that position gig workers as vulnerable from exploitation and low wages, the reality is very different and that most gig workers wouldn’t choose full-time employment even if it was available to them. Nearly a half of respondents (45%) would opt to work independently and state that they would seek to acquire new clients in order to meet their financial goals.
All of this is noteworthy because as a group, freelancers do tend to work longer hours at less pay than their employed counterparts.
At the same time, they tend to state that they work on more interesting projects and enjoy the flexibility that gig work provides to them, including being able to work from home, and spending more quality time with their family.
Overall, this could reflect a shift in priorities among workers and has been aligned with the societal change of the workforce as boomers retire and millennials replace them.
However, further study of the available data would indicate that this is in fact a universal preference that transcends generational outlooks.
Would You Like to Know More? There is a Field Service News white paper on this topic available exclusively to fieldservicenews.com subscriber. Click the button below to access it now!
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Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this content.
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