Modern technologies are moving rapidly, and people, or organizations, are catching up, breathless! With new apps and devices popping up on the IT industry landscape faster than ever, field service management space is gearing up to leverage these technologies to excel at various operational facets. Gauging the customer’s preferences continually is focal to success in the field service management area, and all emerging field service management software is being built around the same concept- improving customer services and experiences.
Providing a just-right experience to the customers is increasingly becoming vital to the field service operations. The field service providers who focus on delivering personalized experiences will witness a 15% revenue growth, and their cost of serving customers will reduce by as much as 20%, according to a recent study.
Where customer satisfaction is concerned, and customer retention becomes the center point, predictive facilities in field service management will attract the organizations delivering field services. Predictive field service management is an area that needs no introduction today. The facet of field service operations only talks about one thing- delivering exceptional customer experiences by leveraging the leading advanced technologies.
Predictive Field Service or Smart Field Service
More often than not, field service personnel feel the need to be connected with their data, their peers, and their managers while they are on-the-go. In this era where everything has become “mobile”, field service agents have the need to be in touch with everything they may need on a service site, round-the-clock. Smart Field Service Management pertains to a different set of technologies that are a subset of those that drive Predictive Field Service. Here are the three major technologies altering the face of field service management forever
The Internet of Things:
IoT can well be considered as a driving factor behind the latest developments happening in Field Services organizations, and behind the other technologies shaping up on their own accord. If things weren’t to be connected to each other and to humans, none of the existing technologies could have been leveraged to drive paradigm changes. The IoT wave splashed across all major industries and the Field Service space is changing rapidly under the influence. With IoT, it is possible to achieve predictive field service as the foremost need for services to become predictive is for a mechanism to be introduced in the devices itself, so that they can warn the service agent of an impending fault. Sensors and chips connect to the Internet today and let us know before an error occurs, so that field service agents don’t have to wait for things to break. This is crucial if field service companies are to deliver excellent services, where the customer only has to do one thing- pay for the services. Through IoT, services are managed with automation and carried out with minimal need of customer intervention. IoT technology has enabled field service organizations to prevent failures and work with improved efficiencies.
Cloud Computing:
With information and data being made available on the cloud, the field service management space is fast embracing cloud computing technologies. Field service technicians are getting even more efficient and empowered with cloud-based tools and services that work in real-time to allow technicians to access training material and documentations on-the-go. Not just data access, but a lot of other functionalities can be realized with cloud computing such as- lodging a request for field service tools or parts, scheduling field service jobs, receiving payments, renewing maintenance contracts and agreements, and using social media to communicate issues in field services on-the-go to get instant support from managers and peers. Field service technicians can serve customers better when they have the potential to tackle any kind of service request with help from user manuals and when they can communicate openly with their peers to get specific information. Where there is a prospective opportunity, field service professionals can also cross-sell and upsell services to the customers through a cloud computing channel or platform. The field service is not very active or rapidly- moving space, but CEOs and managers are now waking up to realize the potential that lies in the significant use of leading technologies and solutions.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence:
Machine Learning, often considered a branch of AI, has its roots deeply established in data and how it is leveraged. When companies have the right data and manage it with proficiency, they become ready to put ML and AI into practice to further their growth and success in delivering customer experiences that last. Field Service Management software of tomorrow will have extensive use of AI and ML to create an automation-based atmosphere for field service. Imparting predictive capabilities to machines will need them to learn and grow off their data, a notion that forms the core of ML. With the right data, machines will respond to warnings and carry out other major functionalities, minimizing the need for a slower manual process. Operations across field service management can be highly optimized by applying AI algorithms and finding the hidden patterns in the data.
According to a recent study, about 92% of field service executives revealed they felt a need to adapt their service models in accordance with their customers’ needs. Embracing technology is the only quick-fix way for field service management companies to outgrow and outrun their peers and competitors, and those failing to leverage the right technologies will face the heat sooner or later!
