3 Benefits Of Spatial Field Service Operations Data Analysis

By Mark Percy, VP of Technology at Field Squared

It’s interesting the number of field service organizations we talk to that tell us one of the first problems they need to solve involves capturing data to improve decision making. And it’s more than just seeking operational efficiency, that’s a given. What they really want is to know is the insight that can be gained from the intersection of: 1) where their technicians are spending their time, 2) where their assets are positioned, and 3) where their customers are located. I refer to this as the time and space dimensionality of field service management: when you have access to spatially oriented information to manage field service work. Here, we discuss three undervalued benefits of spatial field service operations data analysis.

#1: Correlating Field Assets Against Cost-Based Reporting

Maintaining physical assets (i.e., property, plants, oil well sites, telephone poles, fleets, equipment, inventory) that breakdown or require maintenance, is a non-stop job for field service organizations. In some cases, the assets can number in the hundreds or thousands, and can be located anywhere in the world. It can get fairly complicated and time consuming to keep track of them all, especially via paper-based processes.

Digitally managing asset information and further extending that information to a map-based view, is exceptionally powerful. Correlating GPS technician track history against asset location enables the determination of which assets take the most time, resources and cost to maintain compared to those that generate the highest revenue. The information may then be used to determine which assets aren’t worth the cost to continue maintaining.