Exploring The Field Service Investment Gap

By Brian Albright, Field Technologies

New research indicates a disconnect between the perceived value of field service and board-level support.

Service offerings in general, and field service in particular, have emerged as an important revenue and profit center for many companies as margins on product sales have declined over the past decade. Multiple surveys and research papers have highlighted the growing profile of field service, as have numerous case studies and features within the pages of Field Technologies.

But new research from U.K. firm Vanson Bourne has illuminated a gap between the perception of service as an important contributor to the bottom line and the actual field-level investment that boards are making in the service organization. While market forecasts show field service management (FSM) solutions expanding, there appears to be a lag between the recognition of that potential and the decision to actually do something to take advantage of it.