Navigating The Skills Shortage Minefield: How Technology Is Providing The Tonic To Empower the Workforce Of The Future

Business leaders across many consumer-facing industries are facing up to the harsh reality of trying to remain competitive and profitable in a resource-scarce economy where costs are constantly on the rise. They can no longer throw more people at the problem—and Marne Martin, President of IFS Service Management Business Unit (SMBU), knows all too well the pain points of today’s service providers. More importantly, she knows the solution—it will require exploiting technology to work smarter to attract, upskill, and retain talent.

Today’s service landscape faces a pressing set of challenges—a lack of knowledgeable and skilled workers, ever-nearing sustainability targets, and a need to effectively address growing consumer expectations. The time to find the right formula for this field service management conundrum is upon us, and having the right technology has never been more vital for success, particularly when it comes to how companies manage their service and maintenance operations.

The results of a recent global IFS report, "State of Service 2023”, underline this current scenario. Industries were aware that skills shortages were upcoming over a decade ago. But what they weren’t prepared for was the extent of how bad these workforce challenges have become. The most innovative companies are now working smarter by using modern field service technology to fill the void: