Rugged Devices, Field Services, And What's Next
Field Technologies Online talks with Michael Trafton, Business Development Manager, Panasonic Connect North America, about why rugged mobile solutions are needed in field services, how they will support new trends, and what’s next for the industry.
Q: Why do field services need rugged devices?
Trafton: Field service operations face the unique challenge of managing a large network of employees in remote, diverse, and ever-changing conditions. For example, a commercial appliance company may have one employee at a site 20 minutes away servicing an industrial dishwasher and another 40 minutes away delivering and installing a new refrigerator. Now imagine you are one of the members of the on-site teams. You need to know when to arrive, what parts you need, relevant servicing manuals and warranties, how long you have to complete the job, where you are going next, and how to process the invoice. The fleet manager back at headquarters needs to track your progress and reach out quickly with any schedule changes, invoicing needs, or inventory updates.
Rugged mobile solutions put everything a field service worker needs in one place. They create a mobile office for technicians, putting data in their hands and helping them stay connected so they can get work done in any setting, which is critical to improve customer service and reduce callbacks. Consumer or commercial-grade devices are likely to break or not run at peak performance in the harsh and extreme environments field technicians work in. This causes downtime while devices are repaired or replaced, and negatively impacts overall worker productivity. However, rugged mobile solutions improve field service operations for efficient service and increase customer satisfaction, regardless of the location or environment where work takes place. Whether they are servicing a building, on the road between jobs, or working in remote locations, field service workers can access essential resources, process critical information, and contact team members using rugged mobile devices. These solutions offer enhanced connectivity and computing power, making it easier for field technicians to use specialized applications, access and transfer large files, and keep headquarters in the loop in their progress. This is what sets them apart.
Q: You mentioned many different verticals, but what industries are using these solutions?
Trafton: Field service encompasses a wide range of industries, including engineering, building maintenance, vehicle and heavy equipment repair, HVAC installation and maintenance, propane delivery, and other services. Mobile solutions are critical for any business that has a remote service component or runs teams of technicians and/or engineers to support customers where business downtime is not an option. Unlike other lines of work, these individuals aren’t camped behind an office desk. They need to access critical information on the go and in challenging conditions. Any workforce that performs tasks offsite and deals with variability in weather, location, connectivity, power, moisture, dust, and more, benefits from rugged mobile solutions. With these offerings, technicians can easily schedule jobs, quickly order parts on the job site, and better respond to emergency service calls.
It also wasn’t too long ago that many of these jobs were considered manageable without the support of remote computing. Information was manually tracked with paper forms and communicated with teams on a cell phone hooked up to a hands-free kit in a car. But any unforeseen hiccups on-site usually meant lengthy drives to and from offsite locations and the main headquarters or forcing a job to be pushed to the next day.
Fast forward to today, and field services are becoming reliant on data-driven tools and real-time communication for increased efficiency and improved worker and customer experience. Mobile computing, which was once an exception in field services, has gone from a nice to have to a critical need. Furthermore, what these technicians and engineers are building, installing, or servicing is becoming increasingly complex. For example, appliances, heavy-duty machines, and infrastructure are more sophisticated, powered by software created with thousands of lines of code. Without a rugged mobile solution providing workers access to drawings, diagnostics, and troubleshooting information, productivity is limited.
Q: What new trends are changing field services?
Trafton: The IoT is revolutionizing field service work. Sensors, monitors, transmitters, and other IoT devices help connect field technicians to their equipment, headquarters, and team members in real-time for faster diagnosis and service response. So, instead of including regularly scheduled maintenance as part of equipment service contracts, field service operations can offer flexible, as-needed support. This creates a cost-effective and efficient service experience.
For example, sensors on a commercial HVAC can monitor its performance and alert organizations of potential issues before the system reaches a full-blown outage. When notified of a minor malfunction or questionable dip in service, the organization can proactively send a technician to repair the HVAC, minimizing the chance of an entire building losing service. This process saves the customer money on costly large-scale repairs and optimizes service cycles for the provider.
Q: How will rugged mobile devices support these trends?
Trafton: As IoT advances and enables more robust service capabilities, field service workers will have new ways to accurately troubleshoot and diagnose issues on-site or remotely to minimize equipment failures. However, they will need rugged mobile devices like laptops and 2-in-1s to take full advantage of the value that these new IoT solutions provide. Field technicians are constantly on the go and can’t monitor IoT while stationed at a desk and plugged into ethernet ports. They often work in remote areas with limited connectivity. Rugged mobile devices offer 4G, 5G, or other dedicated networks to access or transfer data from the IoT, as well as providing maximum on-site computing power without the fear of overheating or the device dying (heat dispersion is handled differently and hot-swap batteries eliminate the need for chargers). Finally, streamlined services and support allow workers to troubleshoot device issues and minimize technician downtime.
Q: What’s next for field service technology?
Trafton: The future of field services will be automated, flexible, and connected — which places greater importance on remote or edge computing. Automation will reduce mundane or information-intensive tasks demanded of workers. For example, instead of calling customers and scheduling service calls, field technicians can use integrated software to automate responding to incoming service needs, reporting, and scheduling. And, with increased flexibility thanks to digital solutions, field technicians and engineers can have a better work-life balance and new avenues for productive workflows that fit individual employee and customer needs. Finally, connected solutions and services will help organizations improve operations. Whether it’s access to new software that can analyze telecommunication lines or scan for pest damage, or battery monitoring to keep devices in continuous use, connected solutions will extend the field service “remote office” even further.
Field technicians will be able to do everything from an online platform to provide unrivaled service to every customer and equip organizations to adapt operations to the evolving technology landscape.