By Bob Ashenbrenner, Xplore Technologies
The curse of the successful power delivery, telecom services, factory automation, or anything that “just works” day in and day out is that people take it for granted. These systems only get noticed when they don’t work, even when the outage is due to storms or other acts of nature. As such, customer expectations for immediate resolution dictate the speed of operations among telcos, utilities, manufacturers, transportation providers and even first responders. In a way, field service is just a variation of reactive supply and demand. The most evident variables just tend to be the urgency of a deadline and the severity of the consequence if workers fail to meet that deadline:
- An electric transformer blows during a storm and customers want their power back on now. Techs receive dispatch tickets, trucks roll, and repairs are made based on severity, safety, and priority.
- A water main bursts as the result of an unusual cold spell. Water is being wasted, the road is flooding and icing, the water flow to local businesses and residents has stopped completely, until the temporary repair is made and safe consumption is confirmed. Inspection teams are dispatched to notate findings and map out a more permanent repair plan.
- The primary assembly line comes to a halt unexpectedly and you’re a lean manufacturer, with limited inventory, orders piling up and hourly workers who are sent home without pay until the line is fixed. You just can’t produce products fast enough right now on the remaining assembly lines. The repair team is immediately on the scene to diagnose the issue, obtain replacement parts and make the repair. Just as important, a follow-up evaluation is done to understand how to prevent this type of failure in the future.
- 911 calls are being fielded in response to a car accident. Law enforcement officers respond first to secure and assess the scene, capture witness and victim statements and assist with traffic flow. EMS responders are dispatched next, quickly tending to the victims’ medical needs and preparing them for hospital intake during transport and transfer.
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