Technology: A Critical Component For Successful Field Service

By Vele Galovski, VP research, field services, TSIA, www.tsia.com

Here’s a look at some emerging technologies you should be familiar with.

For the typical manufacturer with hardware on customer location that needs to be maintained, approximately 70% of their total service delivery costs reside in their field service organization. Given this disproportionate cost, it’s no surprise that most organizations are laser focused on eliminating truck-rolls, proactive support technologies, and self-healing technologies. With only so much money in the technology investment budget, these organizations often underinvest in the on-site, field service delivery channel. However, is that the best approach?

Ultimately, shareholders and customers alike are concerned with how well you manage your service delivery channels. There is no advantage to be great at one and awful at another. Underinvesting in field services leaves money on the table and risks dissatisfying customers as service levels inevitably drop. It’s also important to remember that when a field service engineer is on site, they represent your company and have an outsized influence on how your organization is perceived.