From The Editor
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Where Is Your Company On The Digital Transformation Continuum?
10/17/2017
At the end of September, I had the pleasure of attending WBR’s Field Service Fall event in Amelia Island, Florida. I hosted a panel on digital transformation that included Cisco Technical Services, Diebold Nixdorf, UTC Climate, Controls & Security, and AmTrust Financial. The panelists each shared insights on where their respective companies are at on the digital transformation journey. Digital transformation was surely one of the key themes discussed at the conference.
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Without A Plan Your Field Service Strategy Will Fail
9/26/2017
When it comes to field service, strategies and plans are both important — but it is imperative to recognize that they are not one and the same. All too often, I see companies get excited about an opportunity that exists and they focus so much on the business case and strategy that the plan gets ignored. Momentum builds around the strategy taking shape, only to lead to disappointment on the project because equal time, effort, and excitement weren’t put into developing a plan to bring that strategy to life. Planning isn’t as “sexy” as strategy; but it’s essential.
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Konica Minolta’s Progression Toward Futuristic Field Service
9/6/2017
Konica Minolta, Inc. is a large Japanese technology company headquartered in Tokyo, serving over 150 countries worldwide. Konica Minolta Healthcare Americas, Inc., headquartered in Wayne, NJ, is focused on imaging technologies including Digital Radiography, Ultrasound, Healthcare IT and Service Solutions. In the Americas, Konica Minolta Healthcare employs 50 direct service technicians, and 250 dealer-based technicians.
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Are Wearables Worth It For Field Service?
8/31/2017
There are a number of statistics that illustrate the expected growth of wearable technology. For example, ABI Research forecasts enterprise wearable device revenue, such as smartwatches, smart glasses, and wearable scanners, will top $60 billion in 2022, increasing from just $10.6 billion in 2017 — a CAGR of over 41 percent. International Data Corporation (IDC) reported in June that the wearables market is expected to double by 2021, with smartwatch shipments specifically expected to increase from 71.4 million units in 2017 to 161 million units in 2021.
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How To Avoid Field Technician Toxicity
8/30/2017
We had a service appointment this past Sunday at our home with one of the major satellite TV providers. We received the standard four-hour appointment window notification and a call when our technician was about 30 minutes away. He arrived at his expected time, and was courteous and pleasant.
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3 Apple Moves For Field Service Companies To Watch
8/29/2017
Apple will hold its latest product launch event on September 12th, 2017 and there’s plenty for you to tune in to hear about. In addition to the expected announcement of the iPhone 8, Apple has recently made a few moves that will specifically impact businesses – including field service companies like yours.
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How Field Automation Changes In Three Years
7/28/2017
In September of 2014, we featured Luminex on the cover of our magazine. Luminex develops and manufactures biological testing equipment for the clinical diagnostic and life science industries. The Austin, Texas-based company employs field service engineers primarily in North America, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region, and Europe. We spoke with Steve Nava, director of field service for the Americas at Luminex about the company’s transition to the Salesforce platform, ServiceMax for field service, and iOS devices company-wide. I had an opportunity to catch up with Nava at Field Service USA in April and asked him to fill us in on what has happened at Luminex in the past three years.
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Is Your Field Service Organization Stuck?
7/25/2017
I really enjoyed talking with Dave Pattison of Mission Linen Supply for this month’s cover story. As you’ll read, Mission Linen Supply was able to get out of a field service rut to truly modernize and transform their business. But as Dave and I were talking, I was thinking about how this process really takes some initiative and some discipline. It’s easy to get stuck — when things are going all right, it’s easy to make the decision to stick with the status quo.
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4 Reasons Your Field Automation Initiative Will Fail
6/30/2017
The latest Gartner Magic Quadrant for Field Service Management report states that through 2020, 80 percent of organizations with more than 75 field technicians will miss more than 20 percent of planned efficiency gains from field automation due to incomplete integration or deployment. Based on the conversations I have with field service leaders and the bevy of challenges they face in successfully deploying field automation, this statistic doesn’t surprise me. But that 80 percent doesn’t need to include you. Let me share with you some missteps to field automation success that your peers have filled me in on during interviews over the years. Here are four largely avoidable reasons your field automation initiative will fail.
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3 Musts For Providing A Modern Customer Experience
6/27/2017
The demands of customers today reach far beyond what many traditional field service organizations are used to – or equipped to – deliver. I’m here to tell you, folks, it is time to step up to the plate – and fast. The only path forward in service is to truly understand and embrace your customers’ expectations and look for ways to deliver on, and even surpass, them. Most customers are looking for that “Amazon experience” – fast, easy, and convenient. Why do we love Amazon Prime so much? Because it protects our time, which is our most valued commodity. As a field service organization, you need to look for ways to mirror some of the service experiences you enjoy most. Generally speaking, here are three essential components of customer experience you should focus on to stay relevant and competitive.