The automation of operations that companies carry out outside their premises, known as “field services,” has grown significantly in recent years. While in 2016 the market for field service solutions was estimated at $1.78 billion, it is estimated that by the end of 2022 it will reach $4.45 billion, representing an estimated annual growth rate (AGR) of 16.5%’1.
This growth in field service solutions is a consequence of digital transformation. The application of new technologies related to the internet, mobility, and artificial intelligence has forever transformed operational processes, many of them linked to logistics, manufacturing, and customer service.
Advantages of Using Field Service Solutions
The advantages of implementing a Field Service solution are notable. Among them,
- Having online information about what is happening in the field.
- Having, in real time, stored information linked to the event.
- Triggering decision-making processes using both types of information.
- Automation of processes, many of them administrative in nature.
There is still a long way to go with this type of solution, which will increase the advantages of its implementation. The use of IoT, artificial intelligence, and mixed reality will increase the satisfaction of customer expectations, which are always changing and constantly growing.
With this in mind, there are a number of trends affecting the field services space. Some of these trends can be fundamental to whether some field service brands thrive or fail.
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Trends in the Use of Field Service Solutions
1. Reduction or Elimination of In-Person Service
As we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the presence of strangers in private homes or offices is undesirable for the majority of customers (up to 75% of consumers reject it).
In this way, the connection of more and more devices to the Internet allows our customer service to interact without a physical presence at the establishment or home.
In this way, the health of the customer and technicians is preserved, and the company sees significant cost savings in the form of eliminated travel.
2. Automate, Automate, Automate.
As we have mentioned, a large part of the processes carried out in the field relate to administrative tasks, which increase service costs and reduce customer attention time, lengthening service time without adding value to the service.
Processes such as warehouse control, schedule planning, appointment management, delivery note and invoicing management, and handling customer calls are backoffice operations that generate stress and do not help meet customer expectations.
Having a field service management software that allows you to automate all or part of these tasks can help reduce the tension generated by the demands of administrative processes. Generating work orders, assigning them to staff according to their route and urgency, etc… can be liberating for administrative staff who will dedicate their time to communicating with the customer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLNvs4itqQM
3. Use of Algorithms for Proactive and Predictive Maintenance.
Another point that tends to generate notable problems in the operation of companies is machinery breakdown (in reality, any asset linked to manufacturing).
Predictive maintenance algorithms that use Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and analytics will help predict device failures before they occur, so that the company can take appropriate actions to review the asset without interrupting service to its customers.
Predictive analytics uses historical data to evaluate current behavior and formulate its conclusion. The combination of these algorithms with IoT elements implemented in devices allows technicians to monitor their status, which, together with the creation of alerts for anomalous behavior and periodic evaluation, can trigger the creation of a work order and assignment to the appropriate technician, based on the severity of the fault, its location, and age, for example.
In the event that this alert is not serious, but only a warning to avoid future problems, the software could send a notice to the customer so that they can correct the situation themselves.
More and more field service organizations will use predictive maintenance solutions, as they anticipate customer needs, reduce interruptions, and significantly decrease costs for both the organization and the customer.
The same solution will be able to predict when the safest and most optimal time to carry out the work is, which is important when scheduling device downtime to coincide with hours of lower activity.
4. Self-Service Portals
Transparency and immediacy are two important values in today’s business world. Customers who have already seen how they can track the location of their food delivery driver or their mobile phone data usage want to transfer these same experiences to their professional environment.
Self-service portals are the solution for customers to have all the information they need to improve their experience. Dedicating a part of the website to providing self-service solutions is an important factor in service for 70% of customers.
Self-service portals offer autonomy to the customer. Knowing the status of the device, creating service requests, and knowing the history of previous incidents are common actions that our customers increasingly demand.
Self-service portals offer greater power to the customer, which increases their satisfaction and reduces costs for the organization.
5. Mobility Linked to Field Service
If all of us use mobility technology on a daily basis, it could not be any different for customer service technicians. 75% of organizations with field technicians use mobile technology; however, only 20% do so in the field itself.
The use of mobile applications allows for easy location of the service address, providing instructions; consultation of the customer’s service history; access to manuals, product guides, and databases in order to speed up repairs; contacting technicians with greater preparation, experience, or specialization in the problem being addressed via Microsoft Teams, improving repair rates.
Finally, the mobile application will help record customer approval and will ensure that the administrative cycle is activated immediately by having all the necessary data available.
6. Mixed Reality
Although it may seem strange and eccentric in our countries, in the USA work is already being carried out using mixed reality systems.
Mixed reality is a technology that allows layers of information to be added over a device that captures the real image. The current case is the use of glasses (HoloLens 2) onto which objects or information are projected, overlaid on the real image.
This technology is already being used in the field to handle services with a high level of demand that require collaboration with other technicians or real-time visualization of structures and components, or monitoring of the actions being carried out.
Another of the most important applications is its use in training environments, accelerating the onboarding of new staff.
Mixed reality can even guarantee the safety of technicians by performing virtual repairs using digital twins, virtual inspections, and device audits.
Dynamics 365 Remote Assist and HoloLens 2
Microsoft has the mixed reality application Dynamics 365 Remote Assist which, complemented by HoloLens 2 headsets, allows holographic access to information banks (customer details, device information, and repair history) through voice commands and hand gestures. This functionality is very useful for technicians who are in remote or dangerous locations.
Field service management software such as Dynamics 365 Field Service is leading the way by leveraging AI, IoT, and machine learning to offer one of the most robust and innovative applications available. Microsoft continuously designs and refines the features of its Field Service software to meet the needs of your organization and help you exceed customer expectations, increase loyalty, and grow revenue.