When looking at trends in the field service management industry, service managers will have to decide what they want to change in their current business model and how their service operates based on numerous factors. Leading organizations don’t just run the same business as usual for 30 years without adapting to modern technology and market trends, especially if they want to stay in front of their competition.
For some, they want to be a head of the curve, while others are ok being slightly behind it, especially when it comes to implementing the latest technological advancement without someone properly testing how it will benefit the service organization. But wherever your business falls, falling behind too much could leave you constantly playing catch-up in the evolving field service system space, as competitors that take on a field service software earlier will also be more prepared for any dramatic shifts in the industry and how modern technology and advance technology are changing the industry.
Organizations would be best to look at these three areas when considering where to take their service delivery, especially with a field service management software.
Market
When looking at your specific market, you must take into considering how the current market is, but also how the future is going to look in your field service space. What is profitable today may not be so tomorrow, and what customers are expecting in terms of the level of service, could see a dramatic change in the future, and your organization may not be prepared for the change.
Currently, the field service industry is seeing a change from preventative maintenance to a predictive maintenance schedule, fueled by the rise in Internet of Things (IoT) sensor technology. Customers are beginning to demand for predictive maintenance of their equipment and for field service organization to respond before a problem occurs, as opposed to just ensuring everything is in good working order, which still could lead to emergency problems. Field service software can help monitor and initiate work orders with IoT technology, and continue to help schedule your preventative maintenance calls, but get you prepared for the rise of IoT and the change to predictive maintenance.
Competition
No business functions the same, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take what your competition is doing and add the parts that are successful for them, which could include the implementation of a field service software. Automation has taken hold of the field service space, and with many organization moving towards a fully automated and mobile system, doing things the manual way that you have done for years won’t keep you in the same race as your competition. As trends change, someone within your space is willing to make the changes and reap the benefits of what a fully automated field service system will bring to the table. And looking at your competition is a great way to see what the future will hold for your space, especially if they are innovating with new software.
New Technology
Technology is advancing every day, and is making many of today’s technology out of date. For a business running in the ‘business as usual’ structure, they may be very behind in the latest advances that have made field service organizations more efficient and faster in their work. With new technology, you are considering the future of the industry and where it will be heading, such as with IoT, augmented reality and virtual reality features. There are plenty of obstacles that come with technological advances, but when you consider they are solving problems someone is having, either in the current landscape or in the future one, it’s best to not fall so far behind that it will take years to get yourself fully immersed in the advantages of a field service management software.