It’s going to be a critical year for field service organizations to take that next giant step forward and focus on creating a customer experience that will address their issues in a timely manner, while also creating a ‘wow’ experience for them that will keep them calling for every issue in the future. The best way to drive profit and revenue in the future is to keep the existing customers you have and not lose them to competition, while also delivering a service that makes them recommend you to other possible clients.
Moving From Reactive To Predictive Service
One of the most critical movements in 2018 is the shift from a reactive service model, built primarily on emergency break/fix repairs and preventative maintenance contracts, and implementing a predictive service model, creating an exceptional customer experience through field service support and issue resolution.
The field service industry is looking at devices, such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, to help offer a better experience for customers, a higher quality of service, and more timeliness of service calls. Technicians are not reacting to an already offline piece of equipment that they still have to diagnosis, but rather are getting alerts prior to the equipment failing, with key information as to what the issue is, what parts will be needed, how quickly a technician needs to be on site, and how long until failure happens.
IoT integrations with field service software will speed up service delivery with automated work order creation, prompting timely service to your customers, as the industry shifts to a more ‘on-demand’ service platform where customers expect service immediately. It’s all about real-time operations now, and customers can’t wait days or weeks for repairs, when there is someone out there able to get it done today.
With field service software, dispatchers are getting a real-time look at where their technicians are, the status of other service calls they are currently on, what is in their schedule for the day, and they now able to make real-time decisions of adding service calls when alerts come from the IoT sensors that a repair is needed quickly to avoid equipment downtime.
The Rise Of Next-Generation Technology
While IoT is definitely one of the most talked about next-generation technologies in use today, especially if your field service organization wants to move to a predictive maintenance schedule, but it isn’t the only one that is seeing a major shift in 2018, as more organizations are getting on board with how technology can change their customer experience for the better.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping to address customer expectations and demands by helping to optimize schedules, service life cycles and even talk to technicians and give them information on repairs. What AI is achieving is greater insight into the service delivery, which will help transform the customer experience by offering greater productivity from technicians and field service organizations.
When you added IoT and AI into the mix, your field service management structure starts to add value to the service you are delivering to your customers, which makes it easier to justify a higher price, or the current price you have, especially when competitors are coming in lower. The opportunity integrated field service software with IoT, AI and technology such as virtual reality and augmented reality creates is one where field service organization are focused on that ‘wow’ experience at point of service, which can then be turned into possible revenue opportunities.
Working To Increase Service Revenue
What field service organizations are looking for is possible ways to increase revenue from their service delivery. Many have turned to a field service software to help make their technicians more efficient in the field with mobile apps, while dispatchers are getting work order automation, scheduling and dispatch tools and enhanced analytical reporting tools to help them make more informed business decisions.
It’s with these new reports that field service managers are devising new ideas and ways of generating revenue for an organization, other than just simple scheduled service repair or emergency calls. With IoT sensor technology, and the many ways we are now connected through mobility, field service organizations in 2018 are exploring how they can utilize these technologies to enhance their bottom line, and better engage with their customers to create that better service experience.
Field service organizations can charge for new features, such as the ability to track their service history, their equipment lifecycle, getting access to the location of their technician, or for faster ways to initiate work orders from mobile devices and email. All these create a better customer experience, making service delivery more transparent, while adding revenue to the organizations bottom line.
2018 will bring plenty of opportunities for field service organizations to generate new revenue, while their primary focus will continue to be on enhancing their customer experience. More than any new or innovative technology, keeping customers happy is something that doesn’t change year over year, but with IoT, mobility and field service software, there is just plenty of more ways to help delivery that ‘wow’ experience that customers are looking for.