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In the fourth article in a series of excerpts from a brand new white paper authored by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News published in partnership with PTC, we now look at some of the core technologies that are required for effective remote service...

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This feature is just one short excerpt from an exclusive Field Service News White Paper published in partnership with PTC

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

 

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Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content PTC who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

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Remote-service is not dependent on any one given technology but rather a technology stack. Here we offer a brief glimpse into what that stack comprises of.

So far in this series, we have put forward the case for remote service delivery being viewed much more holistically as part of a broader service portfolio than it being seen as an alternative to traditional methods of service delivery.

We have asserted that in terms of service being a key differentiator between competitors, we must consider that how we deliver service remotely will become increasingly important as the adoption of such approaches matures.

We have also looked at how this could be applied across multiple different service strategy approaches from transactional service approaches to outcome-based-service models.

Having outlined the above, let us now take a look at some of the core technologies that must be incorporated alongside an existing field service management (FSM) system to introduce remote service capabilities that can give you a competitive edge against your peers and help drive efficiency within your service operation.

The Fundamentals of Field Service Management (FSM) Technology

Before we move onto the new technologies that should be added to your current systems, first let us look at some of the core foundational tools that should be in place for standard field service operations.

It is likely that your organisation will have most of these tools in place. Still, it is important to understand the bedrock of an FSM system whether it be a stack of complementary best-in-class solutions or a dedicated platform before we begin to look at the additional elements required for effective remote-service delivery.

The core solutions that any service operation requires for effective service delivery include:

• FSM/Workforce Management Solution
• Scheduling
• Dedicated parts/inventory management solution
• Mobile capabilities to put the above in the hands of the engineer

Depending on the solution you already have in place to manage your mobile workforce it may be that you currently have one solution that meets all of the above requirements or it may be a selection of separate connected components.

However, what we are looking at here is the technology to empower field service management companies to achieve the long-standing mantra of every field service operation of getting the right person, who has the right skills, with the right skills, and the right parts to the right place at the right time.

As all field service management professionals will attest, field service operations are complex with many moving parts, so you will likely already be very familiar with general FSM technology.

Additional technologies that empower effective remote service delivery

When we begin to look at each of the specific technologies listed below, there are enough discussion points on each of the technologies to merit a dedicated paper per technology.

However, that is not the intention or purpose of this paper. Our intention is to provide you with a broader understanding of the questions you need to ask about your own operations as you prepare to move forward into the post-pandemic environment.

Similarly, it may be that not every technology in the list below is required in every use case. In some cases, other additional technologies may also need to be added into the mix. Every company is unique, and every approach may differ slightly. However, the following is certainly a good springboard to start your own exploration into the solutions that your organisation may need to invest in.

Internet of Things:

One of the most critical elements of remote service delivery is remotely monitoring assets in the field. To do this you will need to get access to equipment, get it connected, and then gain access to equipment data – generally, this connectivity is what is known as IoT or the Internet of Things.

The first step in this process is to identify what data will impact your long-term service goals, which is why it is essential to have a firm definition of your service value proposition as we discussed in an earlier segment of this paper.

Once these data sources are identified, the next step is to establish the connections to devices or assets in your fleet that holds them.

These connections may include a combination of wired, wireless, cellular, or indirect connections via gateway devices or control systems. It is important to bear in mind that any IoT platform should have multiple methods to join these connections.

While the type of data collected will vary depending on the use case, some commonly tracked data sources include energy usage, machine settings, hours of operation, or temperatures fed back to the business to gain service intelligence. For newer smart equipment, field service organisations can gain further insight by capturing error codes or alerts, log files, software versions, and configurations.

This data alone can play a massive role in improving service efficiency both by helping field service organisations pro actively identify faults as well as offering crucial insight that can speed up triage of issues ensuring if an engineer does need to visit the site, they are only doing so

• a) when absolutely necessary and
• b) they are arriving on-site aware of the issue and with the right parts and tools to ensure a first-time fix.

However, communication between the asset and back-office must be bi-directional when it comes to the remote resolution of a problem. 

Artificial Intelligence Diagnostic Tools:

Having too much data though can be an issue, particularly in the field service sector where an organisation will often have hundreds of thousands of data sources across an install base. Data ends up in vast data lakes, and the problems of a data lake is that there is always the risk of drowning in a data deluge. A step in the right direction is a data warehouse. Still, to continue the metaphor, the problem with ‘things in warehouses’, is unless there is an intelligent indexing system things can get invariably dusty and forgotten.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle to effectively utilising data is that all too often companies become overwhelmed by irrelevant information. It can even be that they are simply receiving too much data, too quickly.

To put the amount of data generated into context a modern aircraft flying from London to New York generates the same amount of data as 78 years’ worth of mp3s played back-to-back. That is a lot of albums!

It simply isn’t possible or feasible for a human to sift through such vast amounts of data. An average piece of equipment on the IoT provides data from multiple sensors that may take readings every millisecond. Multiply this across an entire install base and we can soon see the volume of data even a small organisation might face coming in.

Even when we are only tracking the data related to core KPIs, it is easy to see how such vast volumes of data can overwhelm an organisation.

This is where Artificial Intelligence becomes critical.

By introducing AI to filter the data using rules designed to surface the right information an organisation needs to service the equipment they have in the field, companies can take a raw commodity (data) and turn it into something valuable (insight). Such tools also allow us to interpret the data to seek out anomalies and areas where the data falls outside of acceptable parameters that could indicate an imminent fault ahead of failure.

When we then begin to take this equipment data and integrate it with other data sources such as CRM, service records, weather data, configurations, customer data, geospatial information, or additional information we can then aggregate, contextualise, and analyse the whole data set utilising AI to create valuable service intelligence that we can action.

With bi-directional communication with the asset in the field, such a wealth of data can indicate whether a solution can be fixed remotely or whether an on-site intervention is required and even how far away the asset is from failure. This level of insight can be critical for capacity planning of on-site engineers, which would be under more significant pressure in a hybrid service portfolio such as we have discussed in earlier segments of this paper. 

Robotic Process Automation:

So far we have looked at IoT as the key to getting data from assets in the field and then outlined why AI is crucial to bring value to that data by surfacing the relevant information and thus generating insight.

However, while insight is more valuable than data, it is action that is where both the customer and field service organisation find true value. While that action could and often is triggered manually, for example by a dispatch team with AI-powered, data-driven dashboards to help them make intelligent and informed decisions, the next step is to introduce automation into the action taking process. This is done by introducing Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

We mentioned earlier that by outlining parameters that specific data must stay within we can use AI to highlight when an asset is potentially set to fail. RPA allows the system itself to go one step further and identify the action that needs to be undertaken and either trigger that action directly or push it forward for a human’s attention at the end of the change.

By introducing RPAs, we can further drive efficiency when it comes to resolving our customers problems.

When we look at remote service delivery,  RPA could, upon diagnosis of a forthcoming failure, proactively run a check to ensure all firmware on the asset is updated. It could run a self-healing patch, connect directly with the customer with a request for further information or guidance on self-maintenance, automatically dispatch the required part to the customer or schedule an engineer to dial in remotely to run further analysis or offer remote advice to the customer directly.

All of this could be automated via RPA, driven by AI and fed by IoT data, and it can all be achieved remotely.

Augmented Reality

This brings us to the final element of the remote service technology stack, Augmented Reality (AR). Ultimately, AR is the endpoint, yet is also perhaps the tool that dominates the headlines the most as it is the most visible.

However, as with all of the other elements mentioned in this section of the white paper, AR is keenly linked to the broader technology stack and is an integral part of the mix of remote service delivery.

Ultimately, AR is the interface of the future. Many studies have shown that visual communication is far more effective than verbal communication. By allowing annotations and overlaid visuals, AR is the most effective means of visual communication available.

Whether it be guiding a less qualified engineer on-site with a challenging fix, a third-party worker in a blended workforce model or the customer themselves as they undertake self-help, AR remains simply the single most effective means of transmitting subject matter expertise and knowledge quickly and effectively to the site via a remote expert.

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This feature is just one short excerpt from an exclusive Field Service News White Paper published in partnership with PTC

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

 

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Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content PTC who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

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Further Reading:

Across 2020 we saw a massive change in the field service industry. Some of the very fundamentals of field service delivery will have changed in many ways, possibly forever. However, while we reached this point perhaps sooner than expected, in the December/January edition of Field Service News, Kris Oldland, Editor,-in-Chief, Field Service News, made the case that much of what is being discussed as part of the 'new normal' has been developing in our sector as best-practice for a long time...

Remote service, servitization, embracing the blended workforce, customer-centricity and empowering decision making from the field have all been put forward as critical pillars of whatever comes next after recovery. However, we had seen examples from many innovative companies adopting these approaches long before words like bio-security and essential workers entered into the day-to-day lexicon.

Indeed many best practices were prevalent in the industry that have stood us in good stead against all of the challenges we have endured over the last twelve months. Not least of these has been an agile mindset that had begun to emerge amongst field service companies. This is almost certainly set to become a hallmark of business moving forward into a post-pandemic world.

"Companies have had to get comfortable in recent years, making faster decisions and completing more agile projects. Still, COVID amplified this need," Comments Sarah Nicastro, Vice President of Service Management Customer Advocacy at IFS. I believe companies will look to remain more nimble in the new normal than perhaps they had been previously.

Nicastro's comments are echoed by Laryssa Alexander, President Field Service Division, ECI Software Solutions, who added, "I think the key positive for field service businesses in 2020 was that ability to adapt and adapt fast.

"As businesses, we often talk about those next steps, those advances that either changes the way we work or are changing in the market - it can then take us a while to adapt to them. In this case, two strategic initiatives were available to them, diversification in terms of markets and customer segments as well leveraging automation across all solutions and customers to ensure they are streamlined and efficient.

"When faced with the pandemic - businesses couldn't just talk, they had to act, had to react, and you saw this in field service, especially through technology. Field service, in its very name and nature, is an industry that can't just work from home; it has always relied on field service agents to be out there on-site - carrying out their responsibilities in maintenance and care for customers.

"Therefore, to keep people safe, communication became even more vital and through initiatives such as push notifications, for example; integrated with the central ERP, field agents were able to be updated on appointments and update customers on appointments through an app including the steps needed to keep each other safe ahead of visits. Suddenly it became crucial to all our field service customers, not just those who had already made more forward-thinking investments. Innovation was suddenly second nature to all businesses - it's that survival instinct kicking in."

"During the next few years, infrastructure, and in particular the Cloud, is likely to be the main focus for field service businesses..."

- Laryssa Alexander, President Field Service Division, ECI Software Solutions

Alongside such natural survival instincts, however, we also saw the importance of a robust digital infrastructure. It has become clear that without an underpinning digital infrastructure, much of the agility and innovation we have seen throughout the pandemic would have been almost impossible.

Indeed, in many ways, we are fortunate that we had already begun our digital transformation journey in our sector some years ago. Of course, different companies would have been on different points in that journey; however, the pandemic's impact is that most of us will now find ourselves further down the path than we had planned at this point.

As we move into the new normal of our sector, it is more evident than ever before that technology will play an even more significant role than ever before. However, what has become hugely apparent is that field service organizations must ensure they have an infrastructure to support such evolution.

As Alexander continues, "During the next few years, infrastructure, and in particular the Cloud, is likely to be the main focus for field service businesses who will be looking to ensure the systems they have in place support and are scalable too, an ever-changing customer landscape and a more flexible team model. Ultimately to make sure they can offer the services their customers need. Agility and integration will be central to this, and a cloud-based ERP system provides the foundation for them.

"Due to the pandemic and lockdown restrictions introduced by world governments, many businesses had to look to short-term fixes to keep their field service business running and ensure their remote workforce had access to all the tools and information needed to carry out their roles and support customers.

"These changes will be needed long-term, and a more permanent solution will need to be found. ECI is already seeing field service customers in North America and Europe upgrade their ERP and switch their hosting to our cloud solution from on-prem - to ensure their business is future-proofed and able to operate more flexibly."

Indeed, the pandemic has not only sharpened our thinking in terms of how we can meet best-in-class service standards that we have seen before but also has forced us to embrace what for many companies were new ways of working entirely – particularly remote working, which a study by Field Service News Research revealed was something now over 75% of field service companies have offered to their clients, with two-thirds of these only have done so since the pandemic.

"These innovations have likely spawned from the greying of the average field service engineer and the need to overcome an impending knowledge gap across the global workforce..."

- Jon Arnold, VP of Sales, EMEA, RealWear,

As Jon Arnold, VP of Sales, EMEA, RealWear, explains, "Prior to the pandemic, remote service delivery was growing in demand as reliable, integrated and sophisticated technologies became more readily available.

"For example, through the use of head-mounted devices such as RealWear's HMT-1, remote field service technicians could receive real-time support for complex issues from specialists anywhere in the world. To keep up with demand, the past few years has seen a steady rise in Independent Software Vendors (ISV), ranging from small start-ups to major industry players. These companies have produced a range of solutions, covering the generally relevant remote mentor and collaboration use cases to highly specific scenarios such as IoT (Internet of Things) visualization and inspection or certification of maintenance procedures.

"These innovations have likely spawned from the greying of the average field service engineer and the need to overcome an impending knowledge gap across the global workforce," he adds.

Remote service is also an area Nicastro thinks will be critical in the next few years, with a concentrated focus in the industry on "advancing and refining efforts around remote service," she explains.

"Companies quickly ramped up the use of augmented reality and other remote service tools when the pandemic hit saw immense value in doing so, not just for business continuity but for business transformation. As things normalize, companies will be focused on determining how to cohesively integrate remote service into their service delivery strategy."

Another facet to this same focus area is going to be around how field service companies utilize such tools to overcome and improve their approach to existing challenges.

"The most significant topic for field service companies to focus on will be the need to train their local workforce," Arnold comments.

"Firstly, due to Covid-19, travel will likely be reduced both regionally and globally over the next two years making it difficult for industry experts to offer their assistance on-site."

Indeed, could it be that adopting such technologies and programs can also ease one of the most considerable pressures our industry has been facing for a long time before the pandemic, an ageing workforce crisis?

"Realizing what we're truly capable of, as individuals and as organizations is the single biggest positive we must take from the last twelve months..."

- Sarah Nicastro, Vice President of Service Management Customer Advocacy

As Arnold explains, "the aging workforce's impending retirement and their diminished attraction to constant travel makes training an increasing necessity. However, this will partially be mitigated by the new ease of part-time and home working; allowing for senior Engineers to supply support from home or a local office on a part-time basis."

Ultimately, the pandemic has impacted us all, yet there is always opportunity in the face of adversity, and we must harness this now as we look to the future.

"Realizing what we're truly capable of, as individuals and as organizations is the single biggest positive we must take from the last twelve months," explains Nicastro.

"This year has challenged us in ways we could've never anticipated, and we've come out of the experience stronger and with more perspective. This shows us we can do hard things and tackle obstacles head on."

"The pandemic is the single most disruptive global event to hit business and our wider society since the second world war; having forced many organizations to radically shift their working practices and trust their employees to get the job done with minimal supervision and local support," agrees Arnold.

"However, whether digital transformation was adopted by design or out of necessity, the resulting flexibility and speed of change that this has engendered, will not be given up by organizations focused on field execution nor by the employees who have shown huge value and adaptability to their respective companies during these challenging times."

The road ahead certainly seems more straightforward than the one behind us, but we still have much work to do. However, the opportunity for a future that outshines the past is in our own hands. Now the hard work begins.

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News, is joined by Karl Lowe, Head of European Service, Panasonic Heating and Cooling Solutions Europe and Sarah Nicastro, Field Service Evangelist, Future of Field Service and IFS as the group discuss how Panasonic implemented a remote service solution during the pandemic.

The discussion looks at the drivers for implementation, the approach Panasonic took to rolling the solution out, a demonstration of the solution, and a broader discussion around the benefits of remote service within the field service sector.

In this final excerpt from the session, the conversation focuses on how much the pandemic has changed both the way we view remote service delivery and increased the appetite for such tools from both service providers and their customers alike.

Want to know more? FSN Premium Subscribers and FSN Elite Members can watch this full interview and hours more of in-depth long-form interviews with a series of field service leaders in the Field Service News Digital Symposium. Watch the interview with Lowe and Nicastro on the button below.

If you are currently on our free forever FSN Standard subscription tier or have yet to join 30,000 of our field service peers as a FSN subscriber you can find out more again on the button below. 

Further Reading:

• Read more about the Digital Transformation in the field service sector @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/digital-transformation
• Read more about Service Innovation and Design @ https://www.fieldservicenews.com/blog/tag/service-innovation-and-design
• Read more about IFS Remote Assist @ https://www.ifs.com/us/solutions/service-management/remote-assistance/
• Follow IFS on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/IFS
• Follow Panasonic Heating and Cooling @ https://www.aircon.panasonic.eu/GB_en/?utm_source=Field%20Service%20News&utm_medium=Symposium
• Read more about Pansonic's use of IFS Remote Assist @ https://www.ifs.com/uk/news-and-events/newsroom/2020/07/20/panasonic-ensures-customer-experience-consistency-with-ifs-remote-assistance/
• Connect with Karl Lowe on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-lowe-67267548
• Connect with Sarah Nicastro on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhowland/

In the third article in this series of excerpts from a brand new white paper authored by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News published in partnership with PTC, we explore why it is critical to understand the differing needs of our customers when identifying how remote services can enhance our service portfolio

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This feature is just one short excerpt from an exclusive Field Service News White Paper published in partnership with PTC

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

 

 

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Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content PTC who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

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In an article published on Field Service News prior to the pandemic, Jan van Veen, the Founder of industry focus group MoreMomentum commented: “We need to rethink our value proposition, our target market, our position in the value chain and in the competitive landscape. We will be facing new opportunities and new risks. This requires us to be open to new thinking, new mindsets and different strategies for innovation and change.”

It is a topic that will be familiar to many field service organizations, ‘how do we define the value proposition we offer to our clients?’ On one hand, it could be argued that the value proposition remains constant, the value proposition the service provider offers is to keep the asset operational so it performs the function it was acquired for.

However, it could also be argued the depth of that value proposition may evolve slightly from one scenario to another. It could be expanded upon, for example, within a more deeply involved, outcome-based agreement where the true value of the service provides is the removal of a layer of complexity from the customers operations. Alternatively, at the most basic transactional level, the value proposition may be as simple as how quickly an issue can be resolved.

The important thing here is that for most service organisations different customers will have different requirements and preferences in how they are served. We should of course remember that ultimately, the value of our service offering is wherever and whatever the customer perceives it to be.

It is crucial we understand that rarely can a one size fits all approach be applied across an entire service portfolio.

Therefore, as we begin to identify how we can holistically weave remote service into that broader service portfolio, it is important to consider where remote service may sit in different approaches to service delivery, from the transactional break-fix right, through to outcome-based service offerings.

One popular model widely referenced is a three tiered approach to developing a service portfolio that encompasses different customer preferences. These are:

• I’ll do it myself (transactional)
• Do it with me (eco-system/partnership-based)
• Do it for me (servitization/outcome-based)

While it is a relatively simple process to outline, the strength of this tiered approach to service delivery is that it embraces an Outside-In approach, in line with one of the most fundamental aspects of the management philosophies of Peter Drucker, regarded to be the Godfather of modern business thinking.

Again, it understands that the value of your service lies within the perception of your customer and that this will vary across different customers. As leading service consultant Nick Frank of Si2 Partners wrote back in 2014, “Industry leading companies tend to exhibit an OUTSIDE-IN approach. They actively search out their customer’s thoughts and act on them. They use more sophisticated methods to capture deeper customer insights. They are mature enough to take on-board comments, which might be negative or not fit their agenda, because listening and action are in their DNA.”

Frank’s observations ring just as true today and sit at the heart of the model mentioned above. They should also form the backbone of any evaluation of how we refine and evolve the service offerings within a portfolio.

Given that the introduction of remote service capabilities into a service portfolio can and will change many core ideas of what service delivery means, it is also a useful framework for us to explore some examples of where remote service can enhance the service offering in the eyes of the customer.

I’ll do it for myself (transactional)

Here the approach to remote service could be reasonably straight forward as the relationship between the service provider and the customer remains transactional. For the customer that wishes to stay within such an agreement, remote services would also, therefore, remain transactional. For example, if the customer has their own maintenance engineers, then access to a self help knowledge portal either on a subscription or pay-per-use basis could be effective.

Similarly, if they wanted to access expert guidance on a particular piece of maintenance or repair, expertise could be ‘dialled’ in remotely. Again a transactional pricing model could be suitable, perhaps with the level of sophistication (i.e. AR vs phone support) a factor in the pricing structure. 

Indeed, if the assets are connected an additional layer of value could be added to run an analysis and optimization report on an annual or even quarterly basis to offer further advice. Again, at this level, such use of remote service elements can remain within the framework of a transactional service agreement.

Do it with me (eco-system/partnership-based)

In a more partnership-based relationship, we may begin to see the use of remote service elements not only become more sophisticated but also becoming more intrinsically woven into the pricing of the service offering as a more holistic whole. Here, we will begin to see the importance of connected assets, as a large part of the value of the service agreement for the customer is not just in keeping the assets operational, but also in maximizing output from those assets. The field service organization that can track, monitor and advise on best practices for optimal performance is one that will likely become an essential part of their customers’ broader eco-system.

One emerging suggestion of a hybrid model that will incorporate remote service into such a service portfolio is that the service provider offers a set amount of remote service calls within the contract, that are to be used as the default service approach, often supported by an effective triage to identify faults via remote diagnostics. Depending on the parameters of the contract, remote service delivery could also involve guided service calls either with the customer or a locally-based engineer, with subject matter expertise being delivered remotely.

The on-site service visit is then reserved for two primary functions, firstly to resolve any complex issues that require experienced hands on-site, and secondly, to spend time with the customer, giving them access to a subject matter expert who can advise them on how they could further optimize their operations. While this is only one example of the blending of remote and physical service, it outlines how the benefits of remote service should no longer be a standalone conversation,

Do it for me (servitization/outcome-based)

In the final strand of this model, we will now see many similarities to the ‘Do-it-with-me’ approach outlined above, the critical difference here is that the  responsibility for keeping the assets running and at optimal levels now shifts firmly onto the service provider. In such a service relationship, ultimately the customer cares little for how the service provider approaches the job, simply that they do so and that they do so within the boundaries of the agreement. In many ways, the customer’s only true metric is the output.

Here, remote services are critical. It is essential that the service organization can understand the performance of both the individual asset and the fleet, to be able to accurately predict mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) and resolve the issue before it results in unplanned downtime. Again, the approach to resolution could leverage guided service calls. However, in this instance, almost certainly such calls would a) utilize a local engineer, not the customer and b) leverage Augmented Reality to allow the subject matter expert to communicate with the on-site engineer in the most effective manner possible. Also, as with the previous service model, with regards to outward pricing, the value of physical and remote service delivery, would likely be interwoven into one all encompassing price.

Of course, each of the above examples serves to offer just a brief outline of how service contracts could be developed to incorporate remote service delivery, and there will be many other models to emerge within the coming years as remote service becomes a fundamental aspect of how we approach service overall.

The key message is that if field service companies are to succesfully integrate remote services into their service portfolio having a clearly defined understanding of the various layers of service offerings has to be the first step.

With a clear vision of all service solutions within a portfolio and how these dovetail with customer needs, it is then possible to  identify where remote service can improve our processes.

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This feature is just one short excerpt from an exclusive Field Service News White Paper published in partnership with PTC

www.fieldservicenews.com subscribers can read the full white paper now by hitting the button below.

If you are yet to subscribe you can do so for free by hitting the button and registering for our complimentary subscription tier FSN Standard on a dedicated page that provides you instant access to this white paper PLUS you will also be able to access our monthly selection of premium resources as soo as you are registered.

 

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Data usage note: By accessing this content you consent to the contact details submitted when you registered as a subscriber to fieldservicenews.com to be shared with the listed sponsor of this premium content PTC who may contact you for legitimate business reasons to discuss the content of this white paper, as per the terms and conditions of your subscription agreement which you opted into in line with GDPR regulations and is an ongoing condition of subscription.

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Further Reading:

Join Microsoft and HSO experts on 27th April for a one-day field service masterclass dedicated to transforming your business, explore the role of servitization and see the benefits Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service can bring to your organisation.

Field Service Masterclass 27^th April – Transforming Service Delivery

A one day masterclass dedicated to transforming your business by connecting people, data & equipment to deepen customer loyalty & deliver profitable field service operations.

Adoption of new technology is at the forefront of both customer and field service organisations’ minds, with a combination of mobility, social media, cloud computing, IoT capabilities and more significantly, changing behaviours & expectations. In this landscape, companies need to revisit their infrastructure and processes to ensure that they are capable of delivering a service that puts the needs and desires of their customers first.

Join Microsoft & our HSO field service experts for a field service masterclass where we will explore the role of servitisation to supplement traditional product offerings, discuss ways in which the industry is evolving from a customer and technology perspective, & see the benefits Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service can bring to your organisation in both building customer trust &  embracing the gig economy.

Places for the Masterclass are limited so please apply for your place on this popular virtual event today. Find out more.

Download the agenda here.

Further Reading:

• Find out more about HSO Field Service Masterclass here
• Read more about Digital Transformation @ www.fieldservicenews.com/digital-transformation
• Read more about Service Delivery @ www.fieldservicenews.com/service-delivery
• Learn more about HSO @ www.hso.com
• Read more about HSO on Field Service News @ www.fieldservicenews.com/hso