Up Time as a Service: The New Normal Expectation for Field Service

Jan 28, 2021 • Features • Michael Blumberg • Digital Transformation • Covid-19 • Remote Services

In this article for Field Service News, Michael Blumberg, President of Blumberg Advisory Group, discusses the "new normal" expectation for field service organisations to offer a proactive, connected, and remote service...

Over the last 12 months, Field Service Organizations (FSOs) have had to rethink how they deliver service due to the restrictions of COVID-19. With the limited ability to provide onsite, face-to-face service 100% of the time, FSOs needed to implement new processes and procedures to ensure their employees' and customers' health and safety. One of the developments which emerged was the concept of a Hybrid-Service Delivery model. This model, fueled by remote monitoring and IoT technology, enables FSOs to resolve a significant amount of service issues remotely through enhanced triage and troubleshooting capabilities while improving technicians' ability to quickly resolve onsite service issues if an onsite dispatch is needed.

The ability to offer and deliver this proactive, connected, and remote service, which had once been the domain of best-practice companies, has become the "new normal" expectation for FSOs of all sizes. Covid-19 may have been the catalyst for rapid change, but the foundation for these offerings has been building for many years. At issue, several macro-environmental trends have been fueling investment in the building blocks necessary for delivering a proactive, connected service experience. These trends include the proliferation of IoT devices, Moore's Law, and Servitization.

The significance of COVID-19 was that it forced FSOs to adopt and apply the building blocks of Hybrid Service much sooner than expected as a matter of survival. Indeed, a recent study by Field Service News reveals that 67% of respondent companies surveyed have implemented these types of solutions because of COVID. However, many FSO industry participants found themselves quickly cobbling together these solutions to deal with the immediacy of the situation. This has led to gaps in capabilities within and between FSOs. The industry now faces the challenge of filling in these gaps by systemizing and scaling these capabilities and providing access to FSOs of all sizes.

FIELD SERVICE ORGANISATIONS ARE USING UtaaS SOLUTIONS TO PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH A PROACTIVE SERVICE

The ability to capture and monitor data from assets in the field is central to the Hybrid Service Delivery model. By collecting, monitoring, and analyzing this data, FSOs can anticipate future service events and reduce face-to-face onsite visits. It enables FSOs to take the appropriate preventive actions to resolve problems, often remotely before they occur, which extends the life of their customer's equipment. Lastly, they can generate new revenue sources through an Uptime as a Service (UtaaS) offering. Through a UtaaS offering, FSOs can meet their objectives of cost reduction, service excellence, and revenue growth. These objectives will remain central to FSO strategies in the new normal. To provide UtaaS, FSOs must have a few basic building blocks in place, including but not limited to

the capability to read data from assets in the field
the ability to read data in real-time
the ability to utilize the data as part of a triage process for identifying faults and guiding the best route for issue resolution
automation of the workflows and processes to activate service
accessibility to organizations of all sizes

Achieving this outcome presents a challenge for a significant segment of the Field Service Industry. Per research from Field Service New, three quarters (76%) of respondents can read data from assets in the field, but only two-thirds can view it in real-time. The net effect is that only 51% of respondents have this combined capability. While 72% can utilize the data as part of the triage process, slightly more than one-third (36%) possess all three abilities. In other words, there is a large gap in capabilities between FSOs who have fully enabled UtaaS solutions in place and those who don't. Only a small segment of the market has all the building blocks and can deliver a complete Hybrid Service experience.

Fortunately, macro trends such as Moore's Law combined with cloud computing and advancements in telemetry have made it possible for SMB and Mid-Sized companies to implement many of the foundational components for UtaaS solutions in recent years. The technology has become more affordable, easier, and efficient to deploy. It also helps that software vendors have made a strategic decision to target these market participants.

Field Aware, a developer of Field Service Management software, and ThingTech, a supplier of IoT -based Asset Management solution, are two such vendors who have teamed up to deliver UtaaS solutions accessible to organizations of all sizes. Their combined solution provides a perspective of what to look for in a best-in-breed, UtaaS solution.

The UtaaS solution from FieldAware and ThingTech enables companies to gather data from any asset type in the field. The data is processed in real-time and produces alerts, reports, and notifications based on user-configured rules and workflows. Based on these rules and workflows, automation within the FieldAware service hub triggers the appropriate action. For example, submit a work order, dispatch a technician, or schedule a preventative maintenance visit. Once the service event is completed, the technician can document his actions and update the system through his mobile device.

M.E.S.O., a company that provides Fleet Maintenance on capital intensive, mobile equipment found in multiple industries (i.e., Oil & Gas, Construction, Utilities, etc.), needed a solution that could provide a line of sight to the assets in the field, facilitate high levels of technician efficiency and productivity, and streamline back-office operations. M.E.S.O. was able to achieve these results by implementing the UtaaS solution described above.

By implementing this solution, M.E.S.O. can provide its customers with a predictive and proactive solution that increases uptime, reduces maintenance and repair expenditures, and extends the equipment lifecycle. This solution also saves M.E.S.O. an enormous amount of time. Backoffice productivity has improved by a factor of five without hiring additional staff. The decision to provide Uptime as a Service and invest in the has had positive results for M.E.S.O. The management team views it as a huge competitive advantage, and it plays a central role in the company's sales & marketing message.

Read Michael’s latest white paper, Uptime as a Service: Driving Service Excellence, Cost Reduction, and Growth in the New Normal, to obtain more insights and perspectives on this topic. Click Here

Leveraging the Value of Remote Support in a Post COVID World

Dec 11, 2020 • Features • Michael Blumberg • Digital Transformation • Covid-19 • Remote Services

In this exclusive article for Field Service News, Michael Blumberg, President of Blumberg Advisory Group, analyzes how remote support tools will continue to provide lots of benefits to organizations in the field service sector in the...

One of the ways that Field Service Organizations (FSOs) have been able to overcome the challenges of Covid-19 is through the provision of Remote Support, also known as Touchless Service. This represents a viable way for FSOs to renegotiate SLAs and to effectively resolve customers’ service issues where restrictions exist. Although remote support has been around for some time, it was not always the preferred solution. Covid-19 has made the provision of remote support a necessity.

Since the onset of the pandemic, there has been an increase in the use of remote support tools to deliver a Touchless Service experience. The increase can be measured in terms of the number of companies using these tools and applications, the frequency in which they are used, and the applications in which they are used. Originally perceived as an application for delivering 2^nd tier expert support, remote support tools are now used in a broad array of service situations from installations, to depot repair, to site surveys and application support.

Many industry participants wonder how remote support tools will be utilized Post COVID. Will FSOs abandon Touchless Service for a more traditional onsite experience? The answer is no. Touchless Service is now becoming table stakes for FSOs. This is because remote support tools offer a lot of benefits to a service organization and the customer. One of the biggest benefits is it eliminates friction, and friction is caused when there are a lot of touches, steps, or time involved in completing a task or process. Remote support tools enable FSOs to reduce or eliminate technician travel time which allows them to complete more calls per day.

REMOTE SUPPORT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE VALUE TO ORGANISATIONS AND CUSTOMERS POST COVID

No doubt, FSOs will need to incorporate Touchless Service into their overall business strategy. The specifics of how and when remote support will be deployed will depend in part on the industry or vertical market. Key considerations include the complexity, criticality, and safety issues involved in supporting the install base. Touchless Service is appropriate for supporting equipment in an environment that’s not complex and where the customer is willing and capable of participating in the service resolution process. However, a more complex service environment, one that is mission-critical and presents safety concerns or requires specialized skills or certification, will likely mandate an onsite service visit. Nevertheless, remote support tools can still play a critical role in providing expert assistance in either case.

FSOs also need to decide when to deploy or emphasize the softer skills involved in maintaining high levels of customer loyalty and satisfaction. After all, the human connection is important and it’s just not the same with remote support, even if it involves video. As such, FSOs should evaluate the critical touchpoints during the customer journey where an in-person site visit is both appropriate and valuable. These can be planned or ad-hoc or by exception. For example, in reoccurring service issues or during a service event that occurs less than 90 days before service contract renewal. In these instances, the technician servs as a brand ambassador and trusted advisor to the customer.

FSOs may also want to consider how they monetize their investment in remote support technologies. The ability to monetize will depend on the economics of service delivery, customer willingness to pay, or the competitive practices within a specific service market. In other words, there are use cases where it could be more economical for an FSO to provide remote support as part of a basic service offering and not charge extra while there are other use cases that justify offering it as part of a premium-priced, value-added service. Assuming monetization is an objective, then there are several steps that an FSO needs to accomplish First, they need to gain clarity about the value-in-use of remote support. They need to be able to clearly articulate this value to their customers. The second step is to construct service offerings with different price points. Third, conduct market research to validate there’s a value to the customer and the customer is willing to pay for theses services. Fourth, determine the addressable market for the service. Lastly, create a go-to-market plan and roll-out the new offering to a select group of pilot customers.

Remote support will continue to provide a trifecta of value in our post-pandemic world. Value driver #1 is that it dramatically improves the customer experience. Customers receive faster service and are more engaged in the service resolution process. Value driver #2 is that it optimizes service delivery, so an FSO can do more with fewer people. Remote support frees technicians from travel which means one technician can handle more service request per day. Value driver #3 is increased technician productivity. Less time on the road means more time resolving customers' issues remotely, which leads to more calls completed per day.

It is important that FSOs view the rollout of remote support solutions from a strategic perspective not simply as another application within their technicians or tech support personnels’ tool kit. Remote support has implications for various aspects of the service business and stakeholders. Due diligence is required when it comes to integrating remote support into the overall service business strategy since the return on investment can be significant.

Sustainability Can be the Outcome of COVID (podcast highlight)

Nov 20, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

In this final excerpt from a series featuring conversation between Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland the conversation takes a more philosphical turn as Brandeleer outlines why we should be taking the opportunity to...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

A SERVITIZED WORLD IS A SUNSTAINABLE WORLD

In a recent white paper authored by Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News, published in partnership with Salesforce we looked at one of the big questions as we build the new normal and we plot our route to recovery – ‘should we be redefining the very definition of what the value proposition is of field service in a world of remote service delivery, zero touch service delivery?’

Of course, in this post pandemic, new world, it's an embryonic conversation. It's early days as we find our way towards these new modes of working, but it is imperative that we, as service leaders, are having these kinds of conversations today as we all build towards recovery together.

The white paper, which is available on the button beneath this article, goes into a number of aspects of this conversation and it's designed to promote the leaders of our sector to start thinking about these kinds of conversations. To further build on this discussion Oldland invited Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer onto the Field Service Podcast to push that discussion further and to hear Brandeleer’’s insight reflecting on the many conversations he has had working with companies from all different parts of the world across many all different industries, in terms of embracing digital transformation.

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the discussion was how Brandeleer outlined that what we're doing now isn't just reaction to the pandemic but can also really be building a much more sustainable future as well.

"Can we actually sell much more services and our experience, and really think about the impact on the climate when we do this?"

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

“I think if you look at optimization right now there is a really deep advantage at moving towards these more advanced services-based relations on a recurring basis,” begins Brandeleer.

“What I mean by this is that if we want to achieve sustainability on this planet, consuming more products is not the way forward. We know that literally every single time you consume anything it's pollution one way or another. When you consume a service, well, there is not always pollution behind it. Going back to outcome-based services, sometimes actually, the outcome can be where the device is going to be more efficient, which is going to consume less energy, which at the end of the day, we make it a more sustainable device.

“The criteria we're going to have to think of is ‘can we use everything that is going right now in the world, especially in the field service world where many of the companies we have as customers, make the world a better place by servicing the device making the product better and keeping the world running.

“Can we use now all the skills we have around us to actually say, ‘Well, you know what COVID-19 that's one thing, but there is also climate change going on?’ I mean, literally three weeks ago in San Francisco, we had a day where it was night during the day, which was pretty disturbing, for sure. I was thinking like, well, these are sharp, guys. I mean, that's where we are going, we need to make sure that we are creating differentiation for services and that we literally stop selling too many products.

“Can we actually sell more services, leverage our knowledge and experience, and really think about the impact on the climate when we do this? Of course, we are not going to stop selling every product out there and for the install base that is 40 years old, actually keeping it running is more polluting than not having a new product. However, for some products, it may be a case of thinking ‘I can keep it for three years more, it's fine’. ‘I'm going to be fine with that, I'm going to maintain the asset to improve the efficiency of the device for two more years and that's going to save us maybe a little bit of steel, a little bit of co2 emission and we can optimise this.

“I think there is really a spot we can reach which this kind of optimal place with a balance between new products and services which by the way, we need to be offered in a trusted relationship style and get to a world where there are no surprises with the product, it's not breaking anymore - but on top of that, actually, it's helping the world to be more sustainable. I think that's really all Holy Grail I would love to reach at one point of time."

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

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A Future of Field Service Without Break Fix? (podcast highlight)

Nov 18, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland discuss the true value of the service engineer and outline a future of field service where break-fix is no longer part of our day-to-day lexicon...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

IF A DEVICE FAILS, CSAT WILL GO DOWN

Perhaps one of the biggest questions of the current times for the field service sector, as we plot our way towards the new normal, is should we be redefining the value proposition of what field service delivery means, in an age of remote service and a post-pandemic world? It's an embryonic question. Indeed, it's an embryonic conversation, but it's one that the field service sector needs to be having.

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News recently authored a white paper on this topic, published in partnership with Salesforce to kick start the discussion. To get further insight into the area Oldland invited Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer onto the Field Service Podcast to gain further understanding and learn from Gary's experience working with a number of different organisations in the areas of digital transformation so we can start to piece together exactly how we should be rethinking the value proposition of service delivery.
In the above highlight from that conversation, Brandeleer and Oldland start discussing what the real value is of the field service engineer.

"The key aspect and all the research that we've run on where the value is regarding service engineers, suggests that the value lies in the fact that they are subject matter experts, and that's come from across research projects, interviews, Think Tank Sessions that we've run at Field Service News. It is a constant, consistent theme," explains Oldland.

"The real value of the engineer is having a subject matter expert on-site, so I think we might see an annual, biannual, or even quarterly review process where that engineer, the subject matter expert, goes on and spends the day with the customer. A scenario where they aren't just on-site to fix a couple of issues, but looks at how those assets are interacting looks at how the data that they have from other organisations, across the fleet and outlines to the customer how to optimise for those.

"Then the more day to day routine, or the quick break, fix problems that can be solved remotely, that's where that level of remote-first comes in," he adds.

What if you could transform this relationship into one where the customer will never expect and never experience a failure?"

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

"I think, I wish that, in 10 years from now we will not even know what break-fix is," adds Brandeleer.

"What I mean by this is with more and more new products being developed, the product shouldn't break anymore. It will need to be maintained - and it needs to be very clear how to maintain it, so it doesn't break. I think that's really where I wish all our customers were right now because when one of your devices is breaking, essentially, you can't have a good CSAT - it's nearly impossible.
"Yes, the service provider can get in to fix the problem quickly, and they can get the CSAT up again, but the break is going to see the CSAT going down for sure.

"What if you could transform this relationship into one where the customer will never expect and never experience a failure? Where they will never experience breaking points with your device? To say to the customer, we are going to create this relationship where we guarantee you that the assets won't break. We are going to make sure that we execute on this promise, delivering you a device and a service that leads to a position where the asset you need won't ever let you down - and at the same time, the customer understands clearly what they're going to pay for it. It's much easier as a relationship to say 'okay, yes, you're paying $1,000 a month for the service contract, but you have no break-fix, no surprises.'"

"I think that's really where I think these relationships can grow into true partnerships."

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

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The Potential Downsides of a Remote First Approach to Field Service (podcast highlights)

Nov 16, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland discuss potential downsides to adopting a remote first-approach to service delivery and explore the potential for a hybrid model that blends on-site and remote service...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

WE WILL SEE A HYBRID MODEL EMERGE IN THE NEW NORMAL

In a recent exclusive white paper authored by Field Service News Editor-in-Chief, Kris Oldland, we explored a number of different aspects of the emerging conversation centred around the importance of remote first service delivery.

The white paper looked at a number of different facets of that discussion including the technology and tools required to make sure we're delivering remote service effectively and also looking at some of the pros and cons of adopting a remote first by default approach both for the service customer and the service provider.

However, as this is a fairly embryonic conversation that has only recently gained significant traction as we see a huge host of companies beginning to embrace remote service delivery as a direct result of the pandemic, Oldland invited Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer to join him on the Field Service Podcast to hear his insight and to learn from his direct experience. With Brandeleer and his colleagues at Salesforce having helped so many organisations through digital transformation journeys, it was also an excellent opportunity to disseminate some of the thinking that goes on alongside that.

In the above excerpt from that podcast, the two begin discussing some of the nuances within the conversation, particularly looking at the challenges of remote service delivery and also the potential loss of benefits to having the field service engineer on site for the service organisation.

For example, it has long been said that the field service engineer is the eyes and ears of the organisation and their being on site could be a significant loss from the service providers side of the equation.

"I think that's an interesting discussion to have because I really think that there is going to be this hybrid model..."

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

“So there is an idea of the loss of the trusted advisor to consider that is for sure,” begins Brandeleer.

“Before, your trusted advisor was really just a technician on site, now I have a feeling that we will see this decrease a bit, but it's a balance. Companies must decrease that approach of having 100% of that trusted advisor relationship with the technician. Now, the balance may be 50% of that trusted relationship is done through contact on site, but 50% of that relationship is now built with the back office,” he explains.

“I think that's where this loss of the trusted advisor will be covered by other things,” Brandeller adds.

However, what about the issue from the other side of the equation, what value to the service provider lose in not having someone on-site, with a captive and attentive audience of the customer?

“I think there is nothing better than having someone on site to actually look at if there are other devices that the service provider could also service. Having a subject matter expert on there to interpret and understand how the site is working, what is the criticality of an asset against the whole system and the whole operation of the customer?

Indeed, it does seem that there are arguments in either way to the advantages of remote service delivery and on-site both for the customer and the service provider.

“Companies are getting these kind of quick fixes done via remote assistance, which is really helping on uptime,” Brandeleer muses. “However, some customers may say, Well, that was a quick fix that you did for me remotely and yes the device is fixed, but it seems like you need to send someone anyway. So when really is my problem really going to be completely fixed?”

“I think that's an interesting discussion to have because I really think that there is going to be this hybrid model where the first quick fix is done remotely – for example it could be like your pipe leaking. It might be quite annoying right now. Well, you, you do the quick fix of putting tape literally around the pipe and say, okay, for now shut down the machine, keep it like this, we will be on-site very fast.

“So somehow, yes, the leak was fixed, but it was a quick fix and now you need to really need to have someone on-site. So how can you add this discussion with customers where you say, okay, we really solve your problem completely, and when was the problem really considered as fixed completely?

“I think that's where the only way to have this kind of discussion is always going back to data.”

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The New Thinking Required for the New Normal (podcast highlight)

Nov 13, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland discuss why there is foundational new thinking required as we build the new normal of field service...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

THE BENEFITS OF REMOTE SERVICE DELIVERY

Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News recently authored a white paper in partnership with Salesforce, that focused on one of, if not the biggest questions of the moment in our sector. Should we be redefining the value of field service delivery in an age of remote service, especially if we move to remote first as a default. It was a wide ranging white paper that looked at a number of different areas including the benefits and the negatives for both the customer and the service provider themselves.

To further add to the initial thoughts raised in that paper, Oldland invited Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer onto the Field Service Podcast, to take the conversation a little bit further. Brandeleer was able to bring his own experience and of course, the wider experience of the team at Salesforce who've been instrumental in the digital transformation of so many organisations to the table. In the above highlight from that conversation Oldland and Brandeleer discuss some of the benefits of remote first approach for field service customers.

“The safety factor is number one, and is very real, especially right now,” explains Brandeleer.

“I think it will continue even after COVID. Safety is number one in field service, in general, and having someone on-site, COVID or not, is always risky. There is always a risk for the human there doing his job.

“So in some areas we definitely think remote assistance will help, even without COVID. For example, can you just have only one person on the roof whereas before you may have had maybe two or three technicians working at the same time in a small and dangerous area when maintaining a roof top device? So there are some safety aspects that will remain I think.

“What's also going on as well with the move to remote service delivery is that, we may lose out in some instances in having the trusted advisor on site, but at the same time it does create better customer relations with the back office. Before, often the only face of the company was the technician - now I have the faces of people that are working in the office, and helping me to find issues to my problem here on site. Where that's really a benefit is that suddenly instead of having just one single person as being the face of your company, you might have an easier way to present multiple persons in front of the customer.

“Even though it's virtual, having a face to respond to you on a call is still creating this trusted relationship,” Brandeleer adds.

"This is where field service companies can really start creating new business models, where you create a real partnership-based relationship with your customer..."

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

“I think the second thing that is also really important that remote assistance brings is the concept of the quick fix - can you really quickly fix the problem right now? Then maybe the service provider will also send someone in one month, or maybe in two weeks, to fully resolve all the problems, but at least the issue is resolved for now. The concept being to try to keep uptime as high as possible and I think that's where companies need to think about how they can create a business model with that first step of remote assistance.

One challenge that I'm hearing from some customers is that it’s challenging to invoice these remote assistance calls. This is because the customer is saying ‘you didn't send a technician on site so are you going to charge me the same price? Why are you invoicing me that much?

“I think that's where you need to go back to customers and say, ‘okay, maybe we change this kind of variation and we have now a service contract review.' Perhaps one suggestion could be a subscribed contract yearly where the customer can have 20 remote assistant calls within the year and on top of that you have the regular maintenance and most probably at one point of time, even preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance.

“This is where field service companies can really start creating new business models, where you create a real partnership-based relationship with your customer. You tell them very clearly the outcome they are going to get such as the device is going to be operational for 97% of the three percent remaining is where it would be down for maintenance. This is where you are saying to the customer ‘we guarantee you this and on top of that for good service and maximising this outcome, we are going to provide you multiple ways of calling us and asking for a quick fix.

“I think that's where people really start to get into the thinking around this. It is really bringing new base line for innovation for new business models. I think that's really something which is very important too.”

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

Tracking Customer Preferences is Critical in the New Normal (podcast highlights)

Nov 11, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland discuss why it is essential to track customer preferences as we move out of the pandemic and head towards recovery...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

We CANNOT UNDERMINE THE VALUE OF THE TRUSTED ADVISOR STATUS OF OUR ENGINEERS

Having recently authored a white paper in partnership with Salesforce, in which he discussed the question of whether as field service leaders we ‘do we need to be redefining the value proposition of service delivery in a post pandemic world’, Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News invited Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer onto the Field Service Podcast to discuss the topic further.

The paper took a particular lens on the fact that now as a sector we are much more focused on remote service delivery, potentially even moving to remote-first as a default. However, Oldland asserts there is a balanced and nuanced conversation that needs to be undertaken here. Whilst there are huge advantages to service delivery, being delivered remotely, not only at these testing times, but also moving forward as we start conversations around uptime and quicker fault resolutions, the flip side is, are we losing the trusted advisor status of the engineer?

In this highlight from the Field Service Podcast, Brandeleer and Oldland began to tackle this question around where those nuanced differences lie.

We should not undermine the fact that the technicians while they are on-site can see things that will be very unique from the fact that they are there in person..."

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

“We must also consider that some customers will just not like remote assistance,” Brandeleer commented.

“Yes, they understand the way that we do it right now for COVID-19. And at this stage it really makes sense, but you should really track the preference of your customers as well, because some customers will tell you ‘I really want someone on site, I actually miss that connection.’

“Some customers will tell you, it's fine. we can continue [with remote service delivery] even after COVID-19. With you coming in or looking at the site remotely and fixing a few things remotely. However, some customers will say, ‘well, you know what the technician is bringing so much expertise when he's on site on other topics. Maybe he can maintain one device, but there are five other devices that might be under contract, might not be in the contract - it doesn't really matter at this stage, because the technicians are always there to serve the customer and essentially help them.

“We should not undermine the fact that the technicians while they are on-site can see things that will be very unique from the fact that they are there in person. Then there is this relation of trusted advisor that will continue. It's not only fixing the problem that they have right now, it's actually quite helpful for the trusted advisor to come in the sense of actually seeing other things on site you could fix, maybe advising ‘you should actually maintain the device a bit more often’ and things like this.

"That's where I think you need to track the preferences of the customer. We need to know, is the customer happy with remote assistance? Is a customer, OK, for IoT? Does the customer prefer it if we send one technician, do they always prefer the same guy?

“I think it's really important to track preference from customers and not impose the technologies on to customers.”

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

We Must Have Our Technological Foundations Right in Field Service (podcast highlights)

Nov 09, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland discuss the importance of having the foundations of field service management tools in place before we can explore the next iteration of service management technologies...

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

A VISION OF THE FUTURE

In a recent exclusive Field Service News white paper written by Kris Oldland and published in partnership with Salesforce, we explored the shifting dynamics of the fundamental value proposition of service delivery in a world of remote first service delivery. However, while there was a lot of room for error in the first few months of the pandemic as we were all just grateful for the monumental efforts it took to deliver even basic service, now we are at a point where customer expectations are beginning to return.

Remote service delivery remains an acceptable delivery mechanism, however, the teething problems of some of our early initial attempts may no longer cut the mustard. Within the white paper Oldland explored some of the key technologies that are essential for efficient remote service that will meet customer expectation. As a follow up to that white paper Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer joined Oldland as a guest on the Field Service Podcast to bring his insight to the table. It was a wide-ranging conversation but in this excerpt from that episode the focus is on the tools we need to make remote service a seamless offering for our customers.

Of course, this was an area of the topic where Brandeleer was really able to bring a huge amount of direct insight, drawing upon the vast experience of himself and colleagues at Salesforce in terms of the companies that they've already directly helped with huge digital transformation projects.

"That's where I think there is still a part for technologies to still evolve. I think the whole install base little by little needs to be refreshed and evolve as well..."

Gary Brandeller, Salesforce

“I think what is critical is to do the basics, right,” explained Brandeleer.

“I think what we saw with COVID-19, was that the companies that didn't control their basics, were unable to actually react and adapt fast enough. These technologies are really, really impactful, but can only be impactful if you have the right data. They can only be impactful if you are already connecting your install base, if you're already doing warranty tracking, if you already know your customer when is calling you.

“From there, you can move little by little to a different solution. So for example, when you think about AI, there is the optimization engine that we are providing, and things like this, I guess, but I think there are other places where AI can really augment the experience of the technician in that context of ‘can we serve the customer?’ We must establish, can we use AI to offer remote diagnostics of the problem and can we find a solution?

“Ideally, you would even say, that AI if can identify one or two solution, can a human further expand on that and say ‘out of two solutions suggested by AI we should apply the first one, which can be pushed remotely via IoT, for example?” Brandeleer suggests.

“I think that's the vision of the future,” he continues before adding “Are we there? I think not yet. COVID-19 is going to accelerate that. But when you think about IoT connected devices, there are still many, many devices out there, especially in manufacturing where the install base that is pretty old, with assets still working and still being maintained. So, that's where I think there is still a part for technologies to still evolve. I think the whole install base little by little needs to be refreshed and evolve as well.”

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

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What comes after remote service delivery (podcast highlights)

Nov 06, 2020 • Features • Digital Transformation • Salesforce • The Field Service Podcast • Covid-19 • Remote Services

Salesforce's Gary Brandeleer and Field Service News' Kris Oldland discuss what comes next after the pandemic has brought the technology required for remote service delivery to the mainstream out of necessity

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

An EXPLORATION OF WHAT COMES NEXT

Having recently authored a white paper in partnership with Salesforce that explored whether we need to reevaluate the value proposition of service delivery as we all become more accustomed to remote service delivery, Kris Oldland, Editor-in-Chief, Field Service News invited Salesforce’s Gary Brandeleer on to The Field Service Podcast to explore the topic further.

Do we move to remote services first as a default, was a big theme in the white paper and the two discussed the pros and cons of such an approach at length. Here in this highlight from the full podcast, and to get further insight into that topic, we hear Brandeleer’s thoughts around what comes next, having seen remote service become table stakes almost overnight.

“One thing that is interesting to see as well is that remote assistance is a quick reaction for an issue that we all have right now,” Brandeleer commented

“Yet it's become a keystone for different things as well. So I think in the short term, remote assistance became really table stakes but I think there are other things that are going to follow this.

“When you think about remote assistance, you can speak to the customer, but for many, many call centre agents or technicians that are on the call, they might not know about the machine, and they might not have the machine connected to IoT. So I think this kind of rapid change for remote assistance will lead us towards the rapid change, for example, remote diagnostics, IoT, and all these other steps in the movement of ‘can I actually serve my customers remotely as efficiently as I was doing it before when I had somebody on site?’

“I think we are going to see an exploration of other technologies that are going to add on the remote assistance side essentially,” Brandeleer adds.

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

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ARCHIVE FOR THE ‘remote-services’ CATEGORY

FIELD SERVICE ORGANISATIONS ARE USING UtaaS SOLUTIONS TO PROVIDE CUSTOMERS WITH A PROACTIVE SERVICE

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REMOTE SUPPORT WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE VALUE TO ORGANISATIONS AND CUSTOMERS POST COVID

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A SERVITIZED WORLD IS A SUNSTAINABLE WORLD

"Can we actually sell much more services and our experience, and really think about the impact on the climate when we do this?"

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

IF A DEVICE FAILS, CSAT WILL GO DOWN

What if you could transform this relationship into one where the customer will never expect and never experience a failure?"

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

WE WILL SEE A HYBRID MODEL EMERGE IN THE NEW NORMAL

"I think that's an interesting discussion to have because I really think that there is going to be this hybrid model..."

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

THE BENEFITS OF REMOTE SERVICE DELIVERY

"This is where field service companies can really start creating new business models, where you create a real partnership-based relationship with your customer..."

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

We CANNOT UNDERMINE THE VALUE OF THE TRUSTED ADVISOR STATUS OF OUR ENGINEERS

We should not undermine the fact that the technicians while they are on-site can see things that will be very unique from the fact that they are there in person..."

- Gary Brandeleer, Salesforce

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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Further Reading:

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

A VISION OF THE FUTURE

"That's where I think there is still a part for technologies to still evolve. I think the whole install base little by little needs to be refreshed and evolve as well..."

Gary Brandeller, Salesforce

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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Further Reading:

Want to hear more head over to our podcast library @ www.fieldservicenews.com/podcasts

An EXPLORATION OF WHAT COMES NEXT

Want to know more? Field Service News Subscribers can access a White Paper on this topic on the link below.

If you have yet to subscribe click the button below to join 30K of your field service management professional peers and subscribe now to access this content and our entire premium content library now!

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