Current Trends in Service Management
. Zervicio Team . 5th August 2016 .
We are discussing about the current trends in Service Management Industry which includes key problem areas and their solutions, aggressive growth in existing technology options and new / upcoming process automation related improvements.
Field Service Automation
– With the power of connected devices, the field service industry will begin to automate the field service process, in addition to a more predictive/ proactive approach to service. For example, sensors placed as part of any equipment could automatically initiate a service call when it needs something repaired or it’s due for routine / pre-configured service window. Connected devices take the idea of proactive service work.
Mobility
– The right mobile architecture can solve many of the challenges field service teams face today: latent customer needs, increasing competition and worker productivity. To be successful with any mobility deployment, organizations must choose the best field service solution and adopt the implementation best suited for their operation. Gartner has made the following predictions for the state of mobile in field service before the end of year 2016:
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Almost close to 60% of the mobile workforce will own a smartphone
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40% of the workforce will be using at least a normal mobile
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Field service organizations will purchase 53 million tablets in 2016
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The smartphone users in India have grown by 100% over last two years. Approximately 56 per cent of smartphones purchased by businesses in North America and Europe will be Android devices.
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With more organizations moving towards using mobile to automate the service process and eliminate duplicate data entry, those who are still with manual process will be left behind.
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Close to 30% of users having smartphones in India as on January 2016 and it is expected to reach to 40% by 2019.
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The worldwide smartphone users as on January 2016 is around 2080 millions and is expected to grow to 2660 million users by 2019.
Integration going to be Universal
– As back office, telematics and workforce management solutions become more integrated with mobile devices, the opportunities to increase efficiency and productivity are growing exponentially. Service managers and engineers can make real-time decisions remotely by accessing vehicle tracking, scheduling and routing on their mobile devices. This allows organizations to mitigate reckless driving incidents, control wear and tear on their fleet and decrease maintenance costs, all from a hand-held. Mobile apps will continue to provide critical information such as daily tasks, customer histories, billing, and the locations of nearby teammates on demand for field service technician.
The Internet of Everything
– The IoT has been on service businesses’ radar for a while, so the trend is not exactly new heading into 2016, but as more businesses invest in connected technology, we will see it become an established industry best practice. Gartner predicts that by 2020, 26-billion devices other than smart-phones, tablets and computers to be connected via the Internet of Things. For field service organizations, connecting equipment with technicians’ mobile devices and the back office in real time is a necessity. Information captured in the field provides diagnostics and performance metrics that mitigate certain issues as well as tracks patterns and trends for long-range planning. The goal is to ensure an intelligent and preventive—not reactive—approach.
Making sense of data for improved intelligence
– With the majority of field service organizations deploying a vast range of different technologies out in the field, from GPS and vehicle tracking systems to fleet and work management solutions, many are challenged by the vast amount of data they’re collecting back. The ability to analyze and act on this data will continue to trend in the evolution of field services technology. Advanced analytics capabilities will allow organizations to execute on information generated from the field to become more efficient and productive. Deploying workforce management solutions with sophisticated analytics tools will enable managers to improve operations with real-time visibility into their operations. Data gathered from smarter mobile apps and equipment sensors will provide insights on performance, tasks, service quality, and new products that will enable field service managers to not only keep up with the competition but to step ahead. Analytics will be embedded and pervasive. After all, the value of analytics is in the answers, not the data.
One solution, one provider
– With technology development moving so quickly and companies continually having to modernize their solutions to keep up with the competition, 2016 will see an increase in businesses entrusting one provider to deliver all the functionality and modularity they require to manage their work, workers and assets. To achieve that, they need robust and flexible end-to-end platforms backed by a reliable provider.