In today's new normal, the global field service market continues to take big steps despite the threats and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Much has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit our world and technology has significantly and positively changed field service management for the better.
In 2022 and beyond, the world of field service is likely to undergo more changes, such as:
Contact-free or remote service: A recently-concluded study revealed that the concept of contact-free or remote service is likely to be explored by field service organisations in the times to come. This is primarily because a staggering 75 percent of customers are not comfortable with the idea of having field technicians in their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic unless absolutely necessary.
Shift to automation: Usually, field service operations get bogged down by manually intensive processes. In other words, frontline workers are faced with spending less time on critical service tasks while administrative workers are generally asked to hand in additional workload. Due to this, backoffice operations may become difficult to manage along with juggling schedules, confirming appointments, managing customer expectations, submitting invoicing, etc. in that last-minute emergency service call. Thanks to automation, operations and productivity can be significantly improved.
Proactive, predictive maintenance: Predictive maintenance leverages artificial intelligence, analytics, and machine learning to predict device failures before they happen. It can help field service organisations take proactive measures to avoid device failures while cutting down on maintenance costs. Today, field service organisations are relying on predictive maintenance more than ever by using IoT-enabled tools to create alerts, monitor equipment health, and follow protocols to mitigate potential damage.
Self-service portals: Today's tech-savvy customers demand and expect greater transparency into their service requests and work orders. Moreover, they expect instant access to track the technician enroute and any other information. This is where self-service portals can come into the picture and help them explore FAQs, knowledge base, and other resources.
Mobility: Today, around 75 percent of field service organisations with 50 or more users trust mobile apps to get schedules while on the go and receive instant alerts.
Mixed reality: Mixed Reality can be leveraged to ensure the safety of technicians via virtual inspections, device audits, and digital twins. For instance, the Mixed reality app Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, complemented with a HoloLens 2 headset, can help technicians access device information, repair history, and customer details using hand gestures and voice commands.
Need help to empower your field service organisation like never before. Please feel free to connect with us at C.I.G Consultants now.
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