Field service trends: What to expect, how to respond

Regardless of industry, field service companies are under a lot of pressure. From employee resignations to increasingly heavy workloads and heightening customer demands, a lot of change is taking place in the service management market size. After the pandemic, people are now adopting the remote work environment.

Given these unique dynamics, field service companies must stay extra-adaptable. That means knowing what field service trends to expect and figuring out how to advance ahead of the curve.

We know that they are using software to automate their operational processes, which is improving response times, and allowing them to provide better customer experiences, and improve overall customer satisfaction. This shift is part of the broader field service management market trends.

Here are some of the field service trends we’re following at Praxedo:

Proactive maintenance and repairs

With the availability of connected devices, sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI), service managers are gaining the ability to prevent problems in their customers’ equipment through proactive maintenance and proactive repair.

For example, a recent analysis from McKinsey explains that service companies are using AI and machine learning to gather data and use it to prevent failures before they happen. This approach is part of the broader field service industry trends of AI preventive maintenance, which is becoming a significant component of field service trends.

“The insights enable the company to optimize maintenance operations, leading to reduced downtime and improved customer experience.”

For many companies, the repairs can represent upwards of 70% of operating expenses, according to McKinsey. With AI preventive maintenance analytics, field techs can more efficiently conserve costs and maximize uptime.

“NASA uses a data-based service provided by Siemens to perform predictive maintenance on the cooling systems at Edwards Air Force Base in California,” writes McKinsey.

“Sensors measure vibration and speed for fans, pumps, air handlers, and cooling towers, which are evaluated by Siemens with automated algorithms supported by data analysts. NASA receives automatic notifications of any significant status change of an asset so that it can take appropriate action.”

The key to improving repair lifecycles is to ensure a well-defined data analytics foundation. Beginning with basic proactive maintenance operations, technology teams can continue building upon capabilities for more advanced workflows, ultimately increasing market share.

Streamlined interactions

One rising field service management trends is the need for mobility.

Over the last few years, peoples’ lives have shifted due to the pandemic. There’s a need for mobile tools that provide additional safety protocols for when field techs work directly with customers. This includes repeat visits to the same site due to work not being done correctly in the first place.

“Many customers are less interested in returning to the service standards from before the pandemic,” explains an article in TechTarget.

The article elaborates upon three approaches for field techs to build upon this core strategy:

• Contactless service appointments, which limits the need for techs to see customers if not absolutely necessary
• Home-based dispatches to customer sites, in order to reduce the number of people with whom teams need to interact
• Field technician scheduling software facilitates the ability to self-schedule work orders if a technician nearby can do the job

The idea is to use tools like the field technician mobile app and field technician dispatch software that increase the first-time fix rate (FTFR) so that the field technician fixes the problem the first time without returning a second time. Eliminating unnecessary customer visits benefits both the client and the service company. With this approach, customers and field technicians can more easily manage expectations and communication through field service technician management software, delivering the level of service customers expect.

A mobile app built for the field

The Praxedo mobile app allows users to self-schedule work orders and increase FTFR. It also provides customer contact information, access to service manuals, needed parts, and equipment history on the go. With these capabilities, a technician is fed the right data to complete the service correctly from day one. A data-driven approach will enable field techs to get on the same page with customers and management through electronic communications.

Clearer paths to revenue

In the past, field services companies have regarded their on-the-ground teams as cost centers for the business. This perspective is shifting, however. Services have the potential to compound in value. For instance, a proactive approach to hardware strengthening, which requires an upfront investment, results in savings.

For this reason, companies must build clearer pathways to revenue. That means improving work order management to ensure a longitudinal view.

Field service management software can help streamline these processes, aligning with the future of field service and the latest trends, such as augmented reality (AR).

There are several features within Praxedo that can help:

• Guided start-to-finish steps within the best field service management apps for technicians during service calls, like the Praxedo mobile app
• Access to critical data, including work order history and route optimization for travel
• Immediate access to special instructions, documentation, and customer information
• Field data collection and sharing capabilities

The right field service management app can help your team stay on target with respect to milestones.

Connecting dots to the bigger picture

In the United States and Latin America, there’s a critical shortage of field service professionals. This trend was in motion leading up the pandemic, according to a Deloitte report.

Meanwhile, there’s more work to be done than there are people to do it. Across the United States, there’s a need to modernize infrastructure — with tight constraints to get everything done. For example, telecommunications service providers are feeling the pressure to expand their fiber optic footprints across the country, and their using field service management software for their last-mile deployments.

Assistive technology is the pathway to “help generate powerful operational and financial gains,” says Deloitte.

“By delivering training that is highly contextual, bespoke, and instantly useful at the point of work via assistive technologies, the line between work and learning is effectively erased,” explains Deloitte. “Using AI and personalization to tailor the steps can help with adoption and can also promote advancement as technicians grow their skill level.”

There is a wide range of tools available for organizations to implement. So, how do you choose the best option? The key is to take a holistic approach to ensuring systems enhance human processes per the latest field service software trends, which are expected to grow.

One of our recommendations is to choose specialized software that aligns with precise and existing workflows. If you haven’t encountered this concept, check out the term “best-of-breed.”

“Best-of-breed” refers to software developed for extremely precise use cases. Typically, companies must implement an integration ecosystem to solve all technology use cases within the organization. Service companies tend to get more out of best-of-breed solutions when managing their operations, including service contract management.

Best-of-breed field service solutions are mobile-first, with features optimized for high-stakes environments. These solutions also make it easy for field techs to access the right level of granularity and work from anywhere.

For example, look for field service management solutions capabilities like online/offline functionality that allows technicians to input information without a cell signal. That data is displayed in real time when a connection becomes available.

If you’re looking to learn more about best-of-breed solutions and want to know more about our best global field service management software, get in touch with our team at Praxedo.