Which Trends are Shaping the Future of Field Service Management?

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Through state-of-the-art field service management software, companies have begun managing their on-field personnel with ease and efficiency. In this world where we have more and more choices for products and services, customer service plays an important role. According to a recent survey, about 97% customers revealed that the customer service was an integral aspect of their loyalty towards a brand.

Another study confirmed the fact stated above, revealing that about 64% customers have switched their service providers in at least one industry, owing to poor customer service. Field Service Management software improve on-field workers’ efficiencies, productivity, and expertise, the direct impact of which can be felt by the customer.

With a service maintenance software, companies can tackle service requests even before they are made. Latest technologies and trends play a vital role here when exceptional customer service is concerned.

The future of Field Service Management points us to the extensive yet balanced use of technologies and customer-facing processes that will improve customer-centricity and thereby enhance the end-users’ experiences.

The Trends At the Focal of Change in Field Service Management

• Customer Experience –

All the major advancements in the leading businesses today revolve around the sole idea of improving the customers’ experiences through excellent customer service. Field Service organizations that employ services management software aim to make their processes transparent allowing customers higher visibility into their service methods. Businesses are trying to notify customers when their field services are due so that customers can reschedule through emails, text messages, or chat messages if need be. Another possible provision to enhance transparency in field service processes is to allow customers to track the location of the field service agent on the scheduled day of service so they can estimate the exact time when the service agent is expected to arrive. About 73% of customers believe that the most important thing a company can take care of to provide good customer service is the customer’s time.

• Operational Productivity –

Technologies in the field service management space make it possible for field service providers to improve their on-site efficiencies through AI and ML-enabled applications integrated into their field service management software. Predictions of an impending field service requirements can be made through the effective use of data, and service scheduling decisions can be left to the software for better predictions. In a similar way, other technologies like AR, IoT, and mobile technologies are being employed by field service companies in a bid to do a lot with less!

• Operational Agility –

We are in the booming zone of the Gig Economy, where on-demand services are offered by organizations. Operational agility or flexibility in the business will enable field service companies to scale up and down as and when the demand does. Even if the services are effectively being provided by a third-party, businesses can better manage the personnel and workmen when they have contracted another business in the wake of a high demand.

• Data reigns supreme –

Customers compare their field service experiences to those they get from Amazon, Flipkart, etc. That said, there is a rising need for personalized brand experiences and engagements in the field service management space. Customer data flows in from a variety of channels today such as- email, social media, mobile phones, etc., and companies need to create a holistic analysis of each customer’s data by creating a complete view of the customer’s experiences across channels. When the data is properly analyzed and decisions for marketing, sales, and communications are based on it, customer services will see a rapid growth. Since customers today expect their communications and experiences to be personalized, data becomes focal to fathom the customer’s behavior patterns and customize their experience accordingly.

• Mobility –

Mobile is the key to field service as the number of connected mobile devices is expected to witness a 100% increase to about 50 billion by 2020 from what it was in 2015. Field service organization that will stay ahead of the mobility curve will pull ahead of those who won’t. More than 62 percent of field service leaders today, leverage an enterprise BYOD strategy in their companies. Not just mobile phones, but wearables will also gain a deeper adoption this year, becoming another mobility aspect that field service management companies will have to cater to. Augmented Reality glasses will improve on-site field service agents’ efficiency and will make training processes easier.

About 92 percent of field service executives feel the need for adapting the service models to customers’ needs. When field service software solutions have embraced all the trends mentioned above and have become tech-savvy, to say the least, field services will be transformed forever.
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