The backbone of any company is its field service technicians. They are the ones that can be reached at the most crucial moments. They are directly responsible for the reputation of your company and your customer relationships.
Without competent management, field service won’t reach its full potential. What does this mean? Are there trends that can help your business grow? These are the top five trends you need to be aware of.
Predictive and Proactive Maintenance
Predictive maintenance refers to being able before a problem occurs. How do you achieve this kind of foresight? It would be ideal to have a lot of data collected through different methods. Talks with experts in the field, virtual diagnosis, and customer service are all great sources of information.
IoT is another way technology can assist you in predictive maintenance. This is simply the technology that allows you to monitor your equipment in real-time. It also lets you know if any equipment damage has occurred. You will immediately be notified if productivity drops, giving you sufficient time to respond.
Predictive maintenance is important because you will need to stock up on certain products, tools, or materials. It can also affect your relationships with strategic vendors.
Use of new technologies
The increasing dependence on technology is one of the top priorities for the field service industry. This is a relevant issue for many reasons. Technology improves productivity, safety, and consistency in fieldwork.
This is second because of the workforce demographic. Field service, like many other industries, is confronted with an aging workforce. The younger generation may be more interested in this type of work if they are exposed to new technological trends. It can boost the appeal of the sector and increase its talent pool.
It is important to keep in mind that new gadgets and tech trends will make it easier for users to enter this field. Field service technicians may be highly trained in their tasks, but field supervisors, contractors, and other field workers aren’t always up-to-date. This can make things a lot simpler.
Invest in Mobile Technology
Next, you will need to invest in a mobile application. This app is especially useful if it can be customized to your industry and allows employees to bring their own devices to work. This system has many risks and concerns. You should therefore make sure you have a solid BYOD policy in place from the beginning.
Field teams often depend on customer data. Being able to access that data from a mobile device may make it easier for them. There are also situations that are rare in the industry, such as schematics they haven’t dealt with in a while, etc.
Remote working will still be a major trend in 2021. It is easier to establish a communication link between your field team and remote teams. Collaboration is key to improving service quality. It can also improve UX.
Mixed Workforce
Although we have previously mentioned remote teams, the truth is that today’s workforce presents many challenges. It can be difficult to maintain a healthy workforce due to sickness or fluctuations in workload. Before you can move forward, it is important to explore all possible solutions.
First, think about freelancers. It is great to hire temporary workers to cover for sick people or face an increase in workload. You have the flexibility to manage the challenges that arise from a blended workforce with great efficiency.
You should also consider working with third-party agencies. Sometimes outsourcing a portion of your work is the best option. You have the option to hire trained professionals at your will, even if it means you pay a little more.
Personalized Customer Offers
Field technicians must be able to work independently in all aspects. They must also be able to act as salespeople. They are expected to inform customers of the best way to obtain the part they need. It doesn’t matter if they are expected to place an order in person, or via a portal.
Even though they are not salespeople, the key asset of the field team is their physical proximity to the customer. Traditional retail would require customers to visit the retailer. This is a huge difference.
They are already in a position to offer a proposal because they are present and interacting with customers in person. They can also use their assessment to make a customized offer to the customer which is more likely for them to accept. This is one way to maximize company products.
In conclusion
You must work hard to keep the field service running. This job is even harder if you want to improve it and stay on top of all the latest trends. You can still gain some competitive edge by researching industry trends and finding a way to incorporate them into your operations. Field service should always be a priority.
