Technology and, more specifically, field service management (FSM) trends are no different. Some are temporary solutions, and others are the best practices of tomorrow. But there’s some added pressure in recognizing the latter early on, seizing the opportunity to utilize and leverage new methods before they’ve saturated the industry.
Let’s take a look at four emerging field service management trends that are likely to be flourishing in the months and years ahead.
1. A Bigger and More Widespread Contingent Workforce
Because of the gig economy boom, writing has been on the wall about this for some time now. It could be argued that contingent workforce utilization is already the norm for field service organizations, and now it’s just a matter of the rest of the market catching up to early adopters.
Most forecasting says the number of freelancers and independent workers in the United States won’t just grow, it could double in just four years’ time. Internet connectivity has allowed for similar, though not quite as drastic, gig economy growth worldwide. Meanwhile, online labor platforms allow organizations globally source and manage contingent workers whenever needed.
If it’s not already the case, this will soon become an essential element of field service management. Between the improved connectivity for managing independent technicians on site and the increase of highly-specialized skilled workers entering the contingent workforce, IT organizations will find that independent technicians provide great benefits and flexibility while being reliable and qualified enough to meet your standards.
2. Devices that Tell You When Something’s Wrong
If you stay up to date on technological developments, it may seem like the Internet of Things (IoT) has been an emerging trend for years now. But IoT devices are just starting to hit their stride in terms of capability and potential field service benefits.
Smart devices connected to one another through the Internet of Things will help make field services more streamlined, agile, and predictive. IoT-connected hardware can send an alert when it senses an issue or send diagnostic data to technicians remotely for them to troubleshoot issues before they are dispatched. That same data will improve preventative maintenance and oversight, which in turn will cut down on overall repair visits. At its best, IoT connectivity can also interface with your FSM software to automatically capture this data for historical reporting, generate service tickets for repair, and dispatch the nearest available technician for a rapid response.
It will take some time for the IoT infrastructure to mature to the point of pure automation for routine maintenance, but we’re closer to that point than some might think. Beginning to integrate IoT devices is imperative in the immediate future to lay the groundwork for the coming era of smart field service.
3. Management Platforms that Handle a Lot More than Booking and Billing
The emergence of software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings in the last decade has led to many different companies developing cloud computing platforms for many different needs and applications. In the field service management sector, separate solutions were created separately for clients, technicians, and knowledge management. Now, we’re starting to see those individual platforms coalesce into more robust, comprehensive tools.
These emerging platforms combine the essentials of field service management software with active project coordination ability and asset management. Within one portal, field service organizations will be able to:
- Find and recruit qualified independent technicians
- Manage their schedules and on-site workflow remotely and in real-time
- Monitor the data and reports coming from IoT-connected devices
- Share knowledge and instructions through mobile-enabled unified communication
- Digitize documentation (statements of work, service-level agreements, etc.)
- Assist in resource management, inventory monitoring, and project logistics.
Part of this trend is also a wider availability for FSM platforms of this power—these solutions aren’t solely available to gigantic global enterprises. Managed outcome providers that specialize in contingent workforce management and project coordination can supply a tailored platform for mid-sized organizations that have an eye on global growth in the future.
4. A Future of Remote Assistance
From mobile platforms to augmented reality (AR), new technologies are promising new ways to excel at field service management. Integrating mobile devices into field service management activities is already an essential task for organizations in order to keep pace with the industry, as an influx of younger technicians and a greater demand for real-time communication demand it. But virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence are not much further behind, though they may still sound like the realm of science fiction.
Augmented and virtual reality have two distinct use cases in the field services industry. The former will allow for improved knowledge sharing with on-site techs by allowing them to see pertinent information, data, and instructions while working on devices or at an installation site through AR-enabled glasses or goggles. Virtual reality will improve the future of remote assistance by allowing technicians to troubleshoot or assess a job site without having to travel to it and project managers and coordinators to monitor, assist, and instruct on-site techs when they need more hands-on guidance.
Meanwhile, artificial intelligence (AI) will be the next logical benefit to spring from greater IoT connectivity. As data gathering from IoT devices grows, AI will begin to be able to notice patterns in that data and advise field service professionals to take appropriate action, whether that entails creating an alert of a pending malfunction or identifying a more efficient usage of devices. But, the sky is the limit for AI—its capability for pattern recognition may soon allow it to handle the roles of technician scheduling, on-site guidance, and visual assistance through VR/AR integration.
All in all, the emerging trends of field service management promise greater efficiency, reliability, scalability, and improved KPIs. Some of the above will become the norm in mere months, while others may mature a little further down the road. But with all of the promise these new technologies and methods hold, it’s shaping up to be a bright and fascinating future for global IT field services.
