An SFG℠AnalystsTake

ASpecialSFG℠ AnalystsTakeWrittenby:BillPollockPresident&PrincipalConsultingAnalystStrategiesForGrowth℠/ PollockOnServiceWesttown,PennsylvaniaUSA+1610-399-9717wkp@s4growth.comwww.PollockOnService.com ResearchPoweredby

Lessons Learned from WBR’s 2017Field Service Fall ConferenceFSM Is Taking a More Innovative and Progressive Approach to Meeting Evolving User Expectations

©2017StrategiesForGrowth

October,2017

An SFG℠AnalystsTake

A. IntroductiontoFieldServiceFall:Innovation.Progression.That’sFieldService!

Therewereagreatmanylessonstobelearnedaboutfieldserviceandcustomersupportsofarin2017duetoanumberoffactors,includingresponsestomultiplenaturaldisasters(i.e.,hurricanes,floodsandearthquakes);evolvingpatternsofcustomerneeds,requirementsandexpectations(i.e.,asaresultoftheintroductionandproliferationofnewtechnologies);achangingcompetitivelandscape(e.g.,theconsolidationand/oracquisitionofmanyofthe“traditional”FieldServiceManagement(FSM)solutionproviders,aswellastheinfluxofmanynewstart-ups);andsoon.

That’swhat’smakestheWBR2017FieldServiceFallconferenceatAmeliaIsland,Florida,soimportant–especiallyasitimmediatelyfollowedthedestructioncausedbyHurricaneIrmaonlyacoupleofweeksearlier.InnovationandprogresswerecertainlyattheforefrontofthoseservicesorganizationsproximatetoAmeliaIsland(andTexasonlyacoupleofweeksearlier)thatweretaskedtodealwiththedevastationthatwasbroughtforth.

"FieldServiceFall2017wasafantasticopportunitytoshareideaswithpeersontopicsofinnovation,growth,customerexperienceandbestoperationalpractices. Wellworththecommitmentto

attend. Haveideastocarrymeandmyorganizationinto2018."

- TimSpencer,SVP&GMBunn

GeneralConferenceTheme

First,asconferencehost,SaraMueller,WBR’sEventProducerfortheconference,statedinheropeningremarks,thatafterspeakingtoanumberofFieldServiceexecutivesleadinguptotheevent,mostsuggestedthattheywereinterestedinlearningmoreaboutwhattheirpeersweredoing(orthinkingofdoing)withrespecttodealingwithmajorchallengesandestablishingprioritiesformovingforward.

Tothatend,Sarasummarizedthe“BigPicture”thatherexecutiveinterviewspaintedasconsistingofthefollowingfourcomponents:

• BusinessModelTransformation– movingtowardssellingoutcomesratherthansellingaproduct;• HavingtheRightFieldForceinPlace– withtherightinformationandtoolsattheirfingertips;• LeveragingDigitalizationandConnectedProducts– forbetterefficiencyandservice;and• AchievingCustomerSatisfaction– andgrowth!

Themainpremisebehindallofthis“learning”,Sarasaid,couldbesummarizedinasinglequotefromBenjaminFranklin:“TellmeandIforget,teachmeandImayremember,involvemeandIlearn.”ThenextthreedayscertainlyboreoutFranklin’sthoughts– allwithclearexamplesandbackgroundprovided.

However,thereisalwaysadditional,orincremental,“learning”thatcanbeattainedbyparticipatingineventssuchasWBR’sFieldServiceFall.Thefollowingisour“take”ontheprimarylessonslearnedoverthecourseofthethreedayevent.

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An SFG℠AnalystsTake

AdvancingServiceTogether

Beforedelvingintospecifictopicsrelatingtolessonslearnedfromtheconference,first,webelieveitwouldbehelpfulto.Takeamorebroadly-definedlookatwhatconstitutesthebasisoffieldserviceandcustomersupport.

Inhiskeynotepresentation,MartinKnook,CEOatGomocha,definedthecomponentsof“AdvancingServiceTogether”asbeingbasedonthetheresponsestoaseriesofquestions,including:

• WhatcanIdoforyoutoday?• WhatcanIdobetterthistime?• Whatsolutiondoyouneedtomorrow?• Doyouhaveanypainpointsthatyoucanshare?• Areyouhappywithmyproduct/service?• Whatelsedoyouexpect?

Whileadmittedly,thislistofquestionsisnotcomplete,itatleastestablishesabase,orbasis,forboththesolutionproviderandthecustomertobegintheprocessofworkingtogethertoacommonend.“It’snotrocketscience!”,Knookexclaimed.Butitdoesbegintheprocessofinformationexchange.

KnookalsocitedW.EdwardsDeming,whosaidthat,“Withoutdata,youarejustanotherpersonwithanopinion.”However,dataalonedoesnotdotheentirejob– thedatamust,firstbeaccurateandrelevant,butitmustthenbeconvertedintousableinformationand,ultimatelyactionableknowledge.

“ThetopchallengesvoicedbyattendeesoftheFieldServiceFallconferenceareallproblemsthatAsteahelpstheworld’sbestservice-drivencompaniesovercome.Wewerehappytosharebestpracticesonhowtoleverageourfullservicelifecycleplatformtoconnectallinternal

andexternalservicestakeholdersandgainreal-timevisibilityintotheirnativeandthirdpartyemployees,clients,andassets.”

- EmilyHackman,DirectorofGlobalMarketingAsteaInternational

Thechallenges,accordingtoKnook,are:

• Servitization• TechnologyCapabilities• ExistingBusinessProcesses,ProductsandServices• InnovativeLearningOrganization

Oneofthegreatestchallengesispredicatedonthefactthat“only18%ofthecompaniesinterviewedhaveclearperformancemetricsinplace.”ThisisalsosupportedbyStrategiesForGrowth’s(SFG’s)mostrecentsurveydatatreealongthatasimilarpercentdonotcurrentlyevenhaveaformalKeyPerformanceIndicator(KPI)programinplace.

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An SFG℠AnalystsTake

However,thesealarminglylowpercentagesmaybesomewhatoffsetbythefactthatupto62%oftheorganizationssurveyedinSFG’s2017FieldServiceBenchmarkSurveyarecurrentlyestablishingorenhancingtheirexistingKPIprogramstoincludemoremetricsmeasured,moresharingofdata/informationandthebetterapplicationofthosemeasurementsintostrengtheningtheirabilitytomeasureandimproveexistinglevelsofperformance.

DeniseRundle,GMandPartneratMicrosoft,tookthediscussionabitfurtherbydiscussing“TurningCustomersintoRavingFans.”Inherkeynotepresentation,shecitedaquotefromMicrosoftCEO,SatyaNadella,whostatedthecompany’smissionstatementas,“Achievingourmissionrequiresustoevolveourcultureanditallstartswithagrowthmindset – apassiontolearnandbringourbesteverydaytomakeabiggerdifferenceintheworld.”

It’sallthere:culture,passiontolearn,bringourbest,makeadifferencevia theexecutionofour“growthmindset”.And,nottheotherwayaround!

1. Inordertoexecuteonitsmission,Microsofthasidentifiedthreebreakthroughexperiencesthatitbelieveswilltakeittothenextlevel:

2. ArtificialIntelligence– thetechnologythatwillmakethevirtualagentmorehumanandhelpsagentsbemoreeffective,

3. CollaborativeDeliveryModel– basedonthesimpleroutingtogroupsofexpertswhosolvecasescollaboratively,andbeforeandaftersentimenttounderstandhowcustomersfeel.

4. AchieveMoreConversations– throughtheapplicationofmachinelearning,predictiveanalyticsandtargeting,andcampaigns.

RundlealsospokeofthethingsthatMicrosofthasalreadybegunimplementingintheseareasincluding:(1)extendingconversationswithcustomersby30secondsinorderto“addrealvaluetocustomers;(2)eliminate“painfulrouting”and“frustratingbounces”bychannelingcustomercallsdirectlyto“groupsofcollaborativeproductspecialists”(i.e.,ratherthantoaworldwideassortmentofengineers,etc.):and(3)providecustomerswithan“end-to-end”userexperiencetocreatenewopportunitiestocustomers(aswellascross-sellandupsellopportunitiestoMicrosoft).

B. GreatestLessonsLearned

PerhapsthegreatestlessonslearnedfromWBR’s2017FieldServiceFallconferencewerefocusedinthefollowingareas:

• DigitalTransformation• ConnectedServices/TheInternetofThings(IoT)• AugmentedReality(AI)/ArtificialIntelligence(AI)/MachineLearning(ML)• Outcome-BasedServices• DealingwithaChangingWorkforce/LeveragingaContingentWorkforce

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An SFG℠AnalystsTake

DigitalTransformation

I-scoop.eudefinesDigitalTransformationas“theprofoundtransformationofbusinessandorganizationalactivities,processes,competenciesandmodelstofullyleveragethechangesandopportunitiesofamixofdigitaltechnologiesandtheiracceleratingimpactacrosssocietyinastrategicandprioritizedway, withpresentandfutureshiftsinmind.”

However,InfoWorldprovidesamuchdiredefinitionbystatingthat“Digitaltransformation,akaDX,ishot--andifyou'renotdoingit,yourcompanywilldieandyouwillloseyourCIOorITleadershipjob.You'll--shudder -- bedisrupted!Orfailthe wrongsideoftheInnovator'sDilemma.That'sthemessageoverthelastfewmonthsfromconsultants,pundits,andofcoursevendors.”

“Thechangedrivenbydigitalisstaggering- 20,000yearsofchangeinthenext100years!1/2oftheoriginalFortune500companiesaregoneandinthenext10yearsanother40%willbegone.CIOspend-

over70%istomaintainlegacysystems- whatawaste!Payandincentivizeoncustomeremotion-measureatthebeginningandendoftheengagement.‘TrueEmotion’.Bebrave- donotbeafraidtofail

- failfast!Involvecustomersinthedevelopment- beselectivewholeadssoallisinvolved.Askyourcustomer- amIinvolvedwithwhatisimportanttoyou???”

- CharlesW.Johnson,Director- ServiceOptimizationandBusinessIntelligencePhilipsHealthcare

JohnnyJohnson,SVPatNationalGridallayedsomeofthefearsthatcouldeasilybeassociatedwiththemovementtowardDigitalTransformationbyprovidingachecklistoftherightthingstodo(basedonhiscompany’sexperience):

• Beclearontheproblemyouaretryingtosolveandkeepfocusedonit• Executivealignmentiscriticalbuttimeconsuming• Visitothers– you’llbeamazedwhatyoulearn• Pilot– totestideas,gatherinvaluabledataandbuildmomentum• Buildyourteamsearlyasyoucan,ideallydedicatedandpreferablyamixedbusinessandITteam

workingtogether• Thinkabouthowyouwouldmeasuresuccessupfront• Whileyouinevitablyjustwanttogetonwithit– therecanbemuchvalueextractedfromtheprocess

Infact,NationGrid’ssloganwithrespecttoDigitalTransformation– andsupportingitscustomers– is:”FixToday.EnableTomorrow.”And,this,accordingtoJohnson,requiresaslow,wellthought-poutprocessinvolvingthecross-cultivatingofteamsfromboothServicesandIT.

JohnBunney,SeniorDirectoratCiscoalsospokeonthetopicof“TheDeathofReactiveSupport”asweknowit,essentiallythroughtheapplicationandproliferationofDigitalTransformationinaddressing“complexityandcustomerexpectations”.

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An SFG℠AnalystsTake

Inhiskeynotepresentation,Bunneyclaimedthat:

• “Quality”ishardertoachieveeachyearwithincreasedproductcomplexity,convergence,andsolutionleveldependencies

• Customer’sexpectations(andchoices)arealsoincreasing“Cloudlevelavailability”• Theperceptionofqualitycanbeinfluencedbyreducingimpactofissuesthroughautomationand

preemptivesupport

InapanelmoderatedbySarahNicastro,Publisher/Editor-in-ChiefofFieldTechnologiesOnline,AleemLakshmi,EVPatAmTrustFinancialsuggestedthat,“Fiveyearsago,digitizationswasn’tevenpartofthediscussion.However,fiveyearsfromnow,we’llbetalkingabouthowdronesandrobotswillbeperformingservice.”Hethenwentontosaythat,“Theconsumerswhohaveradicallychangedthewayweconductourbusinesstoday,willbetheoneswhowillchangethewaywedoservice.They’llhavealotmorevisibility,alotmoretransparency,andalotmoreaccountability.”

"Particularlyinterestingtohearaboutthedifferentmetricsthatservicecompaniesarejuggling:uptime,costofservice,customersatisfaction,firsttimefixrates...manyofwhichrepresentcompetingpriorities.Itreallyunderlinestheneedforagiletechnologythatcandealwiththesetrade-offsandrespondrapidly

tothechangingneedsofthebusiness."

- PaulWhitelam,GroupVP,ProductMarketingClickSoftware

JohnBunneyfurtherexplainedthat,“datafordata’ssakeisnotgood,”andthatyou“needtostartsmall[withrespecttoDigitalTransformation].”VivekJosh’s,CEOandFounderatEntytle,echoedthesesentimentsbysayingthat“toomanymoonshotsfail”– andthatyouneedtostartoutsmall.

Bunneydidwarn,however,that“Wereallyhavetostarttofocusontrust”– astatementthatwasfurtherechoedinseveralofthesubsequentpresentationsmadeattheconferenceduringthenexttwodays.

ThewayCiscolooksatDigitalTransformationisasacontinuumthattraversesacrossseveralprocessesbeforearrivingat“AutonomousServices”:

• Reactive– monitor,troubleshootandfix• Proactive– maintainhealth,andlookforknownissuesandfix• Predictive– Lookingforpotentialfutureproblems• Preemptive– makechangestopreventaproblem• Autonomous– MachineLearning(ML(makeschangestopreventaproblem

InthefollowingQ&A,itbecameapparentthatmanyfieldservicesorganizationsrepresentedbyattendeeswerestillonlyatthesecondorthirdlevelofthecontinuum,andthatonlyafewwereactivelyinvolvedinthoseareasrequiringthesupportofArtificialIntelligence(AI)andML.

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An SFG℠AnalystsTake

Inoneofthefollowingpanels,JimFeely,SVPofGlobalServiceSolutionsatBell&Howell,echoedthat,“It’shardtodeliver100%unlessyoucankeepeverythingrunningthroughpredictivemaintenance.”Feelywentontosaythat,youhaveto“doyourhomework”and“sharewhat[you]havewithyourcustomers.We’refixingthecustomer’sequipmentbeforetheyknowit!Wesometimesneedto‘tootourownhorns’sothattheyknowwhatwe’redoingforthem– evenwhenthey’renotaskingforit!”

ConradHofmeyr,CEOatJourneyApps,definedhisorganization’stakeonDigitalTransformationasfocusingprimarilyonthreeareas:

• CustomerExperience• OperationalProcesses• BusinessModels

Healsodiscussedthe“fungibility”ofproductsandservicesasitrelatesto“operationalagility”,andthat“DXisajourney;notadestination.”

Allofthesefactors,ultimately,supportthecaseformovingforwardwithDigitalTransformation.

ConnectedServices/TheInternetofThings(IoT)

PerhapsthegreatestexampleofConnectedServiceswaspresentedbyLarryWash,CEO&PresidentofKONEAmericasinhiskeynotepresentation.Washspokeontheirtopicof“Today’sSmartBuilding:OptimizingtheUserExperienceExperienceThroughtheInnovationofIntelligentServices.”However,hemadeitclearthat“It’snotjustabouttheuptime;it’saboutflow!”And,how“flow”convertsdirectlyintodesiredoutcomes.

Forexample,inanintelligentbuilding,theelevatorsdonotsimplygoupanddownuponcall(i.e.,whenthebuttonispressed);infacttheydomuchmorethanthat!Smartelevatorsystemsnowhavetheabilityto“read”ahotelguest’sroomkeycard,andareprogrammedtodispatchthemostappropriateelevatortotheguest’scurrentfloor,alongwiththequickestascenttotheguest’sroomfloor.Justasimple“smart”processlikethiscansavetheguestsometime,whileultimatelyenhancinghisorheroverallcustomerexperienceatthehotel.

Inamoredollarsandsenseexample,a“smart”elevatorsystemcanidentifyattorneysatanupper-levellawfirminahigh-risebuilding(e.g.,bytheiremployeeIDcard,etc.)andinitiateaprocessthatcangetthemtotheirofficewithinsixminutesorless(i.e.,inthisexample),therebysaving“minutesoftime”–eachtimetheyusetheelevator– resultinginmeasurabledollarsavingsoveranextendedperiodoftime(i.e.,measuredintermsofbillingratesof$300/hourormore).Nottomention,preventingagroupofattorneysfrombeing“tickedoff”ataslowofficeelevatorscenario!

AnotherbenefitfromtheapplicationofConnectedServiceswassummedupbyShaharChen,CEOatAquant,whoshowedavideothatstated,“BetterAnalytics,MoreWins!”AccordingtoChen,ConnectedServiceswillberesponsibleformoredata,andthat“thegeeksarecomingtotheservicesworld,andthey’reheretostay!”

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An SFG℠AnalystsTake

InaConnectedServicesenvironment,thingslike(1)fasterresolutiontime,(2)moretimelyandaccurateresolutionand(3)theabilitytoresolveissues“beforetheyhappen”usingpredictiveKPIsareallfairlycommonplace.Thesebenefitsalsocorrelatedirectlytowhatcustomerswant;thingstakelesstimetofix,they’relessdisruptive(andoftentimes,eveninvisible),andtheirsystemskeepupandrunning– virtuallycontinuously.

Thegreatestchallenge,however,forsellingConnectedServicestocompanymanagementmaybeinthelackofabilitytoprovideastrongReturn-On-Investment(ROI)forecastfortheimplementation,useandongoingmaintenance.Severalspeakersechoedthatfortheircompany’smanagementtofullyunderstandthebenefitsofConnectedServices,theywillneedtojustifythetechnologyspendagainstthefinancialreturn– andsometimes,that’sastruggle!

ThecompanionquestionishowcanConnectedServicesbemonetizedwithintheorganization(ifatall)?Whatisthevalueofthisdatatothecustomer,andhowmuchwouldtheybewillingtopayforitinsupportoftheirservicedelivery?Doyousellit?Doyougiveitaway?Onecommonthoughtwastogive“someofit”awayforadesignatedperiod(e.g.,sixmonths,oroneyear)andthechargefor“premiumservice”.However,thisdebateislikelytocontinueforsometimewithoutafirmconsensusforming.

AugmentedReality(AR)/ArtificialIntelligence(AI)/MachineLearning(ML)

MuchofthediscussionattheconferencecenteredonthetopicsofAugmentedReality(AR),ArtificialIntelligence(AI)andMachineLearning(ML).However,ofthethree,ARwasthemost“understood”topic,comparedagainstAIand– especially– ML.Evenso,the“playingfield”forARwassomewhat“muddied”bytherecentmovementtowardthemergingofARwithVirtualReality(VR)intoa“mixedbag”typicallyreferredtoaseitherMergedRealityorMixedReality(bothcommonlyknownasMR).

WhilemostofthelargerservicesorganizationsrepresentedattheconferencehavealreadydelvedintoAR,orMR,amajorityofthesmallerorganizationsarestillevaluatingwhatitwilltaketogodownthisparticularpath.Allagreeditwasnecessary;however,gettingtowheretheywanttobeis,forsome,stillsomewhatproblematic.

Thediscussionsquicklyturnedtothe“newer”topicsofAIandML– notnecessarilyleavingARorMRinthelurch– butservingasareal-timereminderthatwhilesomeorganizationsarestillevaluatingthelatter,these“newer”scenariosarealreadygainingtractionintermsofinterest– andapplication– intheglobalservicesindustry.

TherationalebehindtheacceleratedinterestinAIandMListhatwhileAR,inandofitself,canprovidemanybenefitstoboththeservicesprovideranditscustomers,theadditionofAIandMLintothemixwillonlyservetomakethevaluepropositionofARevenstronger,inthatitwillassurea“continuityofimprovement”overtime,astheAIandMLfunctionalitieskeepaugmentingtheaccumulateddatabasefurtherthroughthecontinuingcapture,processingandintegrationofeveryservicetransactionintotheirinherentalgorithms,etc.

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An SFG℠AnalystsTake

Inhisworkshopsessionentitled,“TheLinkBetweenBigData,IoT,FieldServiceandData-DrivenDecisionMaking”,VertivDirector,LifecycleManagement,GregoryRatcliffsuggestedthatinordertoensuresuccess,youneedto“blendtheIoTdatayoucollectwithmachinelearning”and,onlyinthatwaycanthe“valueofdatabemaximized.”

Ratclifffurtherwentontosaythat,“Thedaysofschedule-basedservicesareending”andthat“Youwanttoleveragetheasymmetricknowledge”collectedbyyourorganization.Infact,hesaid,“Thevalueofdataismaximizedwhendataiscombinedfromothersources.”Forexample,thereisa“40%improvementinvalue”thatcanberealizedbycombiningdatafrommultipleIoTapplicationsandsources.

Still,therearechallengesassociatedwiththeprocess,particularlyfocusingon(1)connectinglegacydevices,and(2)datasecurity.

IntheworkshopsessionconductedbyShaharChen,CEO,andAssadMelochna,COOatAquant,theultimatevaluepropositionofArtificialIntelligencewas“AIimproveswinning- ifweuseit!”UsinganumberofsportsmetaphorstocharacterizetheapplicationandbenefitsofAI,Chencitedthat,“historically,[businessdecisions]havebeendrivenbya‘regencybias’.”Thatis,futurebusinessdecisionshavebeenhistoricallymadebasedontheresultsofthemostrecentdata.However,inanAIworld,thesesamebusinessdecisionswillbemadebasedonthealgorithmsembeddedinanAIenvironment,althoughlookingforward,ratherthanbackwardinordertoreachthemosteffectivedecision.

“Iwasverypleasedtoseeanenormousamountofparticipantengagementandrecognitionofhowquicklythetechnologylandscapeischanging.Recognitionofthethreatofbusinessdisruptionand

disintermediationbyemergingtechnologyisarealriskandmembersshowedanincreasingawarenessofthethreatandwereveryinterestedinplanstoadapt.”

- JoeKenny,VicePresident,GlobalCustomerTransformation&CustomerSuccessServiceMaxfromGEDigital

Inhiskeynotepresentation,TobiasDengel,CEOatWillowTreealsoexplainedthatthereis“anincredibleinterestinvoice”(e.g.,Echo,Alexa,etc.),butthat“whereweareinvoicetodayisuncertain.”However,“voicerecognitionwillcontinuetoimprovethroughAI,andisasolvableproblem.

Inoneofhissessionslides,Dengeldescribedhiscompany’sapproachasbeing“Multimodal”bystatingthat“Multimodalexperiencesenablepervasiveaccesstoservicesbyconnectingthedisparateecosystemsanddevicesweuseonadailybasis.”Assuch,voicerecognitionisjustanotheroneofthemanyapplicationsthatcanbesupportedbyAI.

Outcome-BasedServices

Outcome-basedserviceswas,arguably,thehottesttopicattheconference.WithsolutionproviderslikeAquantpositioningthemselvesasbystating,“WesellUptime”,toservicesorganizationslikeBunn-o-Matic(Bunn)sayingthat“wetransformwater”(i.e.,fortheirbeveragecustomers.

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An SFG℠AnalystsTake

InTimSpencer’s(SVP&GeneralManageratBunn)workshopsession,entitled“ImplementingVirtualPresenceMergedRealityattheForefrontofDispensedBeverageEquipment:TheBunnExperience”,heelaboratedontheimportantdifferencebetweenmerelyservicinghiscustomers’beveragedispensingequipmentand“transformingwater”forhiscustomersintothedesiredbeverages,attherighttemperaturesandintherightportions,etc.– atrulyoutcome-basedservicedeliverysystem.

AtBunn,Spencerexclaimed,“asacompany,we’reallabouttransformingwater.Ithastobeclean,atjusttherighttemperatureandmixwiththeaddedingredientsandflavors”coveringanextensivearrayofbeverageproductsfromjuice,totea,tohotcoffee,tofrozenbeveragesandeverythinginbetween.Inordertomanageallofthesepossibleiterations,Bunnreliesontheembeddingofchipsinitsbeveragedispensingsystems“fromgrinders,tofunnel,tobrewing,toserver.”

AccordingtoSpencer,Bunn’sVirtualInteractivePresenceiswhatallowsthecompanytoprovideitscustomerswithtrueoutcome-basedservices,predicatedonthefollowingfoundation:

• Digitallymergetworeal-timemobiletechnologyvisualenvironmentstoallowvirtualpresencehelp• Blendslocalandremotevideostreamstogiveorreceiveinteractivehelp– anywhere– instantly• StandardApp(iOSand/orAndroid)mobilephones,tablets• Nospecialrequirements/equipment

Theresultsofusingthismodel,accordingtoSpencer,are:

• Provideexceptionalvaluetoourcustomers• Maintainthefinancialhealthofthebusiness• Growprofitably• Supportachallengingandsatisfyingworkplace• PracticeaggressiveandcontinuousqualityimprovementbyadheringtoourBunnqualitypolicy

LaurentOthacéhé,CEOatCognito,aspartofhispresentation,described“FlawlessCustomerService”astheresultoftheconfluenceofOperationalEfficiency,EmployeeEngagementandtheCustomerExperience– thatallthreeofthesegoalsmustbeexecutedinordertoprovidecustomerswiththeirdesiredlevelsof“flawless”service;again,allpartofanoutcome-basedservicedeliverymodel.

“OurlessonlearnedisthattheU.S.FieldServicemarketisabsolutelyreadyforreal-timeoperationalanalytics.Manyoftheorganisationswemetarelookingforwaystodrivemoreefficienciesandstillimprovecustomerexperience.TheROIwecandeliverforthesecompaniesishugelycompelling.”

- RebeccaBarnett,VP,MarketingCognito

Overall,thediscussionscenteringaroundoutcome-basedservicestypicallyfocusedonthefactthatthedaysofthetraditionalapproachtoschedule-basedservicesareprettymuchover,andthatcompaniesarenowincreasinglybeingattunedtobuyingserviceagreementsthatarebasedonoutcomes(e.g.,powerbythehour,planesintheair,etc.)andqualityofthedeliveredproduct(e.g.,hotcoffee,coldsodas,etc.),ratherthansimplymeetingcontractualobligationsforxnumberofPMsconductedoverynumbersofmonths,or99.9%uptime.

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Nonetheless,whiletherehasbeenagrowingunderstandingofwhatAIis,andwhatitcandofortheservicesorganization,thereissomewhatlessofanunderstandingofexactlywhatMLis– andwhatitcando.Tosome,MLrepresentsalogicalextensiontoAI;however,toothers,itismoreofatechnicalunknownthatwillrequireagreatdealmoreresearch,evaluationandconsideration.Again,thelargerservicesorganizationshavebeenthefirsttounderstand,embraceandintegrateintotheirexistingservicesoperations.

DealingwithaChangingWorkforce/LeveragingaContingentWorkforce

PerhapsthemostillustrativeexampleofleveragingacontingentworkforcewaspresentedbyFabricioSallette,DirectorofServiceOperationsatSealedAir.HeexplainedhowSealedAircurrentlyuses11differentcontingentworkforcecompanieslocatedacrosstheUnitedStatestoaugmentthecompany’sin-housefieldforceinsupportofcustomers.Whileitwouldhavebeenbettertoonlyhavetouseasmallerhandfulofoutsourcedlaborvendors,these11werechosenonthebasisoftheirabilitytosupportmultipleplatformsandawidergeographicalfootprint.

However,accordingtoSallette,thereis“alwaysoneSealedAiremployeeaccompanyingthem”whentheyappearatthecustomersite– essentiallytoprovidecustomerswithasensethatSealedAirstandsfullybehindtheservicedelivery,aswellasensurethatthecontingentworkforceis“performingupto[thecompany’s]expectations.”

Oneunexpectedresultfromtheuseofacontingentlaborforceisthat,whilecustomers“don’tcomplainabouttheuseofanon-demandfieldforce”,thecompanyhasbeen“gettingpushbackfromtheexistingfieldtechnicians”whosometimessuggestthattheycouldhavedonethe“extra”work,althoughnotnecessarilytakingintoaccounttheinternalcostsassociatedwithovertime,travelexpenses,etc.Still,resultsfromsomeofSFG℠’smostrecentsurveysreflectasignificantlygrowinginterestintheuseofon-demandlabor,andthiswastrulyechoedbyseveralofthepresentersoverthecourseoftheconference.

C. MainTakeawaysfromWBR’s2017FieldServiceFallConference

ThemaintakeawaysfromWBR’s2017FieldServiceFallConferencemaybecharacterizedasfollows:

• DigitalTransformationishere,anditwillonlygainmoretraction– quickly– overtime• TheIoThasempoweredservicesorganizationsofalltypes,sizesandgeographiccoveragetoprovide

theirrespectivecustomerswithaconnectedservicesenvironment– regardlessofwhethertheirinstalledbaseisentirelydigitizedornot(i.e.,theabilitytoembedsensorsrepresentstheprimarycatalyst,orequalizer,acrossallservicesorganizations)

• AugmentedReality(AR)isalreadyhere,andinbroadeninguse– evenwhileitmergeswithVirtualReality(VR)andislinkedtoArtificialIntelligence(AI)andMachineLearning(ML)

• Whilelessiscommonlyknownaboutthedescription,applicationandusesofAIandML,thereisagrowinginterestineachofthesetechnologiesthatwillultimatelyleadtowidespreadacceptance

• Theuseofacontingentworkforceisalsogrowinginacceptance,andmanyservicesorganizationsarepresentlyexperiencingthebenefitsofoutsourcingportionsoftheirfieldforcethroughthesethird-party“feetonthestreet”vendors,aswellasfromFreelanceManagementSystems(FMS)solutionproviderssuchasconferenceexhibitor,WorkMarket

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AboutTheAuthor AboutStrategiesForGrowth℠

BillPollockisPresident&PrincipalConsultingAnalystatStrategiesForGrowth℠(SFG℠),theindependentresearchanalystandservicesconsultingfirmhefoundedin1992.

Previously,BillservedasPresident&ChiefResearchOfficer(CRO)atTheServiceCouncil;VicePresident&PrincipalAnalyst,headingupAberdeenGroup’sServiceManagementPractice;andManagingAnalyst,ServicesIndustryatGartner.

In2015/16/17,Billwasnamed“OneoftheTwentyMostInfluentialPeopleinFieldService”byFieldServiceNews(UK);oneofthe“Top10PeopleEveryFieldServiceProShouldFollow”byFieldServiceDigital;oneofCapterra’s“20ExcellentFieldServiceTwitterAccounts”;andoneofCoresystems’“Top10FieldServiceInfluencerstoFollow”.

Billhasalsohadmorethan350articles,columnsandfeaturespublishedontopicsincludingFieldServiceManagement(FSM),ServiceLifecycleManagement(SLM),CustomerRelationshipManagement(CRM),WarrantyChainManagement(WCM),ReverseLogistics,AugmentedReality(AR),theInternetofThings(IoT)andothersforleadinginternationalservicespublications.

HewritesmonthlyfeaturearticlesforFieldServiceNews,FieldServiceDigital,andFieldTechnologiesOnline,andisaregularcontributortoWarrantyWeek andotherservices-relatedpublications.

Billmaybereachedat+(610)399-9717,orviaemailatwkp@s4growth.com.Bill’sblogisaccessibleatwww.PollockOnService.com,andviaTwitter@SFGOnService.

StrategiesForGrowth℠(SFG℠)isanindependentresearchanalystandadvisoryconsultingfirmthatsupportsservicesorganizationswithafullrangeofstrategic,marketing,businessplanningandconsultingservices.

Duringthepast25+years,SFG℠hasconsultedtomorethan300clientorganizationsaroundtheglobe.Theseengagementshaveinvolvedstrategicservicesplanning,marketresearch/customsurveys,thoughtleadershipcontentdevelopmentandmarketoutreachsupport,customerneeds&requirementsanalyses,customersatisfactionmeasurement&trackingprograms,businessintelligencegathering,verticalmarketsegmentation,servicesassessmentsandthedevelopmentofstrategicrecommendationsforimprovingserviceperformanceandcustomerretention.

SFG℠’sthoughtleadershipcontentdevelop-mentservicesincludeWhitePapersandAnalystsTake reports;Webinars,ghost-written/publishedarticles,datasupportforInfographics,guestBlogposts,expertinterviews,UserGroupkeynotepresenta-tionsanddevelopmentofWebsitecontent.

TheoriginalSFG℠ websiteisnowarchived,andhasbeenrebrandedaswww.PollockOnService.com.However,previouslypublishedarticlesandwhitepapersarestillaccessiblefordownloadatwww.s4growth.com.

©2017StrategiesforGrowth℠Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthematerialprotectedbythiscopyrightmaybereproducedorutilizedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,broadcastingorbyanyothermeanswithoutwrittenpermissionfromStrategiesforGrowth℠.Youshallnotdisplay,disparage,diluteortaintourtrademarksandservicemarksoruseanyconfusinglysimilarmarks,oruseourmarksinsuchawaythatwouldmisrepresenttheidentityoftheowner.AnypermitteduseofourtrademarksandservicemarksinurestothebenefitofStrategiesforGrowth℠.Allothertrademarks,servicemarksorregisteredtrademarksappearingontheseStrategiesforGrowth℠ pagesarethetrademarksorservicemarksoftheirrespectiveowners.

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AboutWBRFieldServiceFall

Innovation.Progression.That’sFieldService!WBR’sFieldServiceeventsarewherecross-industryservice,support,andcustomercareleaderscometogethertobuildworld-classserviceandfieldoperationsandignitetheircareers.Fromnichesmall-groupdiscussionstoAha!momentkeynotes,fieldserviceprofessionalslearnwaystoadvanceallareasofserviceincludingIoT,selfservice,technicianretention,partsmanagement,revenuegeneration,andmore.We’vebuiltintoFieldServicethemostinnovative,interactiveformatsthathavebeentriedandtestedtoensureattendeesgainthemostvaluefromtheirthreedaysoutoftheoffice.

Forthe2017event,WBRhaspulledoutallthestops,hostingthelargestFieldServiceFallExhibitHalltodate!We’vedonethelegworkidentifyingwhichsolutionsaremarketleadingandsoughtafterbyourattendees.Allyouneedtodoisshowupandexplore...Andwhileyou’reatit,enjoythegames,specialtycoffee,margaritas,giveaways,cashprizesandsomuchmore!

ForinformationaboutWBR’supcoming2018FieldServiceevent,pleasevisitourWebsiteathttps://fieldserviceusa.wbresearch.com.

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