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Mobilizing Field Service Management An Astea International White Paper

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Customers want faster service, better service, and more information about field service

delivery. They expect field service organizations to have real-time visibility into the mobile

technicians' location and status. The only way to provide this to customers is to inject

mobility into your field service operations.

Mobile field service management (FSM) solutions

enable the remote field service technician to receive

and transmit work-related information on a real-time

basis via a mobile device. Mobile FSM solutions

create positive, proven business impact and also

act as a competitive differentiator, when correctly

deployed and leveraged.

Effectively managing a field service operation is an ever-evolving

challenge. Finding the right technician with the correct skill set at

the proper location has become increasingly difficult as service level

agreement (SLA) requirements become more stringent, delivery windows

narrow, and customer expectations increase. What used to be a difficult

task to accomplish using manual methods has become nearly impossible.

Mobile technology and automation have gone from a nice-to-have

solution to a must-have solution in a few short years.

Introduction

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Modern mobile workforce management solutions for field service can provide a plethora of

mobilized, immediately accessible information, including:

Employee Location and Geofencing

Time, Labor and Material Tracking

Scheduling, Dispatching, Routing

Optimization

Schematics

Reporting and Analtytics

Mapping and Navigation

Work Order Management

Invoicing and Mobile Payments

Contract and SLA Management

Two-Way Messaging and Collaboration

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When connected with back-end systems like ERP, payroll,

inventory, CRM, and dispatch, these systems can create

new operational efficiencies that not only save money,

but also provide new insight into the effectiveness of

your field service force and create new opportunities for

improvement and revenue growth.

The impact on field service operations can be dramatic.

In Frost & Sullivan's 2014 Mobile Enterprise Applications

Survey, 78% of current mobile field service management

solution users stated that the technology had improved

field service response times, while 76% cited enhanced

customer engagement. Other improvements included

faster trouble ticket resolution (75%), more accurate billing

(74%), reduced paperwork (74%), and increased customer

satisfaction (74%). Among those companies surveyed,

88% of respondents were either very satisfied or satisfied

with their mobile FSM solutions.

Happier customers lead to renewed contracts and more

revenue; that's why mobilization should be given serious

consideration. If you haven't already mobilized field

service management activities, or are using an outdated

solution, now is the time to embrace mobility. Not doing

so puts your company at risk. This white paper will explain

the benefits of mobilizing field service, how to develop

a mobilization strategy, and emerging new technological

capabilities that will provide further benefits in the future.

Frost & Sullivan's 2014 Mobile Enterprise Applications Survey of mobile field service management solution users found that: ___________________

stated that the technology had improved field service response times

cited enhanced customer engagement

achieved faster trouble ticket resolution

reduced paperwork and increased customer satisfaction

78%

76%

75%

74%

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Mobile workforce management (MWM) solutions are being aggressively deployed; Frost & Sullivan has forecast that the market for these systems will reach $2 billion in revenues by 2019. Mobilized field service management is large part of that market, according to Frost & Sullivan. In any market where visibility ends as soon as the employee steps out of the truck, then mobility is a natural add-on.

Mobility is already well established in the enterprise, and MWM is part of a larger trend in deploying mobile applications. According to Frost & Sullivan, more than 80% of businesses have at least one mobile worker app in place (even if it is simply a navigation solution). A full 79% plan to add at least one new employee app in 2015, and 23% have more than 50 apps deployed. More than half of respondents had already deployed mobile field service management solutions.

The types of applications vary, but most companies select prepackaged mobile applications (78%), while just 15% roll out a completely customized solution. New platforms are emerging that make it easier to develop a custom application, but most companies still prefer to deploy off-the-shelf mobile solutions. Only 32% of companies have a completely on-premise mobile solution, while

Mobility is Inevitable

More than

of businesses have at least one mobile

worker app

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30% use a cloud-based solution exclusively. Another 38% take a blended approach. These new development tools and cloud-based options have made it easier for more companies to deploy mobile solutions.

On the device front, tablets with big displays are increasingly the hardware of choice for applications that require viewing schematics, diagrams, access to large files, or diagnostic capabilities. The number of tablet users in Frost & Sullivan's survey stood at 60%, and although smartphones have been deployed by 78% of current mobile FSM users, their use is declining as tablets gain market share. Another 28% of users have adopted rugged mobile devices, while 17% use a basic feature phone. The lesson: mobile FSM solutions should support multiple device form factors as hardware needs continue to evolve.

According to Frost & Sullivan's survey: ___________________

of respondents use tablets (which are gaining market share from smartphones)

of respondents have adopted rugged mobile devices

of respondents use a basic feature phone

60%

28%

17%

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Field service users are moving upmarket in terms of their mobile FSM needs, transitioning from simple connectivity or visibility solutions into systems that can enable true business optimization. The best vendors offer a large set of capabilities that can be built up and scaled along this curve as the end users develop at their own pace. Different capabilities can then be deployed as modules as these companies get more comfortable with the solution.

In addition to the features and functions mentioned earlier this paper, there are emerging technologies that are likely to affect how mobilized FSM solutions perform over the next several years. These include:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Predictive Analytics:

Context-aware AI can detect customer and equipment scenarios that may require field service intervention. The algorithms that underpin these solutions can translate data into impressive AI capabilities that anticipate and automatically adjust worker instructions accordingly.

Emerging FSM Technologies

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• Proactive Field Service

(via M2M and sensor technologies): Field service organizations have traditionally been reactive and dependent on customers discovering and reporting problems. A more proactive system defines operational parameters before a failure, and a work sequence is initiated when sensors or M2M systems detect a variation from those parameters. This optimizes equipment uptime, and can create new revenue opportunities.

• Augmented Reality/3-D: Heads-up display devices (wearables) and smart glasses can deliver instructions and schematics in a hands-free manner in front of the technician's face, or overlaid on the actual machine being serviced. Cameras can be used for interpretation, to read bar codes, or to send images to other technicians. Wearable computers are still bleeding edge in terms of adoption, but some major software vendors are beginning to support this type of hardware.

• Gamification: Applying game mechanics to work-related goals and activities can keep employees motivated on a day-to-day basis by tracking and rewarding workers for achievements in predefined areas, using data generated by their mobile apps.

• Integrated Administrative Portals: These multi-point solutions allow field service organizations to simultaneously track workers, fleet vehicles, and other assets in the field. This type of Web-based portal makes it easier to coordinate resources and optimize response times.

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Field service mobilization can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase revenues, but only if the technology is deployed in a strategic fashion. Simply rolling out a mobile workforce management application is only part of the solution. Field service organizations should develop a complete mobilization strategy in order to maximize their return on investment.

The development process steps include:

1. Assemble the right team, which should include the field service organization lead, IT, end user service employees, operations, finance, sales, and marketing. IT has to be involved in order to properly address and take care of security and integration issues. You might also want to include representatives from other lines of business to identify other potential areas for collaboration.

2. Identify and define your business goals. These can include greater efficiency, increased productivity, lower costs, or the creation of new revenue streams. Narrow down these goals and objectives, and clearly define them in order to better evaluate your options.

Developing a Mobilization Strategy

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3. Determine what capabilities you want to mobilize, and prioritize them. Map out your business processes and back end systems, and determine how long the mobilization effort will take. It's also important to recognize the amount of prep work and back-end integration that will be required.

4. Identify potential barriers to adopting mobile technologies, and find ways to neutralize them. The top areas of concern tend to be cost, worker privacy, vulnerability of customer information, lack of internal resources, or back-end integration challenges. Make sure you are ready to address each of them.

5. Determine if you will need the help of a third-party integrator or partner, or if you can handle the deployment using internal resources. These partners can include FSM software vendors, wireless carriers, enterprise software suite developers, systems integrators, and others.

6. Address key decision points (on-premise vs. cloud, smartphone vs. tablet, etc.) early in the process based on your business needs and mobilization priorities. Determine whether or not you want to pilot the new system, and if so, where that will take place with how many end users.

7. Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) so that you will be able to track and quantify the business impact of the mobile solution. Establish a baseline measurement of performance so that you can identify areas of improvement.

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Astea International is a global provider of software solutions that offer all the cornerstones of service

lifecycle management, including customer management, service management, asset management, forward and

reverse logistics management and mobile workforce management. Since 1979, Astea has been helping more

than 600 companies drive even higher levels of customer satisfaction with faster response times and proactive

communication, creating a seamless, consistent and highly personalized experience at every customer

relationship touch point.

Mobilization should be part of your field service management roadmap. Regardless of the size of the organization, the type of visibility and reach into the field enabled by these solutions are necessary in order to remain competitive. Mobility can be immensely disruptive, but in a positive and powerful way when it comes to field service management.

Conclusion

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