INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Mobile Technology
Three technologies boosting mobile field services
Augmented reality , predictive analytics , demand forecasting promise to improve key performance indicators for the mobile field workforce , explains Tom DeVroy at IFS .
The field service industry has always been one of the earliest adopters of new technologies , from the original personal digital assistants to IoT-enabled devices . Now , a new generation of technology is uniquely positioned to transform the field service industry , promising to reduce costs and improve the quality of service organisations can offer .
Effective field service is about proactively managing your workforce and inventory in order to meet the constantly sliding scale of customer expectations . As a result , field service organisations are constantly looking to improve on the key metrics to better serve customers including first-time fix rate , mean time to service , and mean time to repair .
Three new technology driven developments are establishing themselves in the market , with the potential to dramatically impact these field service metrics to benefit both the customer and service provider .
These can be listed as :
• Advanced mobility using augmented reality and messaging
• Predictive analytics enabling prescriptive maintenance
• Optimised scheduling and demand forecasting
Combining mobility and
1 augmented reality A mobile workforce needs a mobiledriven field service strategy . In a recent study on mobility , performance and engagement , 60 % of employees said mobile technology makes them more productive in the workplace . But field service organisations are now moving beyond simple mobility , looking for more intelligence and flexibility from their mobile computing platform in order to take full advantage of next generation devices .
Native applications are a key part of this , allowing engineers to receive instant updates , access repair information or collaborate with product experts without leaving the job site . Instant messaging platforms are allowing field service engineers to keep connected , with more information and
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