The new field service paradigm will be built on IoT

The next paradigm will be built on the Internet of Things

With the field service sector in a period of flux, evolution, and disruption, it is perhaps unsurprising that many technologies that have emerged in the last decade have become widely deployed. Yet, to date, many of these have been done so in only a rudimentary manner.

IoT solutions certainly appear to fit into this category.

In general, IoT technology is chiefly employed in our sector today to amass data, providing field service organizations with the immediate insights needed to make well-informed decisions and bolster effective maintenance decisions. Of course, this is an important first step into a brave new world that we are on the precipice of entering. Accumulation of data is pivotal in refining operational efficiencies and reducing instances of unscheduled downtime.

Through the use of the sensor technology that underpins it, IoT grants a detailed view of equipment and asset conditions, informing them of their health and usage patterns. With these insights, field service organizations can proactively fine-tune and optimize service delivery and prolong the service life of their assets, leading to enhanced service delivery and increased customer contentment.

Indeed, many organizations are beginning to unlock some of the potential that connected assets can yield. However, many are not.

Despite its transformative potential, the effective uptake of IoT within many organizations lags. Effective is the keyword here. While FSN Research has outlined ongoing growth in the number of connected assets, we do not see a similar maturity in the strategic leverage of these assets’ data.

While the reasons fluctuate from industry to industry and company to company, barriers such as strategic misalignment, disconnected data ecosystems, and a reluctance to adopt new technological paradigms are, in many instances, hindering the full-scale leverage of IoT in field service management.

Without a roadmap that aligns day-to-day operations with longer-term business goals, the integration of IoT can often be fragmented, missing the mark on its many possible benefits. Ill-thought-out, fragmented data silos often obstruct the flow and analysis of IoT data, thus limiting its impact while this is often a technological issue, with disparate systems not ‘talking to’ each other, it is also often the by-product of siloed business units.

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"IoT will be the central platform on which all future field service operations are built, promising enhanced productivity and customer-focused service delivery. The question is not if but when we will reach that point..."

Critically, a huge amount of IoT’s potential is being overlooked as different business units do not understand each other’s workflows thoroughly enough to see where there is the opportunity for mutual gain from the intelligence overlaps that can be unearthed through more fluid data flow.

Additionally, the sheer scale and complexity of data from IoT devices can often overwhelm many field service organizations, leading to underutilized insights. Data is often stored in data warehouses or data lakes. The problem is that things in warehouses often become dusty and forgotten, while all too often, we can drown in the depths of a lake.

The Promise of IoT:

Yet, it cannot be stated more explicitly – IoT technology will be pivotal in field service management.

It will continue to drive transformative change and enable field service organizations to meet the demands of modern field service delivery.

Its integration into service operations is vital for improving efficiency, resource management, and service excellence, setting the stage for lasting success and a sharp competitive edge. IoT solutions can and will help field service companies directly tackle industry challenges by becoming the bedrock of predictive maintenance and proactive service – which will be the central tenet of the future of field service operations.

Indeed, IoT will be the central platform on which all future field service operations are built, promising enhanced productivity and customer-focused service delivery. The question is not if but when we will reach that point.

Of course, in such a scenario, when entire industries are being reshaped in the wake of unprecedented and ongoing disruption, those who adapt quickest will be those who thrive in the new landscape. To paraphrase Charles Darwin, it is not the fastest nor the strongest of the species that survive; it is the most adaptable. So, it is true of organizations, as we have seen, whenever we move from one paradigm to the next.

So, the pressing question is, what can your field service organization do today to begin adapting to an era of connected field service, and what should you be doing to fully embrace this brave new future?

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