In 2020 our industry and the world changed dramatically as the impact of the novel coronavirus COVID19 was felt in every corner of the globe. One of the key facets to how we in the field service sector adapted was the mass adoption of remote service delivery.

Within this paper, published in partnership with PTC, we will explore what this seismic shift in acceptance of new ways of working will mean for the field service sector.

The central tenets of this paper that we will discuss are as follows:

#1: Remote Service almost overnight became a widely accepted approach to service and maintenance delivery

Remote service has been around for a long time, but the appetite for it has been dramatically increased since the pandemic. Out of necessity, the concept of remote service became widely accepted by service providers and their customers alike. The result of this industry-wide sea change is that we, as a sector, are now actively rethinking what service delivery looks like post-pandemic, with remote service delivery set to become a key part of the ‘new-normal’ well beyond recovery.

#2: The rapid and widespread adoption of remote service delivery that occurred in 2020 has resulted in wide variances in how remote service is delivered

Prior to the pandemic remote service delivery was a relatively uncommon mechanism for service delivery. However, out of necessity this changed during the pandemic and remote -service delivery became commonplace. Yet, the ways in which remote service is delivered is now exceptionally varied with a minority of companies using very sophisticated tools, while the majority of those delivering service remotely are doing so in a very rudimentary and ineffectual manner.

#3: Service excellence has been clearly identified for many years to be a core differentiator between competitors

While we are in unprecedented times of rapid evolution at the very foundations of our industry, there are certain business maxims that we must hold onto as we redefine service delivery in the new-normal. One of the most critical of these is that service differentiation/ excellence is well accepted as having consistent benefit on the bottom line and this has been borne out time and again in a wide number of studies. While we may be approaching an industry wide step-change in the mechanisms of service delivery, we must still hold an understanding of such tried and tested maxims that underpin service excellence and outline why it is crucial.

#4: Different customers have different needs. Being clear in how you meet their needs as we move into the new normal is key.

As service companies make the adjustment to remote service being a widely accepted method of service delivery, it is important that they clearly understand the value customers see in their overall service offerings if they are to be able to effectively integrate remote and on-site service delivery into a compelling, holistic service portfolio.

#5: Alongside an understanding of customer perception of the value of their service offering, companies should also understand the tools and technologies that will underpin remote service delivery

Having established a firm understanding of their core service value proposition, a service company can identify where, within that portfolio remote is better suited and where on-site is the preferred choice (establishing the why). To do this effectively it is important to understand how the technology stack sits together to underpin remote service delivery (establishing the how).

#6: There will be a limited window of opportunity to gain a competitive advantage as the industry transitions to remote service as a prominent mechanism of service delivery

If a field service organisation is able to identify both where and how they should integrate remote service delivery into their service portfolio while understanding how this enhances the value they deliver to their customers, then there is a significant opportunity to gain competitive advantage. However, the window of opportunity to do so is potentially small given so many companies are dealing with the same challenges simultaneously.