Re Imagination Of Field Service Operations

Exploring different touchpoints across a range of consumer journeys has led to disruptors finding new ways to engage with the customers. They aim to create a highly engaging service experience. To this end, they use future-driven technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The strategy is trending now. Companies need to follow this strategy to sustain themselves in a highly volatile market, which is expected to be dominated by disruptors. Gartner forecasts Artificial Intelligence (AI) power services will manage 85 percent of customer relationships by 2020

To improve the customer experience, many Field Service Companies (FSPs) are investing in various touchpoints, in addition to the already existing physical stores. Field service is a vital touchpoint that is being digitalized by many service agencies. They are building robust customer data management platforms to gain a 360- degree understanding of their customers. Additionally, AI is used for digitizing field services, while mobile apps are deployed to simplify data collection and tech support.

Major areas of development in the FSP space include:

Resource Allocation:

Resource allocation is the root problem of optimization, and solved by identifying deviations and improvement scopes in the current scenario. Cloud storage allows companies to save information related to past scenarios while simultaneously staying abreast of the latest developments. The comparison between present and previous scenarios can provide ample insights to help improve resource allocation. AI can also be used to create an integrated resource allocation multi-channel approach. You can get verifiable results without increasing your costs.

Performance Management:

The benefits of real-time technologies are widespread. Some of these benefits include increased billing and invoicing accuracy, delivery of vital business insights to managers and business owners. Time-tracked data can reveal performance trends and give insights regarding the teams’ productivity. Data can help agencies increase their work plan efficiency. AI can be a game-changer for performance management. It can help companies look beyond history and make more futuristic decisions. It can also automate certain decision-making processes based on market intelligence.

Contact Centre:

With the prevalence of machine learning (ML) increasing, companies are heavily investing in technology. The aim is to create whip-smart automated customer service through chatbots. The fact that 44% of US consumers prefer chatbots to humans for handling customer queries justifies its popularity. AI-based call routing can ensure that your customers always have someone to answer their questions. They never have to wait and can get the information quickly with the real-time processing capabilities of chatbots.

Digital Field Service Assistance:

Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and IoT driven innovation can help technicians work faster and more efficiently. By using IoT, they can discover malfunctions in machines without disassembling them. With AR, they can pull up service manuals, view product lifecycle information, and check parts for their remaining lifespan. This can help them take immediate actions. Some AI innovations can even allow the technicians to show customers a maintenance walkthrough on the screen. This helps in building trust. Additionally, VR is being used to aid training programs for new technicians and for delivering the right knowledge, thereby enhancing their competency.

Reporting:

Business users no longer need to flip through multiple KPI dashboards or use multiple resources manually for running analytics on massive amounts of data. They can now rely on AI analytics to identify correlations, find anomalies, and deliver other critical insights automatically. The reports get more thorough when AI and ML technologies are used owing to their advanced visualizations and intelligent analytics.

All the capabilities mentioned above can be built into your organization. All you need to do is find the right partner to hold your hand during as you undertake the journey towards the creation of a better customer experience. NLB Services has been consistently assisting customers in the field service space, helping companies digitize and optimize their platforms for progressive desired results.