By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service
Are you gearing up for a trip to Field Service Palm Springs next month? I am working on some cool things that Future of Field Service will be doing at the event, and it had me thinking about what I’m most excited to discuss while there. The thing I love about this event is that it enables me, and all of the other attendees, to connect with so many people at once – there’s really nothing like it. The conversations I have at the event give me a really good sense year to year of how much progress the field service industry as a whole is making, and where it’s heading next.
Often, the conversations I have with attendees show the “real deal” on where service organizations are really at when it comes to adopting and integrating the technologies the industry is buzzing about. This year, the three technologies I’m most excited to discuss at the event are:
- IoT – While we’ve seen some traction in IoT adoption, there’s plenty of room for growth with the technology that has been abuzz for a number of years now. Even the organizations that have begun to adopt IoT have a long way to go before they are fully leveraging the benefits the technology can bring. True IoT adoption goes far beyond connecting assets to the value derived and leveraged from the data collected from those assets. In this regard, I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg of what IoT can do in field service.
- AI and Machine Learning – Taking the need to more intelligently analyze and use IoT data a step further brings us to AI and Machine Learning. These tools are critical in organization’s taking the wealth of data IoT provides and feeding it into programs that can feed true business transformation. IDC recently released an AI-Based Automation Evolution Framework that is worth checking out. AI can also play a larger role in customer experience than it is currently among field service organizations.
- Augmented Reality – When you look at the challenge most field service organization are facing with recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and knowledge transfer, Augmented Reality becomes a very compelling solution. Last year the progress made with AR adoption from the year prior was noticeable, and I’m looking forward to seeing this year how even more field service organizations have adopted and are using AR.
The great thing about this event is having the opportunity to talk face-to-face with companies that are tackling challenges head on, embracing new tools, and working hard to improve their businesses. There is always wisdom and new perspective gained, and it’s an event I look forward to every year. To see what Field Service itself has to say about the topics I’ve discussed and more, check out their 2019 Transformation Report.
Are you attending the event? If so, let’s meet up! Future of Field Service will have its own space at the event, so please stop by. Also, IFS is hosting a cocktail hour Wednesday evening at 7:45 PM – email me, I’d love to buy you a drink! See you in sunny California.
If you’re a service executive that’s not yet registered for Field Service Palm Springs, you can use code FutureFS20 to save 20%. Click here to learn more.