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February 7, 2022 | 5 Mins Read

As Service Becomes More Sophisticated, How Will You Differentiate?

February 7, 2022 | 5 Mins Read

As Service Becomes More Sophisticated, How Will You Differentiate?

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Based largely on customer demands, service is becoming supremely sophisticated. As the bar raises, it is increasingly harder for organizations to differentiate. Your two-hour window is no longer sufficient, because your competitor has reduced the window to 30 minutes. Trying to sell predictive service? The competition has shifted to using predictive service to guarantee outcomes. 

While not long ago it was only the leading edge who were successful in bringing modern service to bear, today we see plentiful examples of companies really embracing the service evolution. More and more companies are wise to the powers of market demand and advanced technology, and they are up to the task.

So, if you stood out because you were an early adopter of guaranteeing outcomes, what happens when all of your competitors jump on the bandwagon? We live in an era of rapid change and, as we’ve discussed previously, we the need to balance artful execution with forward thinking. The key to differentiation moving forward lies in staying a step ahead and fighting complacency at all costs. 

Now it’s impossible to predict the future, and you don’t need to – I believe you can win by mastering a few core concepts. Note that I said mastering, because this is the crux of where companies fail – they fight tooth and nail to innovate in a certain area or around a particular initiative, but they don’t operationalize innovation so that it becomes more seamless. Doing so allows for far more agility and being agile is what will enable you to keep your edge in service. 

If we think about the concepts that companies should master to create an environment where innovation is not a breathless sprint to the “finish line,” but rather a comfortable, steady-paced marathon, a few things come to mind:

Company cohesion. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t really love the term “service transformation,” because for companies that have really recognized the power of service it is an aspect of business transformation. Yes, I’m probably splitting hairs – but my point is that to maintain relevance, the traditional siloes in a company need to be broken down. There must be an overarching alignment on company identity, vision, and mission – and there must be a culture of collaboration toward those. 

Whether we’re looking success around service growth or digital transformation, companies who have a very siloed structure are the ones that struggle. There is too much to be considered in the customer journey for a fragmented approach to work, and our digital world has outgrown fit-for-purpose, disparate systems. Connectedness, of systems and teams, is critical.

Customer intimacy. The best source of inspiration for your service evolution is your customer relationships. First, ask yourself an honest question: Are they indeed relationships, or transactions? They must be relationships. This doesn’t mean that your customers will always be able to verbalize what they need or how they need it – or what’s coming next. But knowing your customers and building trust and openness is how you will understand their needs enough to identify, evolve, and articulate your value proposition – now and into the future. 

How do you engage with your customers – how regularly and in what forms? What do you learn from those interactions, is that knowledge captured and shared, and is the business taking action on what you’re learning?

Digital skillfulness. Yes, being digitally competent is core for the introduction of more sophisticated service models. But those who will lead aren’t simply competent, they are skillful. And to be clear, this does in no way mean they are using every single “latest and greatest” advancement. What it does mean is that they understand the value of information, they realize the benefit of simplifying complexity, and they make decisions around technology investments with their impact on key objectives in mind.

These companies know that part of the service evolution is providing insights and knowledge as a part of the value proposition. They are seeking the most appropriate areas to layer in automation and intelligence in a way that allows anticipation of needs and a seamless customer experience but removes effort or cost from delivering it. The concept of a strong foundation upon which layers can be added and changed is understood and acted upon, and there is a common understanding that a continual improvement strategy is necessary. 

Talent development. Many organizations today are so hyper-focused on the short-term stressors of the skills shortage that they’ve yet to see the big picture of talent development. Those who want to set themselves up for success are recognizing that the employee experience is critically important and needs more attention. They are understanding that as service evolves, the frontline workforce needs to as well – this can mean reskilling or upskilling, or even introducing new roles. 

The companies who will have a competitive advantage are those who are focusing on how to farm talent – meaning, they are accepting the fact that continuing to seek experienced workers is unsustainable and they must shift focus to taking more responsibility for developing their own talent. Companies must make more investment in democratizing knowledge, skill building, and recognition of employee contribution. The organizations who are most successful at innovating value the creativity and contributions of all within the company, not a few at the top – and they ensure the voices of the frontline are heard, considered, and valued. 

Personalization. Our world is more connected than ever but somehow more disconnected at the same time – and what’s often lacking is the human element. In many cases, companies who stand out are those who find the perfect ways to add a personal touch. They acknowledge that no matter how technologically sophisticated their service becomes, relationships are at the core. People can’t compensate for a company’s inability to evolve to meet customer expectations, but they can absolutely be a – if not the – point of true differentiation for those that do. 

Moreover, customers want to buy from a brand, a company, a person they feel is genuine and that they like. Too narrow a focus on your value proposition itself without marrying that to the story you tell, the passion you have, will miss the boat. As we focus on innovation and look for new ways to meet customers’ needs, let us never forget the impact and value of personal touch. 

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January 31, 2022 | 4 Mins Read

7 Limiting Beliefs Preventing Service Success

January 31, 2022 | 4 Mins Read

7 Limiting Beliefs Preventing Service Success

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

For every few conversations I have with companies successfully embracing a new business model or evangelizing the potential of service evolution, there’s one cringeworthy discussion that reveals some sort of limiting belief holding that company back from successfully transforming service into the competitive advantage it can – and should – be. 

I get it, change is hard. Legacy thinking is daunting to overcome. Stale leadership can be a huge barrier to innovation. The operational changes required to appropriately address customer expectations and digital transformation are cumbersome. But the potential of service transformation has proven itself, and the need to evolve is pressing. 

Here are seven limiting beliefs I’ve heard individuals share – either of their own, or of their organization’s leadership – that it is time to move beyond:

  • It’s not who we are as a business. I’ve heard this in relation to a product manufacturer servitizing and embracing the As-a-Service potential, or in relation to a service organization shifting to an outcomes-based, guarantee-oriented service delivery. Do you think that perhaps this belief is one Blockbuster held when Netflix came on the scene? It may very well have been. Just because what you’ve done historically has worked, or even is working, does not mean it isn’t time for a change – and the identity of your business can evolve. 
  • We’ll watch and see. This is a company that is hedging its bets – it wants to see if a certain type of transformation is proven, and then will join the bandwagon. There are a few issues here – first, the benefits of modern service models are proven. Second, by the time you wait until you’re comfortable, it may be too late in terms of your competitive advantage.
  • Our customers won’t go for it. Or, our customers will continue to do business with us because (fill in the blank). If your service evolution is geared toward better meeting your customers’ needs, they’ll go for it. If they don’t, you are likely positioning an evolution geared toward your needs as a benefit to them – and they know the difference. And if you think today’s customers will continue to do business with you in your traditional methods no matter what, you are naïve. Customers expect a lot, and if you don’t change with the times – they will go elsewhere as better value propositions pop up.
  • That’s the service division’s responsibility. Innovation is the entire company’s responsibility, and innovation through service is no different. The existence and acceptance of operational siloes is a huge barrier to not only service transformation, but digital transformation as well. Companies need to create more cross-functional teams, more cohesive strategy, and put more focus on the customer journey versus any particular division’s “job.”
  • What if we fail? Companies who are leading the charge have embraced the fact that failure is inevitable on the path to success. They have created a culture where fear of failure is eliminated and learnings from failure is encouraged. This promotes greater creativity among employees and prevents complacency. The focus becomes less “what if” and more “when” – companies put systems in place to fail fast and small and recover stronger and better. 
  • We’ve already invested in X, we have to make it work. Technology is the great enabler of service transformation, but unfortunately sometimes organizations have made an investment that simply doesn’t meet their needs – or can’t evolve into what they need as they grow and change. You can’t force a square peg into a round hole and being realistic about whether your existing systems meet your needs is important. Trying to build upon a cracked foundation is a recipe for disaster, so no matter how tough a pill to swallow you have to ensure your digital infrastructure meets your transformation goals.
  • The frontline workforce are executors, not innovators. In a break-fix world, a mechanically skilled technician who could show up when needed and get the job done was a win. In today’s service landscape, customers want more – and the role of the frontline is changing. Interactions are shifting from transaction to relationship and repair to trusted advisor, and while this may require some upskilling or even a change in who you hire into frontline roles, it’s an essential aspect of service transformation. When you begin to view your frontline as an integral part of your service growth rather than an afterthought, you will realize their power in helping the company innovate. Their firsthand customer interactions and the perspective those provide make them a wealth of knowledge in helping shape strategy. 

These are just a few of the limiting beliefs that quickly come to mind, but I am sure there are many more. The sooner we can let these beliefs go and seek inspiration from the companies and leaders who are embracing the opportunity to innovate, to create a more modern company culture, to fully leverage digital, and to reinvent themselves and their companies to keep pace with change, the more success stories we’ll have to share. 

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January 24, 2022 | 5 Mins Read

The Role of Employee, Customer, and Technology Trust in Transformation

January 24, 2022 | 5 Mins Read

The Role of Employee, Customer, and Technology Trust in Transformation

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Nearly every business is amid some sort of transformation today. The two most common forms we discuss here are digital transformation and business transformation, in the sense of evolving the company’s go-to-market and customer value proposition. What I want to discuss today is the critical role that trust plays in the success of transformation and the importance of prioritizing the development of trust among your employees, your customers, and with the technology you invest in.

As this Deloitte article, Ethical Technology and Trust, states, “In what we recognize as an emerging trend, some companies are approaching trust not as a compliance or public relations issue but as a business-critical goal to be pursued—one that can differentiate them in an increasingly complex and overfilled market. Every aspect of a company that is disrupted by technology represents an opportunity to gain or lose trust with customers, employees, partners, investors, and/or regulators.”

Building a Culture of Trust

I believe the focus on trust must start internally. If your customers don’t trust the company vision, top-level company leadership, or their individual managers, building trust with customers becomes nearly impossible. A culture of top-down mandates and forcefulness is a thing of the past – you need to focus on how you build a culture of engagement and satisfaction, and trust is fundamental.

This Harvard Business Review article, The Neuroscience of Trust, reveals that “Compared with people at low-trust companies, people at high-trust companies report: 74% less stress, 106% more energy at work, 50% higher productivity, 13% fewer sick days, 76% more engagement, 29% more satisfaction with their lives, 40% less burnout.”

Looking at these statistics, you can imagine how a high-trust culture pays off in business-model or digital transformation. Employees who are engaged and satisfied and who trust their leadership buy into the vision being presented and work more energetically toward the desired outcome – versus trying to pull the weight of a low-trust culture along.

When it comes to digital transformation specifically, the Deloitte article references earlier suggests considering the emotions of your employees and handling their concerns transparently. The article says, “Give employees a reason to trust. Much of the anxiety over AI and other advanced technologies stems from the fear of the displacement of labor. From an ethical perspective, this presents business leaders with a challenge: balancing the best interests of the business, the employees, and the wider community and society. It’s a task made more complex by the fact that advanced technology systems are not self-sufficient. While AI can replace some jobs, for example, it creates others that often require specialized skills and training. Companies can build trust with employees by advising them how technology may affect their jobs in the future. This could include retraining workers whose roles may evolve and who will likely work with automated systems.”

Business Growth is Contingent Upon Trust

While an internal culture of trust should be priority number one, building trust with your customers is equally important – the company culture comes first only because it fuels the success of your external efforts. Today’s customers have options – and their expectations are high, with trust being the barrier to entry. Just to earn business, let alone evolve or expand it, customers expect you to keep your word good, meet your commitments, and get the job done. 

According to PwC’s Trust in Business Survey, 49% of consumers started purchasing or purchased more from a company because of trust. So, for companies looking to transform their business models from product provider to As-a-Service, or from break-fix to outcomes-based, this evolution isn’t conceivable without a strong foundation of trust. For a customer to want to invest in a new, different, expanded relationship with your company, they must have a deep level of trust in your understanding of their needs, your commitment, and your abilities. 

From a digital perspective, technology has the ability to strengthen trust with your customers – or break it. You need to ensure you are applying ample attention, and investment, to your digital initiatives to ensure you achieve the former. 

Invest in Technology You Can Trust

While the emphasis on trust should be weighted toward your employees and customers, your technology investments are a through-line that – when executed well – can help you build that trust. Today’s digital landscape is exciting in the sense that it is more sophisticated and intelligent than ever, but also overwhelming in that it is more complex. 

The key to building a digital ecosystem you can trust is to focus on minimizing that complexity. As the Deloitte article states, one important aspect is a strong foundation. The article says, “Build a strong data foundation. Without methodically and consistently tracking what data you have, where it lives, and who can access it, you cannot create an environment of trust. A strong data foundation unifies stakeholders around a single vision of data accountability and delivers on secure technology that supports effective data management.”

Consider business needs and don’t be distracted by what’s “cool” simply because it’s cool. Be cognizant of failure points – streamlining as much as you can into a single platform helps to keep the employee and customer experience smooth and data integrity high. Start with solid execution of core elements, and only then look for opportunities to add more sophistication and automation. And get feedback as you go! Asking your employees and your customers for their input is a great way to strengthen trust (as long as they see their insights put to use). You can find some more great advice from our recent podcast guest Dr. Haroon Abbu, VP of Digital, Data, and Analytics at Bell and Howell who, in 2021, co-authored the book TRUST: The Winning Formula for Digital Leaders – A Practical Guide for Companies Engaged in Digital Transformation. 

What Drives Trust?

If you’re wondering what drives trust, I’d start with reflecting on what drives trust for you. What helps you to trust an organization – or even an individual? Are those concepts reflected in your company culture, your customer relationships, and your partnerships with technology providers?

For some external perspective, PwC reported in its Trust in Business Survey what respondents said were the top drivers of trust in company (asked of both employees and consumers). The top six responses were:

  • Accountable to customers and employees – 50%
  • Clear communications – 48%
  • Admits to mistakes – 40%
  • Delivers consistent customer experience – 39%
  • Appropriate employee compensation – 32%
  • Protects customer and employee data – 29% 

Each of these characteristics sound simple at face value but have varying degrees of complexity when it comes to the realities of execution. No matter the effort it takes, though, prioritizing trust is key to accomplishing the objectives we have in digital and business transformation. 

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January 17, 2022 | 7 Mins Read

When Will the Burnout Bubble Burst?

January 17, 2022 | 7 Mins Read

When Will the Burnout Bubble Burst?

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

The timing of this article *might* be related to my own burnout – my family had Covid around the New Year, and with the kids just back to school and my husband’s recovery moving slowly, it’s been an incredibly taxing few weeks. Of course, I am grateful my kids had very few symptoms and recovered well – and I know that while my husband is having a hard time feeling like himself, we are so fortunate none of us had any critical symptoms. Gratitude can coexist with stress, exhaustion, and anxiety, though – and the last few weeks have been a mix of it all.

However, I’m not writing this solely as a cathartic expression of my own struggles. This topic was already on my mind after having a conversation at the end of last year with a business leader who confided in me about his own burnout. We had an open discussion around how the stress of leading a company through the challenges of the last two years has begun boiling over into his own mental health. 

This leader is responsible for setting standards that impact an entire company’s health and well-being. He’s bearing the weight of supporting his team’s mental health while also trying to preserve his own. He’s finding himself facing some complex emotions about significant differences in belief systems, including his own, and how to continue to keep peace among not only the employees of the company but with the customers they serve. 

Burnout Impacts Everyone, From Leadership to The Frontline

Then you think about those on the frontlines. We read a lot in headlines about the doctors and nurses experiencing unimaginable stress in persisting through immense risk to their own safety and wellbeing to care for the masses. Teachers and childcare providers who, already underpaid, have now been shouldered with the responsibility of navigating angry parents, disrupted children, and a choice between putting themselves at risk or losing their livelihood. 

But, as we know, healthcare and education aren’t our only frontline workers. Those providing services share many of the same burdens, often without the same levels of recognition. They must continue to show up for work, even if they fear for their or their families’ lives. They may find themselves in situations with customers where they feel unsafe or confronted by opposing beliefs. They may be in the impossible position of having children who are unable to attend school or childcare without a support system to offer help.

As I was thinking about writing this, I took to social media to see what others were saying. 

On Twitter, Shep Hyken (@Hyken) said, “It is important for every employee who has any contact with a customer to realize that at any given time, they represent the company. They are the brand, the image – they are everything about the company.” This is a lot of pressure given the circumstances of the last two years.

Ron Ruggiero (@RonRuggiero105) says, “This is NOT a pandemic of the unvaccinated. It’s a pandemic of the working class. Had to: work with no PPE, laid off or hours cut, can’t work from the safety of home, get sick without paid sick time, burnout, called “heroes” without being treated like one, yelled at, and then deaths.” Reading these words, I feel so much compassion for what those in the service industries have faced while I’ve remained in my home office.

Women Are at Increased Risk of Burnout

We must also acknowledge the momentous impact Covid has had on women, especially working mothers. According to McKinsey & Company: “The pandemic had a near-immediate effect on women’s employment. One in four women are considering leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers versus one in five men. While all women have been impacted, three major groups have experienced some of the largest challenges: working mothers, women in senior management positions, and Black women. This disparity came across as particularly stark with parents of kids under ten: the rate at which women in this group were considering leaving was ten percentage points higher than for men. And women in heterosexual dual-career couples who have children also reported larger increases in their time spent on household responsibilities since the pandemic began.” 

I can tell you as a working mom myself, the juggling act has often felt nearly impossible – and I am fortunate to be working from home, employed by a very supportive company, and have help. 

Even pre-pandemic, the World Health Organization had classified burnout as an “occupational phenomenon,” characterized by three factors:

  • feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion;
  • increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job;
  • and reduced professional efficacy.

At the time of this article, it was stated that “The WHO plans to develop “evidence-based” guidelines for mental well-being in the workplace. Its member nations are set to implement the revisions to the International Classification of Diseases by 2022.” I don’t envy that task with the impact the weight of the pandemic has had.

How Do We Address the Burnout Bubble?

So, what do we do? A loaded question, for sure. And there’s both an individual and organizational responsibility here. As individuals, we have to prioritize and advocate for our needs and what will protect our mental health. While this looks different for everyone, commonly helpful practices like therapy, meditation, and exercise are certainly worth evaluating. 

But an individual, particularly one who has the professional weight of an essential worker and/or a lack of support system, cannot be singularly responsible for alleviating burnout. There is a responsibility among employers to get a better handle on the reality, severity, and criticality of this issue. And you can’t afford not to – we are at a point where companies across roles, across industries, and across geographies are struggling to hire and retain talent – to the point in some scenarios that businesses are forced to reduce operating hours and even close. This is telling us it is time to look at the topic of burnout and mental health differently. 

Arianna Huffington (@ariannahuff) says, “The Great Resignation is really a Great Re-evaluation. What people are resigning from is a culture of burnout and a broken definition of success. In quitting their jobs, people are affirming their longing for a different way of working and living.”

I continued my search to see what recommendations I could find for how to give this issue the attention it deserves and take real steps to change our current reality (rather than simply paying it lip service). Here’s some of what I found:

  • Numerous comments expressing the benefit of a simple start with a genuine willingness to address burnout and transparent communication with your employees about the topic, their current mental state, and what they need from you
  • A move away from the “productivity-at-all-cost” mentality to one that honors the need for downtime. Some comments on social pointed out that asking employees to prioritize more time off yet only allowing two weeks of vacation is not only laughable but resentment-inducing. It’s time to consider allowing more personal time – while unlimited time off may not be possible for workers in frontline roles, sorting out what higher degrees of rest is possible is essential
  • Don’t insult your workforce’s intelligence. As F. Jordan Carnice (@thebullgrog_) says, “Still puzzled that most companies’ responses to employee anxiety, burnout, and fatigue is another webinar on anxiety, burnout, and fatigue.”
  • Determine how you’ll measure burnout and whether the actions you take to improve it are working. STAT (@statnews) shared an opinion column on Twitter by Jan Muir, PhD, RN that suggest “Hospitals must track nurse burnout the same way they keep tabs on infections, errors, and falls, and give nurses higher pay and greater agency to make them feel seen, valued, and invested in.” Considering how we track this issue to ensure it gets the attention it deserves and the improvement it needs is a worthy goal for those outside of nursing, too.
  • Consider the concept of “cultivating endurance.” I can’t take credit for this term, which I love. This article from Entrepreneur discusses the idea of “cultivating endurance,” and emphasizes the impact on productivity when you balance intent output with periods of regeneration. Read the full piece for five steps to take. 
  • Prioritize Inspiration and Empowerment. In this article, author Celia Willis talks about the idea of coming back from burnout by breaking out of a constant state of reflecting on the past two years and focusing on reigniting the energy of her team. She shares her tactical steps to address burnout, which are worth the read.

While I don’t have all of the answers and can’t any offer quick fix for breaking out of burnout, I do know this topic demands more of our attention. I would like to see the burnout bubble slowly deflate rather than burst, and that will require some real effort. If you have any advice you’d like to share on how you’re battling burnout yourself or addressing this issue within your organization, I’d love to hear from you!

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If We Don’t Master First-Time Fix in 2022, We Never Will

January 10, 2022 | 3 Mins Read

If We Don’t Master First-Time Fix in 2022, We Never Will

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

To reframe my headline into a more positive statement: I believe 2022 will be the year we master first-time fix. Why? It simply has to be! Those of you who follow my content know that change management is a topic I will rant about. Well, first-time fix is coming in at a close second. 

You’ve heard the saying, “In the age of information, ignorance is a choice.” I feel the same about first-time fix. In the age of information, failure of first-time fix is simply unacceptable. There are too many tools at your disposal to not dig in and seize the opportunity to succeed in an initial visit. Now I’m not suggesting any organization have a goal of 100 percent first-time fix; perfection is never a reasonable objective. However, I do believe that those who really struggle with first-time fix – at this point – have no excuse and are missing the mark of what service today means. 

If you consider the far-reaching, negative impact of repeat visits, it is a service standard that demands more of our attention. You have the cost of not one, but two (or more) truck rolls. You have your technician’s time, which in the current climate of labor shortages and talent gaps is even more golden. And besides their time, how do you think failure to fix impacts employee experience? Put yourself in the shoes of a frontline worker who is on-site with a customer, often already frustrated, and must communicate their inability to get the job done. 

And we haven’t even touched on customer satisfaction yet. In a time where outcomes are demanded, the frustration that surfaces when a repeat visit is needed is not only immense but can be reason alone for that customer to seek service elsewhere. Because accepting subpar service isn’t a luxury your customers are willing to afford you – not when many of your competitors have leveraged the tools at their disposal to not only master first-time fix, but to evolve service delivery and expand service offerings in ways those struggling with first-time fix likely haven’t even thought of. 

As we continue down the path of As-a-Service and outcomes-based offerings, failure at first-time fix will not only impact you in the often-mentioned ways; it will erode your profits and diminish your reputation. To maintain competitive advantage, you must realize that something like first-time fix is table stakes in today’s service landscape.

Predict & Prevent

Quite frankly, on-site service shouldn’t be your first line of defense. Leading organizations are adopting technologies like IoT and augmented reality that allow them to predict and even prevent issues that would previously require on-site attention. When issues do occur, remote resolution is becoming more and more common – and expected among customers. 

Prepare

When an issue does require on-site attention, you should have the ability to know in advance what your technician will encounter on-site so that you can prepare accordingly. This means matching technician skills and assessing urgency, ensuring the availability of parts that may be needed, and using modern communication methods so that customers have a reasonable service window and have validated their availability and confirmed the appointment. 

Persist

Even with proper preparation, your technician may run into an issue he or she needs help with on-site. They should be properly equipped with customer history, access to a variety of documentation and assistance resources, and should be able to rely on technology like remote assistance if collaboration is necessary. 

So, let’s make 2022 the year we resolve to master first-time fix and shift our attention to more strategic focus areas and innovation. Pretty please?

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Five Headlines I’m Excited to Write in 2022

January 3, 2022 | 6 Mins Read

Five Headlines I’m Excited to Write in 2022

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Happy New Year, everyone! There’s something so inspiring about fresh starts. While 2021 didn’t bring us as much reprieve as we may have wished from Covid and its ripple effects, I’m entering 2022 cautiously optimistic that we’ll find a next normal this year that will give us at least some respite from the immense stress of the past two years. Whatever the year may bring, I’m thankful to be sharing it with you all – and we’ll work through what comes together, just like we always do.

With that said, I’m often asked at the end of a year/beginning of the next to offer my “predictions” for what’s to come. I have never been a fan of this practice. I understand why folks do it – the headlines draw a lot of clicks. But let’s be honest – none of us can predict the future, and I don’t enjoy the forcedness of trying. The other reality is that much of what will take place in 2022 is a continuation and maturation of some of the trends we’ve been “predicting” for a while – we’re at a level of sophistication with technology and innovation in service that the excitement isn’t in any one “next big thing,” but in the nuance of mastering the layers of change that come with ongoing evolution and transformation. 

So, spoiler alert – no predictions here! But what I would like to share are some thoughts on the headlines I’d like to write in 2022. To me, these are the top-of-mind conversations leading into the New Year that I think deserve our attention and will benefit us all to have:

#1: Employee Experience Takes Priority

We’ve spent the last five or so talking at length about the customer experience, and while that’s no less important than it has been – in 2022, employee experience will take center stage. It simply must. The Great Resignation will force companies to reflect on everything from their company culture to the strength and quality of their leadership to the employee value proposition to how much (or how little) opportunity exists for career development, and much more. 

Organizations will be forced to take responsibility to get more creative in how – and whom – they hire. Leaders will need to do and give more in the form of mentorship, encouragement, and recognition. We’re all realizing that the stellar customer experience we aim to deliver is impossible without engaged and satisfied employees, and in 2022 we must do what it takes to understand what our employees want and need to be happy and work tirelessly to deliver that. 

If you’d like to review some excellent podcasts from which we’ll continue this conversation in 2022, here are some recommendations:

#2: Mental Health Gets the Attention It Deserves in the Workplace

You cannot dispute the depths of stress and worry and trauma that have been experienced over the last two years. Of course, there are varying degrees – some have lost loved ones, some have had to juggle working with children at home, and some are forced to show up to work with colleagues who have very different fundamental beliefs than they do. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, really. Not to mention the fact that even pre-Covid, mental health deserved far more attention in the workplace than it was getting.

We’ve begun to take efforts to normalize the topic of mental health in the workplace, but we have a long way to go. There’s a lot of room for improvement when it comes to how these discussions are handled – and encouraged, what resources are available and how they’re used, how leaders lead by example, and how we deal with the realities of providing a safe place for those struggling to come when they do. 

Again, if you’d like to check out some of the conversations we’ve had thus far on this topic, you can find those here:

#3: Companies Weave Digital into Their Identities

I just wrote an article at the end of 2021 about some of the confusion around Digital Transformation and in 2022 we need to gain more clarity around the digital continuum. Digital isn’t something we need “to do” but rather something that needs to become a part of our company’s identity. This means no more siloes, no more disjointed approaches and strategies, and moving beyond fragmented systems and tools.

Digital as a part of our identity means it is within the business’ DNA – it’s a part of every conversation, every function, every role. Digital leadership is strong and digital reputation is considered. Digital is being leveraged to streamline internal operations in a way that enables the best customer experience as well as efficiency, and it’s being used externally as a part of a company’s value proposition. As a company masters a foundational level of capability, they look for layers of sophistication and intelligence to layer on.

There’s a lot to discuss – and for many to do – to get to this point. We need better strategy, systems that streamline complexity, and insights that tell stories and allow for intelligent decision making. If you’d like to review some excellent conversations around digital, here are some top picks:

#4: The Service Value Proposition is No Longer Service

Here’s the punchline: customers don’t want service. They want uptime, outcomes, peace of mind. They want all of the complexity that goes into making “it” work to be invisible. They don’t want to buy “things” – they want knowledge and insights and perspective that helps them be and do better. 

Whether we refer to this evolution as Servitization, the move to delivering outcomes, As-a-Service, or the subscription economy, it means that we need to re-evaluate how we’re doing business and how we’re talking about service (hint: it shouldn’t be an “offering”). Companies need to be equipping themselves with the technological underpinnings that allow for guaranteed outcomes and need to be reconsidering their identity – moving away from manufacturer of X or servicer of Y to provider of (insert your differentiation here). I wrote an article about the idea of storytelling here, and I would love to explore this more in 2022. 

We had some great conversations about this topic in 2021 and featured some who are leading the charge. You can review those here:

#5: Sustainability Spurs Service Growth  

With the growing realization of how much more effort we need to be putting into saving our environment, and new standards and regulations being introduced around the globe, there’s a lot to discuss around sustainability. Even more specifically, there’s an immense amount of opportunity here for the introduction of new services – as well as a natural fit in how a focus on sustainability lends itself to the changes that Servitization introduce in terms of longer-lasting products and a more circular approach. 

I’m excited to see where this conversation goes in 2022. You can check out some of our previous discussions here:

What are you most interested to read or discuss in 2022? I’d love to hear! I’m always open to your feedback and input and look forward to continuing the conversations with you all this year. 

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December 27, 2021 | 2 Mins Read

Service Leaders Share Lessons Learned in 2021

December 27, 2021 | 2 Mins Read

Service Leaders Share Lessons Learned in 2021

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Some of you regular readers may not know about another role I have and love, which is running a customer community group for service at IFS. Over the course of 2021, the group has met twice a month for an hour to share insights, discuss challenges, and provide feedback. The power of community is an amazing thing, and it’s been an honor for me to get to know these folks better and to see them helping one another in so many ways. Moreover, in a second year of Covid strain, being able to come together with peers has provided a sense of camaraderie I think we’ve all benefited from. 

We recently held our last session of the year, where we discussed lessons learned in 2021. I thought it would be interesting to share some of those lessons with you. Maybe you, too, can find a bit of solidarity. 

  • “I’ve learned that remote software implementation is really hard. Employee engagement plays such a huge role and trying to ensure enough of that virtually is challenging.”
  • “I’ve learned that some leaders are very comfortable with excuses. They turn a blind eye to the need for or opportunity of change because they don’t want to have to make the effort to do things differently.”
  • “I’ve learned I need to spend more time on the business, and less time in the business. I need to prioritize conserving time for more strategic thinking and initiatives instead of always getting pulled in to the day-to-day.”
  • “I’ve been reminded how valuable face-to-face meetings with customers are. Zoom and Teams can be exhausting, and you simply cannot ignore the power of human interaction.”
  • “2021 was a good reminder that the strength of the organization is in its people. In a remote environment, it became clear which managers were succeeding and which were struggling by how their teams performed.”
  • “I was reminded that you can’t assume the way you do something is the right way. You have to be prepared to shake up your thinking and throw out processes, tools, anything that isn’t serving you. It can be tough to do, but it’s so worth it.”
  • “My lesson in 2021 was to find the right balance of speed and stability.”
  • “I’ve learned that collaboration at the strategic level is very hard in a remote environment. From scheduling to dropped connections and so much more, gathering the right people to make decisions virtually is cumbersome.”
  • “Despite technology, service will always be a people business.”
  • “2021 brought the opportunity – and need – to try new things, which helped us learn that we can change faster and farther than we may have thought.”

What was your biggest lesson learned in 2021? I’d love to hear from you. Thank you for being a part of the Future of Field Service community this year. I’m wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and looking forward to 2022!

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December 20, 2021 | 4 Mins Read

Is It Time for An Alternative Term to “Digital Transformation?” 

December 20, 2021 | 4 Mins Read

Is It Time for An Alternative Term to “Digital Transformation?” 

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Over the past couple of months, I’ve had a few different conversations with folks who have surfaced the question of whether or not the term “Digital Transformation” is (still) serving us. One point made is that it is a very unclear phrase – what does the transform in Digital Transformation really mean, they wonder? What constitutes ample transformation? 

The other point I’ve had posed to me is that perhaps most organizations have digitally transformed – at least in their minds – if you consider the definition of transformation as a “thorough and dramatic” change. If a company has made an initial stride in digital adoption, perhaps they feel the term no longer applies since they have indeed “transformed.” What we’re really referring to is a transformation that is ongoing rather than final, but that begs the question of whether the term accurately reflects the vision of continual improvement and refinement that we know digital demands – or if that point is being lost in translation. 

This article from the Journal of Business Research does a really good job of clarifying differences between digitization, digitalization, and Digital Transformation – but starts by referring to all three as “stages of Digital Transformation,” which to me is confusing. And I think this is where the issue lies – what may be well defined in some academic research isn’t being as well defined in our everyday vernacular. I certainly don’t have all the answers but am hoping to present some food for thought here that may help you in discussing this issue in a more relatable way in each of your businesses. 

Transformation Vs. Evolution Vs. Journey

Not all that long ago, we were at a point where the term Digital Transformation made perfect sense. Companies needed to embrace the power of digital in a meaningful way and transform their businesses to compete in the digital era. While there are always outliers, most businesses have made ample progress in this effort and have reached varying degrees of digital maturation – which is why the message of “Digital Transformation” may be coming up short in expressing the need to continue reimagining the use of digital for the business. 

So what term is the best term? The reality is, fair amounts of disdain exist for any of the terms that seem to fit – evolution, journey, etc. For companies who have successfully embraced digital, however, Digital Journey or Digital Evolution do make more logical sense than Transformation, which they likely perceive they’ve accomplished. 

However, I’m not here to attempt to redefine how we discuss digital. And honestly, I think it’s less about what we call it than how we drive a common understanding and alignment within each business. If the term is Digital Transformation, that’s fine – but we need to ensure a pervasive understanding that “Transformation” doesn’t have a finish line; it’s an ongoing effort. Otherwise, you have companies who feel they’ve checked a box and then wonder why they aren’t seeing the impact they should. 

The Real-World Digital Continuum

To communicate what I’ve gleaned from 100+ interviews per year over many years, let me share this “real-world” Digital Continuum. In day-to-day conversations and without any academic or tech speak, these are the phases I’ve seen (and do see) companies progressing through in terms of their efforts to maximize the potential of digital. 

  • Digitize – The move away from manual. At this point, very few businesses have not embraced this phase of Digital Transformation (but don’t cringe, I do still sporadically hear stories of clip boards and paper workorders).
  • Optimize – The recognition of the true potential of digital and the initial efforts of using new data from digitization to drive efficiencies, refine processes, and evolve workflows and customer communications. 
  • Automate – Moving beyond optimizing work to looking for tasks that can be automated using more sophisticated digital tools. Automation builds upon successful optimization to remove work that can be completed with technology. 
  • Increase Intelligence – Using the wealth of data this digital world provides to make the business smarter and more agile. Intelligence gleaned can be used to empower the frontline workforce, to increase revenue, to introduce new business models, to improve product development, and so much more. In many ways, while companies may feel they’ve Digitally “Transformed” once they’ve optimized or automated, intelligence is where the real value begins to unfold. 
  • Value proposition – The most sophisticated versions of Digital Transformation that I’ve discussed firsthand are companies who have successfully leveraged digital to create new customer value propositions. These companies have used their intelligence to define the ways in which digital can expand and evolve their customer relationships. 

As I said, I’m not sure the term we use matters so much as the clarity of discussions we have around it – and the importance of recognizing that, whatever we call it, there’s no end to Digital Transformation. How your company leverages digital and the potential for that to grow and expand should be a regular through line of your strategic discussions. 

Stay tuned this week for a podcast discussion with Andrea Pelizzaro, Connected Services Manager, BU Decanters at Alfa Laval about how the company is using digital both internally to drive efficiency and externally to increase customer value. 

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Revisiting Old Articles: The Case for a Chief Service Officer

December 17, 2021 | 2 Mins Read

Revisiting Old Articles: The Case for a Chief Service Officer

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By Tom Paquin

A few weeks back, I ran a quick retrospective on my first Future of Field Service article, then followed that up with a slightly less old article. Today I was to talk about an article from mid-2019 on the idea of a chief service officer for your business.

You can read the original piece here.

That article discussed in detail the servitization mindset impacting businesses at the time. As I outlined it in the original article:

  • A shift away from ownership towards products-as-a-service.
  • An oversaturation of products entering the market from new, global entrants and decreasing barriers to entry.
  • A fundamental shift in the economy away from product-focused businesses towards services-focused businesses.
  • The need to diversify product portfolios with low-overhead add-ons that simultaneously offer value to the customer beyond your competitors.
  • Best-in-class manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers creating pathways towards completely upending business practices with service.

Servitizaiton shows no signs of slowing, especially in the wake of supply chain issues that are projected to run into next year, changing consumer sentiment, and new technology tools for delivering seamless service for businesses wherein service would not have been a consideration eighteen months ago. 

And the best way to make it clear that service is not a line item on your balance sheet, but a new cultural pillar, is to align a Chief Service Officer.

Service is, as we know, more than ever, the primary touchpoint for businesses. With more ecommerce, and more channels for service through delivery and new business models, it’s reckless to slap service functions onto your business (especially by partnering with third parties) and expect them to carry your brand promise. 

The Chief Service Officer can help set that precedent in a meaningful way for your business. As I wrote in 2019:

So what does the Chief Service Officer do? This will obviously differ from company to company, but on a high-level, here are some general ideas:

  • Own the technology rollout for all of service.
  • Work with product to set rigid parameters for service execution.
  • Develop benchmarks, roadmaps, and dashboard to measure service’s impact on the whole company.
  • Set up and execute on service business development efforts within sales.
  • Own the service management platform, tie it to all areas of enterprise resource planning, asset management, and customer experience management.
  • Make the push that your company provides service because it wants to faster a stronger relationship with its customers.

This hasn’t changed, and having an actual human being behind these processes means that service can be executed, on every level, from a more well-informed place.

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December 13, 2021 | 5 Mins Read

5 Tactical Ways to Improve Your Change Management Effectiveness

December 13, 2021 | 5 Mins Read

5 Tactical Ways to Improve Your Change Management Effectiveness

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By Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Here’s what I know about change management:

  • It’s critically important
  • Lacking and/or shoddy efforts are the #1 reason given when change initiatives fail
  • People commonly acknowledge these first two points, yet STILL don’t put the time, energy, or investment into getting it right
  • It doesn’t have to be so hard; you just have to truly understand its importance and prioritize change management as a part of your strategy

If you listen to the podcast, you have probably heard me state how perplexed I am at the immense gap that exists between the “talk” around the importance of change management and the “walk” or action put in to getting it right. The harsh reality is that this must change. There is far too much change happening at far too fast a pace for companies to continue to be able to manage change in reactive versus proactive manner.

Making Change Management More Proactive 

So, with that said, let’s move beyond rant to talk about five ways you could improve your change management effectiveness. These points were inspired by and some of them discussed in my podcast last week with Karin Hamel, Vice President of Services for US Digital Buildings at Schneider Electric. While Karin and I’s conversation centered around what it will take to build the workforce of the future, managing change is a key part of that – because not only is the pace of change not slowing, but the variables playing a part in companies’ initiatives are only growing more complex and interconnected. 

#1: Cut Corporate Speak

Communication around change is no place for sesquipedalian speech. See what I mean? I’m laughing typing this, but the point is valid – the more you focus on concise, relatable communication the better it will be received and digested. Keep in mind that your goal in communicating around change isn’t just getting a point across, but also building rapport and connection.

“Make sure you talk directly to the reader, your technician in this case, the real person, and cut the MBA talk,” says Karin. “That was something that I found I really needed some help with. It was helpful to have someone point that out to me.” And here’s a tip: if you don’t know how your intended audience speaks or what resonates, you aren’t spending enough time with them. 

#2: Focus on Collaboration over Communication

The next tip is to make sure you remember that change cannot be managed with communication alone, it requires collaboration. In fact, when you focus your efforts on collaboration over communication, you may find a good percentage of your change challenges alleviated. 

What I mean by collaboration over communication is that you should not be focused on simply delivering a message – or a mandate – and expecting your workforce to fall in line. Rather, you need to understand the value in collaboration – a bi-directional exchange of points that helps ensure everyone is on the same page, feedback is heard and acknowledged, and change is being not just begrudgingly accepted but embraced. 

#3: Help Employees Visualize Change

This is another great point that came from Karin. She has done some work with the Nour Group to help create a visualization of strategy. This visualization takes a plethora of detailed content, that can be consumed if and when it needs to be and simplifies it into one easy-to-digest graphical page. 

“The Nour Group helped us go through our whole strategy slide deck, that 40-page slide deck that we all have sitting in a desk drawer somewhere, on a thumb drive. We took that and boiled it down to one page, that’s a very visual, graphic document, that really spells everything out, walks your audience through the whole strategy, and takes away that corporate speak,” explains Karin. “We use this visualization, and then print it out on mousepads, use it as a backdrop. Having it in many different places, so that it’s really repeatable, like a drum beat continuously throughout the year. It’s something like a war cry. Everyone can rally around this visualization and identify themselves there.”

#4: Prioritize Ample Training and Upskilling

We know that resistance to change is largely fear-based, and in today’s circumstances where frontline workers may have some valid trepidation around how their roles are evolving, the role of ample training and upskilling in change management cannot be overemphasized. Maybe you’re asking your workforce to use a new technology – you need to ensure you bear the burden of not only selecting a strong solution, but providing however much training, however many types of training, your employees need to feel confident in that tool’s use. 

Perhaps their role itself is evolving, with new service objectives requiring a different approach and therefore different skills. This is a reality for many businesses today, and that causes a lot of overwhelm for your workers. If they know from the beginning that they play an incredibly valuable role in your company’s evolution, and that you are committed to providing them every upskilling opportunity it will take to make them successful, well – they may not fear the change so much. 

#5: Recognize Efforts and Impact

Consider this scenario: Change is introduced, and mandated. Employee accepts that if they want to continue in their career, they must adapt. They work through the change, learning whatever they need to in order to thrive in the “after.” Employer seems to not even notice the emotional, intellectual, and/or physical effort this employee’s change took and continues without so much as a “thanks for your hard work” until the next demand arises. 

I’d argue this is standard practice for many organizations, and the root of its faultiness is that it isn’t all too human. Your employees are people, and for many of our readers, those employees are the frontline worker that you are relying on to spearhead your company’s evolution from its historical incarnation to its modernized identity. Do they not deserve more?

They do. Change management would be far more successful if we focused on expressing appreciation for our employees’ efforts – if we showed empathy around how hard change is and recognized them for not only their willingness to grow and evolve with the business but for their efforts to learn and succeed in whatever the new normal is we’re introducing. 

You can take notes from Schneider’s approach. “We built up a recognition program around this strategy visualization document and our Hero program. As a technician, I can identify how I can contribute to our overall business ambitions by this kind of map. Then we have peer-to-peer nominations so that as employees contribute or deliver on one of the key outcomes, they can be recognized,” explains Karin. “We have a woman that runs this program for us, and we have great internal communication around it. We keep it all connected to our strategy and it runs throughout the whole year, and we’ve found it has been a great accelerant to create the kind of movement in the culture that we want.”

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