blog Archives - Page 2 of 49 - Future of Field Service

by Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Last week I had the opportunity to attend Field Service Medical just outside of San Diego, California. I haven’t attended this event before, and since this platform encompasses many industries, I am no expert in the medical space specifically. So, it was interesting to hear about some of the themes that don’t come up as often in my conversations.

I bet you won’t be shocked to hear AI was heavy on the agenda. Aquant and Hamilton did a session together where they discussed how Hamilton is using AI to improve time to competency of new hires. Their goal is to reduce their current 80% competency at six months to 80% at four months using Aquant’s technology. I thought this was an interesting, very real-world example of the practical impact AI can have today while we continue to determine how more advanced use cases will change the future of what field service looks like.

AI Observations

That session was followed by a panel on AI that started with some research from the Service Council’s 2025 State of AI & Service Technology, stating that 85% of service leaders plan to invest in AI in 2025 but that 80% of AI initiatives are failing to delivery meaningful ROI. As the panelists talked through why this is and how to navigate it, some of the themes that arose were:

Data chaos – needing to put effort into readying data for AI
The tenure of field teams having decreased in one organization from 17 years to 8 years and how this impacts the need for access to knowledge
What AI committees look like (or don’t) in different companies and the role they can/should play
How knowledge management & use is an area of low-hanging fruit for AI use
The need to be patient in determining where and how to apply AI to service; not rushing into use cases that won’t deliver that meaningful ROI
Remembering that when communicating change to technicians, put it into the terms of how it will benefit them
The importance of remembering that your cohorts and the executive team don’t necessarily understand what (all) service does, so put it into terms they’ll understand and resonate with
The opportunity of being your business or team’s AI “hype man” – resistance to change is to be expected, keeping a positive energy about the initiatives makes a difference
An urge that “you think you’re not ready, but you are” explaining that laggards are laggards because they think their data “sucks” but it’s closer to where it needs to be than you may realize, and you shouldn’t let that allow you to get behind

Compliance Readiness

One of our Future of Field Service 2024 Stand Out 50 leaders, Alesia Sullivan, who is the Sr. Director of Global Technical Support Services at Luminex Corporation – A Diasorin Company, gave a keynote presentation on what service leaders need to consider around compliance. She spoke about the FDA’s guidance and the service and support teams’ responsibilities when it comes to the stages of service compliance. Her key takeaways included:

Service is no longer just about servicing
- Quality medical device servicing is essential to ensuring patient safety
- All FSEs and support are responsible for quality documentation
- Organizations must be audit ready at all times
Document and Ask Questions
- High quality data is required
- Incomplete service device history impedes tracking and compliance root cause investigations
- Follow the procedures and seek for improvements
Service and Support can control the outcome
- This is a race the FSE should not run alone, but the repair and documenting is in the employee’s control
- When they reach challenges, they should reach out to a team for support
- The document outcomes (and later the patient) can be better with their input

Women in Service

My highlight of the week was co-hosting a Women in Service lunch, alongside Alesia, sponsored by IFS. The timing of this being the week of International Women’s Day was entirely serendipitous but just right. We had a great group of women and a very open, honest conversation about some of the challenges we face, how we can navigate different situations, and how we need to continue to lift one another up. Some of the points of conversation that I found interesting:

The women in the room that are also mothers agreed wholeheartedly on how unavoidable and difficult “mom guilt” is, especially with roles where frequent travel is required. We spoke about how unfortunate the state of parental leave is in the U.S. and the challenges this causes
We also spoke about how we need to not only respect but honor that not all women are or want to be mothers. I shared that at a conference a year or so ago, a man said to me in an interview that “We need more women in service because they are nurturing,” which is NOT why we need more women in service. Another woman at lunch shared that she’s often called “mom” by the technicians in her organization and that, while they are using it as a term of endearment, it’s nonetheless uncomfortable and unprofessional
Speaking of uncomfortable, we spoke about some of the situations we’ve been in that have been deeply uncomfortable but that are also often difficult to address. Being asked to take notes or perform administrative duties simply because you are the only woman in the group, and feeling like you want to address why that doesn’t feel right but also don’t want to be seen as “difficult” or not a team player
We also commiserated about a common thread of our reaction to how we respond in these situations – often feeling shame or judging ourselves for not reacting “correctly,” even though in many instances these situations are very nuanced and delicate
To try and workshop the above, we brainstormed different ways to respond to various scenarios, keeping in mind different personality types and levels of comfort with confrontation
We spoke about how incredibly unfortunate it is that corporations are pulling back on DEI when so many of these situations (and more) still happen on a very regular basis
We discussed the importance of mentors and sponsors and women shared examples of how they’ve been well supported, by both men and women, in ways that have helped them progress in their careers
We analyzed the feelings of competition that can arise among women, and why, and how powerful it is when women stop feeling in competition with one another and instead realize each person’s unique value and focus on lifting one another up. Alesia recommended the book “She Wins, You Win”
We spoke about the sense of responsibility to other women to “let the ladder down” as we progress in our careers, ensuring we help pave the way for hopefully an easier time for women in generations to come

This lunch really filled my cup – my only wish was that we’d have had more time together. But the way that each of us left the room feeling so seen, heard, and in community was a very positive thing. Big thanks to everyone who joined, and I hope to have more of these sessions in the future!

by Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

Each year we’ve created content around International Women’s Day, and this year it felt no less important to do so (if anything, more important than ever). But as I pondered who to interview or what specifically to focus on, I found myself feeling very curious about what’s on the hearts and minds of the Future of Field Service and my LinkedIn communities. So, I decided to ask!

I appreciated each and every response – and many echoed my feelings about now being such a crucial time to keep the conversation alive. As such, I’ve decided to share the responses I received with you directly – raw and unfiltered.

This isn’t me being lazy and not wanting to do the work of editing – in fact, in this week’s podcast, I do share snippets of these contributions organized around the common themes stood out to me from the responses. But I feel it’s so important not to edit or filter women’s voices (and one man!) – I’d rather you read their thoughts in full and reflect on every word they had to share.

For context, I sent everyone the below questions and asked that they weigh in on any that they felt compelled to – or to share something entirely unrelated that is on their minds. What you’ll see below, in alphabetical order beginning with those who requested to share anonymously, is exactly what I received from the community – and I am so thankful for their engagement, reflections, and wisdom.

How do you feel we could/where do you feel we need to #AccelerateAction (this year’s IWD theme)?
When you think about gender equality, what is most frustrating for you OR what makes you feel most inspired?
What is one specific action you’ve taken that has benefitted you as a woman in service/at work?
What have you witnessed firsthand as most effective when it comes to the tactics or actions that truly create gender equality?
What is the most impactful way you’ve been supported that others could benefit from hearing and perhaps modeling?
How do you feel the U.S. current administration will impact women at work and gender equity as a whole?

Anonymous

“Of late I have been so frustrated by the fact that DEI initiatives have been undermined (even before the current administration) by what is perceived as having swung over to ‘the other extreme’, where they see women being appointed for more leadership roles over men in a given organization for example. And thereby the constant assumption that ‘she got hired because she’s a woman.’ I do understand that in a micro-situation, one may perceive that as being unfair. But I also believe that if we don’t change things today, then we will never get to the point of equity. We have suffered through decades of being undermined at the workplace due to stereotypical expectations from women, and the action to change needs to come now. It’s not just good (and fair) for women, but also better to prepare humankind for a future where all segments of society are represented and in fact utilized optimally.”

“I’m very worried about how this administration’s policies will undo so much of the progress we’ve made in recent years. Their stance on DEI is alarming and the sweeping RTO mandates are impacting so many of the women that I know. Covid was a tipping point for the family structure in the U.S., and for the first time, we started to see moms and dads share the load more evenly. It feels like all of that is in jeopardy now and women are left to figure out how to make it all work. I expect we’ll see a lot of women pushed out of work in the years ahead, which is deeply sad to me.”

Alyce Peterson

Product Marketing Manager, ServicePro by MSI Data

How do you feel we could/where do you feel we need to #AccelerateAction?

“When hearing from other women in our industry at events across the country it sounds like the biggest support we need is honestly just visibility. We need more women in leadership and for others to help pass the torch. There are so many ways to get women not only a seat at the table but also become deeply integrated leaders into their organizations.

What have you witnessed firsthand as most effective when it comes to the tactics or actions that truly create gender equality?

“Within the service space, I've attended events coast to coast from Field Service to smaller niche, service tradeshows. These on-site networking events, workshops and discussions are not just 'nice to haves' they are crucial for women to have the space to be heard and connect in such large rooms. Some of these women invite you to be mentored, be on boards, in other rooms, attend other shows, speak with them. The networking is invaluable. I'm also a mother and often bond with other women quickly over being a traveling working parent.

Recently, I had a touching experience at a service show that highlighted the importance of bringing our whole selves to these professional spaces. A fellow attendee also recognized my Latina heritage, opening the door to a deeper, more personal connection. Being able to share this part of my identity and bond over our common background was incredibly meaningful. It reminded me that our diverse experiences and cultures enrich the industry and create opportunities for more genuine, human connections.”

What is one specific action you’ve taken that has benefitted you as a woman in service/at work?

“Embracing that I bring something different to the table as a woman to mentor other women. In my work life, I volunteer to go to the tradeshows and conferences and feel comfortable enough to even run the networking table or event. These connections have built so much for the work I do. There are people who I will drive over an hour to go see and mentor. It's all about making the time to give back to invest in those who are next in line.”

What is the most impactful way you’ve been supported that others could benefit from hearing and perhaps modeling?

“By joining like-minded associations and groups, there are so many wonderful organizations for women. I've served on the WI Board for Women in Manufacturing (WiM), and at first was nervous because at the time I was in my twenties. In my current role, I also led a Women In Field Technologies panel at our user conference. As women, we have to stop disqualifying ourselves for opportunities because everyone has something to offer.”

Caroline Haggstrom Marklund

Managing Director/VP Customer Services Nordics at Vattenfall

“For me from a personal point of view what’s been most impactful in terms of support has been allyship and I try to pay that forward as often as can. It’s not hard, just be mindful of sharing your space and putting people forward within your networks.

Another topic that speaks to me is that I currently get questions from my organization about the developments in the US when it comes to DEI at large and what it means for us and if this means we’re going to change something in the way we do things here.

And the clear answer is NO, nothing will change other than that we will prioritize our DEI agenda even higher. We do this because we truly believe in it, equal rights and opportunities are a core belief and not something we’ll change just because the wind blows in another direction.

It has never been more important to speak up and stand up for these values!”

Catherine Coulter-Wood

Senior Manager, Service Optimization & Transformation, Compugen Inc.

“Gender equality in the workplace has really come a long way, but women still face real challenges. In STEM particularly, I see a lot of Capability Bias. Underpinning the results of this bias, which results in hiring disparities, leadership inequality, etc, is the why. Why is there an unconscious hiring of men over women or of promoting men over women to leadership roles. At its core, there is a Capability Bias. There are many historical and societal reasons which have created this unconscious (and sometimes very conscious) belief that men are more intelligent or capable than women, particularly in areas of STEM. Multiple studies and ample testimonies of people's lived experiences show that when there are two candidates with the same qualifications, credentials, and experience the man is generally viewed as more capable. This is an area where we can #AccelerateActions! What if we could make it visible? Some organizations work to mitigate these issues by removing names from incoming resumes to address this phenomenon, but this solution isn’t scalable and is too limited. What if, alternatively, we could make Capability Bias more visible? We need to develop methods that enable us to name it, measure it, and critically analyze how to change it.

Organizations measure areas of focus so that they can best understand the problems they face and, later, the impact of proposed solutions. If we can find a way to make Capability Bias visible and measure how often it happens, then we would be equipped to address one of the root causes of gender inequality in the workplace. Ruth Bader Ginsberg once said to ‘[f]ight for the things that you care about but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.’ Real change takes will and, when armed with knowledge, we can lead that change. Let’s #AccelerateActions!”

Chantel King

Managing Partner, Woola

How do you feel we could/where do you feel we need to #AccelerateAction?

“We need to accelerate action in industries that have historically been male-dominated—especially in trades, operations, and leadership roles. Representation matters, and we need to actively encourage and support more women in these spaces through mentorship, sponsorship, and leadership development programs.”

What is one specific action you’ve taken that has benefited you as a woman in service/at work?

“One of the most beneficial actions I’ve taken as a woman in service and at work is advocating for myself. This includes confidently taking on leadership opportunities, ensuring my contributions are recognized, and making my voice heard in meetings and decision-making processes. I've learned that speaking up, even when it feels uncomfortable, is crucial for growth and visibility.”

What is the most impactful way you’ve been supported that others could benefit from hearing and perhaps modeling?

“Having male allies who actively create space for women in discussions, advocate for their advancement, and push back against biases has been incredibly impactful. Leadership needs to be intentional about fostering inclusion.”

Danielle Waterworth

VP- NA AG Dealer & Customer Support + Global VP Parts & Service AG Maintenance & Services Development, CNH

“Two and a half years ago, I was given a first…..my first dual role, but my first where one of those leaders was a female executive ! While I have learned and enjoyed working for all my prior leaders, I have found this relationship to be different in that she sees things in a different lens. Our relationship has grown to be open and reciprocal where we do not bullsh** one another. We are transparent when we are disappointed in the other’s opinion or work, and we are open with one another when it comes to growth and leadership. Also, when I have a problem, it is her problem too.

Having a leader that you trust to be truthful and that has your back is something all should have but especially women helping another woman as they know how to balance the various aspects or jobs that our life entails – from employee, to wife, to mother, to friend and volunteer- but do not question how or if you will be successful still in accomplishing what they expect of you.

I think it is very important, especially for International Women’s Day, to reiterate that women CAN do it all if they want to, but they have to be honest with themselves on if they want to do what it takes to attain the goal.

Do not let others make excuses for you or tell you what you can and cannot accomplish or be. AND ON A LAST NOTE- find a leader/mentor that you can trust to not hold things against you, that you can be your true self with, that deep down you know wants to help you grow.”

Dot Mynahan

Sr. Director, Safety and Workforce Development, National Elevator Industry, Inc.

“I think there’s a need to Accelerate Action around Employee Resource Groups. There’s a great guidance document assembled by 16 State AGs called, ‘Multi-State Guidance Concerning Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Employment Initiatives’ that stresses the importance of ERGs providing ‘an inclusive and supportive space where employees of particular backgrounds or common experiences feel value and heard.’ According to the document, ‘When employees feel that their identity is recognized and supported within the organization, they’re more likely to stay long-term.’”

Erica Marois

Sr. Manager, Content & Community, HDI & ICMI, Tech Events, Informa

What is one specific action you’ve taken that has benefitted you as a woman in service/at work?

“Setting boundaries and blocking off my calendar! I used to think I needed to put in more hours and always be available to prove my worth. With age, perspective, and out of necessity as a mom, I’ve learned that setting boundaries isn’t only an act of self-care, but an act that commands respect. Saying no to the things that don’t drive value and protecting my calendar allows me to work more effectively and deliver better results. A mentor once said to me, ‘if you don’t set your boundaries, someone else will set them for you.’ It’s so true!”

What is the most impactful way you’ve been supported that others could benefit from hearing and perhaps modeling?

“I was fortunate to have many other women take me under their wing in my 20s and gently nudge me out of my comfort zone while also championing my work. I didn’t realize it at the time, but they were planting the seeds of confidence I needed to grow both personally and professionally. Society loves to pit women against each other, but when we take it upon ourselves to offer support, kindness and understanding to others, those small acts can make a huge difference. Give other women a ‘seat at the table’ by speaking positively about their work and contributions even when they’re not in the room. It’s such an easy way to pay it forward.”

Jayda Nance

Delivery Project Executive Leader: AI Development & Innovation for Client Experience, IBM

“For me, it’s Allyship.

As an ambitious young Black woman, I learned early on to separate who I am from what I do—while preserving my happiness. Navigating male-dominated spaces meant building connections that felt both natural and authentic. Is that fair? Maybe not. But when you focus less on who and more on why, real relationships take shape.

Allyship is more than acknowledgment—it’s action. It’s men stepping into women’s world, not as saviors but as advocates. Too often, society assigns women the “easy” tasks, mistaking consideration for fragility. But we don’t want saving—we want opportunity. A voice. A seat at the table with a steak.

I’ve been fortunate to work with men who have spoken my name in rooms I wasn’t in, advocated for me when it mattered, and celebrated my accomplishments publicly. The hard truth? Sometimes, things happen simply because a man said so. That’s the reality. And while we work toward a future where all voices carry equal weight, we must also recognize the opportunity within this dynamic.

Behind many accomplished men are women who played a pivotal role in their success. So, lift us up with you. When you rise, bring us along. That is allyship. That is impact.”

Jennifer Dye

Director of Power Services, West Region at Schneider Electric

“I started writing down some thoughts, but I believe they're a hybrid of two of your prompts; ‘What is a specific action that I've taken that has benefitted me as a woman in service/at work’ and ‘what have I witnessed firsthand as an effective support of gender equality?’

I've spent 15 years in the corporate service industry (4 years+ before that in the hospitality industry of services), and in a way I have ‘grown-up’ in this industry. Looking back, I would change absolutely nothing; though in hindsight I can see more clearly the moments when gender inequality was the theme of my challenge, but I never looked at it like that in the moment. I'm thankful for that mindset, as it's allowed me to really examine and seek to understand other's and their perspectives on equality within their careers (and lives).

Early in my career I observed that leaders do not beg or wait for someone else to set up time for an idea they have. If they feel their thoughts add value, or feed a curiosity, they take initiative to start that conversation without fear. They are intentional with the time, ensuring that it covers what they had in mind, and always ensuring if it's a quizzical topic that they leave room for others’ opinions. Women in meetings are usually the first to speak, the most to be interrupted, and yet seem to be the ones that take the most notes and bring the follow-up actions back to the table. From the beginning of my career to now, I can say I've witnessed more examples where the woman(en) were not asked to take notes or order the coffee, etc; and it's led to more productive interactions and inclusiveness. Leave it to Louisa May Alcott's main antagonist in Little Women, Jo March, to remind us from 1868 what was/is still true today: ‘women have minds and souls (and) hearts, and they have talent and ambition as well as beauty.’ We are never just one part of the conversation; we are every part of it.

I have taken many roles in my career in which I was the ‘first’ or the ‘only’ in the room (sometimes simultaneously); some with extreme levels of support from others, and some where I knew the ones who wished they'd been chosen for my seat, and they had struggles understanding why I was ‘the chosen one.’ The latter are who I spent a long time trying to justify my successes to; until I reached a point in my career (and within an incredibly inclusive culture of leaders and company mission) that I finally realized, ‘I'm in the room because I deserve to be.’ I owe nobody my proof of entry, and the only one who is allowed to question my worth, is me. (and I'm very familiar with imposter syndrome in excess). Once I realized this for myself, it's been a mission of mine to challenge others with this same mentality; inclusive and constantly curious. I think strong cultures (teams, companies, etc.) have succeeded when they encourage challenging the norm as a form of endearment and crucial to future success, and not a limiter to an outcome.

By nature, our tactical services instinct could be rebranded into #AccelarateAction; the moment we stop focusing on gender (in)equality and other social gaps, we cease to move the action forward.”

KM Manickam

Customer Support Manager, BD

“We need to #AccelerateAction in areas where gender disparities are most pronounced, such as in leadership roles. I am proud to say that my current organization strongly supports in every decision we make.

What frustrates me most is the crime against or targeting women. However, I am inspired by the growing number of women breaking barriers and leading successful initiatives across various industries.

One impactful way I've supported a woman at work was by advocating for her during performance reviews and promotion discussions. By highlighting her achievements and contributions, I helped ensure she received the recognition and opportunities she deserved.”

Sarah McKay

VP, Service Delivery, Concentrix

“These are the two areas that I have been thinking on most in relation to the female role in business, and in the community as a whole:

I think that the general direction of stepping back from DEI initiatives, which may be most visible in the US, is not unique to the US, but is becoming pervasive across the globe. The US administration may have made it feel acceptable for businesses to deprioritize, or worse, to be penalized for trying to redress imbalances within their organisation, but this mentality has been gaining popularity across the globe.

There is a huge risk that this conversational direction will damage, and reverse years of positive momentum, but that leads me to consider two options in terms of #AcclerateAction:

We accept that the global trend is to favour the privileged wealthy white middle-aged man, and that any other view is ‘woke,’ and we start to create the Margaret Atwood dystopian world of ‘handmaids tail’ OR
Those of us in a position to influence, amplify our voices in protest, and put a hand down to pull the next generation of female leaders up

Personally, I find that the more extreme the misogynistic commentary from the likes of Trump, Zuckerberg, Musk, Andrew Tate becomes, actually, the more it lights a fire in me to combat that narrative, and prove that the world is a better place when everyone has a seat at the table – women, and all minority communities, and it is not a threat to the position of those trying to protect their control of power.

In Northern Ireland, we have two female heads of state – a first and deputy first minister. They hold polar opposite political views, and have many points of difference, but they negotiate a path that allows practical decisions to be made, and all communities represented. It is examples like this, that prove to me that women add value, bring insight, and can engage people in conversations that result in value to the company/ country.

I am so glad that my own company continue to value and invest in ESG initiatives globally and will continue to do so. And I am so glad that people like you are still out there promoting the benefits of diversity for the benefit of the business, not just as a LinkedIn sound bite.”

by Sarah Nicastro, Creator, Future of Field Service

From OpenAI’s evolution to DeepSeek disruption, AI persists as one of the most buzzworthy topics of 2025. While I’ve talked to service leaders whose responses run the gamut from hard-to-contain excitement at its potential to utter disdain for its all-consuming prominence, it is indisputable that AI is changing how businesses across industries work – and we’ve only just begun.

Where We Are

In field service, there are organizations leading the charge to adopt AI in meaningful ways and those that are more resistant to its inevitable impact – with the vast majority somewhere in between. Late last year, Future of Field Service conducted a service with our Stand Out 50 leaders and here are some of the interesting points they shared.

Fifty percent of respondents said that less than 10% of field service tasks are automated. This reveals the tremendous opportunity that exists to use AI to help make the lives of field technicians specifically and service operations on the whole much easier and potentially more satisfying.

When we consider how customer expectations have evolved, as well as how they will continue to – especially as their familiarity with AI expands in everyday life – it’s interesting to begin to envision all of the ways in which AI could enable service providers to work smarter. Here’s how the Stand Out 50 ranked the top seven customer expectations:

Demanding faster resolution
Wanting peace of mind/guaranteed uptime or performance
Desiring more data and insights to aid in improving their business
Expecting more data and insights about the service delivery process and value delivered
Seeking streamlined or different channels of communication
Higher standards of brand experience/soft skills
Seeking more sustainable providers/partners

Sixty-two percent of respondents already use AI in their service operations and shared a wide range of examples of how so:

Chats and emails
Triage in tech support; insights dashboard
Using AI to review customer equipment on material through-put to ensure they get the best yield of products
Service order summaries
Document and data search
Guided troubleshooting (pilot phase)
Used in monitoring assets and in our scheduling tool
Customer contact, scheduling & routing, predictive maintenance
Primarily used for the service desk, with a goal of preventing calls from dispatch and resolving via phone or chat. AI is also being used to immediately dispatch to the field issues that cannot be resolved remotely, ensuring swift resolution and not requiring customer interaction for the call
Generating service tickets from emails
Diagnostics workflow, technical training, value-based selling, technical report dictation, material master data cleanup
Self-service, self-training, knowledge management, process automation, data mining
Generative AI for triage, AI for resource allocation, machine learning for predictive analytics
Scheduling and optimization of our field interventions, optimizing work order quality by using AI to predict job duration, and supporting field force on the job with image recognition AI

As the use of AI and other technologies expands, organizations must consider the effect it will have on how service is delivered – and what that means in terms of changes needed in the customer narrative, commercial agreements, or both. The increase in both self- and remote service are great examples of how today’s technologies can be used to significantly reduce inefficiencies and provide faster resolution, but for organizations who still primarily have transactional, break-fix relationships with customers this can present a hurdle to overcome.

Fifteen percent of the Stand Out 50 respondents have extensive self-service options in place and state customers are responding well; 52% currently have some self-service capabilities and state it’s a focus to expand. Thirty-three percent of respondents have transitioned a significant portion of service delivery to be remote and another 30% are in the midst of transitioning a portion of service delivery to remote, while 26% use remote capabilities but for diagnosis versus resolution, and 11% state that they either have barriers to using remote capabilities or it’s not yet a focus.

While this data is representative of a relatively small group of service businesses, it shows some real-world examples of how AI is being adopted, how AI and other technologies are changing workflows and transforming service delivery, and how these new ways of working can raise questions that reach beyond service transformation to business transformation.

Where We’re Going

Regardless of whether AI elicits excitement or an eye roll from any given service leader, they generally agree that its use and impact is still in its infancy – and organizations have a massive responsibility to determine how to take today’s pilots and early use cases and rapidly expand on their success.

Forty-seven percent of the Stand Out 50 respondents listed AI as their next area of focus for technology investment and 76% believe Advanced AI will be critical for staying competitive in field service. When asked what areas of AI they feel hold the biggest potential for service organizations, respondents said:

Fault/failure prediction – 33%
Knowledge management – 30%
Customer support (chatbots, self-service capabilities, etc.) – 19%
Automated scheduling and resource optimization - 11%
Automation of reporting – 7%

In many ways, the sky is truly the limit in terms of where AI can go in field service. In his 2025 predictions blog, Mark Brewer, VP of Service Industries at IFS, talks about some of the exciting advancements he expects this year – including more instances of agentic AI, the lift AI can provide for knowledge management, and the potential it has for fault detection. All of these uses – and more – have the capacity to bring a lot of positive change to how service organizations operate and the value they can offer their customers.

A great example I came across recently is CNH. The company used AI to condense 1.5 million pages of manuals into one AI-powered chatbot. According to this article, “CNH AI Tech Assistant tool is already at work at over 300 authorized agriculture and construction dealer groups, with global expansion underway. The first-of-its-kind tool was developed with dealer feedback and works by simulating conversations to provide a diagnosis and repair plan for CNH brands’ machines, enabling dealer technicians to save time on repairs by providing fast and accurate answers to technical questions.”

While this is just one of a multitude of ways AI can transform service, the bigger question to ask around where we’re going is how ready an organization is to change – and to what extent.

What We Don’t Yet Know

When it comes to what we don’t yet know, there’s both the logical and the philosophical. Let’s start with the logical. The Stand Out 50 respondents weighed in on their biggest concerns around the growing use of AI in field service:

Accuracy & bias - 33%
That we haven’t yet mastered “the basics” and must do so first - 23%
Not having the data at the ready to support its use – 19%
Security – 11%
The hype surrounding it – 7%
Keeping pace with the technological advancement - 7%

There are also some very crucial logistical questions I’ve alluded to already around how the use of AI will evolve the work frontline employees do (or don’t) as well as what the service value proposition looks like. So, when it comes to an increase in remote and self-service; how does less on-site work change what we need from our employees? Are they able to do that new work today, or do they need reskilling or upskilling?

Also, how does a more modern, remote-first service delivery model change the customer value proposition? For companies whose customers are still accustomed to paying for time technician is on site – that visible, tangible work – how do they reshape the commercial agreements and then communicate them in a way that resonates?

These are the questions where the most sticking points arise – the real strategic meat of what using AI to a significant extent will mean digging into and ultimately through. But perhaps the most important question that is left unanswered is a philosophical one: how do we make good use of sophisticated technology without it having a negative impact on how we value humanity?

This question was the premise of a recent podcast discussion I had with Arnaud Billard, Senior Director for Applications and Service for Europe at Cepheid. When Arnaud and I connected to land on a podcast topic, he mentioned that he is really struggling with what the future holds around AI and automation and, once we dug in, I admired the perspective he was sharing.

He clarifies at the beginning of the podcast, saying, “The struggle I refer to is not about resisting technology or AI particularly. It's more about how to navigate its evolution while preserving what makes service truly valuable, which is a human connection.”

For organizations who haven’t evolved their view of service beyond break-fix, the reverence for relationships may be less than Arnaud’s – but for many, this is a missed opportunity. “Relationships in service really matter and there is a component of trust that is very important. When you sell service, it’s intangible. It’s no longer just about fixing things; service professionals today are no longer only solving technical issues; they are acting as a trusted advisor. They gather insights, identify customer pain points, they contribute to company growth via customer intelligence. It’s one of the most overlooked aspects of service, I believe, but service is a source of innovation and growth,” says Arnaud.

If you share this view, then you can understand that the risk of overapplying AI in service for the sake of cost savings or efficiency gains is not only a risk to the business at present but also cuts off an incredibly valuable source of knowledge, relationships, and fuel for innovation. “I'm very conscious that AI can bring fantastic efficiencies,” says Arnaud. “However, to me, we have to find the right balance between enhancing service productivity without depersonalizing it. We need to ensure that we don't erode the very element that built customer loyalty and satisfaction. We must make sure that technology enhances our human capacities rather than diminishing them.”

I’d encourage you to have a listen to the full podcast discussion here. If you have thoughts on the now, the next, or the unanswered questions of AI in field service – reach out!

by Stephen Goulbourne, Vice President, Global Program Director - Global Service at Mettler-Toledo

As field service continues to evolve in an era of rapid digital transformation, traditional support tools remain essential. However, with the rise of AI powered solutions, these tools can be significantly enhanced to drive efficiency, reduce costs, and improve customer experience.

The Critical Role of Triage

Triage has long been a foundational element of effective field service. It enables organizations to diagnose and resolve issues before dispatching a technician or, ideally, to provide a remote fix that eliminates the need for a truck roll altogether. When executed effectively, triage delivers two key benefits:

1. Increased Uptime for Customers - Faster issue resolution minimizes operational disruptions

2. Lower Cost to Serve for Service Providers - Reducing unnecessary site visits improves productivity and optimizes resource allocation

Triage should not be viewed simply as a process but as a strategic approach to service excellence. At a recent America's Service Managers meeting, a colleague and I explored this concept further, breaking it down into its core components to better define its role in modern field service. By reframing triage in this way, we can see it as more than just a support tool, it becomes a critical enabler of improved service outcomes.

The Shift Left: Elevating Support Through Digitalization

The Shift Left strategy driven by digitalization and AI, allows organizations to resolve more issues remotely and at earlier stages of the support cycle. This shift has profound commercial implications, particularly in distinguishing the value of a service contract from the traditional time and-materials model.

As AI driven tools improve triage effectiveness, service providers can offer higher value, proactive support. This differentiation is crucial in an increasingly competitive landscape where customers seek maximum uptime and predictability in service costs.

Monetizing Triage: A Strategic Imperative

One of the ongoing discussions in the Services industry is how to effectively monetize triage. While opinions vary, one clear opportunity lies in leveraging AI powered knowledge management systems to enhance support outcomes. Given the tangible benefits of these advanced tools, organizations must consider reserving them exclusively for service contract customers.

By bundling remote diagnostics, AI assisted support, and predictive maintenance within a comprehensive service contract, organizations can create compelling value propositions:

Budget Predictability - Full-coverage contracts (including parts and labor) eliminates unexpected repair costs
Extended Equipment Lifespan - Routine maintenance and proactive service reduce failure rates
Higher First Time Fix Rates - Access to remote support tools ensures that when a technician is dispatched, they arrive with the right solution the first time

This approach strengthens the case for service contracts, making them indispensable for customers who prioritize uptime and operational efficiency.

The Future of Field Service: A Data-Driven, Customer Centric Approach

Service driven revenue streams continue to grow across industries, particularly for manufacturers investing in modern support technologies. As we move further along the Shift Left journey, the future of field service will be defined by remote, predictive, and eventually self-service capabilities, offered exclusively to customers who recognize the strategic value of a service contract.

Organizations that embrace this transformation will lead the industry, delivering superior outcomes for customers while optimizing their own operational efficiency. Triage will remain a cornerstone of this evolution, ensuring that service is not just reactive but proactive, intelligent, and deeply integrated with AI driven decision making.

Now is the time for organizations to rethink their service strategies, align with digitalization, and position themselves for long term success.

Stephen Goulbourne is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of professional experience in driving operational excellence and customer success. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Mettler Toledo.

Apple’s Q1 2025 financials are a great real-world illustration of the value that service can bring to a business – even one who has built its immense success on products. The company’s most recent reporting shows service revenue has reached an all-time high. On the earnings call, after the report, Kevan Parekh, CFO of Apple said, “the services business in general in aggregate is accretive to the overall company margin.”

For a company made famous by its innovative products who maintain a cult following, this is a big deal. It’s also an opportunity for service leaders within businesses where leaders might not see the full potential of service to make a case citing a brand everyone knows and many fiercely love.

This write up from CNBC calls out the significant contribution to profit margin service can bring, saying, “Apple is struggling to squeeze growth out of its flagship iPhone unit, but its profit margin keeps going up thanks to a flourishing services business. Services revenue rose about 4% to $26.34 billion, beating analysts' estimates. The business now accounts for roughly 21% of Apple's overall revenue. Last quarter, Apple announced that its services unit had turned into a $100 billion a year business.”

As the global smartphone market has become saturated, Apple’s decision to invest in its services business is paying off. The company’s services are varied, allowing the company to create value for a number of stakeholders to diversify its portfolio. This includes everything from the App Store to payments and AppleCare support to AppleTV and Apple Music, among many other subscription offerings.

CNBC’s article also points out that Apple’s service strategy has not only positively impacted its financials but has changed the company’s perception among Wall Street, stating that “Cook’s emphasis on services has transformed Wall Street’s view of a company that’s been defined over the decades by its iconic devices. For many years in the iPhone era, Apple’s gross margin would predictably come in at between 38% and 39%, reflecting the company’s tight grip over its supply chain and its pricing power in the market. But with iPhone growth slowing in recent years, Apple’s move into services has changed the equation. The company hit a 40% gross margin in 2021 and has continued to expand it.”

Sharing the Success Story of Services

So, what are the key points here I’d take to leadership to emphasize or reinforce how service can drive value for a business?

Service can be a revenue driver but can also have a phenomenal impact on profit margin. This lift in margin can add value to a business in many ways – offsetting times where product sales decline, diversifying value if products begin to become commoditized, allowing headway for product innovation, and so much more.
A business doesn’t have to be product OR service-centric; they can peacefully co-exist. Many product companies can view a services play as moving “away from their identity,” but this doesn’t have to be true in any way. In fact, when executed well, the investment in services can compliment product to strengthen the overall business – as you see in Apple’s example.
Offering services allows a business to diversify its value proposition, offsetting risk and allowing for a more differentiated and personalized customer experience.
Services can be a powerful driver of customer loyalty. If you think about what Apple has done, they’ve created ways post-product sale to keep customers immersed in the Apple experience. To solidify their presence in the lives of their loyal fans while diversifying their revenue streams and improving their profit margins. It’s a great showcase of what service can do!

Two of our recent podcasts dove into how service leaders need to evolve in 2025 (with Roy Dockery, Director of Field Service Research at TSIA) and how to overcome or avoid the most common missteps leaders make in EQ (with Sara Mueller, Emotional Intelligence EQ Keynote Speaker, Leadership Trainer, and Executive Coach). Topics like these are crucially important to our audience, because effective leadership is inherently woven into what it takes for businesses today to achieve operational excellence, delight customers, attract and retain talent, and innovate at a pace necessary to maintain success over the long term.

But what if some of the ways in which we’re asking today’s service leaders to evolve are at odds with how their brains are wired?

It’s an interesting question to explore, posed by John Walls, Insight Instigator at NeuroBuilt, LLC, who sent me an email with some compelling food for thought about my conversation with Roy. His perspective is that, based on neuroscience, there are some scientifically backed challenges to overcome for technically inclined service leaders to embrace and enact a more modern, communicative approach.

“What we’ve learned from fMRI-based neuroscience research during the last 15 years provides us with the tools to better understand the brain’s natural tendency to get in the way of effective communication,” John says. “It also points to how we can most effectively strengthen communication and practice other virtues which are necessary to be a motivational leader.”

If we think about how many of how today’s service leaders have gotten to where they are (moving up the ranks from technician to leader) and the core skillset that helped them achieve much of their career success (strong technical skills), it begins to make sense that expecting them to innately grasp characteristics and skills like those discussed in the two podcasts mentioned above might be unrealistic.

“Neuroscience explains precisely how technically minded people think differently. One reason is because of a natural brain state known as Reciprocal Inhibition, which is the way the brain has evolved to conserve precious cognitive energy,” John explains. “In short, there are certain neural pathways of the brain that strengthen during the learning, and repeated practice, of technical tasks. These technically related pathways suppress neural pathways within the brain's Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) that are responsible for communication skills. Pathways associated with empathy and communicating empathy are suppressed when technical pathways are activated. As technical abilities improve, interpersonal skills lag, perhaps even weaken…just like an unused muscle. We unconsciously play to our strengths, one of the brain’s clever ways of conserving cognitive energy. The outdated practice of promotions based on subject matter expertise (SME) and/or tenure often compounds the effects of reciprocal inhibition as leaders turn to technical skills rather than people skills when facing a challenge.”

And until not too long ago, service leaders could excel with stellar technical skills alone – because they were working in relatively stable environments with many like-minded individuals. As service has evolved from a transactional, break-fix environment where mechanical skills and technical knowledge were revered above all to a more customer-centric business driver drastically changed by rapid technological advancements and a very different talent landscape, what we need from leaders is far different. As many of these leaders have honed their technical prowess and relished in its effectiveness, much of the world around them has changed.

In the recent podcast with Roy, he spoke about how a “culture of complaining” is fueled by service leaders feeling like the rest of the business doesn’t understand their work, almost like “speaking a foreign language.” John sheds light on the neuroscience behind this feeling, saying, “This is explained to some degree by Reciprocal Inhibition; realize that the service organization is technically minded, and the rest of the organization is socially minded. Service organizations have traditionally been considered successful based on practicing and demonstrating exceptional technical skills. The rest of the organization is thinking with their PFC, (think sales, marketing, C-suite). When viewed through the lens of neuroscience, the disconnect between a technically minded service organization and the various Prefrontal thinking organizations of a business is no surprise.”

EQ is Essential

Perhaps better understanding the factors that have kept service disconnected from the rest of the business is the first step to really breaking down the silos?

John also feels philosophy plays an important role. “The ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it’ mentality is a culture killer. So are service leaders who have fixed mindsets or believe being technically good is enough to overcome the lack of a growth mentality. It’s simply not so these days,” he says. “This is an area where applying philosophy to service comes into play. The Stoics teach us growth and fulfillment are not from competing with others, but from striving to be better than we were yesterday. This focus on internal competition fosters intrinsic motivation, genuine improvement, builds resilience, and leads to a deeper understanding of ourselves and others. That attitude is what differentiates a service representative from a service professional.”

For businesses that understand the true potential of service, and really want to enable technical talent to thrive, it’s worthwhile to consider what practical steps this information could prompt. A few that come to mind:

Providing all employees with soft skills training
Ensuring technical talent isn’t promoted into management roles simply because they’re strong individual contributors
Providing all supervisors, managers, and leaders with ongoing training and development that emphasizes the importance of EQ
Encouraging personal development and a growth mentality by not only providing ample opportunities for learning and progression, but recognition and rewards

Each of these potential actions is underpinned by the importance of better embedding EQ into the business, across functions, from the frontlines to the top-level leaders. “You made an important point when you mentioned the association between empathy and curiosity. Empathy is the most important virtue of a leader,” says John. “Service people are curious, no doubt, they are simply not curious about things that are not on their mind. Therefore, many service leaders fail to develop the skill, the virtue, of showing empathy. As I mentioned earlier, the effects of reciprocal inhibition suppress the strengthening of neural pathways associated with empathy and communicating empathy. Simply training service minded people to be as curious about others as they are about technology will go a long way along the path of leadership development.”

On last week’s podcast, I interviewed Joern Lindstaedt, SVP of Global Customer Service at Rolls-Royce Power Systems about the service leader’s duty around the “silver tsunami.” Joern shared that he first heard this term last fall at the Service Council Symposium in Chicago and he’s working to determine how best to articulate the challenge within his organization to advocate for the appropriate change.

While the term “silver tsunami” may have been new to Joern, the concept behind it – and the massive challenge it presents for organizations – isn’t new. In fact, the talent gap is a challenge we’ve been discussing on Future of Field Service as far back as the second episode of the podcast (and for reference, we hit 300 last week!). That episode featured Roy Dockery, former service leader, author, and Director of Field Service Research at TSIA presenting a very valid point: we don’t actually have a talent gap, we have an experience gap. Meaning, field service organizations are accustomed to hiring based on previous experience – and while that’s becoming harder and harder to do, there isn’t a lack of talent if we’re willing to work differently.

So, if this is a conversation we’ve been having for at least six years, why aren’t we making more progress in solving the problem?

It’s a good question without a single, easy answer. And that’s because it’s a challenge without a simple, easy solution. Solving the talent gap will look a bit different for each organization but will require all to fundamentally and significantly change how they’ve been finding, hiring, training, managing, developing, and retaining talent. The solution must be multi-dimensional as well as cross-functional – meaning, you can’t make the necessary changes without working with colleagues in HR, training & development, and elsewhere across the business.

It sounds like a lot of hard work, doesn’t it?

It is. And for many service leaders, it probably feels like too much on top of the other fires they’re working hard to put out. And I think this leads us to a couple of the reasons we haven’t made the progress we need to:

Service leaders are overwhelmed and don’t know where to start
The changes needed require collaboration across the business that is hindered by organizational silos
Some are wasting precious time hoping “what was” will return rather than getting to work navigating the what is (and what’s to come)

In our podcast discussion last week, Joern said it very well, “It’s time for service leaders to move beyond the victim mentality and fall in love with the problem.”

He’s right – it’s the only way we’re going to make the progress we need to; dig in and do the hard work. Leaders and organizations that do are going to be leaps and bounds ahead of their competition, because the talent landscape isn’t going back to what was – it’s only continuing to evolve, and service must too.

Exploring Aspects of Action

Good for you if you’ve taken the leap of “falling in love with the problem,” now let’s dig into some of the elements of change that are required. First, determine how to attract a new generation to field service. This starts by uncovering new sources of potential talent to tap and continues by understanding what it is that appeals to today’s talent (and if you/how you can offer that). If you’re interested in an open conversation about what younger talent is seeking in field service roles, have a listen to this podcast I did with Teresa Carneiro, Field Service Engineer at STEMCELL Technologies.

It also means it’s likely time to review your job descriptions, keeping in mind Roy’s wise words above – if you’re still requiring extensive experience, you’re limiting your talent pool detrimentally from the jump off. According to the Stand Out 50 Service Trends report we published last year, more than half (52%) of respondents seek demonstrable skills and capacity for learning but have no experience requirement or have created an apprenticeship/training program that allows them to bring in talent with no experience and guide them through the learning process.

Updating job descriptions with wording that’s free of hard-to-understand terminology and ensuring it reflects perks today’s talent is drawn to is also important. One of the biggest desires among younger talent is flexibility, which historically hasn’t been possible in field service. But with more remote service capabilities and/or some good old-fashioned creativity in how your teams work, it’s certainly possible and something I’d strongly urge you to consider how to incorporate. Daniel Trabel, Director of Field Service EMEA at Thermo Fisher Scientific, spoke with the Future of Field Service Live audience last year in Cologne, Germany about exactly how his organization has made significant yet attainable, and most importantly beneficial, changes to how – and who – they hire.

Attracting new talent is only one part of the equation, though. You also need to consider what must change to keep that talent. Gone are the days of field technicians happily working in one role for 10, 15, 20+ years, so you need to determine instead how you offer career development opportunities paired with career pathing that helps your company retain strong talent while you continue to bring new talent in. Ensuring you have a strong employee value proposition – not only on paper, but in reality – is critical, and this means strong leadership and a good culture.

It's imperative to consider the role technology plays in your overall talent gap strategy. First, if your field operations are inefficient, you are exacerbating your own problem. Having solutions in place that help you optimize scheduling and routing, improve utilization, reduce repeat visits, increase remote resolution, and equip technicians with the insights they need to be successful help to ensure that you’re getting the most value out of the workforce you have.

The role of technology is also crucial in knowledge management, an area of understandable concern for organizations who have high volumes of experienced, skilled employees soon retiring with years and years of knowledge held no where but in their brains.

Finally, with AI significantly changing how employees across every industry work, you need to be thinking about what areas of the service workflow can benefit most from automation and intelligence, while protecting the areas where your employees deliver that “something special”. And this means hiring and training in ways that are aligned to how AI will evolve the skills that equate to success.

Some businesses have had success leveraging the Gig economy, augmenting their full-time teams with independent contractors, which can be another lever to consider. I’ve also talked with some leaders who are considering what the future of talent strategy may look like in terms of the creation of alliances, pooled resources, or an ecosystem approach. While there are a lot of details to sort through in that sort of scenario, leaders who are thinking and looking ahead are forging that future instead of struggling to catch up.

These are just some of the aspects of action organizations can take to address the talent gap. While it can be helpful to get inspiration from others who are working to solve the same problem, the solution starts with – going back to Joern’s wise words – “falling in love” with the problem. It’s the service leaders’ role to translate the stories of what service needs to succeed into terms other functions of the business will understand, and it’s the service leaders’ responsibility to fight for the future. Kudos to all of you out there doing just that!

Do you have other aspects of action you’re taking to solve the talent gap? I’d love to hear what’s working! Reach out via email or on LinkedIn.

In an era when field service finds itself in a sea of constant change, what does it take for a leader to swim rather than sink? The recipe for success is far different today than it was even a handful of years ago – and only continuing to evolve. I sat down recently with Roy Dockery, former service leader, Author of The Art of Leading, and Director of Field Service Research at TSIA to talk about the state of service and what it means for leaders. With his multi-faceted experiences, Roy brings a unique perspective to the conversation and offered some excellent advice.

Kill the Culture of Complaining

Roy’s first point is simple and clear, but potentially harder than it may seem: service leaders must stop complaining (and teaching their teams to do so). “We have to kill the culture of complaining. In service we speak a different language, so we tend to get frustrated that other people don't hear us,” explains Roy. “So, within your organization, you create a culture of complaining and it creates a disconnect. You think you're just venting until you start seeing it become a tangible part of your organizational culture.”

This culture perpetuates the siloing of service and Roy also believes it leads to attrition. “It's normally the new technicians leaving and the reason they're leaving is because of this culture of complaining. Everyone's losing their one- to two-year technicians because they're being poisoned by a culture of complaining,” he says. “It also keeps talent from being interested in other functions of the business. If you can create a culture where people want to stay, you develop leaders that vertically move up, but it's also going to create a culture where your people move horizontally, which I call spreading field service DNA. When I worked at Swisslog, we wound up having field service people in engineering, in the warehouse, in sales, in customer success. So now I have someone in customer success who understands me; I have someone in sales who understands me. But if you make it ‘us against the world,’ which a lot of times we do, you don't get that growth. You create an environment where people tend to leave, especially if they're new, because it doesn't feel healthy, and it doesn't feel productive.”

Become a Translation Engine

Start by cutting the complaining and then take action to help change your organizations’ feeling of being misunderstood. How? Learn a new language – or, as I suggested in my 2025 predictions, get better at storytelling. “As leaders, we have to learn everyone else's language. We've got to be the Rosetta Stone, and then we've got to take the concerns of our organization and go effectively communicate them to those teams in their language so that our team feels heard,” says Roy.

And not only the challenges, but the opportunities as well. We know service is in such a unique position in the company to understand customer needs, to see new potential, to contribute to product development, to sell, and so much more – but if service leaders can’t position all of this in a language the broader business leaders understand, they continue to feel isolated and frustrated.

“Most field service organizations do not report directly into the CEO, so we're often outside of the C-suite table. But we have to learn how to speak C-suite. We've got to know how to speak to everyone upstream from us, or, as I like to say, field service should be a Rosetta Stone,” says Roy. “It doesn't matter what's going on, I should be able to take a problem to the CTO, the CFO, the CEO, the COO and be able to translate it to them in a way where they can take action on what I'm saying.”

Taking the time to understand the key objectives of the business is imperative, and then work on being able to translate what’s happening in field service – the challenges and the opportunities – into a language aligned to those objectives. And keep in mind that every company has a common interest – customer satisfaction. Use this common interest to help create a common language.

Be a Forecaster, Not a Firefighter

“Field service is a reactive organization by nature. Our teams should be reactive – our teams should be the firefighters. We, as the service leaders, need to be forecasters and not storm chasers,” urges Roy. “A lot of us come from that, a lot of us enjoy that. We tend to lean more towards getting into the tactical, getting into the problem resolution. But we need to be strategic.”

Protecting the space to do the forecasting versus the firefighting is the only way to start to bridge some of the silos of the business. “What we actually need to do is get into what we're talking about and look across the silos. You need to go forecast and say, hold on. Our sales department just got a 30% revenue increase target. Our product team just got told that they need to make three new widgets in the next two years and say, how does that affect us? How is that going to affect my headcount? How is that going to affect my employee training?” explains Roy. “Or we're already seeing the decline. We got a bunch of people retiring. Instead of waiting and then reactively saying, hey, HR, I need a bunch of people. Let's develop your own workforce strategy and say, I need some apprentices. I need entry-level positions. I need people to start coming in and shadowing my senior employees because I don't want to lose this knowledge.”

This strategic work is ultimately what will help the service function get its spot among the C-suite. “You need to be the person that's at the helm saying, okay, where's the CEO trying to go? Where's the organization trying to go?” says Roy. “We’ve got to be more intentional about pulling ourselves out of our natural inclination to be technical and into the problems. Look at the company as a problem and say, what is the field service solution to the company's problem, not the customer's problem? Let your team deal with the customers’ problems. Shift your view to the future because that keeps you learning. It keeps you engaged. It keeps you jumping into those silos.”

And as AI is poised to take every industry, including its service function, by storm - that strategic work is the work that holds greater value. If your goal is to swim not only through 2025, but for years to come, stepping back from the work of fighting fires and embracing the need to do more thoughtful, creative, strategic forecasting is a must.

Welcome to the new year! As we step into 2025, I find myself reflecting on trends, challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead for service organizations. If you’ve followed my podcast, you know I’ve always hesitated to make bold predictions. After all, none of us can truly predict the future.

Instead, I’ve decided to share some *non-predictions*—observations grounded in conversations with service leaders, insights from our community, and findings from the Stand Out Service Trends report. Let’s explore what might shape 2025 in the world of service.

1. Greater Workforce Flexibility Is No Longer Optional

Organizations will need to offer more flexibility to their frontline workforce. Why? Because it’s what today’s talent demands—and because it’s now entirely possible.

Historically, field service organizations have dismissed flexibility as “impossible.” But times have changed. Technology, creativity, and a willingness to reimagine service delivery have made flexible schedules, remote work, and other work-life balance initiatives feasible.

In our Stand Out Service Trends report, we found:

- 29% of leaders already offer flexibility as part of their employee engagement efforts.

- 52% are expanding self-service capabilities for customers.

- 33% have transitioned a significant portion of service delivery to remote.

Flexibility can take many forms: rotating schedules, work-from-home days, or even customized start and end times. Those who embrace this shift will find themselves ahead in the ongoing war for talent.

2. Customer Expectations Will Expose Service Complacency

Keeping up with customer expectations is no easy feat. But staying stagnant? That’s a recipe for trouble.

For years, we’ve discussed how consumer experiences set the standard for what customers expect in all aspects of their lives. Yet many service organizations have failed to evolve.

Key findings from the Stand Out Service Trends report highlight this divide:

- Peace of mind and guaranteed performance ranked as customers' second-highest priority.

- Yet only 26% of respondents offer outcome-based services, AND another 26% still operate reactively (offering only break-fix service).

The gap between what customers want and what organizations deliver is widening. Companies that prioritize innovation—be it through new service offerings, modernized delivery methods, or advanced technology—will stay competitive. Those that don’t risk being left behind.

3. Addressing Technology Debt Becomes Urgent

Modern service demands modern tools. Yet many organizations are held back by outdated systems.

Our report revealed that:

- Only 15% of respondents have a fully future-ready service management platform.

- 50% have automated less than 10% of their field service tasks.

The good news? Nearly half of respondents plan to increase their technology budgets in 2025. Whether it’s replacing legacy systems or investing in automation, organizations must act now to build scalable, sophisticated digital foundations.

4. AI Will Bring Big Wins—and Big Missteps

AI is no longer a buzzword—it’s a game-changer. From chatbots to optimized scheduling, AI has immense potential to revolutionize service operations.

Here’s what respondents shared in the Stand Out Service Trends report:

- 62% of respondents are using AI in some capacity.

- 76% believe advanced AI is critical to staying competitive in service.

That said, AI isn’t without challenges. Concerns about accuracy, bias, and lack of readiness loom large.

In 2025, we’ll see some major success stories emerge from those who thoughtfully implement advanced AI to positively impact their businesses, their employees, and their customers. But I believe we’ll also the first significant missteps from organizations: everything from failing to see AI as a tool that can augment the work of talented people and instead trying to replace them with technology to the detriment of the customer experience, or rushing into AI use that isn't rooted in real business case or supported by capable technology. To be clear, I'm not concerned about the fail fast type of mistakes that are part of any innovative project, but more so the “what were you thinking”-type missteps that come from believing that there's some sort of loophole to the realities of the hard work that is involved in getting AI right.

5. Storytelling Will Be a Must-Have Skill for Service Leaders

Finally, service leaders must learn to tell compelling stories—both within their organizations and externally.

John Carroll of the Service Council has spoken about the existential threat to service leaders: being excluded from strategic decision-making. To counter this, leaders must articulate how service drives business value, aligns with financial objectives, and fuels innovation.

Storytelling isn’t just about data. It’s about connecting the dots between service and your company’s vision—and doing so in a way that resonates with stakeholders.

What do you think 2025 will bring? I’d love to hear your perspective—reach out via email or LinkedIn.

Deloitte published its annual Tech Trends report earlier this year, and as you might have expected, it focuses heavily on how artificial intelligence seems to be affecting nearly every sector. In fact, they position AI as potentially being as “foundational as electricity to daily business and personal lives.”

While the vast majority of service organizations are still working to determine exactly how the full potential of AI fits their businesses, it’s already having an effect on the need for additional computing power; how organizations manage their data (which will be used to fuel AI solutions); and how the technology could potentially help address the shortage of tech talent that has been plaguing several markets (including field service).

It’s certainly worth having a read through what Deloitte had to say about AI in the Tech Trends report, but what sparked my interest that I want to discuss here is the final section of this year’s report, which focuses on "intentional intersections.” This is really about convergence – where new technologies and existing applications/use cases cross paths and affect each other in interesting ways.

According to Deloitte, convergence can illuminate two key perspectives: Insight into adjacent industries whose current research and development efforts could point to an organization’s future; and clarity on how different technologies can be combined in a way where the sum is greater than the component parts.

In the case of the former, Deloitte quotes author William Gibson: “The future is already here; it’s just not evenly distributed.” In other words, the next big innovation in field service might already exist in an adjacent industry/geography/competitor. The report uses examples like the space and biopharma sectors working together, Uber delivering food, or Amazon establishing a successful pharmaceutical business.

Over the last handful of years in field service, I’ve heard many times at conferences and in conversation the need to think about the “Uberization” of the industry or to pay attention to what’s making companies like Amazon so successful. But exactly how much have companies taken the understanding of the need for outside-their-industry influence and turned it into action?

The Value of Looking Outside Your Own Industry

Deloitte’s point about looking outside the boundary of your own industry emphasizes the opportunity that exists for more field service organizations to exercise this much talked-about concept and to reap the benefits of the innovation that cold come from doing so. There’s significant potential for field service organizations to take inspiration from how companies in other industries are getting creative about how to meet customer demands (and create new demand) as well as how they are using technology to solve business challenges – which brings us to the second major point of Deloitte’s report.

This point is examining where technologies intersect in interesting ways. Deloitte points out that while new technologies are often deployed to solve specific problems, they can provide even greater benefits when they are combined with other technologies or directed at new applications. A good historical example in field service was the advent of mobile computers – companies were rapidly able to combine work order management, dispatch, location tracking, fleet management, and other activities on a single platform, while eventually enabling things like digital repair manuals or remote diagnostics.

Within the silos that commonly exist within organizations, it can be tremendously valuable to take a broader look at what technologies are in place across those different silos – service, sales, manufacturing, marketing – to determine if there are areas where existing (or commonly agreed upon) technologies have a farther-reaching impact and therefore greater ROI. Depending on the sophistication and degree of silos in your organization, you may start by asking questions such as: The service team likely has data that the sales team and design/manufacturing groups would find valuable – do/can they share it? Are processes automated in one group but not in another? Are there redundant platforms in place?

As Deloitte puts it: “For leaders, this serves as a nudge to see odd-combination dual degrees, bridges between disparate teams, and interest in adjacent industries as necessary features, not bugs. If organizations can see beyond the silos of specialization and embrace these intentional intersections, we might very well find ourselves on the cusp of a reimagined renaissance. What convergence will your organization discover next?”

You can read more about Deloitte’s thoughts on convergence here, and download the entire report here. If you’ve spotted areas where field service could benefit from lessons learned in other industries, or found ways to leverage technology in new ways, I would love to hear your thoughts.

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