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January 13, 2025 | 4 Mins Read

5 Themes I Believe Will Shape the World of Service in 2025 

January 13, 2025 | 4 Mins Read

5 Themes I Believe Will Shape the World of Service in 2025 

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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. 

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January 6, 2025 | 4 Mins Read

Two Opportunities for the Concept of Convergence to Propel Field Service Forward

January 6, 2025 | 4 Mins Read

Two Opportunities for the Concept of Convergence to Propel Field Service Forward

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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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December 23, 2024 | 7 Mins Read

My Favorite Moments of 2024

December 23, 2024 | 7 Mins Read

My Favorite Moments of 2024

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As 2024 comes to a close, I (like many) want to take a moment to reflect back on a year full of ups and downs, ebbs and flows, laughs and tears, and so much more. I’ve shared before that I am working on my ability to slow down and reflect – I am one to move quickly, propelling myself on to the next thing, next year without reaping the benefit that comes from this practice of reflection. As a work in progress, this exercise in and of itself is a bit of self-prescribed homework and I appreciate you coming along for the ride.

As I share below my five favorite professional moments and my five favorite personal moments, it’s impossible not to acknowledge how interconnected the two lists are. This is because, for me, I have found that the idea of work/life balance is very hard to achieve – creating a flexible work/life blend is more realistic. Here’s a couple examples to help you visualize what I mean: On my anniversary trip to Iceland, I was working hard on and off on the upcoming Stand Out 50 announcement. While at IFS Unleashed, I was up extra late putting the finishing touches on plans for my son’s 8th birthday the following week.

This blend is also reflected in the wonderful friendships developed with people I’ve met in my professional life – the moments shared with those individuals are most definitely a highlight of the year and the reason I gladly pour so much of myself into my work. So, here goes – my favorite moments of 2024!

5 Professional Highlights

  1. Connecting with the Future of Field Service community IRL. There’s something special about the community that’s been created with Future of Field Service, and one of my very favorite things is spending time with that community in person. This year that happened at our Stockholm and Cologne events, at IFS Unleashed, and at a variety of other industry events. At an event this fall, someone who had attended one of our Paris events last year said, “I’m not sure you remember me…” Of course I do! The individuals who engage with Future of Field Service are who make it what it is – and I’m so thankful for each of you. The moments of human connection, the thoughtful dialogue, the knowledge sharing that pushes us as individuals but also our

respective industries forward – it’s the best part of what I do.

Spending time with Joern Lindstaedt, SVP Global Customer Service at Rolls-Royce Power Systems, who spoke at our Future of Field Service Live event in Cologne in June.

  • Speaking at/engaging in industry events. Beyond our own community, I appreciate all that comes from taking part in other industry events. This year that included giving keynote presentations at Lely’s annual leadership conference, Field Service Palm Springs, and Field Service East, speaking to a class at The American University in Cairo about service transformation and innovation, being a guest on Aquant’s podcast, taking part in the Advanced Service Group’s Service Innovation workshop at Tetra Pak, presenting alongside IFS customer Alfa Laval at Field Service Europe, and taking part in the Service Council’s Sustainability Service Journey Day at Tetra Pak. Phew!

Rehearsal for my keynote presentation at Lely’s Care Conference in Texas in February.

  • The first-ever Future of Field Service Stand Out 50 Leadership awards. I spoke at length about why we decided to create the Stand Out 50 and why it was such an important initiative – not only to recognize 50 leaders creating significant impact, but to continue to emphasize the value these leaders – and the service function itself – bring to their respective businesses. What will stand out in my mind (no pun intended ?) from launching the awards this year is the heartfelt thank you’s I’ve received from the recipients. To see their organizations acknowledge the award with press releases and their own social campaigns, and then to hear from many of them 1-1 what that meant to them and their teams made the hard work of bringing this to life more than worth it.

Promotion of the Stand Out 50 in Times Square, NYC.

  • IFS Unleashed. Not only did the official Stand Out 50 announcement take place at IFS Unleashed in October, but so did much more! From witnessing sessions from the likes of Usain Bolt and Gary Player that quite literally brought me to tears, to all the energy created as IFS shared its vision for the future, it was a week for the books. More than anything else, though, what meant the most to me was the ability to spend time in person with our amazing customers. I shared on LinkedIn after, “For me, it's never first about the business or the deals or the next big thing; it's always first about the people, the relationships, the community (and I do genuinely believe that's what drives the best outcomes). There's simply no substitute for having the opportunity to see customers in person and give them a hug, or ride a crazy rollercoaster, or sit and talk about what this journey all means. Those face-to-face moments - that human connection - is what makes all the innovation happen, and it's also what makes this work matter.”

The incredible Usain Bolt at IFS Unleashed in Orlando in October.

  • The UNSCRIPTED podcast. This year we changed the name of the Future of Field Service podcast to UNSCRIPTED, to ensure it’s clear we are talking about more than just “field service.” We’re at 296 episodes to end the year and it remains one of my favorite aspects of my work – the conversations are a great way to share among service leaders what’s top of mind, to feature voices championing important issues beyond service, and to have discussions that not only inform but inspire. You can find the first half of the Top 10 Podcasts of 2024 here and stay tuned for Part Two on January 1st.

Recording a live podcast with Steven Van Eyck, Center for Excellence Lead, Field Service at Proximus.

5 Personal Highlights

  1. My sons’ first trip out of the country. I didn’t step foot on an airplane until I was a junior in college and, coincidentally, my first destination flying was also my sons’ first destination out of the country: Cancun, Mexico. It may not be the most adventurous, and spending five days at an all-inclusive resort most certainly isn’t the best way to immerse them in culture, but it’s still a highlight. It was exciting to get their passports, this first adventure needed to be one I could handle solo as my husband had to stay home to work, and the experiment went swimmingly which means further adventures await.

Ellis, 7 and Evan, 8 making good use of their brand-new passports in April in Cancun.

  • Celebrating our 11th anniversary in Iceland. My husband supports all my work travels from home base in Erie, PA, and while we do try to take one trip together a year, it’s usually nothing too far since we have a son with significant medical needs. But this September, we visited Iceland for the first time and had a wonderful time exploring the beautiful country, remembering what it’s like to be “just us,” and laughing until our bellies hurt on more than one occasion.

My husband and I at the Jokulsarlon lagoon in Vatnajokull National Park in Iceland in September.

  • My first-ever personal retreat. Taking the time and spending the money to attend a retreat by myself in Italy in August was a huge decision and a major indulgence and privilege. It was also a life-changing experience for me that I am so incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to take. I didn’t realize just how close to burnout I had become and how much I needed to slow down, and I learned so much about myself in just four short days. It’s no coincidence that three of my five personal moments involve travel, because it’s very important to me – I feel the way you learn about the world, about people, and about yourself while traveling is so special.

Beautiful Lago di Orta in northern Italy in August.

  • Reading 25+ books. When I was young, I loved reading – I kept a light and a book under my mattress and would stay up late reading each night (my older son does the same thing and I absolutely love it). Between graduate school and later motherhood, I’d largely fallen out of the habit – I’d read from time to time, but it hasn’t been a daily practice for me in a long time. In 2024, I aimed to change that and as I’m writing this, I believe I’ve finished 27 books. I prefer to read hard copy books (I’ve tried audiobooks but have never been able to get into them) and have made time for reading this year by eliminating TV and really minimizing time on social media.

One of my favorite books I read in 2024.

  • Pushing myself on personal growth. This is a result of a collection of things, including trauma therapy, incorporation of meditation, deciding to give yoga “another” try, prioritizing movement knowing how much it helps my mental health, being very intentional about social media and its influence, being honest with myself about where I need to push outside of my comfort zone, and more. While this is a journey that will be forever ongoing, I’m proud of the work I’ve done in 2024.

The beaches of Lake Erie on Presque Isle in Erie, PA – about 15 minutes from my home and where I like to spend time thinking and relaxing.

I hope you, too, take the time to look back on 2024 and reflect on all that you’ve achieved, what you’ve learned from the moments that have pushed you, and be proud of yourself for what you’ve done and what you’ve weathered. If this list reads like a lot of sunshine and rainbows, I promise you there were also thunderstorms and plenty of snow! But it does us all good to focus on what we have to be grateful for. Wishing you a restful, peaceful end to 2024 and a wonderful 2025 to come.

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7 Tried and Tested Leadership Tactics to Consider Adding to Your Repertoire

December 16, 2024 | 6 Mins Read

7 Tried and Tested Leadership Tactics to Consider Adding to Your Repertoire

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Last week, I welcomed Ryan Snellings to the UNSCRIPTED podcast. After more than 25 years in service and operations leadership roles at companies like Fresenius Kabi, Luminex Corporation, and Agena, Ryan recently founded The Jobless Leader to provide career development and executive coaching.

I first met Ryan more than ten years ago during his tenure at Fresenius Kabi and even back then his honesty and quick wit stood out, which you see reflected today in his thought-provoking LinkedIn posts. During our podcast discussion, we talked about three areas of leadership Ryan believes are crucial for service leaders: self-awareness and personal development; building effective leadership processes; and learning how to navigate corporate complexity.

As we talked through these three areas, Ryan shared not only his reflections on why each are important, but also provided some examples of what he’s learned – sometimes the hard way – works best. If you’re an aspiring leader, early in your leadership tenure, or a long-time leader who is always looking for fresh perspective, be sure to check out the full conversation. But here are seven specifics Ryan shared that I feel any leader would benefit from adding to their repertoire:

  1. Spend 10 minutes daily on self-reflection. As Ryan and I discussed the importance of self-reflection as a leader, I asked him exactly how service leaders who are stretched thin should make time for this. “Best way to do it is 10 minutes at the end of every single day,” he says. “That's when you are going to remember the emotion you were feeling at the time, the specific incidents, what came up in 1-1s, what goals you met (or didn’t) and why, etc. Writing it down, too – that helps. It’s relatively simple, but it can be eye opening.”
  2. Take responsibility for managing your career. Ryan touted the importance of managing your own career, which to him means understanding that hard work doesn’t always speak for itself – you will get further if you learn to articulate your accomplishments in language your boss cares most about (i.e. their goals). “No one is going to manage your career for you, not because they don’t care about how things turn out for you, but because they’re busy,” explains Ryan. “How are you highlighting what you’re doing? If you can talk about or demonstrate the things that you are doing well, and how they align to what your manager's objectives are, it isn’t bragging it’s clarifying your value. Don’t wait until your annual review to bring in a list of what you’ve done, talk about it in every 1-1.”
  3. Ignore the “rule” that you can’t be friends with people you work with. “You hear all the time that you ‘can't be friends with people you work with,’ and to me, that's some of the biggest BS there is out there,” says Ryan. “We spend half our lives at work. If you don't like the people you work with, then what are you doing? That sounds miserable. Now it doesn't mean you're going to spend the holidays with them, but you can have a real relationship where you truly care about them and what they have going on in their lives.” We also talked about how a genuine care leads to a natural curiosity about how people are doing, making empathy more sincere. Not that you have to be friends with your team to practice empathy, but the point being that employees can sense when you are “practicing empathy” versus living it intentionally. Ryan highlights this example: “How many times has someone asked you how you're doing, only to look down at their phone and check email or something? To me, they're showing you that they don't really care what you have to say.”
  4. Prioritize regular, real-time, personal recognition. “There are a lot of wins throughout the week we just kind of blow by. Seek out a specific thing to recognize – it’s superficial when it’s just ‘good job this year,’ says Ryan. “When someone does something good, you need to acknowledge it right then and there; it's more genuine. I’ve always gotten great feedback when I pay for top performers to take their family out to dinner. It's not about the fact that you're paying for the dinner; it's their family seeing the company recognizing them as a top performer. It makes them proud. As leaders, we get very lazy when it when comes to recognition – not because we’re bad or forgetful, but because we’re busy. We can’t forget to make time for the impact that just a simple handwritten note has.”
  5. Ask your employees for advice. As Ryan and I were talking about the value of even something as simple as saying ‘thank you’ more, he brought up the multidimensional power of asking your employees for advice. “Saying thank you is great, but if you want to blow an employee away – ask them for advice,” says Ryan. “Ask them to weigh in on something, not even necessarily related to their role, but something you’re working on. To be honest, their advice is almost always better than what I was thinking.” As Ryan points out, the payback here is two-fold – the employee feels valued because you are interested in their thoughts and opinion, and you often come away with great ideas you wouldn’t have arrived at otherwise.
  6. Recognize how clearly employees see through the BS. Ryan is disheartened by the volume of examples you see in the media today of senior leaders of companies acting in ways that are nothing less than questionable. He gives a few examples – a CEO on a Zoom call demanding all employees return to full-time work in the office, with a row of leadership books on the shelf behind them. A company announcing record-breaking profits, then two weeks later do layoffs because they want that much more (only to announce hiring again soon thereafter). “Or organizations announcing a ‘flat structure’ or lack of hierarchy, which is really just a way to imply employees are supposed to take on more responsibility without the pay,” Ryan adds. “There’s a lack of transparency, and people see through that – all the jargon and corporate slang to make things that aren’t sound ‘nice.’ People see right through it.” Ryan fully acknowledges the hard decisions that leaders sometimes have to make, and the hard conversations those decisions result in – he isn’t suggesting they can be avoided, but rather emphasizing the importance of being honest with employees to build rather than erode trust
  7. Don’t tolerate toxic people (no matter how high performing they are). You know the story: someone at work is horrible to be around and you can’t for the life of you understand why they’re still there. Oh yes, they hit the big numbers – so anything is tolerated (insert eyeroll). In Ryan’s view, a good leader will eliminate the toxic behavior, no matter what the (short-term) cost. “Toxicity in any form erodes culture. Sometimes these people don’t realize they have destructive habits, and that’s an issue that falls on their manager’s shoulders. If they’ve been given the feedback and refuse to improve, they need to be removed,” he says. “Refusing to tolerate toxicity is the only way to build a strong culture. With the job market being tough currently, you see people staying still – but it’ll be interesting to see what happens to the companies that are refusing to address toxicity when things get better.”

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December 9, 2024 | 4 Mins Read

How Technological Innovation is Evolving Fleet Management

December 9, 2024 | 4 Mins Read

How Technological Innovation is Evolving Fleet Management

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Vehicles are a big-ticket capital expense for most field service organizations and come with a lot of additional costs for maintenance, insurance, fuel, and in some cases anxiety. Company trucks and vans are a big rolling advertisement for your business, but if they are involved in an accident or your technicians are not driving courteously or safely, it can be a hit to your company’s reputation.

Many service vehicles have been equipped for some time with telematics equipment to monitor vehicle behavior and location. This gives owners more of a bird’s eye view of where the trucks are at (for routing, scheduling and safety purposes), as well as a clue as to whether technicians are speeding, driving erratically, or needlessly idling and wasting fuel.

But other innovations are on the way that could give fleet owners more peace of mind and increase technician surveillance. ABI Research released a report, The Future of Fleet Management: Expanding Use Cases and Connectivity Requirements, that outlines some of these emerging technologies and what changes they may mean for fleet management.

While traditional fleet management solutions have focused on asset tracking, location, and compliance reporting, new use cases are on the rise that include vehicle theft prevention solutions, driver safety systems, yard management, and video surveillance.

Increased Focus on Driver Safety and Vehicle Theft

Vehicle theft and driver safety are an outgrowth of location tracking. New systems can generate automatic alerts if a vehicle is broken into or on the move when it shouldn’t be, and fleet management systems can use sensors and telematics to monitor driver behavior and create scorecards. The report notes that advanced use cases, including video monitoring for driver safety, are becoming more common in the industry, and will soon be integrated with electric vehicle technology and autonomous vehicle systems.

According to the ABI Research report: “These future use cases will drive even greater demand for advanced Internet of Things (IoT) devices, data management platforms, and, perhaps most importantly, an unprecedented level of localized global connectivity … Given these developments, fleet managers in the future will require a completely different type of network and connectivity service provider, one that can offer a range of highly available networks and a connectivity management platform designed for advanced IoT applications.” That will likely include a mix of traditional cellular networks, Wi-Fi, 4G and 5G.

Many service fleets operate in a limited geographic space, so some of the long-range connectivity issues in the report aren’t all that applicable. But issues around driver surveillance and the potential for technology to reduce maintenance costs are interesting for service organizations. Newer fleet management solutions can make better use of sensor data from tires, engines, and fuel monitoring systems on the vehicle, and apply predictive analytics to reduce or anticipate maintenance.

The video monitoring piece would involve using dash cams to monitor loading and unloading of a vehicle, as well as driver behavior. For example, you could tell if a driver is starting to nod off behind the wheel. The ABI Research report cites data from ASIS International that showed “businesses with connected telematics solutions like in-cab dash cams can reduce insurance claims by at least 25% and crashes by around 50%.”

Those types of savings are probably more relevant for long-haul trucking, but there may be service organizations that could see some benefit from dash cams for remote technicians that could help monitor clock-in times, unauthorized vehicle use, or providing an extra safety check for technicians that work in remote areas or in hazardous conditions. They could also provide evidence in case of an accident.

Technicians have generally gotten used to GPS/location tracking solutions after objections about monitoring early on. When it comes to the incorporation of more video monitoring, it poses the question of whether dash cams would be a bridge too far, or be seen as just an extension of existing systems?

That depends on whether or not organizations can afford to install them, of course. I’ve written before about adoption of EV service vehicles and autonomous driving technology, which has been slowed by availability of reliable, purpose-built trucks and the high cost of adoption. (ABI also has a blog about commercial EV adoption that looks at some of these trends.)

The ABI report cites cost as the top barrier to adoption of new fleet management technology (by 45% of respondents). Companies also cited the lack of internal infrastructure for managing telematics data, and vendor confusion related to implementing these systems. Fleet operators will also need access to robust and reliable wireless networks to make sure the data is delivered in a timely fashion.

If you’ve investigated some of these new fleet management technologies like dash cams and/or advanced telematics, I’d love to hear about your experiences.

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December 2, 2024 | 3 Mins Read

Are We Measuring Today’s Service Success on Yesteryear’s Metrics?

December 2, 2024 | 3 Mins Read

Are We Measuring Today’s Service Success on Yesteryear’s Metrics?

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If there’s one thing that can illustrate the divide between what a company says is most important and what actually is, it’s how they measure success. When conducting research for our recent Stand Out Service Trends report, it was interesting to reflect on where businesses are still working to reconcile what service has become (a key differentiator and engine for growth: 37% stated that service is a significant source of revenue/profit for their businesses and 19% described service as their company’s primary growth engine) with the changes needed operationally to truly embrace its potential.

For instance, wanting peace of mind or guaranteed uptime/performance was second on the list of reported customer expectations, but only 26% of respondents are currently offering outcomes-based services (and 26% are offering reactive/transactional break-fix service only). Further, it seems that some organizations have yet to align KPIs to what service can mean to the business (a differentiator and growth engine).

We asked, “What are the core KPIs upon which your field technicians are measured?” Here are the anecdotal responses shared:

  • First-time completes, 5-star service, and cycle times
  • NPS, response time, same-day fix, PM completion, parts usage, inventory accuracy, customer retention
  • First-time fix, response time, NPS, customer feedback
  • No formal KPIs
  • Utilization and first-time fix
  • Utilization, return trip avoidance, and parts management
  • First-time fix, response time, average order value, productivity
  • Utilization/productivity
  • Time to resolution, uptime, NPS, revenue/profit
  • NPS, completion rate, productivity/efficiency, quality/FTC, and revenue creation
  • CSAT, first-time fix, parts management
  • NPS
  • Productivity (return rate)
  • Accessories attachment rate
  • Utilization, return visits, technical accuracy
  • Remote tool usage, CSAT
  • Safety, NPS, timely completion of assigned workorders
  • NPS, safety, quality
  • Transactional customer surveys, periodic maintenance completion, site avoidance service completion
  • Time to recover/install
  • EPI, MTTS, MTBF, spare part consumption, MTTINT, on-time PM completion
  • Customer NPS, contract performance, learning and development
  • Maintenance completion rates, revenue per truck, and safety
  • CSAT
  • First-time-right, respect of appointment, value creation, efficiency
  • Response time, resolution time, first-time fix rate, remote service rate, contractual fulfillment rate, spare parts availability

Now some of these responses indicate a well-balanced approach, assessing both operational and customer-centric KPIs. I can also understand those who opt to go all-in on NPS or CSAT metrics, with the thinking that as long as they are delivering there that’s what’s most important (which obviously has to be agreed from the top-down). But it’s those who are solely relying on metrics like productivity and utilization that I question, because for organizations looking to seize the full potential of service, these metrics won’t accurately reflect success (or failure).

This is of course just a short list, and we don’t have the context to know how each of these responses ties back to the broader company objectives (or not), but reading through this made me think long and hard about the discrepancy that may exist in organizations between how they’re measuring success and what they’re saying is important. Or what they may learn by expanding their metrics to take in another view.

How does your organization measure service success? Do you feel the KPIs are well-aligned to what it is the business is aiming to achieve? I’d love to hear from you.

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Most Leaders Should Be Saying Thank You More

November 25, 2024 | 3 Mins Read

Most Leaders Should Be Saying Thank You More

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It’s Thanksgiving in the United States this week, so I have gratitude on my mind. While I’ve struggled for years to keep the commitment of daily gratitude journaling, I do try my hardest to make it a practice to keep in focus all I have to be thankful for. I also try my hardest to express my gratitude to others, for the big things but also in small, everyday ways.

We know these “little things,” like saying thank you, aren’t actually little at all; they have a tremendous impact. From a leadership perspective, making time for “little things,” especially when you lead large teams is indeed a challenge. But it’s a challenge I believe more leaders should be taking on.

There’s been increasing recognition of the correlation between employee engagement, performance, and customer satisfaction. And acceptance of changes within the talent landscape that require companies – and leaders – to do things differently if they aim to attract and retain good talent. But in all of this, like in many areas of life, there can be a tendency to overlook, undervalue, or deprioritize the little things that often make the biggest difference.

For leaders, one of the most valuable tools you have in your toolbox is to make sure your employees feel appreciated and valued. When is the last time you said thank you to someone on your team, or reminded them of the impact their hard work has on you, on the company, on your customers? When you stop to think about it, it’s amazing to consider what an investment of just 30 seconds within a conversation can do.

Why Gratitude Matters

Wanting to feel we matter is human nature, but it’s a need that the corporate world thinks little of in days, weeks, and years driven by efficiency, goals, milestones, and wins. Leaders hold the capacity to connect that human need to the business objectives at hand, by simply thanking employees for what it is they do to contribute and letting them know you see the hard work they do, and it matters.

At Field Service Europe, I attended an interesting panel on work-life balance and during the discussion, every leader on the panel spoke about the importance of investing time for 1-1 interactions with your team, ideally face-to-face. They emphasized the importance of getting to know your employees personally. Is this time consuming? It can be, but they all were firm that it is not only a worthwhile but a critical investment.

I’ve heard leaders speak for years, across industries, about how amazing it is to see what relatively small actions can do when it comes to showing employees appreciation and recognition. If it’s something you know you aren’t doing enough of today, what would happen if you made a concerted effort to change that?

As someone who has been on the receiving end of platitudinal gratitude, let me clarify that this needs to be authentic. Making it a point to say robotically “thanks for all you do” to each of your team members over the coming month isn’t going to cut it; they will see right through you. You have to actually mean it, and if that feels challenging then I think you have yourself a bigger problem (a team you aren’t leading well or an ego so big you can’t see other people’s contributions clearly).

Some of you likely are already making a genuine effort to ensure your employees feel appreciated, and that’s wonderful! If you’re up for a challenge as well, what I’d suggest to make even more impact is to consider that different forms of communication may resonate better with different people. Some may connect most through a 1-1 conversation, others would be delighted at receiving a handwritten note. Some may feel most proud with some form of public acknowledgement, others would prefer a private exchange. The more you understand your team, the better you can tailor your gratitude to maximize its impact. But simply saying thank you is a great way to start.

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November 18, 2024 | 3 Mins Read

The Seeds of Service Innovation

November 18, 2024 | 3 Mins Read

The Seeds of Service Innovation

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Have you seen the Stand Out Service Trends report we recently published? If not, be sure to check it out! And even if you have, you’re in luck because I have some content to share in today’s article that didn’t fit into the final report.

As we surveyed our Stand Out leaders, we asked for insights around how customer expectations have changed, how service delivery is evolving, how organizations are building cultures of change, and much more. We also asked for input on the question, “How do you evaluate areas of potential (beyond efficiency improvements) within your service organization?”

The leaders shared several anecdotes that we didn’t have room for in the report – but that fortunately I can share here with you! Here’s what they had to say about where they find seeds of service innovation:

  • “Through benchmarking and consumer experience studies.”
  • “We utilize customer journey mapping in order to align opportunities to improve the overall customer experience, inclusive of improving the employee experience as well.”
  • “We use industry seminars, whitepapers, and mid-term planning (3/5 years) that includes quality improvements and revenue/profit predictions linked to changing customer needs and the product portfolio changes expected/planned.”
  • “Reflecting on how we can best serve the customer while maintaining profitability. What technology can we use to support service to the customer, while maintaining customer value and employee engagement?”
  • “Customer feedback!”
  • “We leverage an internal process called ‘The Idea Factory’ which creates a conduit for idea flow from across the organization.”
  • “Ideas generated from the team with past experiences or new concepts from baselining, along with KPI data indicating where the efficiencies need to come from. The other organization departments also drive a lot of what we need.”
  • “We have Customer Success managers who gather insights from customers and conduct monthly meetings with all customers. We also have an annual customer survey.”
  • “Through customer journey analysis, design thinking workshops with customers and employees, and bottom-up ideation workshops.”
  • “I would say we don't have a very robust infrastructure to do this. We have a forum for ideas/requests that gets evaluated by the leadership team, but we don't have a multi-functional forum for this.”

Reading through these responses, there are a few notable points that stand out to me. First is the point that there is no better seed of innovation than that which comes from customers themselves. You can see by the number of customer-centric replies that these organizations recognize that truth and put proper emphasis on understanding customers’ feedback, needs, and desires.

The next thing I’d note is the value of diversity of thought. I love the concept of the “Idea Factory” and am glad multiple respondents noted the importance of ideation coming from all levels and areas of the company. When organizations involve employees from different functions, with different backgrounds, skills, and perspectives, the outcome is far richer than if innovation rests in the hands of a limited pool of viewpoints.

The use of industry seminars and whitepapers is good to think about, too. I’d suggest considering not only how you can explore what companies within your industry are doing, but also how seeds of innovation can come from learning from other industries as well. Keeping pace with what trends, themes, and challenges are top of mind in (and beyond) your industry is a great way to not only validate your own ideation but to spark new ideas as well.

And finally, I appreciate the respondent who shared honestly that their organization doesn’t have a good infrastructure in place for finding these opportunities. It’s important to have the objectivity to recognize that truth; many organizations fail to see what’s lacking in their internal processes. Knowing there’s a need to create a better system for nurturing innovation is the first step in doing so!

Are there any ways you source seeds of innovation that you’d add to this list? I’d love to hear from you!

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What Do Field Technicians Want from Technology?

November 11, 2024 | 4 Mins Read

What Do Field Technicians Want from Technology?

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In October I shared an article with some excerpts and extras from the recent survey and subsequent report we created with the Stand Out 50 Leaders. That piece, specific to employee engagement, is complemented well by research recently released by the Service Council.

In September, the Service Council provided an early look at the results of its annual “Voice of the Field Service Engineer” survey via a webinar with Service Council CEO John Carroll and Gerardo Pelayo, VP of Research and Advisory at the Service Council (you can watch the whole thing here).

This annual survey provides some good insights into technician psychology, particularly when it comes to job satisfaction and the ongoing challenge of finding and retaining employees. It also gives us a look at how technology initiatives are affecting the employees in the field. What I found interesting in the data the Service Council presented this year was that, while technicians generally appreciate the efficiencies created by existing solutions, there may be times when automation goes a little too far.

But first, a few interesting points about the research. The median age of technicians is decreasing, with the largest group of respondents being younger than 44, indicating a renewed frontline workforce. However, technician commitment is eroding. Less than half plan to remain in field service for their entire career; in some organizations, that number is as high as 83%, so there is quite a spread when it comes to retention in the industry.

While the reasons they plan to leave varied, a lack of fulfillment seemed to be driving many of them into other careers. Many are looking for more money or, interestingly, a bigger challenge when it comes to their job. Which begs the important question: is automation making some field service work too … boring?

As Carroll put it, “Will automation make the role mundane and take creativity away? We need to find a balance between the technology capabilities being innovative, and not making this a boring, mundane, step-by-step job. The frontline is empowered by fixing and solving problems.”

Balancing Automation and Empowerment

In the survey findings, technicians listed solving problems, fixing and repairing equipment, and learning about new tools and technologies as what they like about their jobs. They don’t like paperwork and administrative tasks, wasting time searching for information, their work hours, or the pressure put on them to work faster. Technicians above the age of 35 also don’t like rigid, imposed processes, which could be a warning sign when it comes to technology deployments and retention.

Technicians across age groups still felt they were spending too much time on paperwork and data capture in the field, with the respondents claiming they spent an average of 52% of their day on these tasks. While this indicates ample opportunity for greater use of technologies like AI and further automation (perhaps coupled with a need in many instances for modernization of core service management platforms overall), there are also points that show the work that service organizations have done when it comes to digital transformation has yielded benefits.

For instance, an impressive 93% reported that technology had made them more productive, and 69% said they were encouraged to innovate. Technicians generally are much less concerned about GPS tracking than they were in prior years, and the percentage of technicians who phone a colleague when they need support has dropped from 81% last year to 58% this year. This is significant, because those inter-technician support calls can be a costly drag on productivity.

The survey also asked what capabilities were not currently available on their mobile device that would be valuable. Top categories were live troubleshooting steps using AI-based support tools (20%), augmented/virtual reality on the asset for troubleshooting (19%), live video with backend support (18%), and spare parts inventory visibility (15%).

Technicians also said they would like to see improvements in email management, spare parts inventory visibility, parts ordering, and time and expense reporting.

I’ve written a lot in the past about the importance of maintaining a holistic view of employee satisfaction that includes recognizing that technicians are people with lives outside of their work, and the survey touches on a few of those topics, too. Sixty-eight percent of respondents said that technology has made them less mentally stressed, and 83% indicated that technology had made them safer in the field.

Asked what features were available in their technology solutions, but felt like a burden, lead opportunity capture ranked high. That led the Service Council team to question in their webinr discussion whether there may be too much pressure on technicians to sell/upsell in the field.

So, what can we take from this data? On the upside, it looks like technicians really like a lot of the technology that has been deployed over the past several years, particularly when it helps remove friction from the parts of the job they don’t like (paperwork, for example) or speeds up the process of helping them address problems/answer questions. And they want more of it – more video and AR/VR support, better ways to find and order parts, and access to more knowledge.

What they don’t want is to be forced into cookie cutter work processes, or to have their ability to creatively solve problems for customers restricted by technology. It also looks like organizations still have work to do when it comes to making field service an appealing long-term career choice to this new crop of younger technicians. That will probably involve a mix work/life balance adjustments to things like scheduling, improving technician engagement in technology deployments, and finding ways to incorporate technician input into operations and business planning.

You can watch the webinar here. If you have thoughts on the data or want to share how your own technicians have responded to automation, I would love to hear them.

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How Do You Prevent Your Company’s Legacy from Becoming a Liability?

November 4, 2024 | 3 Mins Read

How Do You Prevent Your Company’s Legacy from Becoming a Liability?

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When I sat down with Michael Galon of Coca-Cola at Field Service East this summer to discuss working together on a podcast, he brought up a topic I knew many would relate to: how does a leader ensure a company’s legacy doesn’t become a liability?

It’s a great question, and not one that has a simple answer. There are ample benefits for a company that has a rich history – they often have excellent brand recognition, have developed strong customer loyalty, and have created operational efficiencies and streamlined processes that come from decades of lessons learned. However, many of these companies can also find themselves within the trap of the ever-so-comfortable status quo. This is especially true when a company is performing well and feels stable in its existing state.

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the status quo; but it does create the risk of missing an opportunity (or moreover, a need) to evolve or innovate which is where it can become a liability. Within service specifically, there are a number of scenarios where this can take place – product-centric companies that overlook the potential of service and therefore neglect any innovation around the function, companies performing well enough that their objectivity around innovative potential or risk is clouded, and so on.

4 Exercises to Avoid the Liability of Legacy

The goal is to create a balance between leveraging the company’s legacy for the strengths it brings, while ensuring you don’t allow for it to become a liability. Sounds simple, right? Of course not! But here are some factors that can help prevent the liability of legacy from creeping up.

  • Remain Curious to Avoid Complacency. The comfort level tends to come not only from what’s familiar but from the false belief that you’ve got it “all figured out.” And maybe you do, but the reality is circumstances always change. It’s important to remain curious. If you are asking the question, over and over, of whether your company’s legacy is creating any areas of liability, I think you’ve won half the battle.
  • Seek Inspiration Outside Your Industry. Some industries tend toward innovation far more than others, and it’s important to remain aware of not only what changes are taking place within your own industry, but outside of it. If your industry is slow to evolve, you risk being disrupted by not recognizing a need for innovation before a new entrant or early adopter does. Further, customers in all industries today have expectations that are heavily influenced by experiences they have as consumers and across other industries, so taking into consideration only what they could expect from a direct competitor is a far too limited view.
  • Get a Fresh Perspective. The reality may be that if you are working among heavily tenured teams, the ability to look at things objectively may be very challenging. Sometimes it can be very helpful to get some fresh, outside perspective. This can be in the form of brining someone into a role in the organization that has experience in a different industry, a different organization, or simply a clean take on things. Or it can come from working with a consultant or even from networking with peers across other industries or organizations. There’s tremendous value in seeking wisdom from others.
  • Stay Close to Your Customers. Close customer relationships and an active effort to understand their environments and assess their challenges is essential to every business but can be especially important when it comes to ensuring your legacy offerings and ways of working are continuing to resonate, as well as what adjacent services or value they may be seeking. Customer loyalty is a wonderful thing, but asking the questions around what you could be doing differently, doing better, doing in addition to will not only strengthen the relationship further but give you valuable insight into where and when change may be needed.

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