As the field service industry continues to grow and adapt to predictive maintenance, so do the challenges manufacturing companies face. Acknowledging these challenges thus becomes key to tomorrow’s long-term success.
Below, we examine four key challenges and their solutions for manufacturers:
Increased Regulatory Requirements
Manufacturing companies must keep up with increasingly strict regulatory requirements in cybersecurity, data privacy, workplace safety, and environmental sustainability. Many field service organizations also work globally today with varying legal requirements.
Regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation, Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards, and industry-specific standards require manufacturers to implement real-time compliance tracking and reporting systems.
Automated solutions help companies accurately monitor the latest regulations to avoid legal, financial, and operational penalties.
Evolving Customer Expectations
A digital evolution away from reactive service means customer expectations have also shifted. Customers look for proactive maintenance, quick turnarounds, personalized communication, and complete transparency in service life cycles.
Real-time updates throughout these processes become essential to satisfaction. Companies must align their strategies accordingly to establish customer loyalty.
Persistent Skills Gap
The manufacturing industry’s persistent skills gap worsened after the 2020 pandemic. The fast pace of technological advancement has also increased demand for specialized skills, while an aging workforce means experienced personnel are retiring.
Real-time knowledge-sharing tools, guided workflows, and on-the-job learning opportunities can enable seamless collaboration and knowledge transfer, empowering technicians to solve complex tasks efficiently.
Sustainability and Efficiency Pressures
Regulators, investors, and customers are placing greater pressure on manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions and adopt more sustainable practices. These practices include digital documentation, optimized routing, and predictive maintenance strategies.
Many organizations have started investing in sustainability initiatives, which are crucial for maintaining a competitive edge today.
Even as manufacturing companies experience challenges from increased regulations, evolving expectations, skills gaps, and environmental pressures, they can face them head-on through automated, real-time solutions and an intentional commitment to adaptation, which is crucial for long-term success.
Read the full Copperberg and Gomocha whitepaper, Unlocking Hidden Efficiencies: A Blueprint for Field Service Success in Manufacturing.