With 2024 now well underway, field service leaders are focused on growing their companies and exceeding customers’ needs. Field service executives face many challenges to keep operations running smoothly and meet the demands of their expanding customer bases.
As technology continues to evolve rapidly, there are numerous opportunities for field service companies to leverage it to help them work through challenges and stay ahead of their competitors.
Below, we detail some of the most significant challenges that field services leaders are navigating in 2024 and how they can overcome them with the help of technology:
Handling Cybersecurity and Data Management Issues
Field service organizations have been increasingly leveraging technology to help them more effectively manage operations. But with more technology use comes more challenges related to cybersecurity risks and data management issues.
Cybersecurity threats, such as Internet of Things (IoT) attacks, malware, and phishing schemes, can cause significant damage to your organization’s technology and data. Implementing frequent security protocols, including security audits, software updates, and data encryption, to identify and deal with cybersecurity issues proactively.
Further, many field service companies handle significant customer data, from contact information to payment details. To keep data sage, organizations must execute data protection practices, secure encryption methods, device password protection, and regular software updates.
Effectively Implementing Servitization
As field service organizations focus on offering high-quality services to their customers, servitization has become front and center. Customers pay for a comprehensive service instead of equipment in a servitization business model. Companies work to provide a valuable outcome-based solution instead of a product offering. Servitization helps organizations foster an exceptional customer experience and brand loyalty because this approach enables your organization to provide more personalized services to help each customer with specific issues or needs they have.
However, executing a solid servitization strategy is easier said than done. Legacy processes and a lack of data make servitization challenging for some field service organizations.
A high-quality field service platform like Gomocha can significantly help your organization with its servitization efforts by enabling you to stay connected with customers, quickly schedule site visits, monitor equipment at customer sites, access real-time data, and much more. These initiatives can significantly help you provide a more robust service, boosting customer satisfaction and loyalty and increasing revenue.
Practicing Sustainability
Field service companies rely on fast uptimes to maintain top-notch customer service. Further, some organizations must transport parts to job sites using express systems that depend heavily on fuel. However, as companies continue to keep these operations running, they must prioritize implementing sustainable practices.
Predictive maintenance plays a significant role in helping organizations achieve their sustainability goals. IoT and smart devices collect data for companies to determine asset performance. This enables you to plan for and address possible equipment failures before they become an issue, reducing expensive problems and boosting operational output.
Navigating the Workforce Shortage
The global talent shortage has increased from 36% in 2014 to 75% in 2024, according to ManPowerGroup’s 2024 Global Talent Shortage report. There are more jobs than skilled workers to fill them, making this a top challenge for field service leaders to navigate.
As many senior field technicians retire, they take the institutional knowledge they gained while working for the organizations. Knowledge sharing is imperative to help pass on that essential information to new and current team members. A centralized repository in a knowledge management system can provide a place for sharing procedures, best practices, data related to customer interactions, and much more.
Moreover, field service platforms employ intelligent scheduling algorithms and routing processes to help organizations properly allocate their existing workforce. This ensures you efficiently dispatch technicians to meet customers’ needs and send technicians with the specific skills needed for the job on-site.
Providing High-Quality Remote Services
When the global COVID-19 pandemic hit, field service companies pivoted their services if they wanted to stay in business. Many organizations began offering remote solutions so they could continue to serve their customers without having to be physically on-site. Even as people have returned to the workplace, remote services have become increasingly popular among field service industries because these solutions boost efficiency and increase fix times.
Getting clients accustomed to remote visits to troubleshoot and fix problems is difficult. Customers may be concerned about the safety of their data when they opt for remote services, or they might think they aren’t tech-savvy enough to participate in a remote services program. Field service leaders must work to demonstrate the value of remote services to their customers.
By educating your customers on the benefits of these services and their processes, you can increase the chances of gaining their buy-in. Ensuring little effort on the customer’s end goes a long way toward a remote field service program that is easy for them to understand and follow. Further, a top-notch field service platform like Gomocha can streamline remote operations, help you communicate with customers, ensure the security of their information, and minimize tech glitches.
Undoubtedly, 2024 will see technological advancements to help field service organizations grow. Navigating and taking proactive steps to overcome the challenges that the year will bring is crucial to the success of your field service company.