More and more companies are looking for ways to use connected devices to improve field service and George Walker, managing director of field service management software provider Novotek UK and Ireland, explains how the Internet of Things (IoT) is changing field service.
Field service management has traditionally been responsible for activities such as locating fleet vehicles, scheduling maintenance work-orders and dispatching personnel. However, the advent of the IoT means that much of this model is shifting to real-time, predictive maintenance and those companies that adapt their businesses will benefit the most from the resulting competitive advantage.
In the next few years, the number of IoT connected devices is set to surge, going from 27 billion in 2017 to 125 billion in 2030. Sensors help engineers to remotely diagnose problems in many instances, as well as help to remotely repair or prevent further damage to equipment. These hardware sensors however, are just the beginning.
Better software will make businesses realise the true potential of IoT in field service management. Modern field servicing software needs to go beyond the basics and offer better and wider integration with the company’s inventory, billing and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
For this reason, Novotek partnered up with ServiceMax, the leading vendor in the industry, and became the sole distributor of GE’s ServiceMax field servicing software in the UK and Ireland. It creates solutions for the people who install, maintain and repair machines across dozens of industries, as the leading provider of complete end to end mobile and cloud-based technology.
By using this service, you avoid situations where some technicians are overloaded, while others have white space in their schedules. Moreover, a machine on a customer site can send an alert to the service team, warning them of an imminent failure and potential downtime. Technicians can then be proactively dispatched to site with the right parts to carry out urgent repair and mitigate costly downtime.
IoT has already drastically changed other sectors of the industrial landscape and is now making waves in the field service management sector. Whether you’re a utility business, a healthcare provider or even a telecoms business, it’s about time you looked at how IoT will change field servicing for you.
