Seeing the Olympics Through the Field Service Lens

As the Olympics in Paris draw near, the iconic five rings become ubiquitous symbols of friendly competition and images of gold medals are everywhere we turn. Athletes and spectators alike know the games are the ultimate challenge of athletic skill, endurance, and execution. Anyone in the field service industry might also see the games through a different lens—one that sees a pool and wonders how many technicians are on stand-by in case a water filter clogs. Who is monitoring the air conditioners to make sure indoor arenas are at the correct temperature? When were the bleachers last inspected for safety standards?

Professionals in customer service might see the Olympics as one big chance to build loyalty, reinforce a brand, and upsell customers. Fans are customers. They have high expectations and demand positive experiences, just like homeowners who want their dishwasher to work or their garage door to go up when it should.

The Olympics are also a pinnacle of logistics. Think of the number of spreadsheets that must be involved in behind-the-scenes orchestration of events! Imagine the technology involved in tracking croissant and éclair deliveries, not to mention tickets sold for Eifel Tower elevator rides. Most of us can only imagine the algorithms required to predict traffic patterns around the Arc de Triomphe.

Timing certainly is critical, including arrivals, departures, reservations, and communication about itineraries. Thousands of athletes, their coaches, families and spectators all must arrive on time--and with their necessities, from javelins and running shoes to that chalk Simone uses to grip the uneven parallel bars. Timing is critical because there is no do-over or delays. Athletes get one chance.

The same is true of field service—every day. Scheduling and dispatch of field technicians requires carefully synchronizing multiple moving elements, from technician certification to geographic location of the customer, weather, traffic, and available parts. There’s one chance to get it right.

Modern field service management solutions make it seem easy, just like Olympic divers make triple somersaults while plunging toward water look easy. Being well-prepared, knowing exactly what to expect, and having a strong support team certainly help athletes step up and focus on the moment. Countless hours going into preparation and training.

Field technicians, too, benefit from advance planning. Success on the field call begins long before the technician arrives on site. Data about the customer, the product, and type of service call go into scheduling the right technician for the job. Modern field service solutions provide access to data, critical information about the service request, warranties or service agreements, and the service history. Access to real-time data helps the technician focus on the here and now, and how to best resolve the service request in one dispatch.

A first-call resolution isn’t enough to earn a spot on the podium, though. The field service operations must also be cost effective, using resources wisely. Again, technology empowers a winning performance, such as:

• The ability to anticipate demand and stock adequate inventory levels of replacement parts
• Optimized scheduling and dispatch of field service agents, based on multiple real-time factors, like location
• Smart use of labor, from pairing junior and senior technicians to leveraging veteran consultants as virtual mentors
• Providing online portals for customers and collaboration tools so customers or technicians can reschedule service calls if needed
• Easy access to a knowledge bank so the field technician can research best practices for repairs while on the job
• Convenient, easy-to-use parts tools to look up necessary parts and place orders if needed

Wrapping up this analogy, it’s clear that professionals in field service will watch the Paris games with a trained eye on performance, logistics, and consistency. They will notice some of the attributes that contribute to a medal win: Perseverance, focus, and team backing. These certainly contribute to field service success too. And, in the service operation, the right software in place helps too. Technology provides the needed boost, separating gold from bronze.    

You can learn more about how ServicePower's field service management solutions can transform your field service by booking a demo today.