In recent years sustainability has become an increasingly important global initiative. Likewise, the United States and European Union have announced plans to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030. In order to achieve this ambitious reduction, organizations are implementing sweeping sustainability initiatives. In addition, numerous businesses are looking to partner with like-minded companies that are prioritizing environmentally-responsible workflows and practices.
In like manner, sustainability has become a top priority for many field service organizations. For instance, according to IDC research, 40% of field service organizations cite sustainability as a key priority. Moreover, embracing sustainability is not a process that exists in a vacuum, sustainability initiatives function in tandem within a larger digital transformation journey. To this extent, field service organizations are turning to innovative field service management software to augment their sustainability efforts and drive increased revenue.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss the key findings of ServicePower’s eBook, Sustainability in the Field Service Industry, touching on the top environmental and economic benefits of deploying field service management software.
1. Reduces Field Workforce Emissions
Traditionally, field service workflows have relied on manual and error-prone workflows that result in reduced productivity and redundancies that fuel workforce emissions. However, field service management software has played a key role in reducing these emissions via Artificial Intelligence (AI) scheduling software and Augmented Reality technology.
Reduces Emissions via AI-Driven Scheduling Optimization
Field service scheduling is a complex process that has to balance numerous factors including competing demands, last-minute scheduling changes, varying technician locations, inclement weather, and unruly traffic. Organizations looking to embrace sustainability need to effectively balance all of these factors in order to reduce travel time and fuel consumption, and increase productivity. Field service management software helps companies augment sustainability in the following ways:
Reduces Emissions via AR-Powered Field Service Technology
Augmented Reality is an innovative technology that acts as a visual aid for both field technicians and customers alike. By superimposing detailed diagrams and instructions directly over equipment in an existing environment, users can more easily understand how to troubleshoot or resolve problems. For instance, customers can use AR to connect with a field service technician remotely, either preparing the technician before a visit or in some cases, enabling the customer to resolve the problem themselves. The key benefits of AR-empowered field service technicians are as follows:
- Enabling remote triage and troubleshooting.
- Improving first-time fix rates.
- Reducing car and truck fuel consumption.
- Reducing paper-based processes.
2. Improves Field Service Carbon Footprints
In the modern world, information enablement is critical to making data-driven and sustainable decisions. However, technology is the key to unlocking these informative insights. By investing in field service technology, organizations tap into the power of real-time data and automation. For instance, without up-to-date information, a field service technician may arrive at an appointment without the correct parts or timely customer data. This seemingly simple error would then result in another service appointment, more trucks on the road, an increase in fuel consumption, and an increase in the possibility of truck rolls and vehicle wear. On the other hand, AI-driven automation can help reduce field service footprints in the following ways:
- Simplifying and automating complex scheduling tasks.
- Removing error-prone manual processes.
- Improving first-time fix rates.
- Increasing visibility and control of supply chain and correct parts.
- Processing data quickly and accurately.
- Optimizing resource-heavy consumption processes.
3. Enables Paper Reduction
The most intuitive benefit of sustainability within digital transformation is the ability to reduce paper consumption. By converting the extensive amount of field service paperwork into digital templates, organizations can reduce their mass paper consumption. Not to mention, digital formats allow technicians to access critical information via mobile devices on the go, which can reduce the need to physically transport paperwork. Likewise, the benefits of digital forms include:
- Eliminating paper waste with digital templates.
- Reducing time on the road traveling.
- Improving the accuracy of equipment inspections.
4. Increases Appliance Efficiency
One of the most notable benefits of field service management software is the ability to leverage IoT-driven servitization. With the help of IoT technology, field service organizations can remotely track and measure appliance performance, optimizing efficiency and automatically alerting technicians of potential problems. Furthermore, by proactively maintaining and repairing energy-powered equipment, organizations can help mitigate the failure of equipment and therefore decrease energy consumption. For instance, IoT-driven field service management software augments sustainability in the following ways:
- Improving home appliance energy efficiency.
- Increasing levels of control and visibility.
- Increasing first-time fix rates.
- Removing outdated paper-based approaches.
Driving Customer Satisfaction with Field Service Sustainability
In addition to the numerous benefits covered, field service sustainability is also great for customer retention. For instance, according to research, 88% of consumers will be more loyal to a company that supports social or environmental issues, with 63% of executives citing customers as the main influence for investing in sustainability programs.
Investing in field service management software is the easiest way for field service organizations to both embrace digital transformation and overcome traditional workflows that negatively impact the environment.
Read the full eBook to discover how your field service organization can augment sustainability, embrace digital transformation, and drive revenue.
ServicePower : July 13, 2021
ServicePower