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FSM Trends in 2023: Navigating the Future of Field Service Management

While simultaneously attempting to embrace the circular economy and being under pressure to show progress toward ever-more ambitious ESG targets, companies are under pressure to continue developing superior service offers to differentiate their brands, enhance margins, and maintain consumer loyalty.
They use platforms powered by AI/ML and field service management software to streamline business processes and increase operational effectiveness.

According to the Zion Market Research survey, field service management (FSM) should reach a massive market size of USD 6.68 billion by 2023. An automated field force management platform can automate manual operations, including work orders, disposition collection, job allocations, scheduling, etc.

People who work in the field service industry know that innovation is everywhere. Field service management software (FSM) will evolve in the future in response to new technologies like the cloud, Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), and driverless cars.

A turning point occurred last year. Even though the worst pandemic had passed, its consequences were still felt, from how we work to the state of the global economy. Splashy headlines and talking points for the evening news focused on rising costs and economic talk.
Technology continued to advance quickly in 2022 despite the uncertain economic climate. Digital transformation was a top focus in the field service industry as more businesses turned to AI and ML to improve operational efficiency.

Despite the ongoing anxiety, 2023 is expected to be a year of tremendous growth for the field service sector.
We have developed our perspective on the likely trends and developments in field service management to aid you in getting ready for all the changes the sector will experience.

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Here What We Cover

Why is it important to track trends in the Field Service industry?

Contractors can keep up with the present industry status by tracking the field service sector trends. They can integrate with the latest technology, satisfy client expectations, acquire a competitive edge, and make strategic decisions that reduce risks. And pave the path for contractors to prosper in an evolving corporate environment.

We can attribute the constantly changing service sector to technological advancements, consumer expectations, and market realities. 

But by monitoring trends, contractors can stay updated on the developments and tailor their business strategies to maintain relevance and competitiveness. 

By tracking and following trends, contractors can detect emerging technology to improve business operations, increase productivity, and provide better service.

They can make educated decisions about business growth, resource allocation, hiring new employees, identifying training requirements, and forming partnerships. 

Service Technicians

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8 Field Service Management trends you should be aware of in 2023

Employee Experience

Customer experience, or CX, has recently taken center stage. Things have altered since the pandemic. The service industry is now quickly realizing the significance of the employee experience (EX) in light of the worldwide skills crisis and The Great Resignation.

It’s simple to understand why: Within the next ten years, 40% of field workers will retire. We must find new talent to retain this priceless information and wisdom. Ignoring the need to develop an intelligent AI-powered knowledge base could be costly.

Additionally, 2.7 billion individuals, or 80% of the world’s population, are “non-desk” workers who work in front-line positions. The pandemic made us realize how crucial some people are and, in many cases, how inadequately equipped they are. They remain dreadfully forgotten and, in many cases, “disconnected” because many businesses lack a consumer UX-style mobile-first approach with easy and effective onboarding.

Companies need to model the attention and experiences offered to more conventional desk-based personnel (both office-based and remote) if they wish to keep and engage this workforce.

Sustainability 

The assumption that service and maintenance promote sustainability is supported by facts: preserving products and assets for as long as possible benefits sustainability. Timely maintenance, service, and repair lower our environmental impact, whether for a car, washing machine, smartphone, or construction bulldozer. As a result, the service industry is naturally resilient even during recessions, and consumers and businesses prefer to hold onto goods and machinery for longer.

Refurbish, repair, remanufacture, and recycle are the four core service tenets of the 9R circular economy framework, and they fit well into any ESG company mandate. The first two reduce the demand for additional manufacturing production and the associated resource consumption, while the last two reduce waste and landfilling. 

Significant results can be seen: According to calculations by a top consumer products provider, the environmental benefits of repairing three freezers each time are equivalent to removing a car with a combustion engine from the road. That’s a huge saving when handling 65,000 product fixes per week.

In this case, supply chain intelligence will enable reuse, remanufacture, and effectively recycle parts from non-repairable products, avoiding new purchases.

It is challenging for field service operations to transition to electric vehicles. Routing and scheduling must consider range, schedule, and charge point availability to ensure the batteries have enough capacity. Excessive van stock (including obsolete and excess inventory) and the colder climate can also significantly shorten the range.

The continued shift to remote service, enabled by IoT-connected devices, will eliminate the need for service visits, making service more sustainable.

Customer Experience

Every service-oriented firm revolves around improving the client experience. Using comprehensive field force management solutions will effectively raise customer satisfaction in the coming year. Field force automation software with an AI/ML foundation also provides crucial commercial insights that support analysis and decision-making for many firms. In 2023, it’s anticipated that one field workforce trend will be educating field executives to enhance client connection. Organizations will also assist field service technicians in maximizing the effectiveness of field service apps. FSM software could improve visibility and streamline customer communications. Thanks to these technologies, your field staff can work with your clients to resolve problems and enhance customer service.

Integration with AI and Automation

The majority of processes used in field service businesses are often labor-intensive. As a result, field agents spend more time performing routine daily duties and less time performing important tasks. In contrast, enterprises will use AI-based field force scheduling software faster in 2023 to automate scheduling and assigning assignments to field technicians based on various business parameters, including skillset, proximity, availability, and more. Businesses can streamline their processes and increase service technician productivity by utilizing a powerful field force management solution.

Data for decision making

If data is left in a database all day, nobody will benefit from it. To aid leaders’ decision-making process, data must be mined for insights. Unfortunately for data analysts, we can now perform that data mining in seconds rather than weeks, thanks to AI and machine learning.

Using data to inform your decisions has significant advantages for field service. Using technologies like real-time schedule optimization, which decreases truck rolls and raises first-time fix rates, modern FSM software like ServicePower gathers and uses your data. The year 2023 is the ideal opportunity to give your digital transformation top priority and employ useful data to improve client results.

Self Service Portals

More openness in service demands is still something that customers want. With quick and simple access to information like appointment calendars, technician details, and the capability to follow their real-time ETA, they need more visibility into their requests and be well informed.

By providing round-the-clock online support, businesses will invest more in consumer self-service portals to meet these customer needs. Additionally, they will be given access to crucial information, including knowledge bases, FAQs, and other resources. 

A self-service site can be used by customers to submit service requests and communicate vital device information. They can check previous service calls, obtain answers to their questions, and do so without calling a professional. An excellent way to give customers more control and boost satisfaction is through a self-service portal.

Accelerated performance requirements

Executives are reluctant to make significant acquisitions since there is a chance of an economic downturn. They want technology providers to demonstrate their products’ worth and return on investment more than ever before to enter a contract. In this scenario, cloud-based service providers will have an advantage over those who need lengthy on-premises installations or expensive implementations. The Grant Thorton CFO Survey suggests that any reduction in technology spending is likely to continue digital revolutions.

Finding a business with a solid track record is crucial when looking for an FSM technology partner. 

Predictive maintenance

With predictive maintenance, businesses may use AI, ML, and automation to anticipate device problems in advance. To improve the client experience, more field service management businesses will adopt preventive maintenance technologies.  

Field service companies should adopt predictive maintenance strategies since they cut down on equipment failures, anticipate client needs, and dramatically lower expenses. To prolong the life of equipment, field force management software proactively analyzes device health and generates notifications to prevent malfunctions. This raises consumer happiness and helps to improve the quality of the services provided.

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Conclusion

We do indeed experience economic volatility. It presents a fantastic opportunity for businesses ready to reinvest in growth. These businesses will prosper after a recession, according to Bain & Company.

With technology driving most trends this year, field service businesses that adopt these new technologies and shift away from a reactive service approach will position themselves for growth in 2023 and beyond. It all boils down to choosing wisely among your available financial options regarding technological investments.

The field service business is anticipated to be shaped by all of the trends mentioned above, primarily customer-focused, in 2023. To keep up with changing customer expectations, there will be a quick transition to digital and an increase in product complexity.

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