Field service management - it's not the technology, it's the people

When it comes to implementing new business systems or processes, it is recognised that the human response to change has the greatest capacity to determine a project’s outcome. This continues to be a factor in a range of studies into the causes of failure in large-scale ICT project implementation. A lack of senior level support, changing mindsets and poorly defined objectives are just some of the factors that influence the results.

As the focus of Australian corporations returns to cost management and operational efficiency, these human factors can become an in issue. Companies now aim to improve profitability and to transform field service operations through the introduction of updated systems. While it is encouraging to see increased interest in managing field service operations via mobile and cloud technologies, it is not simply about employing new solutions to fix old problems.

The reality of the field service market, both in Australia and globally, is that many of the scheduling, inventory management, repair and maintenance activities are still executed via a combination of paper, whiteboards and spreadsheets. We’ve even encountered a service delivery manager being asked to build a bigger room to house more and bigger whiteboards when the business quickly scaled. Additionally, many engineers, while experts in their profession, are not necessarily technology experts.

With many organisations using outdated methods to manage hundreds, or even thousands, of field engineers, it is clear that there is room to innovate. While we know it is possible to improve the profitability and operational efficiency of mobile workforces using new technologies, we must take into account the human factors when implementing these solutions.

The integration of social collaboration with field service management automation is a key driver in reducing costs and increasing customer satisfaction, particularly as the focus moves from the back end of a company’s operations to the centre of a customer’s brand experience. A successful implementation can bring stellar results - according to a ServiceMax customer survey conducted in January 2014, the results showed that best practice organisations are delivering year-on-year revenue increases of 22%, driving productivity improvements by 26% and customer satisfaction by 15% on average.

Such improvements are achieved by harnessing the power of the cloud, along with social collaboration tools and apps. These organisations use a suite of cloud, social and mobile field service management applications to dispatch the technician with the right skills to the customer’s premises, to automatically track and manage parts inventory and to connect the technician with a knowledge base and subject matter experts via their mobile device.

The Technology Services Industry Association (TSIA) highlighted the power of collaboration in a webinar titled ‘5 ways field service can use social technology to delight customers’. A member case study illustrated how an office products company achieved estimated savings of US$12 million per year, through the launch of a global knowledge base. 23,000 repair users worldwide were able to connect, share knowledge and ask questions. The result was 300,000 issues per year being solved on the first site visit.

Closer to home, when implementing ServiceMax software, the Australian subsidiary of a global manufacturer recognised that understanding the skills and knowledge of field engineers was imperative. During the implementation phase it became clear that information displayed on mobile devices, in this case iPads, had to be significantly pared back in order to make it easier for technicians to use the technology effectively. This ensured they had all the information needed to complete the job, without making the new process more complicated than the old.

Identifying what information to include (and to leave out) came from collaboration with more than 50 field engineers. During this process we identified several ‘cheerleaders’ with whom we could test various iterations (or Sprints) of the solution, before broadly rolling it out. Those who were early adopters and keen users of new technology in both their work and personal lives were particularly good at promoting the new approach to field service management. They also had credibility and respect among their peers, which was valuable in terms of leading others to the adoption of new solutions. Empowering these cheerleaders not only reduced project risk, but meant that user acceptance testing of the ServiceMax solution ensured that the final implementation reflected the realities experienced daily by engineers. This iterative and collaborative process reduced resistance to change, as field engineers were an active part of the solution development.

Ownership of the mobile device is another important consideration. Companies will generally consider the cost of breakage associated with such hardware, particularly in the case of expensive non-rugged tablets such as iPads. Allowing the device to be utilised for personal, as well as business, use encourages field technicians to appreciate and care for it more, as it is a valuable tool for both work and home use.

Fire protection and security solutions leader Tyco took the human factors into account during its ServiceMax implementation. The company’s change management team identified the following elements as essential to success:

• Reducing the gap between change introduction and adoption to minimise business disruption and to safeguard customer satisfaction.
• Including user acceptance testing to ensure that the change reflects the way people work.
• Recognising it’s not about reducing resistance to change; it is about making staff an integral part of the new system build.

Based on this, Tyco implemented ServiceMax by work stream rather than across the organisation. This enabled the company to build familiarity and trust in the new system by allowing field employees to ‘personalise’ the change and understand what it meant for them in their roles.

Tyco’s experience and review approach demonstrated the significant value leakage that can result from not taking employee resistance into account. Figures shared in a webinar titled ‘Tyco’s 5 principles of change management for field service’ demonstrated the biggest source of value leakage (US$22 million on a US$100 million investment) came from low end-user adoption of the new system.

This reflects the importance of maintaining an agile approach to project implementation. It allows companies to adopt change elements quickly and for user acceptance testing to form the basis of ‘Sprints’. The methodology is relevant to cloud development projects such as ServiceMax, because it ensures customers are taken on an efficient and transparent journey towards their goals, while achieving quick wins and user buy-in.

ServiceMax facilitates this process through provision of a range of discrete modules, allowing customers a choice for implementation. This ensures they are not trying to ‘boil the ocean’ when executing a solution to improve the operational efficiency and profitability of their field service business.

*Clive Roberts is the Managing Director and founder of Sydney-based ProQuest Consulting, a Platinum Partner for Salesforce.com and a strategic implementation partner for ServiceMax, a comprehensive solution for field service management.