Industry insights — Nigel Hammond, Baseplan Software Group

Many processes have been streamlined in the field service industry in recent years — what further improvements are likely in 2016?

Customers are providing their field staff with more information, which was previously only available on desktop applications. Our mobility solutions are fully integrated with our Enterprise rental, service, sales, parts and financial modules, so field staff are now more effective and can provide clients with an immediate response.

It’s no longer about one-way information transfer from mobile device to a separate back-end accounting system. It’s now bidirectional communication, including parts lookup and asset service history. Increased functionality includes payments, instant invoicing, immediate service history access and real-time monitoring.

What do you see as the greatest challenge for managers of mobile teams in the year ahead and why?

• Constantly changing market environment.
• Vendors promising the world makes it hard for managers to sift through the jargon and find the right fit.
• Customers asking for better service.
• The need for continuous improvements.
• Ensuring mobile teams have the right information when they need it.

How has the field service industry evolved since the advent of mobile technology and what are the downsides of rapid change?

The FS industry is now more streamlined. Mobile teams have timely access to data, which means greater efficiency. It is moving more to paperless systems, meaning one source of truth for the whole business. Managers and owners have greater control and visibility over mobile teams, from capturing labour hours to breakdown response times.

The downsides are: the change management required to attract those who are unfamiliar with mobile technology; the increased training requirement; product obsolescence; and initial upfront costs.

What trends are we likely to see emerge in the short term — what is the ‘next big thing’?

We are likely to see more specialised providers offering bespoke arrangements to clients and letting them focus on their core business. Managers are crying out for technology to reduce paperwork, improve breakdown response times, reduce call frequency and duration, and to capture true data around job completion. If they can find a system that ticks all those boxes, they are onto a winner.

An increasing number of vendors have been attracted to the field service segment in response to market growth. How will that landscape level out and what will it look like at the end of 2016?

Mobility is revolutionising the way field teams do their job. It alleviates the need for paper and back-office staff are fully aware of what’s happening in the field in real time.

Vendors offering entry-level solutions with a quick ROI will increase. However, as customer requirements and needs mature, further integration with ERPs will be required. At this level, the majority of vendors may not be able to facilitate the complex interactions required. As competition increases, better products will be available at a lower price. Companies are more likely to embrace the technology as the ROI is realised more quickly. Everyone wins.

How big a role does customisation play in delivering the most suitable offering to your client and can off-the-shelf ever compete with a fully tailored solution?

Customisation suits customers with specialised requirements — it may be the most suitable offering based on current and known needs, but needs are dynamic and will almost certainly change. By selecting industry-specific solutions that offer configuration over modification, the customer is helping in futureproofing their own investment. They also know the vendor will continue to meet their needs and instil best practice within their organisation.

At entry level, off-the-shelf packages can meet most demands. As requirements grow and the need for in-depth and bidirectional communication develops, then customer/industry-specific solutions are ultimately required. The bottom line is that it’s great to customise, but it increases cost.

Nigel Hammond is Director of Business Development, Baseplan Software Group. He has 15 years’ experience in sales and consulting with industry-specific business management solutions and 10 years in the rental and automotive industries.