The Internet Of Things And Wearables Are Changing Field Service Automation As We Know it

by Chris Wilder - Forbes, Dec. 16, 2015 – 

In the world of enterprise applications, field service automation (FSA) applications are driving much of the innovation in the industry from a mobility, Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud perspective. FSA is a set of applications and functionality that focuses on coordinating, scheduling and assigning field service and support for enterprise assets such as HVAC, refrigeration, lighting, electrical and other physical assets. The end goal is to improve workforce productivity, customer satisfaction and collaboration between field service technicians and facilities managers. Companies that have demonstrated leadership in this space include ClickSoftware Technologies, IFS AB, Oracle ORCL +0.00% Inc. (TOA Technologies ) and ServiceMax Inc. We have observed several trends in the industry that are worth noting.

Interoperability across devices, applications, and platforms is changing everything

Field service contractors and technicians need more integrated devices and connectivity among service providers and dispatchers. This workforce increasingly needs to make real-time decisions remotely regardless of device, network or application. Enabling field service technicians with the right information to do their jobs efficiently empowers them to make the right decisions, collaborate with colleagues, and reduce truck rolls by completing the job on-time the first time.

Both born-in-the-cloud vendors and those providers that have ported their applications to the cloud have a significant advantage over those that require on-premises or locked-in solutions, especially when it comes to a multi-domain and multi-dimensional supply chain.

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