Generating Business Value from Remote Assistance

(Source: Honeywell)

In the field service sector, remote assistance tools are often discussed from a technician's perspective. After all, most remote assistance tools are utilized by technicians themselves, whether they are viewing a schematic overlay of a machine via augmented reality or connecting with a service veteran hundreds of miles away to diagnose a challenging problem.

However, remote assistance technology can also offer real benefits for the organization. Multiple companies have leveraged remote assistance tools to improve their service metrics, such as first-time fix rates and customer satisfaction. Others have used remote assistance programs to train and empower an entirely new generation of service technicians, reducing costs in the process.

Some organizations are even leveraging remote assistance tools to create new types of service products.

One such company, Honeywell International Inc., uses remote assistance technology to provide customers with unique self-service capabilities. Here's how.

Honeywell's TechSight: Eyes in the Field

Honeywell's concept for its TechSight program is perfectly encapsulated on the company's website: "In a perfect world, you could have a full-time technician on-site to help troubleshoot any issues. Unfortunately, that's not always possible."

TechSight is a video enablement solution that uses smart glasses (which are optional), augmented reality, and mobile apps for video conferencing and remote collaboration between technicians, and now between technicians and customers. Customers can access an expert service team over their app to engage in fast troubleshooting and a diagnosis of any issues occurring with their tools.

Honeywell first revealed its TechSight capability in 2018. According to a press release, "The solution expedites troubleshooting and resolution and equips on-site staff with the expertise needed to handle complex non-routine issues. The enhanced collaboration serves as an example of how the connected distribution center can solve critical supply chain challenges while getting operations and mission-critical systems back online quickly, according to the company."

The service is available to Honeywell Intelligrated Lifecycle Support Service customers. It is particularly useful for business customers who have service staff in-house, but who may need extra assistance in diagnosing and fixing their machines. Some of the key benefits of the program highlighted by Honeywell include accurate diagnoses, hands-free collaboration, expedited issue resolution, and improve labor efficiencies.

A Model for New Service Products

Perhaps the most important aspect of Honeywell's solution is that it represents a new service product for the organization. That means it can generate revenue alongside Honeywell's other service products. By encouraging customers to enroll in the program, the company can meet customer expectations while also ensuring its self-service capabilities generate a significant return on investment.

Remote service, self-service, and technology-enabled service capabilities like augmented reality are now at the cutting edge of the field service function. There is also ample evidence that they represent viable business strategies.

For example, according to a study conducted by Salesforce and Field Service News, 81% of the field service professionals surveyed said they felt that remote service was "financially viable." Additional research by Field Service News found that 76% of field service companies who had adopted remote service capabilities viewed their capability as a means of generating new service revenue.

Still, many field service organizations aren't utilizing their remote assistance capabilities as a business opportunity separate from their core service capabilities. This is due, in part, to the shift to remote services that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic—it didn't make sense to charge customers extra for remote services when in-person services were so restricted.

To leverage remote assistance as a business model, organizations should look closely at Honeywell's example. A new remote assistance product must provide unique offerings to the customer that they can't obtain through the company's regular service capabilities. Honeywell's app, its integration with smart glasses, and its additional service guarantees are evidence that the company has packaged this as a stand-alone product, worthy of additional investment.

Don't Miss Field Service Palm Springs 2021

Remote assistance was originally conceived as a way to assist technicians or provide customers with help regarding minor issues. Now, it's quickly becoming a must-have capability for field service operations. If innovators like Honeywell are any indicator, it could also provide customers with a promising future of self-service field service options.

The business benefits of remote assistance are sure to be hot topics at the next Field Service conference event, happening at the JW Marriott in Palm Springs, California from November 16^th to 18^th, 2021. Download the agenda today to learn more.