The Top Five Drivers Impacting Field Service in 2025
As we look ahead to 2025, the field service industry is undergoing significant transformation driven by technological advancements, changing workforce demographics, and evolving customer expectations. This blog post explores the top five industry drivers that are shaping the future of field service.
1. The Rise of a New Generation of Field Service Leaders
The field service industry is witnessing a change of strategic direction as a new generation of leaders takes the helm. These emerging leaders bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to field service management.
Digital Natives at the Forefront
Unlike their predecessors, these new leaders are digital natives who have grown up with technology as an integral part of their lives. They are more comfortable with digital tools and are quick to adopt new technologies that can streamline operations and improve service delivery.
Focus on Data-Driven Decision Making
The new generation of field service leaders places a strong emphasis on data analytics and insights. They recognize the value of leveraging data to make informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Emphasis on Employee Experience
These leaders understand the direct correlation between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. This was reiterated by Patrick Dell, Field Vice President of Service Operations at Varian Medical System, in a Field Service East 2024 keynote address:
"Communication is the foundation of every relationship. Our relationships with customers go hand in hand with our relationships with our team members, field engineers, representatives, and colleagues. CX is possible because of EX; the employee experience is always going to influence the customer experience.”
Adaptability and Agility
The new generation of leaders is more adaptable to change and more willing to experiment with new service models. They are quick to pivot strategies in response to market changes and customer needs.
2. Accelerating Speed to Value from Technology Investments
Field service organizations are increasingly focused on realizing faster returns on their technology investments. This trend is driven by the need to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.
Rapid Adoption of New Technologies
Companies are streamlining their processes for implementing new technologies, reducing the time from acquisition to deployment. This allows them to start reaping the benefits of their investments sooner.
Maximizing Existing Investments
Before investing in new technologies, organizations are putting more effort into fully utilizing their current tools. Some organizations are struggling to deliver value from their investments because of a lack of internal adoption of their new technologies. This can be the result of a lack of skills in the workforce or because of the complexity of the technologies themselves.
For example, according to a 2024 Field Service Insights study on mobile technology and field service workforces, 80% of field service leaders are only somewhat satisfied with the user interfaces of their current field service management systems.
Continuous Training and Upskilling
To accelerate value realization, companies are investing heavily in training programs to ensure their workforce can effectively use new technologies and close skills gaps. This includes both initial training and ongoing skill development, as well as training in soft skills and self-assessment.
In her keynote address at Field Service East 2024, Christy Gaudet Vice President of Emerging Technologies at Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc., explored the importance of involving the entire field service team in conducting assessments, reaching a consensus on areas that need to improve, and continuously gaining competencies:
"Our journey of defining hard and soft skills, reaching consensus, and implementing change has involved training individuals in self-assessment and guiding managers to evaluate their teams. We report, share insights, and involve everyone as part of this process because it's crucial to act on identified competency gaps. This includes allocating budget to address deficiencies, planning for future changes, and putting the necessary resources in place to close the gaps and drive team transformation.”
Measuring and Monitoring ROI
Field service leaders are implementing more robust systems for measuring and monitoring the return on investment of their technology implementations. This allows them to quickly identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments.
3. Systems and App Integration
The trend towards integrating various service tools and applications on a single platform is gaining momentum. This integration is crucial for empowering technicians in the field and streamlining operations.
Unified Service Platforms
Field service organizations are moving towards unified platforms that integrate various functions such as scheduling, dispatching, inventory management, and customer information. As noted in the Field Service Insights report on mobile technology in field service, 74% of field service teams are using field service management platforms that also have mobile apps.
Real-Time Access to Data and Information
Integrated systems provide technicians and remote employees with real-time access to crucial information and data. This allows them to get up-to-date knowledge about specific projects and tasks, so there is no need for them to spend time getting updated about progress.
This topic was also highlighted by Patrick Dell of Varian Medical System at his Field Service East 2024 keynote address:
"We’ve certified our field engineers to upload everything they learn from the field. If one of them writes an article for us, the remote worker can pull up the article, verify the information, and then indicate on their work order that they used the article as part of their process. As we’ve seen team members attach knowledge articles to our work orders, we’ve seen the time of a typical service call go down.”
Enhanced Communication
Integrated systems facilitate better communication between field technicians, back-office staff, and customers. This leads to improved coordination and faster problem resolution.
Customization and Flexibility
Organizations are seeking solutions that offer high levels of customization to meet their specific needs. According to the 2024 Field Service Insights report on mobile technology, 71% of field service leaders consider user-created data elements very important in their field service management software.
This suggests that field service departments want more flexibility and control over their field service management systems, allowing them to tailor and customize their processes and workflows. This customization can lead to more efficient operations, improved customer satisfaction, and better overall performance.
4. The Future of Field Service with Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing field service operations, offering new ways to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction.
Predictive Maintenance
AI-powered predictive maintenance is becoming increasingly prevalent. According to a 2024 Field Service Insights study on the use of AI in North American field service operations, 40% of organizations are already using AI for predictive and prescriptive maintenance, while 59% will implement AI in that area in 2025.
Intelligent Scheduling and Dispatch
AI algorithms are optimizing technician scheduling and dispatch, considering factors such as technician skills, location, and traffic conditions to improve efficiency.
Enhanced Diagnostics and Troubleshooting
AI is empowering field service technicians with advanced diagnostic tools and techniques to troubleshoot issues quickly and accurately. This is achieved by leveraging AI algorithms, sensors, and data analytics to identify potential problems in field service equipment before they happen.
Automated Support and Training
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are providing automated support to technicians in the field, offering instant access to knowledge bases and troubleshooting guides.
5. Increasing First-Time Remote Fixes and Self-Services
Field service organizations are increasingly focusing on resolving issues remotely or enabling customers to self-service, reducing the need for on-site visits.
Remote Diagnostics and Repair
Advanced remote diagnostics tools are allowing technicians to identify and often resolve issues without an on-site visit. According to the Field Service Insights report on AI in North America, 59% of field service teams have experienced hurdles in legacy integration while implementing AI, highlighting the ongoing efforts to improve remote capabilities.
Customer Self-Service Portals
Organizations are developing robust self-service portals that allow customers to troubleshoot issues, access knowledge bases, and even perform simple repairs themselves.
IoT-Enabled Proactive Service
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are enabling proactive service by continuously monitoring equipment health and alerting service teams to potential issues before they cause downtime.
Virtual and Augmented Reality Support
VR and AR technologies are being used to guide customers through simple repairs or to assist technicians remotely, increasing first-time fix rates and reducing the need for on-site visits.
Prepare Your Field Service Teams for 2025
These five industry drivers are reshaping the field service landscape, pushing organizations to be more efficient, customer-centric, and technologically advanced. As we move towards 2025, field service leaders must stay attuned to these trends and adapt their strategies accordingly to remain competitive in an increasingly dynamic market.
To learn more about the trends that will impact your field service operations, don’t miss Field Service Palm Springs 2025. It’s happening from April 22nd to 24th at the JW Marriot Desert Springs in Palm Springs, CA.
Download the agenda and register for the event today.