Field Service Next West 2026 Blog » Newsletter

After two years of disruption, field service teams are preparing for another year of technology-enabled services. And while many look forward to a return to relative normalcy, most would agree that the procurement function may never be the same again. This report will explore how field service organizations’ technology strategies have changed over the past year. It will include key insights from decision makers and benchmarking information about companies’ service strategies. 

The field service industry is rapidly changing. No longer can businesses rely on a customer service representative to take a ticket and then dispatch a technician. With automation, businesses can now offer their customers self-service options that allow them to resolve common issues on their own. In this article, we will explore how field service organizations are entering the age of automation and how they are meeting the needs of a more tech-centric customer base.

Field service and fleet management professionals are always looking for ways to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Many field service and fleet managers are considering multi-fuel options as a likely bridge toward sustainability. In this article, we’ll explore what multi-fuel engine platforms and the future of electric vehicles mean for fleet management.

Field service operations typically delegate customer service leadership to a specific executive, such as the chief service officer (CSO). While this model has worked in the past, CSOs must partner with other executives to achieve customer success. Here's why field service operations should partner with the chief information officer (CIO) to deliver better outcomes for customers.

According to the Best Buy website, its 1-year Geek Squad 24/7 support offering has 4.5 out of 5 stars. Best Buy may be a retailer, but the company's focus on customer success can serve as a powerful template for the service industry. Here's what service executives can learn from Best Buy.

Customers are now more demanding than ever, and it takes more than a customer service department to empower them and handle their requests. Here's how more organizations can become customer-centric by aligning their departments and ensuring everyone takes responsibility for customer delight.

If there’s one thing Disney and its theme parks are known for, it’s top-notch customer service. In a way, field service organizations are in the same business. At the end of the day, world-class field service is all about creating positive experiences for customers and making their lives better.

Not only do field service organizations need to maintain and account for their vehicles, but they also need to ensure that their fleet operations align with their strategic business goals. A Toyota subsidiary recently made a significant investment into IoT technology, and it could lead to significant changes to how commercial fleets operate.

Field service organizations have evolved over the years, and that’s in no small part due to their technology implementations. New software integrations have improved efficiency by adding automation and by digitizing internal processes. Here’s how field service organizations are using technology to become industry leaders.

There is no action a company can take that does not have a direct or indirect impact on communities and the environment. Recent events have only reiterated the importance of corporate responsibility. The public expects companies to formulate a direct stance on social issues and to be transparent about financial dealings, environmental impact, and employee culture.

Self-service is a trending topic in various areas of business. Over the past several years, consumer-facing organizations have spearheaded the concept of self-service and embraced a range of digital capabilities to make customer interactions easier and more streamlined.

Field service organizations have taken significant steps to transform themselves into agile and digital-first operations. Many organizations have chosen to outsource some aspects of their business, including core operations to trusted contractors and technology firms.

Today's field service organizations use networks of IoT-connected technologies to generate and aggregate data. That data is what they use to monitor deployed machines and tools in the field, generate reports on the status of their service agreements, and automate solutions for field service challenges in real-time.

As field service organizations continue their efforts toward digital transformation, new capabilities and service offerings are emerging as a result. Central to these organizations' transformations is a relatively simple concept: asset visibility. 

The past year has provided field service organizations with some hard-earned lessons, but also new opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions to almost every industry. Supply chains struggled to keep up with demand, and many field service teams were forced to significantly alter their operations to protect the health of employees.

As heads of their organizations' field service operations, chief service officers already have a lot on their plate. The past year hasn't made their jobs any easier, either.

Employee burnout is a significant problem across business sectors. According to Deloitte, 77% of professionals say they have experienced burnout at their current job. The same study also found that 91% of professionals believe having an unmanageable amount of stress or frustration impacts the quality of their work...

The European Union's (EU) Medical Device Regulation (2017/745) and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (2017/746) set standards and oversight requirements for manufacturers of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic solutions that intend to distribute their products in the EU. They are a much-needed replacement for decades-old regulations, bringing significant challenges and opportunities to these companies' operations.

The size of the global medical technology industry reached over 450 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. Established centers of this industry include the United States and Western Europe, but industry trends show that countries in Asia—especially China—are about to play a more prominent role in the years to come.

By connecting devices into a single service environment using IoT, field service organizations can more effectively leverage their asset data, engage in predictive and proactive maintenance, and gain better visibility into the end-user experience. If your organization is considering a widespread rollout of IoT technology, here are some insights into what it could mean for both your company and your customers.

Field service organizations that maintain medical devices in clinical settings faced a tumultuous year in 2020. Restrictions due to social distancing guidelines added new challenges to the process of maintaining the uptime of medical devices, deploying technicians, and pursuing future technology initiatives.

Field service organizations use a range of technologies to serve their clients. These technologies include software solutions like field service management (FSM) tools, hand-held devices, and IoT-connected products that gather data when operating in the field. But the adoption of new technologies also comes with inherent risks.

AR was initially applied in field service as a tool to remove barriers during diagnostic procedures. Now, it is enabling field service teams to provide remote assistance to their customers. Here, we'll explore what the increased adoption and performance of AR means for field service.

When experienced technicians leave, they take their knowledge with them. The challenge for field service organizations is capturing that knowledge for new technicians. In the past, this was accomplished through apprenticeship and training programs, but knowledge capture tools are enabling organizations to maintain institutional knowledge automatically.

Moving forward, field service organizations could continue to use contactless field service options to serve customers. Not only do these capabilities keep their technicians safe, but they can also provide clients and end-users with more flexible service options.