The State Of Field Service Management

Services shape our world — from the electricity that lights our homes to the networks that keep us connected. For the organizations providing these services, some of the most important work happens in the field — in neighborhoods, across open spaces, and along millions of last miles.

Field service keeps us in the daily rhythm of our lives. But behind each service call and site visit is a complex ecosystem of people, processes, and technology. There are work orders to create, technicians to dispatch, and equipment to maintain, repair, and eventually replace.

If you look at the evolution of field service, the last 20 years have been marked by periods of rapid growth and innovation. Gone are the whiteboard schedules and paper forms that defined traditional field service. In their place, business leaders are leaning on digitized solutions that help them drive productivity and be mobile-first.

There are two primary drivers behind this transformation. First, the rise of IoT devices has created a massive influx of data. In fact, a recent Gartner report says, there will be more than 25 billion IoT devices online by 2021.

At the same time, customer expectations around the speed and quality of service are rising. The on-demand architecture popularized by streaming platforms and ride-sharing services is putting pressure on field service organizations to work smarter and faster.