Field service organizations have traditionally operated under the break-fix model, responding to device failure after the customer reports an issue. This operating model has grown costly and inefficient and has proven less than effective in satisfying the customer’s rising needs.

As the field service industry rapidly evolves toward a proactive and predictive model, cutting edge technologies including automation, artificial intelligence (AI), new learning tools, and augmented reality are helping transform field service by providing optimal device uptime, along with greater visibility, efficiency, and profitability.

Why AI for field service?

The ability to capture, digest, and derive actionable insights from data is critical in modernizing field service organizations. Intelligent, predictive systems driven by AI can automate manual, time-consuming tasks like collecting data, diagnosing problems, and identifying the best solutions to resolve issues. AI optimizes resource management, empowers field teams through mixed reality and mobilization, and improves customer service with proactive and predictive service. In short, AI is providing organizations with the ability to optimize every facet of field service delivery.

While service organizations lay frameworks of sensors and solutions to capture data across every facet of their organization, AI and machine learning represent the next steps that organizations are taking to leverage the value of the captured information. The ultimate goal is to transition from a reactive, break-fix service model to one that is proactive and predictive, achieving a near constant uptime.

Three ways AI can transform your field service operations

Optimize resource management

Effectively managing resources, such as inventory and technician time, is at the heart of the challenge for any field service organization, creating a powerful, competitive advantage when performed well.

In a traditional field service organization, technicians are dispatched based on availability, not proximity to the customer or experience with a specified device. A technician may arrive onsite with limited access to customer information and device history, thus, impacting the ability to complete the repair on a first visit and driving up overall costs for the customer and the field service organization.

As an example, let’s look at a manufacturing customer experiencing a boiler failure. When a work order is scheduled in an intelligent system, assignments are optimized using multiple factors such as a technician’s experience in handling the specific failure, the customer’s preferred technician, or the proximity to the site. Leveraging machine learning, this intelligent system can automatically assign the work order to the best available technician matching this criteria.

If the device affecting the boiler were an IoT-connected sensor, a real-time alert would be received, triggering an automatic service request. The system would attempt to self-heal the issue first and if unsuccessful, a technician would then analyze the data and commit a repair remotely, often without the customer ever knowing there was a problem. Sending the technician for an onsite visit would be the last option if the device could not be repaired remotely.

As more requests come in, the system would then optimize the technician’s schedule to create the most efficient path to navigate, allowing the technician more time to perform additional calls per day and driving greater revenue. Real-time inventory management ensures that the replacement part is available on the scheduled date and that the technician has access to the tools needed to complete the repair. The system can identify the best parts to replace, where they should be purchased, and provide more accurate lead time predictions for the organization. Field service managers and technicians alike can synchronize and track inventory down to the truck level with real-time visibility to increase first time fix rates.

Empower field technicians

To be the most effective and prevent costly return visits, technicians must have complete access to the information and real-time guidance they need. In our boiler repair example, the technician could utilize a digital twin of the device to learn about its status and operating condition, and to train on the particular problem that requires repair. AI’s cognitive capabilities can even help optimize repairs before a technician arrives, taking care of routine diagnostics and testing for common or similar issues. These capabilities ensure the technician is better prepared for the work and that his or her time and the customer’s is used efficiently.

The technician’s mobile service app empowers the technician to better manage appointment schedules and access turn-by-turn routes to the customer site. Onsite, this app can highlight the top two to three possibilities that might be wrong with the device. Chatbots can assist in locating customer, product, and work order information. Mixed reality tools like HoloLens, can create 3D renderings overlaid directly onto the boiler, highlighting missing or broken parts and allowing the technician to view performance data. AI can use data from predictive analytics to make just-in-time recommendations. A headset can identify irregularities and help maintain focus on the right issues without having to stop and troubleshoot, ensuring work is completed correctly the first time. And the technician can obtain assistance from a more experienced technician through video calling, if the issue is beyond their current skillset.

Improve the customer experience

Field service customers need stability and reliability in their businesses. They want visibility into their assets and need to minimize downtimes when breakdowns occur.

Prior to AI-empowered systems, the customer in the boiler example would have to actively reach out to report that the device had failed. Depending on the type of failure, work using the boiler could be slowed or blocked for days or weeks until a technician could complete the repairs. Without intelligent support, the technician may need to return for follow-up visits, unnecessarily wasting both time and money.

AI allows for automated, remote self-healing and predictive forecasting, monitoring and analyzing connected devices for potential issues. If one is identified, the system can remotely attempt to resolve problems through self-healing processes, like having the boiler restart itself during an off-time to mitigate an overheating failure. Using historical device data and predictive analytics, the system might make a recommendation to schedule a technician site visit to head off future problems, notifying the customer of the work order. The customer could then plan around the scheduled downtime and even track the technician’s arrival to the appointment in real-time.

During the visit, using recommendations from the system, the technician would be able to discuss additional products and services with the customer that meet their specific usage and operating needs. The customer gains more control over their assets, and the field service organization is empowered to provide improved service delivery capabilities.

Get started today

AI enables field service organizations to break away from the break-fix model by empowering technicians, optimizing resources, and improving customer experiences by ensuring technician success.

Microsoft offers a unique combination of world class IoT, intelligence, scalability, and end-to-end field service capabilities.

Learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Field Service and how it can transform your service organization.

Get started today with a live demo or a free trial today.

The post Using AI to build a modern field service organization appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

This week, at Smart City Expo—in Barcelona—we’re excited to showcase new innovations that will transform Smart City programs worldwide. Smart cities are no longer science fiction. They’re here and now and growing quickly as the Internet of Things (IoT) expands and spreads throughout municipalities around the globe. Some predict the smart city industry will be a billion dollar market over the next few years and there will be hundreds of smart cities globally. These cities are expected to generate over half of the world’s GDP over the next few years.

A smart city is digitally-enabled, leveraging cutting-edge information and communication technologies to enhance the lives of its citizens. A smart city uses these internet connected devices to collect and analyze data to enhance the management of a municipality. Data captured by IoT devices is used to monitor and perform preemptive maintenance to ensure city services are always at optimal levels. The most common smart city projects are lighting, transportation systems, and utility metering for water and electricity. But that’s just part of it. Smart cities can focus on internal local government processes such as digitizing records or an online process for permit applications or licenses.

Smart city programs enhance quality, performance, and interactivity of urban services by reducing costs and resource consumption. Smart city applications help manage urban flows and allow for real-time responses. Thus, a smart city may respond more quickly to an unexpected event than a traditional transactional city. For example, a smart program may automate water ways to open during a storm to ease potential flooding.

The opportunities for smart city programs are limitless, including:

• Smart energy. Data is collected to analyze energy use and create greater efficiencies in residential and commercial buildings. Software apps can automatically turn on and off computers according to worker schedules. Buildings that monitor energy usage and report this data to utilities can often reduce costs.
• Smart grids. These are often a part of the early development of a smart city. Smart streetlights are an easy entry point as LED lights save money and pay for themselves in a short time period. With a smart grid, you can improve outage detection, speed of data capture, disaster recovery, field service operations, and overall grid modernization techniques.
• Smart traffic management. Traffic congestion is a common problem in urban areas. Systems can be developed that monitor traffic and estimate arrival times for the next group of vehicles to ensure the traffic light is green at that moment. Adjusting traffic lights to real road conditions is one of the most vital city issues today.
• Smart public transportation. Smart city traffic management systems can extend to public transportation as traffic lights can be prioritized based on bus schedules so traffic flows more freely during rush hours. Connecting all types of public vehicles into one database can enable communication between vehicles, and alert users to arrival times and delays due to accidents or congestion so alternate transportation or routes can be sought.
• Smart parking. Finding a parking space is one of the most common issues living in a densely populated area. Smart city technologies enable drivers to automatically locate available parking spaces, reducing time and stress.
• Smart law enforcement. In smart cities like Singapore, surveillance cameras report suspicious activity so police can react immediately to help maintain low crime rates. In Sao Paulo, surveillance cameras monitor millions of vehicles for speeding and issue fines to the car owners.
• Smart service. In smart cities, data is collected and analyzed from IoT devices to ensure peak performance. Anomalies are noted and field service technicians are alerted, who can review the data and isolate the issue. With IoT, devices are repaired before there is a failure. Streetlights can be repaired before they go dark and traffic lights can be serviced before they seize. By identifying the issue before the device fails, a smart city reduces costs and increases efficiencies, while ensuring its citizens are not adversely affected by the issue.

Despite the numerous health, safety, and environmental benefits of smart city programs, challenges can exist and stand in the way of urban digital transformation. Being smart about tackling these issues is key to success:

Smart infrastructure

Despite the giant strides in technology changing our day to day lives, most urban infrastructures have lagged behind, remaining virtually unchanged. And understandably, smart city projects need a solid foundation to build upon. To fully deliver value, IoT sensors that capture data from air pollution to traffic congestion need a modern infrastructure supported by innovative software and hardware. Most cities are already struggling with infrastructure issues such as broadband, electricity, and so on. Therefore, full government support and funding are pivotal to modernize the infrastructure to support the technological enhancements.

Smart security

Digital security is another challenge to municipalities when implementing smart city programs. Citizens benefit from smart city projects and enjoy higher levels of safety and in general, a better quality of life. But the price is often perceived as invasive and prying. For example, the surveillance cameras clocking speeders may be seen as intrusive or another act by big brother. Another aspect is that a significant amount of personal data can be collected by the IoT sensors. Personal information is uploaded into the cloud and often shared with other digital devices and in turn, shared with multiple users. It’s important that there be educational initiatives informing citizens on how the data is used and safeguarded. Fortunately, there are security solutions based on big data analytics, blockchain, and encryption technologies that protect private and proprietary information of both the citizen and government within the digital infrastructure.

Smart citizens

As mentioned above, educating citizens about the technology, the programs, and their intrinsic benefits can ease public apprehension. Change is difficult, especially when it’s for a public program where taxpayer dollars are used. If the public shares a solid understanding of the benefits and potential of the smart city program, this support can be harnessed to move the program forward with funding and public acceptance. To educate and engage citizens, email campaigns, town halls, print and online information, and broadcast media can help motivate and educate citizens to embrace the change. But keep in mind, different age groups use different communication vehicles so use the right channel for the right audience. Fostering social inclusion and speaking to all categories of citizens the way they need to be communicated with is key. Once the public is engaged and supports the program, remember to keep the lines of communication open to ensure support of the smart city program.

The benefits of a smart city far outweigh these and any other challenges you may encounter. These potential barriers are among the most common, but when set against the opportunities within a smart city, they pale in significance. Just be smart about how you approach and ultimately resolve the issues.

Want to learn more?

• Watch this short video, Creating Smart Buildings and Cities of the Future, to learn how Dynamics 365 Field Service uses IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), and mixed reality to help transform buildings and cities into smart, predictive environments.
• Join me at the Smart City Expo World Congress on November 19-21 in Barcelona to learn more about smart cities, what opportunities exist, and how to empower your smart city by promoting social innovation. Meet others within the smart city ecosystem who value social inclusion, sustainability, and empower corporate leaders, public representatives, entrepreneurs, experts, and academics.

The post Smart cities: Innovation, inclusion, and IoT appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Technology is transforming quickly and evolving at an accelerated pace. That evolution is significantly impacting how we work, what we work on, and how we serve our customers. As technology is speeding forward, creating greater efficiencies, it’s also pushing bleeding edge technologies into the mainstream.

Mixed reality is a combination of realities—augmented, virtual, and real world, where the user can interact with all views. Mixed reality starts with the real world where virtual objects are overlaid onto that real world view. The user remains in the real world environment while digital content is added to it.

Mixed reality has inspired countless novels and movies, painting a futuristic portrait of life, where any web-based file can be immediately accessed with a blink, swipe, or mental command. Some analysts predict that mixed reality will be a multi-billion dollar market in the next few years and some listed it among the critical technologies that businesses should prioritize. One area of business where mixed reality is playing a significant role is field service. It’s safe to say that mixed reality is creating not just ripples, but a tsunami of change within the field service landscape.

Field service often consists of a boots on the ground labor force making service calls and often, ordering much needed parts and rescheduling site visits to complete the repair. All of this costs the customer and the field service organization time and money.

Enter mixed reality

Imagine the efficiencies that could be created through mixed reality. For example, your technician is at a job site inspecting a part that has failed and doesn’t have the knowledge to fix it. Your technician has a couple of possible solution pathways:

1. Call the office and reschedule a service call with a more experienced technician.
2. Leverage mixed reality to fix the part now.

The first choice extends the customer’s downtime and cuts into customer and field service operating costs by creating not just one service call, but another. Days or weeks can pass until the repeat call is conducted by a more experienced technician. This choice will inevitably decrease customer satisfaction and lower first time fix rates.

The second choice empowers technicians with the ability to collaborate and solve problems faster. With heads-up, hands-free video calling using mixed reality eyewear like HoloLens or through a mobile app or PC, technicians can access the customer’s history and technical documentation, and view an overlay of instructions, diagrams, and specifications with step by step guidance to repair the device. Using mixed reality, technicians can share a real world view and 3D content to collaborate with remote, more experienced technicians anytime, anywhere. Through mixed reality, technicians can access technical documentation, speak to a colleague, and follow guided instructions all at the same time, thus ensuring the device is repaired properly the first time.

Leveraging mixed reality can positively impact first time fix rates by reducing repeat visits. Repeat visits are one of the most commonly tracked field service performance metrics and any movement, no matter how slight, can significantly impact operating costs and customer satisfaction.

But that’s not all

Mixed reality has other benefits to field service. Possible use cases to consider include, but are not limited to:

Remote customer service. There are times when maintenance or a repair is so minor, it can be completed by the customer. Through mixed reality, a customer can be guided by a technician or customer service agent through a quick repair in minutes. The service is instant, easy, and straightforward, eliminating the cost of an onsite visit and minimizing customer downtime.

Training and onboarding. An aging workforce is a constant struggle within field service. Mixed reality can be used to train new recruits or used to support novice technicians in the field. Imagine when the newly hired technician arrives onsite, a repair sequence is received via mobile or PC, complete with 3D technical illustrations. The technician is guided through the repair process without the need of a more experienced technician. Or if the repair is more complex, the technician can receive assistance from a more experienced technician.

Remote inspections. Consider conducting inspections and walk throughs using mixed reality. You can avoid scheduling hassles to cover for out of office staff and save on travel time and expenses.

Product lifecycle information. Assuming your parts and service information are up to date, your service team can use mixed reality to confirm equipment details in the field including part numbers, device model and generation information, and operational data such as response to humidity, cold, heat, or other environmental factors.

Improve your field service world

These are just a few areas where mixed reality can improve the delivery of field service. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Remote Assist is a mixed reality tool specifically made for field service. Remote Assist empowers technicians to collaborate more efficiently by working together from different locations with Dynamics 365 Remote Assist on HoloLens, Android, or iOS devices. Remote Assist helps technicians share their real time view and solve problems with experts in remote locations. It helps reduce costs with remote inspections by combining video, screenshots, and annotations for more seamless workflows. Remote Assist is the perfect companion tool with Dynamics 365 Field Service.

Want to learn more?

Curious as to how mixed reality can improve your field service organization? Interested in resolving issues faster, reducing costs, and increasing efficiencies? Differentiate your field service offering by leveraging the power of mixed reality.

Starting November 1st, Dynamics 365 Remote Assist is available as an add-on to Dynamics 365 Field Service at a special promotional price. This offer applies to both new and current Dynamics 365 Field Service customers.

Hurry! The reality is…this mixed reality offer won’t last forever.

Discover how Dynamics 365 Field Service and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist can make technician success a reality. Learn more or register for a free trial.

Watch the Dynamics 365 Remote Assist video below to learn more.

The post Fuel your field service with mixed reality appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

The term smart city usually focuses on infrastructure and how big data and information technology can be used to better manage urban assets such as waterworks, roads, and public transit. Smart denotes physical assets connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) via sensor technology streaming data such as smart parking meters or smart streetlights. Smart cities use data captured by IoT devices to monitor and perform preemptive maintenance to ensure city services are always at optimal levels. But that’s just part of it. Smart cities can focus on internal local government processes such as digitizing records or an online process for permit applications or licenses. Citizens may describe a smart city by the ease of getting around or the reduction in crime. The bottom line: every descriptor is right. Built properly, a smart city will provide different value to different stakeholders.

The smart foundation

Technology is at the foundation of a smart city, but it’s one of many layers. If technology is the engine, then the fuel drives the outcome. A smart city leverages technology to achieve key outcomes for its stakeholders that include citizens, businesses, government, and visitors. Outcomes can be as broad as making government easier and more effective to do business with to optimizing transportation, transit, and traffic management systems. These results must matter to the stakeholders and should align around the needs of the city such as efficiency, sustainability, mobility, economic development, health, public safety, and quality of life.

A smart city is a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem comprised of people, businesses, policies, and laws tightly woven together to create the desired outcomes. Smart cities are adaptive, responsive, and always relevant to those that live, work, and visit the municipality. A smart city integrates technology to continually accelerate, facilitate, and transform itself.

Smart city v.2.0

Many cities have upgraded their infrastructure using sensing technologies and data analytics to better manage municipal assets such as public transportation, utilities, and roads. This connected infrastructure is comprised of physical assets networked via sensor technology that streams valuable data from smart assets. Connected sensors transmit operational data that helps cities optimize performance and maintain their physical infrastructure. Sensors send diagnostic notifications of anomalies in asset performance to field service personnel, who then diagnose and schedule preemptive maintenance. These systems are so intuitive that field service personnel can identify which part is failing and can bring a replacement rather than diagnosing onsite and scheduling another service call. This workflow eliminates system failures and reduces costs, and most of all ensures that those who live, work, and visit the city are rarely inconvenienced. Smart, isn’t it?

Initially, a smart city consisted of leveraging technology to connect public assets. But now there is a growing shift to better engaging governments, citizens, and business with the goal of improving services and the quality of life. Cities can generate a wealth of data to improve the quality of life of their citizens while spending tax money more wisely. The following examples are all enabled by insight that’s gleaned from connecting devices and sensors that communicate data about their ecosystem and their status within it:

• Optimizing public transit. Collecting ticket sales data on mass transit to determine the level of service required during peak and low volume times. Understanding volume times helps manage overcrowding popular routes and improve citizen satisfaction. These insights can save tax dollars by eliminating or rerouting underutilized routes, creating express routes or adjusting the frequency during low volume times to reduce emissions.
• Peak times, peak pricing. Cities can increase fares and tolls during peak times to generate additional revenue for new transit or public works projects. Tolls or fares can be charged with a swipe of a card or a scan of a bar code, and road tolls can even be automated using license plate scanning.
• Enhancing communication. Not only do buses, trains, and other mass transit communicate with each other, public transit can notify commuters if it’s not on schedule to improve customer satisfaction. Alerting commuters of traffic congestion with real-time traffic monitoring through closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) and AI-enabled apps can reduce commuter frustrations. Commuters can adjust schedules and take alternate routes or avoid driving by taking public transit.
• Increasing flow. Traffic signal timing can be adjusted for smoother traffic flow by analyzing traffic patterns by signal location, time of day, proximity to busy parking garages, or even providing citizens with a view of parking availability. Cities can also better manage factors such as the logistics of inbound freight and regulate things like double parking of delivery trucks during congested timeframes.
• Staying cleaner. Cities can stay cleaner when trash bins signal that they’re full. Sensors automatically send alerts when a specific weight of the bin is met. Sanitation can then respond when notified rather than creating roadblocks by picking up half-empty rubbish bins.
• Ensuring safety. Cities are safer when law enforcement can identify crime hot spots and respond more quickly to incidents. Streetlights with cameras can be activated by motion detectors rather than running continuously through the night.

The focus of the next-generation smart city is enhancing the citizen experience. Citizens want to connect with their community, share ideas and concerns, learn what’s going on, understand changes in services, and make requests in a frictionless and intuitive manner. They want to interact with the environment and city services as part of a well-planned, efficient, and livable eco-system. And finally, they want to connect with fellow citizens to advance common interests, enjoy public spaces, and be a part of the community.

This enhanced experience focuses on giving citizens a secure way to connect and build trust through exceptional customer service. Municipal employees are empowered to do more with fewer resources and are able to make informed decisions with a deeper understanding of the citizens they serve.

Better together

How do you get started creating your own smart city? First you need a flexible, yet strong foundation. Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides a strong, agile backbone to build a smart city. Dynamics 365 for Field Service connects sensors and other IoT devices to create that solid foundation. Data generated from IoT devices is digested by Dynamics 365 for Field Service and automatically notifies technicians of irregularities. By design, the technology can isolate the issue and help technicians dispatch the right service personnel to resolve the issue before citizens are even aware there was a problem. Preemptive and predictive maintenance of city assets can save taxpayer dollars significantly by committing repairs before there are costly breakdowns. And knowing what the issue is and what parts are required for the fix the first time eliminates costly return visits.

Dynamics 365 for Field Service provides a solid foundation that can be layered with Dynamics 365 for Customer Service, a comprehensive customer service application that helps civic employees personalize every interaction by viewing the entire citizen journey over time. Cities can enhance the experience with 24-hour support with live chat and/or a virtual agent or bot. Dynamics 365 Virtual Agent for Customer Service was specifically designed to let those closest to the citizen create, launch, and maintain bots, eliminating the need for developers or data scientists. Bots can answer routine inquiries any time 24/7 and if the issue is more complex, deliver a warm hand-off to a city employee to handle.

To gain greater insight into the citizens of the community, Dynamics 365 Customer Service Insights can provide city managers interfacing with constituents greater insights into opportunities to improve the experience. Customer Service Insights leverages artificial intelligence to help municipal managers glean rich insights into gaps in service. By identifying these gaps, managers can prioritize what will have the greatest positive impact on the community.

Get smarter, get started

Let us help you enhance citizen experiences, increase sustainability and resilience, and promote innovation for your city services. Learn how Dynamics 365 for Field Service can be the foundation for your smart city.

The post Building smart cities of the future with Microsoft appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Field Technologies Online reported that 53 percent of field service organizations cite ensuring mobile workers are operating at optimal efficiency and productivity as their number one challenge. This pain point bleeds into other challenges, including the respondents second largest concern of meeting growing customer demands and expectations at 46 percent. These two challenges make sense since customer expectations will continue to be a challenge as long as your field service organization is not at optimal performance.

Improving the first-time fix was also a challenge for 30 percent of the survey respondents, which affects technician productivity and of course, customer satisfaction. 25.5 percent of respondents also reported having issues standardizing processes and technologies.

Poor productivity affects first-time fix rates and vice versa, and both affect customer satisfaction. Plus, if all three are in a state of flux, standardizing processes is next to impossible.

It’s time to transform field service

Find out how to transform your field service operations with five new videos from Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service. Learn how to transform your field service organization into a highly productive and customer-pleasing machine. Obtain greater insight into connected field service and how to perform predictive maintenance with artificial intelligence and machine learning. Learn how to empower technicians with a scheduling hub and access to real-time information, including mixed reality, to improve first-time fix rates and customer satisfaction scores (CSAT).

So sit back, relax and see how Dynamics 365 for Field Service can work for you.

First, start your journey with the Transform Field Service video. This will teach you how to reinvent field service. Learn what happens when world-class capabilities converge with powerful machine learning, mixed reality, and IoT to transform not just field service, but your entire organization.

Your next stop is all about the customer in the Deliver Positive Customer Experiences video. Learn how field service can enhance customer interactions and increase customer engagement. See what IoT alerts are all about and how self-service portals can increase transparency, reduce onsite visits, and boost customer satisfaction.

Next, watch the Modern Tools for Proactive Solutions video. This explains how predictive maintenance, coupled with IoT and Office 365, can reduce costs and energize customer engagement. Recreate your break/fix service model to the sleek and efficient outcome-based model.

Learn how to optimize resources to improve service quality to the delight of your customers. The Enhance Customer Satisfaction with Smart Resources video shows you how a centralized scheduling hub empowers technicians with real-time information, reducing service time and enhancing customer satisfaction. In addition, see how AI can intelligently match work orders to available technicians according to skills, location, and other criteria to reduce downtime and enhance the customer experience.

The Empower Technicians with World Class Tools video is the last leg of your journey. This will show you how to leverage mobile throughout your field service operations. Watch as Azure IoT, machine learning, mixed reality, and Office 365 are united, empowering field service technicians with remote access to resources to successfully resolve issues.

These five short videos are a digital road trip designed to fuel your imagination in modernizing your field service organization. In minutes, you’ll learn how to improve efficiencies, create delightful customer experiences, and increase customer engagement.

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The post Video series: Transform field service with Dynamics 365 appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

A new study by Forrester Consulting calculates the potential return on investment (ROI) for implementing Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service can help organizations realize benefits of $1.8M over three years, adding up to a net present value (NPV) of $1.4M and an  ROI of 363 percent.

The Microsoft-commissioned Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) is based on interviews with three long-term telecom, construction, and manufacturing customers using Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service. Prior to deploying Dynamics 365 for Field Service, these organizations were evolving from a bare-bones approach to field service operations. As they grew, it became evident that a more proactive approach was needed that could extend existing resources further.

Key findings

• Through increased transparency and efficiencies into field operations, field teams reduced hours billed for repair and maintenance work orders by up to 60 percent. Over three years, the associated cost savings reached a present value (PV) of $1.4M.
• By enabling IoT and remote device access, organizations eliminated field dispatch for over 10 percent of total work orders with subsequent labor cost savings, totaling a three-year PV of $360K.
• Efficiencies from optimizing or eliminating travel were not limited to fewer labor hours billed. Field workers slashed time driving to work sites by 50 percent. The fuel savings over three years amounted to a PV of $28K.
• By leveraging automation, call center agents reduced service calls by a minimum of 20 percent with a three-year PV of $13K.

But that’s not all. There were many unquantified benefits such as heightened customer experience and satisfaction. These companies also reduced overtime and avoided regulatory penalties while improving hardware quality.

The bottom line

Forrester took a deep dive into the customer journey of these organizations, sharing their challenges, their vendor selection process, and the results of their investments. All three customers agreed that Dynamics 365 for Field Service provided:

• A modern and customizable field service management solution—right out of the box.
• Increased field utilization and improved visibility across the entire field service landscape.
• Greater operational efficiency including reducing the number of repeat visits, service reminder and survey calls, and technician transportation costs.

Learn how Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service can modernize, optimize, and energize your field service organization.

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The post How Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service impacts the bottom line appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Many manufacturing organizations are transitioning from a traditional product business model to an “as-a-service” business model—including flexible consumption models (FCMs) and “Anything-as-a-service (XaaS)—that lets them pay for what they use. “As-a-service” models provide compelling benefits, such as:

• Predictable and renewable revenue streams
• Greater value to the customer, as they only pay for what they consume
• Deeper insights into consumption patterns to help inform add-on sales
• Lower operational costs by serving customers through a common platform

There are benefits and risks to an “as-a-service” model in manufacturing. For manufacturers, the service has value in that it provides a consistent revenue stream. Conversely, the risk lies in the service not being available for the customer to consume. Any downtime interrupts revenue for the manufacturer as consumption is halted and frustrates the customer with costly interruptions of service.

For the customer, the benefit is that there is a set recurring cost and no capital outlay. Plus, the customer doesn’t have to keep up with the latest technology as it’s not their device. Upgrades and maintenance are typically factored into the service fee. The risk lies in the reliance on the service provider to provide a steady, reliable service and the possibility of the customer increasing usage of the service.

In manufacturing, the move to a service model is made possible by IoT and analytics, which enable the equipment to be part of a broader ecosystem. This process is known as connected field service and can detect and diagnose issues before the customer is even aware. Data generated from the device and analyzed by the manufacturer can drive predictive and preventative maintenance. The data gives the manufacturer a better understanding of how the device is being used and helps to form part of a digital supply chain to get the right equipment to the right place at the right time so there are no interruptions of service.

“As a Service,” or servitization, shifts the focus from the product to the end solution. It creates a frictionless customer experience. It takes the complexities of owning a device, including capital outlay, installation, maintenance, and other considerations out of the hands of the customer to the service provider for one consistent and recurring charge.

This transformation from product to service model is changing the manufacturing landscape. In an IFS research report of 750 decision-makers in 16 countries, 70 percent reported offering some level of servitization.

Companies that experience a downfall in demand can reinvent themselves as a service. For instance, a car manufacturer experiencing an economic downturn with an oversupply of vehicles can create a car rental service. Then, when the economy returns to its former good health, the car rental service becomes just another revenue stream.

Consider Siemens Gamesa, a renewable energy manufacturer of wind turbines. Siemens Gamesa is leveraging field service to extend the field capacity of its wind turbines. The company produces the wind turbines and performs on-going maintenance as a service offering. Siemens Gamesa performs predictive maintenance through IoT and analytics, by way of connected field service, collecting volumes of data from the wind turbines and leveraging artificial intelligence to pinpoint potential repairs.

Using Dynamics 365 for Field Service, Siemens Gamesa continuously monitors the turbines and leverages the power of IoT to collect data from the blades. If an anomaly arises, Siemens’ drone solution called Hermes, is launched to fly across the turbines to take images of the blades. Later, the images are stitched together in the cloud, removing the blade from the background so cracks along the blade can be easily seen. What took days to identify a crack in a turbine’s blades, now takes just minutes. Field service is scheduled and the most qualified technician is dispatched. Tickets are generated only when there is a need, reducing operating costs and ensuring first time fix rates.

According to Siemens Gamesa, its wind turbine and service portfolio creates value that reduces the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE), ensuring long-term returns for customers. Siemens Gamesa has significantly differentiated itself in the market by servitizing their renewable energy offerings.

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Learn more about the Microsoft Connected Field Service solution.

The post Transition from a product to service model with connected field service appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

As the manufacturing marketplace continues to evolve, so do customer expectations. Customers expect faster and faster response times and improved asset availability. To meet these growing demands, manufacturers need to transform field service to increase efficiency and ensure a first-time fix. Today’s average first-time fix rate is 74 percent, which means over 25 percent of service calls require return visits, which can cost upwards of $1,100 per truck roll., according to  an article in Field Technologies Online. Return visits also mean dissatisfied customers, broken SLAs, frustrated technicians, and wasted time and resources.

Remote monitoring of assets is the first step for manufacturers to leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) to increase operational efficiency and improve profitability. Operational data, provided through remote monitoring, enables field service to deliver quick response times and improve first-time fix rates.

Connected field service is the next step in the journey to transform field support. Connected field service enables organizations to transform service from a costly break-fix model to a proactive and predictive service model through the combination of IoT diagnostics, scheduling, asset maintenance, and inventory on the same platform. It is the foundation of a seamless service process that can increase customer satisfaction and boost revenue.

Want to improve visibility and field operations? Let me tell you a story.

Swiftel International is a telecommunications firm specializing in electronics payment solutions. Swiftel needed greater visibility when it came to device management and field operations. Device malfunctions demanded time-consuming inspections and scheduling field technicians was difficult due to blind spots in the company’s performance tracking and work scheduling. Swiftel wanted to:

• Streamline remote device tracking and troubleshooting
• Monitor field technician performance and leverage technicians with the right training
• Improve customer satisfaction with greater service visibility

Collaborating with Microsoft, Swiftel chose a comprehensive solution of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service and Azure IoT. This approach would allow asset tracking and scheduling in the field with the flexibility of cloud access. Swiftel would also be able to optimize technician schedules, track inventory, and perform advanced data analysis for efficient routing and technician skill-matching.

Fast forward to streamlined services and enhanced productivity.

Now Swiftel can manage its devices remotely, and schedule better and manage logistics more effectively. Swiftel has a more comprehensive view of workers in the field, and has increased productivity and lowered costs due to more streamlined services.

Swiftel uses this intelligent system to optimize technician assignments using multiple factors, such as a technician’s experience in handling the specific failure, the customer’s preferred technician or the technician’s proximity to the site. Leveraging machine learning, Dynamics for Field Service automatically assigns the work order to the most experienced available personnel.

As the volume of requests increase, this system optimizes the technician’s schedule to create the most efficient travel path, allowing the technician to perform additional calls that day. Real-time inventory management ensures that the replacement part is available on the scheduled date and that the technician has access to the tools needed to complete the job. Dynamics for Field Service can identify the right parts to replace, where they should be purchased, and provides more accurate lead time predictions for the organization.

Let’s take our story even further. What if a technician needs additional help during the service call? They can leverage Dynamics 365 Layout and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist using HoloLens. This emerging technology offers technicians 3-D renderings overlaid directly onto the device, highlighting the parts needing repair while displaying performance data—even on a mobile device. Artificial intelligence (AI) can use the data from predictive analytics to make just-in-time recommendations to the technician, ensuring repairs are completed correctly the first time, every time. Remote Assist is in the early phases of being used to improve safety and reduce costs through the use of remote experts for equipment verification and incident response.

Let’s get back to our story. Now Swiftel technicians can commit repairs to a device with minimal downtime, and the device is fixed right the first time by the best technician available.  Check out the full Swiftel case study for more information.

Create your own story at Hannover Messe

Make your field service dreams come true by experiencing Dynamics 365 for Field Service, and Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, using Hololens, and learn how connected field service works. Join me for a personal tour of these technologies in booth #40 at Hannover Messe on April 1 – 5 in Hanover, Germany.

You’re invited to learn how Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Applications can transform your support operations. Try mixed reality and Hololens and see for yourself how AI can proactively drive efficiencies, optimize resources and modernize field service. Find out how easily you can leverage connected devices and IoT with Field Service to deliver proactive and never fail service to your customers.

I look forward to seeing you at Hannover Messe!

The post Intelligent field service at Hannover Messe appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

Service organizations are continually challenged to meet rising customer expectations. It often seems like creating a positive customer experience and growing customer engagement are moving targets. And confusion arises as these terms are often used interchangeably. Understanding the difference is the first step in enhancing the customer experience and customer engagement.

First, let’s define the terms. Customer experience (or CX) is how customers perceive their interactions with your company. It’s the customer’s emotional, physical, and psychological connection with your brand, stemming from a product, system, service, and/or channel interactions. CX is about a moment in time and the memory of that moment.

Customer engagement is the ongoing value-driven relationship between your customer and the business. It’s the sum of all touch points and the flow of all experiences between your company and the customer. This includes direct, indirect, offline, and online interactions, as well as the actions that the customer might take—posting, tweeting, liking, recommending, buying, and so forth. If you provide a positive CX, your customer should become more engaged. However, all it takes is one negative experience to damage the entire customer experience and their association with your brand. This can ultimately lead to a disengaged customer.

Now that we understand the difference between the customer experience and customer engagement, how can field service affect either?

Field service first-time fix rates can be an important factor in the customer experience. Customers expect fast and complete service. However, if a technician is dispatched with the wrong skills, tools, or part, the CX can be negatively affected. When this occurs, the customer is left to deal with a non-performing asset, decreasing the ability to generate revenue and increasing the amount of time the customer is inconvenienced. This poor customer experience not only costs your organization more, it’s also seen in lower renewal rates and increased customer attrition. Research indicates that first-time fix rates that are lower than 50 percent can be catastrophic to a business, leading to a near 50 percent Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT).

Studies have found that best in class field service organizations resolve issues on the first visit 88 percent of the time while average companies achieve an 80 percent rate and the laggards struggle at 63 percent. To help increase your first-time fix rate, consider offering:

• Real-time visibility into the service assignments and smooth work order management.
• Mobile diagnostics and access to the service call, task details, and real-time updates to better arm technicians.
• Customer preferred time slots and real-time visibility into service interactions, and technician status and arrival.
• The ability for field technicians to deploy mixed-reality to overlay instructions and accelerate the time it takes to make a repair.
• Predictive maintenance for connected devices to resolve issues before customers are even aware there is an issue.

These are just a few of the ways field service can provide a positive customer experience and fuel customer engagement.

And yes, enhancing customer engagement pays off. Research indicates that fully engaged customers represent a 23 percent premium in terms of share of wallet, profitability, revenue, and relationship growth over the average customer. Companies who successfully engage with their B2B customers realize 63 percent lower customer attrition, 55 percent higher share of wallet, and 50 percent higher productivity. Conversely, actively disengaged customers presented a 13 percent decrease in those same measures.

Research proves the link between customer engagement and business value. Through an optimized field service organization, you can more easily create an ongoing conversation with each customer, driving advocacy, loyalty, satisfaction, revenue lifetime value, referrals, lower attrition, and a higher share of wallet—all delivering value to your business.

Interested in leveraging field service to improve your customer experience and enhance customer engagement? Learn how Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service can transform your business, increase first-time fix rates, and provide a delightful customer experience. Visit this website for more information. Ready to get started? Request a guided tour.

The post Elevate your customer experience with field service first-time fix rate appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.

A field service engineer’s job can be a bit like looking for a needle in an enormous haystack. For example, trying to isolate the cause of a customer’s inexplicably high heating bill in the month of August. And for the longest time, companies made do, thinking the challenges of troubleshooting, such as
scheduling inefficiencies and taking multiple trips to fix a problem were all part of the job.

Seattle-based contractor MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions turned that assumption on its head.

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More efficient, proactive tech dispatch

MacDonald-Miller serves customers throughout the Northwest United States, ensuring that their buildings’ HVAC and other systems are running efficiently. Last year, the company rolled out a connected building solution using Azure IoT, Dynamics 365 for Field Service, and ICONICS smart building software. Together they’ve armed MacDonald-Miller with targeted HVAC performance data, so its field services staff can take a much more efficient, surgical approach to solving issues in the field.

With this new system, when sensors in a furnace, air handler, or other component generate an alert in ICONICS, the alert is passed through to Dynamics 365 for Field Service, which automatically creates a trouble ticket for service staff. The ticket gives service techs a complete repair history and explains the nature of the current issue, so they can load the right tools and parts in their vehicle before leaving the shop for the day. And with Dynamics 365, dispatchers can more easily optimize each tech’s time in the field based on their location and expertise.

These capabilities have revolutionized the way that MacDonald-Miller’s field techs do their jobs, and have helped the company take a more proactive stance in meeting customers’ needs:

• MacDonald-Miller’s field techs can solve machinery malfunctions and performance issues before they snowball into something bigger. As a result, the energy efficiency rating for its customers has increased by 10 to 20 percent, saving them a significant amount of money and going a long way toward increasing their loyalty.
• Field techs are equipped with everything they need to do their jobs effectively, with the confidence of knowing the nature of a problem ahead of time. Tablets and wearable tech, like Microsoft HoloLens, enable them to access records, document their work, and immediately share it with customers.
• Increased scheduling efficiency allows MacDonald-Miller to service more buildings without needing to hire more staff.

Impressive ROI in under a year

With its new facilities solution in place, MacDonald-Miller reduced time-to-completion for service calls by nearly two weeks. And having a better system for capturing leads and passing them on to the marketing team has helped increase profits and improve targeting of potential customers. Boston-based Nucleus Research found that these and other improvements accrued to a 282 percent return on MacDonald-Miller’s investment, with a payoff in just over eight months.

Perhaps most importantly, MacDonald-Miller set itself apart from the competition through a newfound ability to harness the Internet of Things and use it to help its customers be more energy efficient, which company CIO Brad Bussick says is critical in today’s market:

“Many of the new construction jobs we won last year we won because we offered an optimization component. No longer can a company walk into a bid situation and say, ‘We’re going to build your building’ and expect to land the job. You need an optimization solution, a way to analyze a building’s health in real-time to maintain energy efficiency over the life of the building. That’s good not just for building owners but for the planet.”

Watch the video to learn more about Dynamics 365 for Field Service. Or, visit this website for more information. Ready to get started? Request a demo.

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The post Dynamics 365 for Field Service: Drive efficiency with intelligent troubleshooting appeared first on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog.