Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a broadly used term, and it’s certainly a hot topic within modern workspaces and conversations. This article will look at how the term could be applied to businesses with a Field Service focus. Broadly, AI is a combination of machine learning and automation of process or action based on use and analysis of data and it can be harnessed to optimise processes and drive efficiencies across any given business.
As a result, businesses have started investing in AI-assisted strategies, which have a wide range of applications: for example, identifying buyers needs before buyers do themselves. The field service management space, in particular, has begun implementing AI-based solutions to boost customer satisfaction levels, while also improving internal operations thus making their services more productive. Let’s take a look at how this is being achieved.
Enhanced Training and Better Knowledge
Field service management companies are now using AI for establishing better techniques to train their technicians. For example, when a technician performs a job/service correctly, they can record the details and exact steps in an AI-enabled application. This data and insights can later be of great use for training automation software. Likewise, an excellently tackled customer service call can be recorded and used as an example of training other employees to deliver similar service and build a better workforce.
Improved Customer Experience
Field service companies have also started experimenting with AI-based strategies in order to improve levels of customer experience. For example, they can use voice recognition software on customer support calls and then feed that data into an AI system. This helps to an extent that when an existing customer calls again, as they won’t need to provide their identity as the software will be able to identify them based on their voice. AI-enabled customer service software can recognize customers and address them by their names, without having them to introduce themselves one more time. Besides this, companies are also implementing contextual conversation tools, where AI can have conversations with customers through chat-based tools, freeing up your technicians and support personnel to tackle cases that require human intervention.
Job Scheduling
In the field service industry, it is important for service companies to dispatch the right technician to the right job—a task that has been automated using job scheduling software. Now, with the help of artificial intelligence, job scheduling tools can assign the right technician by evaluating who will be able to perform a particular job in the best manner. This helps free up time for back-office to tackle more complex scheduling tasks.
Mobile Attendance Tracking
Thanks to AI-enabled job management software with time-off and overtime management tools, it is now easier for the field service managers to keep a track of their workers’ attendance and on-duty timings. Any experienced tradie will tell you that it is sometime complicated to keep track of their colleagues’ whereabouts and stay organized. Hence, if there’s any way for software to estimate when technicians will take unexpected leave, it would contribute majorly in saving field service management business from managing an active staff of on-duty technicians. Companies can establish a system that handles all the requirements of the technicians on any day without any human intervention.
Mobile Inventory Management
Managing inventory is a crucial job in the business puzzle of the field service space. Customers are in their right mind to be unsatisfied if the tools and products used in their field service projects are not up to the mark of quality expected by the industry. However, now thanks to AI-based inventory management tools, the requirements are predicted at an early stage and inventory is made available effectively without much delay.
These are just a few ways AI is changing the landscape of the field service industry. As technology improves leaps and bounds every day, the extent to which such technology can improve field service operations is endless. To learn more about how AI is improving asset management and field service businesses, read more about machine learning.
