Field service is at a crossroads, and business leaders can no longer afford to keep service in the technological darkness. Now is the time to fold field service divisions into the larger organization, Dave Hart, vice president of customer transformation at ServiceMax, writes in CRN.

And there is no better way for service leaders to do that than by adopting the cloud and mobile technologies that other business departments have likely used for years. Technology tools are one — or perhaps the only — way that companies can meet customers’ expectations and generate revenue through service.

“We have 1980s-style processes and systems colliding with the expectations of today’s information-based, customer-led economy,” Hart writes. “Field service is inherently mobile, social and time sensitive. It needs new technologies that complement these attributes.”

(Via CRN)

This Week’s Must-Reads From the Field

Drowning in data? These services can help: Modern businesses face a conundrum: They now collect loads of data, and it’s cheaper to store — but the sheer volume of that data often makes it less useful. The emerging Internet of Things trend will only exacerbate the data deluge. The good news for field service companies is that a new crop of startups and services can help extract meaningful intel from all of that data. (via Forbes)

5 tips to stop wasting time: The world is a distraction factory of email, endless meetings and devices that nag for attention. But don’t forget there’s often a person on the other end of that email or text message. Harvard Business Review offers five ways to tune out distractions from bosses and colleagues. (via Harvard Business Review)

Believe the Internet of Things hype: It’s understandable to dismiss the latest connected device as consumer puffery. But Jasper CEO Jahangir Mohammed warns against ignoring the tangible — and lucrative — business benefits of the Internet of Things. The effects on the field service industry could soon be too big to overlook. (via Forbes)