Expanding the Measurement of Field Service Productivity: A Proposed Four-Stage Model
In field service, organizations are always striving to boost technician productivity. It’s a core requirement and expectation of any investment in field service. Business cases are built on the basis of expected improved productivity and decisions are evaluated based...
The Big Fix That Launched Apollo 11 to the Moon
Editor’s note: To commemorate the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 11 launch, Field Service Digital interviewed former NASA engineer Stephen Coester, who directed a crucial repair mission hours before the launch that carried astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin,...
Comic Brake: Next-Gen Employee Appreciation
Editor’s Note: Today’s cartoon is part of our “Comic Brake” series. Field service management is serious business, but everybody deserves a good laugh after a long week in the field. Check back for cartoonist Terry LaBan’s next installment on FSD.
How to Keep Tenured Service Techs Satisfied
It takes a lot of effort to find a new job. Because of that, people tend to stay in their positions as long as they aren’t completely miserable. That’s why if the pay is OK and the manager isn’t a total jerk, chances are that your technicians will stay with your...
Onboarding Hacks for Full-Time and Contract Techs
Whether you are a small business owner or the manager of a global company’s technician team, onboarding new hires involves more than printing their ID badge and showing them the break room. The onboarding process is a critical time for ensuring that workers are set up...
Hyken: Customers Will Soon Expect Predictive Maintenance
Editor’s note: A version of this article appeared on Shep Hyken’s blog and is adapted here with permission. In the old days — and even in modern times — if a customer wanted help or support, they picked up the phone and called for help. A (hopefully) friendly and...
Our Experts
Donald B. StephensFacilities and strategic vendor manager, Jacobs
Seth DunnDirector of industry development, power & utilities, ServiceMax
Nick FrankCo-founder & managing partner, Si2 Partners
Shep HykenBestselling customer service author & speaker
ICYMI: Are Service Leaders Too Analytical?
It’s impossible to stay on top of every service news story. We get it. Don’t miss a beat with our monthly “In Case You Missed It” series. Keep reading for June's top stories, covering everything from common recruitment blunders to a eulogy for service management...
Comic Brake: Instagram-Worthy Repairs
Editor’s Note: Today’s cartoon is part of our “Comic Brake” series. Field service management is serious business, but everybody deserves a good laugh after a long week in the field. Check back for cartoonist Terry LaBan’s next installment on FSD.
Taking a Modular Approach to Service Transformation — Part 4: Parts Management
What are the two biggest costs to a service/after sales organization? Generally, it’s human resources and the assets used to service those products. In other words: people (technicians/back office) and the spare parts. Now we often see advice on how to maximize...
Field Service Management, R.I.P. Long Live Field Service Management.
If the title sounds like an obituary to Field Service Management (FSM), it’s quite the contrary. It is about how to sustain, rejuvenate and rediscover your FSM solution, where “R.I.P” stands for “Realize Its Potential.” Adopting a modern, digital FSM solution is a...
How Provar Closed the ‘Testing Gap’ With ServiceMax
What’s the best thing about ServiceMax? Many of us would say that it’s the ability to deliver change quickly. The company’s core offering benefits its customers greatly, but on top of that, ServiceMax is constantly delivering new features to the platform to keep its...
Technicians Are a Critical Link to all Areas of Your Business
A service organization’s field technicians are the principal customer contacts post-sale and, as a result, they will be heavily counted on to serve as an unofficial communication link to all areas of the business — both within the organization and to their respective...