White Paper
Explore how Connected Field Service and Bolt Data Connect transform field service operations by leveraging IoT data to enable predictive maintenance, optimize scheduling, and enhance customer experiences.
Connected Field Service places asset data into the hands of service teams to empower proactive business models and ongoing opportunities for the companies they serve.
A key function of Connected Field Service is consistently delivering new asset data to accurately drive actions and outcomes.
Thanks to Connected Field Service, companies can finally shift from a costly and reactive break-fix service model to a proactive and predictive service model by applying powerful and intelligent rules to machine data streams.
Combining machine data with field service applications such as Bolt Data Connect and Salesforce Service Cloud creates enhancements that improve scheduling, provide proactive asset maintenance, accurate inventory, and more.
For nearly 20 years, service companies have invested significantly in Field Service Management solutions, standardizing business processes and critical service data capture.
In addition to operational efficiency, this shift has given field service leaders visibility into the key performance indicators of their business such as Mean Time to Repair (MTTR), First Time Fix (FTF), and a host of other data.
With accurate data on the outcomes of field service performance, the next question is “How do we improve these metrics?”
The significant rise in demand for Connected Field Service over the last few years is the answer to this question.
In addition to improvement in the metrics, there are a number of additional reasons for the rise of Connected Field Service. They include:
When executed correctly, Connected Field Service can create a host of positive outcomes which play a major role in maintaining customer satisfaction including:
A combination of Internet of Things (IoT) diagnostics, asset maintenance, scheduling, and inventory on the same platform makes Connected Field Service a powerful resource organizations can use to transform their service offerings.
The benefits of this solution include but aren’t limited to:
As is commonly the case when assessing an innovative solution, there are use cases to keep in mind. When it comes to Connected Field Service, it’s no different. When evaluating this solution, consider the following:
At Bolt Data, we remotely monitor field-based assets to detect anomalies and automate accurate service responses in real-time.
This creates valuable opportunities to:
Tracking an asset's actual usage and condition empowers maintenance that’s coordinated precisely when needed.This provides a high-level of confidence and service.
Typical predictive maintenance schedules are based on “average” utilization of an asset. Consequently, over-used machines are still susceptible to unplanned downtime which negatively impacts the customer. Not to mention, underutilized assets are typically serviced more than necessary which increases service costs.
Benefits of usage-based maintenance include:
Bolt Data Connect provides your service solution with the actual performance of the asset. This helps teams to identify and schedule appropriate maintenance measures with minimal customer impact.
Through our Admin console, defining roles and services plans is easier and more efficient as it includes the right threshold to raise the work order and get it scheduled.
Once a company’s assets are connected and streaming data, software platforms can use the information to predict when an asset will fail long before the actual event.
In fact, companies that adopt a Connected Field Service solution experience a 75% reduction in asset failures. But, when assets do fail, the downtime is reduced by 45%.
This predictive maintenance provides a layer of proactivity that empowers companies to look ahead and divert potential problems. The additional benefits of this solution for the end-user include:
Bolt Data Connect monitors real-time asset performance and operating trends which enables services teams to keep assets running properly by predicting failures and proactively responding.
Imagine what it would be like if you could remotely access assets to triage issues and deliver service without dispatching a service technician.
The fluidity of your processes and the level of customer satisfaction would give you peace of mind so you can focus on other business initiatives.
With Connected Field Service, the picture we painted is reality. Through this innovative solution field service engineers are able to collaborate with additional support resources to resolve more complex issues.
For example, if an engineer isn’t available or is en route to fix a problem, support centers can also engage with the customer to assess and even diagnose the underlying issue. These details are shared with the engineer which helps them quickly verify and repair the issue.
If the Customer allows sufficient asset access, commands can be sent to the asset remotely from Bolt Data Connect to potentially fix the problem and avoid the truck roll completely or at least eliminate the low hanging fruit for repair, helping shorten repair time.
Servitization is commonly called asset-as-a-service.
Through Connected Field Service, companies are able to create new revenue models by providing service-level agreement (SLA) terms that come with guarantees such as asset uptime, response time, parts availability, and more.
Benefits of servitization include:
Bolt Data Connect makes the asset data available not only to the service organization, but to quoting, sales, and even marketing functions of a company. This empowers companies to deliver targeted, higher margin services to their customer base.
Let’s say you’re standing in front of a vending machine looking over the options. You find exactly what you want, pay the fee, type in the code, and an entirely different selection from what you chose falls to the bottom.
You wouldn’t be too happy, right? You expected one item and were delivered something entirely different. In this case, your experience would be less than favorable.
Although a low-stakes example, it’s one that brings to light the power that optimized scheduling provides businesses. Optimized scheduling of Connected Field Service gives companies the exact selection that meets their expectations.
Through this solution, scheduling is based on asset information that allows managers and dispatchers to assign the right engineer for the job. Because the asset communicates the issue with accuracy and validation from tiered support teams, an engineer with the right skills and certifications is assigned the job.
Additional benefits of this component are:
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
These wise words from Benjamin Franklin are in alignment with this use case as visibility to real-time and historic asset data enables technicians to know ahead of time what they’re up against and prepare for the job.
This detailed information prepares engineers with the insights required to assess a situation and devise a solution. Everything from asset data, customer information, work history, knowledge bulletins, guide work, and on-demand assistance from other tiers of support are readily available and at their fingertips.
The modern and next-generation workforce expects technology like Connected Field Service to be one of the tools in their arsenal to diagnose problems, find solutions, and determine the root cause.
Powerful visualizations of asset telemetry data in real-time also empowers field engineers to properly assess performance while assets are in motion.
Asset managers and services leaders can harness the power of Bolt Data Connect’s data from their mobile device. The convenience Bolt Data Connect offers companies doesn’t stop there. Teams have access to the data the machine’s producing. Remote access helps improve service speed and having access to knowledge articles can make the fix faster.
Finally, Bolt Data Connect gives new engineers the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in the field. This gives senior engineers flexibility to work on other high-priority tasks and to reserve their resources only in critical situations.
Companies that are able to consistently provide a positive customer experience better their chances of growing their revenue faster than companies that don’t place an emphasis on customer experience.
In fact, according to Forbes, businesses that focus on improving customer experience see an 80% increase in revenue.
With all this in mind, companies that leverage Connected Field Service put themselves in a better position to reap these benefits as this solution can:
And, when a field engineer does have to go on-site, the customer will know it was necessary and all the information, parts, and details are in place to promptly resolve the issue.
Perhaps the most important outcome of Connected Field Service is the ability to automate processes that weren’t always possible.
Through asset conditions and alerts, companies are able to drive automatic actions and processes such as:
Even remaining manual processes are enhanced with data, such as being able to deliver contracts tailored to specific customers, their assets, and how they’re utilized. This allows your customers to achieve higher asset utilization, and clearly understand cost expectations.
Happy customers are the gateway to opportunities to expand within those accounts and industries.
Francis Bacon once said, “Knowledge is power.” And, for equipment and service providers, especially, knowledge is their superpower.
But, acquiring that knowledge can be difficult. This is where Connected Field Service comes into play to provide a true 360-degree view of the customer which is the ultimate goal.
This vantage point provides a true and holistic view of customer health in real-time and takes into consideration relevant information including physical asset data.
All of this information can be used to forge a new foundation for understanding the true condition of the situation.
Bolt Data Connect is an out-of-the-box solution that integrates with the Salesforce platform through native connectivity to Salesforce Field Service and ServiceMax Field Service applications.
By viewing common problems and use cases through the perspective of field service professionals, we created a solution that automates these practices.
Bolt Data Connect gives your data the power to speak and solve complex field service challenges in the process.
Interested in learning more? Contact our team today.