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Tools adopted amid pandemic are critical to the 'new normal'

By Gary York, chairman of Help Lightning

The pandemic forced many industries to speed up their digital transformation to keep up with the needs of customers, prioritizing safety while maintaining service excellence. Tools like AR-enabled remote visual assistance software fulfilled those demands by facilitating interactive, virtual expertise through real-time video collaboration.

As 2022 begins, some business leaders are looking forward to getting back to "normal" with a retreat from the tools that enabled their teams for the last year and a half. Progress isn't about looking back - it must move forward.

Technology that improved service is here to stay

In June 2021, Help Lightning teamed up with Blumberg Group to assess sentiment within the field service industry, including in the area of emerging technology. The survey included 130 field service leaders representing manufacturers, third-party maintainers, contractors and telecommunications carriers. Nearly half of those business leaders - 45% - said they foresee the industry getting back to normal in early 2022.

I have to disagree: Customers and technicians alike have raised their expectations because of new technologies that streamline service delivery. In line with those expectations, a recent McKinsey study determined organizations that retooled their customer experiences with technology reported a 15-20% increase in customer satisfaction, a 20-40% decrease in cost to serve and a 20% rise in conversion rates and growth. Why give up those advantages for a return to the status quo? The tools that helped organizations adapt during the pandemic will be critical in moving the industry well past normal and into a new era of field service.

Remote virtual assistance software didn't just fill in the gaps when on-site visits faced safety hurdles. It changed the face of service, offering a way to instantly eliminate the distance between a customer in need and an expert with answers. Remote visual assistance begins with what appears to be just a video call - on a mobile device or a web browser - and uses merged reality to combine live video streams, facilitating an interactive work environment that provides the benefits of an on-site visit without the added time and cost. Service representatives can bring hands, tools and other items into view, act out a repair and give immediate feedback to a customer repeating the steps independently. Users can also freeze the screen and make annotations as they work together.

Businesses in the medical and scientific equipment, telecommunications and industrial equipment fields all saw measurable improvement in critical business metrics after adopting remote visual assistance software. In fact, businesses on average see a 30% reduction in time required to provide a solution and a 35% increase in first-time fix rates. That's beneficial to the customer and the company. Enabling remote resolution of customer issues reduces the number of on-site visits, saving money and time while ensuring service technicians are available for problems that demand their physical presence.

In that same survey of field service leaders, Blumberg found that 41% of leaders agreed AR is an effective alternative to on-site service during COVID-19. In comparison, 33% said AR has become essential for their organization. Gartner also expects interaction assistance tools to gain greater-than-average value in customer service. As companies prepare for what 2022 holds, trading in the progress they've made for a return to past practices will only lead to a loss of quality. The new era of field service must take advantage of proven, reliable technology to empower technicians and support customers.

It's not just customers who benefit from implementing tools like remote visual assistance software. As companies in the field service industry face both the Great Resignation and the Great Retirement, technology like remote visual assistance software can extend the careers of experienced technicians and improve the onboarding of new technicians. Long-time employees can move into remote expert roles that offer flexibility to work less in the field without leaving the business entirely. And as field service braces for an expected shortage of technicians, the ability to capture institutional knowledge will be vital to facilitating a seamless customer experience.

As for new technicians entering the field, nearly 75% of leaders surveyed by Blumberg said new technologies would help them upskill new hires, while 60% believe incorporating new technology will attract and excite a younger workforce. Unseasoned technicians using remote visual assistance have the chance to master a new tool while benefiting from the instant, virtual support of an expert colleague as they begin customer visits. In this way, tools adopted during the pandemic remain essential to service tech stacks by enabling a continued high standard of service while educating a young workforce. That combination keeps businesses competitive and successful and goes a long way toward building and retaining talent.

Embrace a new normal built on better tools

Instead of looking backward, field service leaders should be leading the charge forward, with exceptional tools that promote efficiency and excellence. Faster service, happier customers, engaged technicians: It sounds better than "back to normal" because it is better. It's the future. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary is a serial entrepreneur with four successful software and services exits: three private sales and one IPO. He has spent his career at the boundary of what is possible and what is practical. He has held technical and executive positions with leading technology companies in Boston, Silicon Valley, and Alabama. Not only is Gary a winner of the Smithsonian Innovation Award and the EDPA Lifetime Achievement Award for Innovation, he also serves on the Boards of TechBirmingham, the McWane Science Center and Urban Avenues. He holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon and was a visiting fellow at UC Berkeley. Gary and his wife Cathy have two children. He is an avid runner.