Avoid interruptions and increase uptime with the Internet of Things
Thanks to the growing number of connected devices and increased usage of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, everyone and everything in today’s world is connected, and it’s having a profound impact on how we live and do work. At the rate we’re currently going, there will be 25 billion connected devices by 2020—outnumbering people 4:1, according to a Gartner forecast.
With all these internet-enabled devices, interruptions in connectivity—even small ones—can cost businesses time and money. When even the most mundane everyday interruptions break employee focus and reduce work quality, downtime and gaps in service caused by broader connectivity interruptions have the potential to really add up.
It’s time we change the service industry approach to meet customers’ needs. By using IoT to streamline workflows and minimize downtime, the service industry can redefine how we view and deliver service.
The idea of “service” used to be limited to simply fixing a broken or ineffective device. As such, service didn’t even start until there was a problem—you had to wait until a device was no longer functioning before bringing someone in to fix it. Then once a problem was identified, the customer would call a service technician, wait for an appointment, go through the diagnostic process, and potentially wait for needed parts. Each time this happened, the techs went blindly into the field without knowing what kind of repair was needed, leading to sometimes costly and ineffectual service visit results.
Thankfully, those days are gone.
With IoT now enabling a more proactive approach to service, you can anticipate needs and identify issues before a device goes down. Connected devices could identify servicing needs prior to failure, communicating the problem to a technician before a field service appointment is made. By using mobility, cloud technology, and big data to optimize predictive maintenance, service is now proactive—often anticipating problem before a device stops functioning.
The results are happier customers, faster technician visits, and less downtime waiting for devices to get back online. By limiting interruptions and streamlining services, you can create better relationships with your clients while increasing productivity and, ultimately, your bottom line.
Redefining service is just one of the things covered in our latest eBook. See how IoT is already impacting the field service industry, discover how it will impact your business, and learn how to integrate it in our eBook, Leading the future of field service: Connecting field service management to the Internet of Things.
