Gartner has just released its 2019 Magic Quadrant for Field Service Management, and once again, IFS has been named a Leader.
While we’re certainly thrilled to once again be recognized for the excellence of our service management solution, and the many ways that it helps service organizations maximize wins and build digital-first service solutions, the report highlighted a variety of interesting elements about the current state of the industry. Here are some of the most compelling takeaways:
Outcomes-Based Service is the Future
Customers now demand more than just a product; they want results, which is the main driver behind the move towards outcomes-based service. As Gartner notes, 19 percent of firms today offer outcome-based contracts, with an additional 26 percent planning to incorporate within the next 12 months. This means that service firms need to move beyond break-fix. With an outcome-based contract, you’re selling a result, and to deliver on that result, you need to minimize any downtime. For asset-intensive industries, this means predicting breakage before it happens, and maximizing remote resolutions. For all service firms, it’s a reminder what it means to provide a service, and an invitation to adjust how you do business to meet those customer needs.
IoT is Driving Service Optimization
Unsurprisingly, then, as outcomes-based service is on the rise, so too is the need to maximize the visibility of serviceable assets. This includes remote monitoring, remote resolution, and automatic dispatch. On those automatic dispatches, 15 percent of firms surveyed by Gartner indicated that they’re scheduling some service automatically. To do so obviously requires connected assets as a baseline, but from there, requires a complex set of processes, and often a reliance on artificial intelligence, to ensure that service is being dispatched at the right time, and in the right way. For that reason, forward-thinking organizations owe it to themselves to evaluate their entire dispatch lifecycle, starting with the asset, and moving down through the service execution. Is there are technical debt impeding service? Now, in these early stages, is the time to optimize.
The Move to Cloud Continues
In its report, Gartner lays out the change in the last three years: “On-premises deployments declined from 41 percent in 2016 to 31 percent in 2017 to 22 percent in 2018.” This is to say nothing of today’s numbers. Cloud is no longer the future; it is the present. If your solution is still on-prem, and you have the option to free up that rack space, you need to prepare for the move now. The benefits of connectivity—Consistent utilization of latest product builds, better security, and perpetual partnerships—make this model the key for long-term filed service success.
The Service Workforce is Increasingly Offsite
The average technician-to-dispatcher ratio is now 21:1. Among leading service firms, that ratio is, in many cases, significantly higher. This means that industry leaders are accomplishing more with fewer staff. This is the natural progression from adoption of the previously-mentioned technologies. As business systems improve, automation increases, and on-site employees can instead focus on more complex tasks and escalations. Adopting a strong service management solution means reallocating your workforce to the field, which is a win for your customers, and a win for your bottom line.
With all the exciting advancements changing and enhancing the service industry, IFS is honored that Gartner named our product a leader for the fourth consecutive time. With FSM 6, organizations can feel confident in their ability to challenge the status quo of service, stand above their competitors, and deliver excellent service to their customers.
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