Big Data: 2022 Update: How Big Data Is Changing Field Service Management
(Big Data: How Big Data is Changing Field Service Management was first published in 2016 with an update in 2022)
Big data (BD) is the key to growing your small to medium-sized business. Since your competitors will also be trying to gain market share, grow their businesses, and outdo you in the field, you need a way to get ahead of the game and start offering more than your competition. You can either provide a lower price, or you can provide a higher level of service. While a lower price may entice some people, price things too low and people will question your quality. It’s generally better to give excellent quality service — and that’s where big data comes in.
Big Data Is Gaining Ground
Big data in field service is a relatively new development, since BD itself hasn’t been used that much until recently. As it has grown, though, the desire for it and the ways in which companies use it have also grown. The use of big data is changing field service, because it allows those who are in the field to build relationships with customers. With so much information being collected and aggregated as a result of big data, companies that know how to utilize that data effectively can use that knowledge to ensure that their customers feel known, understood, and appreciated.
2022 Update: Big Data is pushing changes in Field Service
Because BD has gone from a fringe concept in 2016, when we first wrote this blog to part of the mainstream, it’s forcing change in field service at a fantastic pace. And that’s only going to continue. Today’s techincians and field service business owners know more about their customers and their equipment than ever before.
Field service business owners are able to target their clients with marketing, track their equipment reomotely, and improve the custsomer experiece (CX) rapidly.
Field Service and the Customer Relationship
Companies that work with field service understand that it has always been important to create a relationship with the customer, but until they had access to big data the information on which that relationship could be based was limited. With the advent of BD, though, the opportunity exists to collect much more information about customers, and about trends in their customer base as a whole. Not only can companies get to know specific customers more fully, but they can also discover who their future customers may be, and who may need their services but not be working with them just yet.
That knowledge can help a company reach out to more people who may need them, and can also help companies that utilize BD in field service find populations that may not know about the company’s services. It’s hard for a customer to buy from a company they don’t know about, or choose a company whose services they don’t know they need or could use. With more BD information coming into a company all the time, it’s much easier for that company to send out field service agents who can manage customer needs the right way.
2022 Update: Where the idea of a CRM (customer relationship management) program for field service companies, like Optsy, was nearly unheard of when we started, it’s become mandatory to survive in 2022 and beyond. Customers expect you to know who they are, what they need, and what has happened before without having to tell you. With a full-suite FSM program like Optsy, business owners can keep control of costs, payroll, marketing, customer service, and even track the location of trucks and equipment, all from one dashboard. Now field service contractors are generating their own Big Data.
Selling Without Selling
When it comes to BD, field service is an important way to get more information and use what has already been collected to sell products and services without actually selling them. That’s done through relationship building, where customers feel comfortable buying from companies they can trust. These companies generally understand the value of field service, and also focus on making sure customers are aware of additional services that can be offered to them. Because the customers trust the company and the field service agents, they are much more likely to buy those services. It wouldn’t be possible without big data.
2022 Update: Today, BD does more than just maintain relationships today; it actually helps field service companies find new customers and lets them grow their busnesses quickly. Where in the past finding new customers often meant connections and newspaper ads, Big Data allows business owners of all sizes to access customer data from anywhere about nearly everyone.
Big data is revolutionizing the field service management industry. By definition, big data is a term that refers to extremely large data sets that may be difficult to process using traditional methods. Big data analytics is the process of extracting valuable insights from these large data sets.
In the past, field service management companies have relied on small data sets to make decisions about their operations. However, with the advent of big data, companies are now able to tap into a wealth of information that was previously unavailable. This Big Data can be used to improve everything from customer service to fleet management.
Big data analytics can help field service management companies in a number of ways. For example, by analysing customer data, companies can identify patterns and trends that can be used to improve the quality of service. BD can also be used to monitor the performance of field service employees in real-time, which can help managers identify issues and take corrective action quickly.
Overall, big data is changing the field service management landscape. By utilising big data analytics, companies can gain a competitive edge and improve their operations.
IoTforall.com has written an exclellent article that looks at more of the emerging technologies affecting field service management: https://www.iotforall.com/emerging-technologies-in-field-service-management.
