Service Quality, Customer-Oriented Motivators at the Core of Change Management Initiatives in 2019 - 2020
In a predominately technology-driven industry, field service teams are prioritizing organizational change as they build out new service, customer, and technician-enablement capabilities. But in order to fully keep pace and achieve a competitive edge, companies face the daunting task of transitioning teams--or even the whole organization--to leverage specific methods and re-direct overall business processes. WBR Insights, the research arm of Field Service East, conducted an industry study to understand how field service leaders are prioritizing organizational change and change management in 2019 and 2020.
Half of field service organizations in the study (50%) are enterprise companies with $500 million in annual revenue or more. The remaining companies were mid-market (25%) with $100 million - $500 million in annual revenue, and SMBs (25%) with less than $100 million in annual revenue. Most respondents were directors, managers, and team leaders. Nearly all respondents (91%) claim that change management is an existing or upcoming priority for them as a result of internal changes, including new technology adoption.
Overcoming Barriers to Practical and Customer-Centric Service
Practically speaking, service teams face increasing challenges as their customers become more sophisticated, and as a wide portfolio of customers at different levels of technological development is forcing field service teams to overcome dwindling empowerment, limit logistical and technical complications, and focus on optimizing completion of the variety of jobs at hand. Leveraging customer data in a more effective, inclusive way is central to service organizations as they redefine best practices in these areas over the next two years.
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Researchers found that 63% of companies anticipating organizational change will improve how they acquire and leverage customer and field data--the top priority among field service organizations in the study. Another majority (58%) claims their change management initiatives will address a wide portfolio of customers with different levels of technological development. Exactly half of organizations preparing for change management will prioritize empowering their technicians in the field. (Four additional options will appear in the final report.)
Overcoming Barriers to Practical and Customer-Centric Service
Researchers also found that companies are using specific change processes to overcome barriers to practical and customer-centric service to unique customers in the field. They will align change management techniques with customer receptivity and satisfaction, delivering the greatest value within each of those customers' unique circumstances.
Survey results reveal the top three most-selected initiatives for maximizing service outcomes among companies prioritizing change management. These techniques indicate how organizations will transition from analytics to real-world practice through their use of knowledge management and tools in the field.
Most of these field service organizations will leverage both predictive analytics (57%) and knowledge management tools (53%) as they adapt data for practical use. Nearly half of these organizations (47%) will use digital and remote training tools for practical applications of that knowledge in the field.
Conclusion
In our upcoming Field Service Fall report, Change Management to Effectively Implement New Technologies across Large, Dispersed Teams, we explore the methods by which large service organizations are entering a new maturity paradigm — including companies initiating a sophisticated, defined policy; aligning customers with a central strategy of optimization; or even simply transitioning from paper documentation. Visit the Field Service East 'Content' page in early July when we release the full report, which sheds light on how change management has become one of the most important functions of senior business leadership in the industry.
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