2024 is expected to be an exciting year of growth in the field service business, with more emphasis on customer-focused metrics. This means key topics surrounding happiness, engagement, retention, and expansion. After 2023’s emphasis on “preservation,” these results are especially encouraging, though there will undoubtedly be difficulties.
Field service business executives have several things on their minds, including the unstoppable growth of artificial intelligence (AI), the tightening geopolitical environments, and the impending U.S. election year.
Taking that into account, here are some of the recurring topics we could expect in the coming months. A list of the most important trends that will surely be on every field service business manager’s mind in 2024.
More field service managers taken into account
In the past, service leaders rarely attended board meetings. In fact, they only participated in talks that had an operational focus. But with growth anticipated for many firms in 2024, the value of customer experience will ease the way for a change in boardroom culture. An increasing number of Chief Customer Officers (CCO) and Chief Service Officers (CSO) are joining the executive team as the field service business starts to take center stage.
However, even in established businesses and organizations, we continue to witness situations when these positions are denied a place in the boardroom. Just 20% of CCOs regularly receive invitations to board meetings, according to Deloitte. Will something change in 2024? We’ll have to wait and see.
Employee engagement and retention
Recruiting and retention issues for technicians in the field service business are probably not going away in 2024. The same applies to the loss of tribal knowledge due to retirement. But there are things that firms can do to increase employee engagement and draw in new hires. Administrative and paperwork work is cited by 80% of field service engineers as their least favorite aspect of their jobs. With this in mind, it is understandable that many firms have already made a concentrated effort to reduce friction for technicians in their daily work.
Even though this can be helpful in disengagement, it will be even more important to give the technicians in field service business a clear path to develop a career. This could be through various options, such as a professional ladder. While companies should help staff who wish to advance in their careers as technicians, they should also look for adjacent possibilities. Because there are also opportunities in sales, customer service, operations, and other departments in order to keep their workforce.
Artificial intelligence is already here
At this point, a lot of field service managers should already be testing or using AI technologies. In fact, with all the excitement about AI’s potential over the past year, there are many ways that the field business area can benefit from it.
Although artificial intelligence gained traction in 2023, real investments in AI in the field service business will come in 2024.
Field service AI will probably be focused on enabling self-service for both customers and employees. This self-service usage by employees will be another essential element in raising frontline engagement. With cutting-edge tools, generative AI can help shorten onboarding times and support guided workflows.
Moreover, the incorporation of AI in field service will help restore the “cool” factor to service work, something that’s essential for younger generations. And in this way, it could also work as a decisive factor to attract and recruit new professionals.
A good example of artificial intelligence being used in field service would be an AI-enabled chatbot to provide service manual information. Any technician could reach it via phone, tablet, or laptop while they are out in the field. And this could lead to quicker onboarding, shorter repair times, and fewer support calls.
Aren’t you excited to find out what 2024 brings onto the field service business area? We at Synchroteam surely are! Download our free demo and start the year in the best possible way!
Image by Viridiana Rivera
