Let’s start with a couple of questions: does the field service industry go far enough in assisting and educating the next generation of technicians? Is service software enough to convince them?
Organizations in all sectors are finding it difficult to draw in Gen Z workers as the worldwide competition for talent heats up. And an aging workforce in the field services industry makes this worry worse. Despite using service software for their workflow, many businesses believe their field service operations are threatened by an aging workforce. This threat arises from field service’s developing nature toward more digitally driven solutions in addition to the looming job deficits.
While some current engineers are capable of and willing to upskill, there are many who are not. Service software technologies are constantly evolving. As a result, the field service crew needs to be more technologically savvy. Additionally, more than half of businesses believe that technology is essential to drawing in new employees for field service.
It’s becoming evident that digital tools and skills are what draw in Gen Z. Accordingly, any firm without digitally advanced working practices will find it difficult to compete for talent. This is where using service software becomes a competitive advantage!
Benefits of digital solutions
According to a survey released last year, Gen Z has very precise expectations when it comes to digital tools and working environments. These include “a frustration with legacy solutions and the inability to expeditiously source information”. The research also mentions “a lack of tolerance for latency in communication.”
Using cutting-edge service software tools into field service teams is a big chance to attract Gen Z workers. The field service industry has seen significant changes due to new technologies. And this has happened not only in working practices but also in how businesses engage with their clients and their goods. The transition from selling machinery to selling results (servitization) requires advanced technologies to be successful.
The secret to these new customer connections relies on different elements. You have predictive maintenance with AI insights from IoT data sources, for instance. And also service team and spare parts delivery optimization.
Keeping an eye on the environment
Modern, dynamic service teams are becoming more and more reliant on digital tools for all sorts of tasks. Think about organization, communication, analysis, and reporting. All of them, of course, in real-time. This is a sector that can benefit greatly from digital disruption and change, adopting automation and advanced analytics where appropriate. What’s more, these service software tools can help save costs and improve environmental effects in addition to performance.
Another key component of the movement toward a circular economy is servitization. Equipment reuse and repair have a significant impact on cost-effectiveness and productivity. The foundation of servitization is the belief that businesses can rely on suppliers to provide, oversee, and guarantee machine performance and uptime. This focuses on a culture of upkeep and repair rather than a culture of tear and replace.
Intelligence at the heart of service
In addition, product design is being influenced more and more by maintenance and service intelligence. In turn, this contributes to improving machine architecture. It’s a way to encourage the use of modular components for more cost-effective and environmentally friendly maintenance. This is the area where automation-delivered data intelligence is yielding measurable benefits! Not to mention the decrease in paper usage and machine waste.
It’s true: many Gen Zers may not view becoming a field service engineer as their dream job. But the field service sector is becoming known for its progressive views on digital deployment and carbon reduction. And that’s something worth celebrating.
Nowadays, engineers work on the front lines for a large number of companies. They assist clients in solving issues rather than merely showing up to fix things. Significant change has already been made possible by service software technologies, and this trend is not going to slow down.
As field service teams deal with an aging workforce, Gen Z represents a much-needed infusion of digital talent. And adopting a service software tool such as Synchroteam can make the difference! Download our free demo, and make the change… today!
Image by Adam Djili
