Transforming field service with AI: Unlocking knowledge and streamlining service

Introduction

Knowledge, as they say, is power and in the field service sector especially, technicians and agents must navigate vast amounts of information, often scattered across historical records, manuals, troubleshooting guides, and videos. The sheer volume of data can be overwhelming, hindering efficient and effective service delivery. In this article, we will explore one of the many opportunities that Generative AI presents for field service organizations.  This is the opportunity to “up-knowledge your service organization,” which means, better access to information to enhance technician efficiency, effective training for technicians, and improved productivity overall.

The Pain Points

Field service organizations face multiple knowledge-related challenges impacting their service delivery, efficiency, and customer satisfaction:

1. Aging Field Technician Workforce: A significant percentage of experienced technicians are nearing retirement, taking their institutional knowledge with them and this poses organizations with the challenge of bridging the knowledge gap between experienced technicians and the new generation of workers.
   
   According to The Service Council, 70% of service organizations indicate the loss of veteran workers is a pressing concern. Transferring this expertise is difficult as it’s often based on hands-on experience, intuition, and tacit knowledge that cannot be easily captured in manuals or training materials.
   
   
2. Overabundance of Data: Field service technicians have access to numerous sources of information, but finding and using relevant data while on phone or onsite service calls can be challenging. As per a report by Datanami, 80% of Global Workers Experience Information Overload. This information overload can hinder decision-making, slow down technicians, and lead to errors or inefficiencies.
   
   
3. Dark Data Visibility: Dark data refers to the vast amount of unstructured, unused data that organizations are unaware of. As per a report by TRUE Global Research, 55% of an organizations’ data is dark. This hidden and underutilized data impacts both Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and outsourced service providers. It could contain valuable insights that could drastically improve service quality, cost management, and customer satisfaction, but it remains untapped due to the lack of proper tools and techniques.

The transformative impact of unlocking knowledge with AI

Applying the power of AI has the potential to transform how knowledge can be accessed, used by technicians and customers, empowering better experiences and outcomes.

Enhancing Technician Efficiency and Effectiveness
AI can analyze vast amounts of data, troubleshooting guides, and manuals, providing technicians with timely, relevant information. This enhances their problem-solving abilities, enabling them to diagnose issues faster, ensure they have the right parts, and ultimately improve their efficiency. According to Accenture, AI can increase productivity by up to 40% in the field service sector. By integrating AI-driven knowledge management systems, field service organizations can improve first-time fix rates, reduce costly repeat visits, and drive higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Up-knowledge Technicians
By putting AI in the work field, service organizations can train new team members more efficiently, shortening the learning curve, and preserving institutional knowledge. AI empowers technicians by making critical information accessible and secure within the organization. This enables faster onboarding, better decision-making, and improved problem-solving skills. Moreover, AI-driven systems can continuously learn from real-world situations, capturing the tacit knowledge of experienced technicians and making it available to the entire workforce. This not only preserves the expertise of retiring workers but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

Improving Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty
Quicker, more accurate service leads to higher customer satisfaction. AI-powered knowledge management can reduce repeat visits and enhance customer experiences, enabling customers to troubleshoot issues themselves, 24/7. For example, Bruviti’s AI-powered Customer Assist application offers generative prompt-based resolutions via a chat assistant, which has reduced inbound service calls by up to 20% for clients. ( Bruviti Case Study ) By providing customers with easy access to relevant knowledge, organizations can foster a sense of trust and loyalty, driving long-term customer retention and success.

Conclusion – Lead with “AI powered UP-knowledge”

In an increasingly competitive customer and service operations landscape, forward-thinking field service leaders must embrace generative AI and transform how institutional knowledge is accessed and used to empower field service teams to supercharge productivity, cost efficiency, and, critically, customer experiences.

Bruviti’s generative Service AI is designed to empower service teams by putting relevant information and knowledge at their fingertips to accelerate successful resolutions, enhance operational efficiency, and optimize customer experiences. Learn more here.