Smarter, safer, faster. The future of Field Force.

What are the upcoming trends in the Field Force space?

Organisations with significant Field Forces face increasing pressure to deliver reliable service, reduce environmental impact, and improve customer satisfaction. Emerging technologies like AI, AR/VR, and predictive analytics provide organisations with a golden opportunity to deliver unprecedented efficiencies, accelerate improvements, and revolutionise their Field Service operations. Let’s explore three key trends that are reshaping how Field Force organisations deploy, support, and empower their Field Engineers.

Proliferation of Automation and AI

The most obvious genesis of any step change in performance is the proliferation of automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). There is a wide range of ways that automation and AI can and will affect organisations moving forward. In the Field Service space, this could mean steps forward in three particular areas are accelerated:

• Automating Scheduling and Agentic AI Assistance – Automated scheduling and job dispatch could be done based on a Field Engineer’s skills, location and job urgency. Amendments could be made by Agentic AI to dynamically shift the schedule as priorities move throughout the day. This product specific improvement would dramatically improve the first-time fix rate and response times to urgent incidents.
• Process Automation – Automation opportunities are not just limited to product specific improvements. Outside of the product scope, there are a set of activities, often found at the start and end of the Field Service process, that can be automated. For example, the creation of job work packs, reports and invoices. Automating these tasks could drive efficiencies to allow colleagues to shift their attention to delivering other high-value tasks.
• Predictive Maintenance – Real-time IoT data can be analysed to anticipate equipment failures before they occur and create tailored maintenance schedules accordingly. Adding this analytical capability to a Digital Capital Delivery function and an Agentic AI could be game-changing for Field Force organisations. This could offer organisations the capability to automatically schedule work to handle minor incidents before they escalate to a major asset failure and cause further disruption to customers. For example, a minor part failure on a water pump left undetected escalates to an asset failure causing an outage or pollution event.

Rollout of AR and VR Use Cases

In short, Augmented Reality (AR) offers the opportunity to overlay digital content for a user to help them navigate a task. Virtual Reality (VR) offers the opportunity to create an immersive world replacing real-world surroundings. These both have several uses in Field Service organisations, for example:

• Task Assistance – Headsets can allow experts to overlay instructions or annotations in real time, guiding inexperienced and/or more Junior Field Engineers through complex tasks without needing to be physically on-site. This can enable organisations to reduce out-of-hours/standby callouts, reduce overtime, and increase employee wellbeing.
• Hands-Free Access – Field Engineers can view schematics, manuals and diagnostics directly in their field of vision from a knowledge bank of operational procedures. This would reduce the need to carry physical documents or consult handheld devices whilst on a job, improving safety and the speed of task completion.
• Training – Field Engineers can practice repairs, installations, or emergency procedures in a controlled setting without risk. Following the task, their performance can be reviewed to offer feedback and improvement pointers for next time. As an interactive training device, this technology would help provide a safe space for colleagues to upskill in an engaging environment.

Focus on Human Centred Approach

In addition to AI and technology-driven improvements, there will also be areas that are driven from a human centred perspective. For example:

• Performance Evaluation – Field Engineers may be increasingly evaluated using AI-based performance tools. This could have several pros and cons but should lead to more objective based performance conversations.
• Customer Information – Technology improvements can empower customers to schedule, track, and manage service requests independently. In a similar way to ordering a parcel from an online retailer, the customer will be kept informed of the progress of their request from creation to completion.
• Customer Focus – Leaders will be able to shift their scheduling priorities to align with their organisational, customer and regulatory goals. This can be driven for many different reasons. For example, customer preferences (i.e. to prioritise the completion of a particular job type), environmental drivers (i.e. to minimise the Field Engineer’s travel distance), or operational drivers (i.e. maximising the first-time fix rate).

Vendors such as Salesforce and Microsoft have capable solutions in this space. These products can satisfy many of a client’s requirements with their out-of-the-box functionality. Naturally this enables the implementation process to be as smooth as possible, ensuring the solution can be embedded swiftly, and the benefits of the solution realised in a short timeframe.

Get in touch

See how we are already supporting Scottish Water transform their Field Force below. If you would like to know how we can support you on your Field Services journey, please get in touch to understand why Capgemini is your number one trusted business and technology transformation partner.

Scottish Water reimagines field services with SWIFT.