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Whathappensinsidethefourwallsofthe
organizationcanbemanaged,tracked,and organizedeffectivelythroughintegrated ERPorEAMsystems,butwhatwhenitcomestokeep aneyeongeographicallydispersedwork?Italso requirescollaboration,coordination,andmobility.This iswhereFieldServiceManagement(FSM)comesinto thepicture.
Servicebusinessesoftenfinditdifficulttomanagetheir fieldoperationwithresponsibilitiessuchasdispatching jobstomobileworkers,recordingdata,andensuring productivity.Ittakesalotoftimeandahighvolumeof resourcesbyrelyingontraditionalmanualwaysto managefieldservices,whichmeansthatjobsand invoicesareinevitablymissed.Thelackofefficiencyin suchoperationsledtothenecessityofFieldService Management(FSM)software.
Beingaprominentapproach,FSMistakingprocess optimizationtothenextlevel.Itaidsinautomationand streamliningofthecompleteserviceprocess.Thestudy estimatesthattheFSMmarketwillbevaluedatmore than$3.5billionby2020.
Businessesinthefieldservicesectorareimplementing theconventionalwayofFSMbyusingSaaSproducts andhelpingtheircustomersachievesustainablegrowth byprovidingsolutionstomanagebusinessprocesses moreefficiently,minimizecostsandincrease productivity.However,standingoutinthiscomplexand competitiveindustryisn’teasy.Itrequiresaperfect blendofinnovationandexperience,andaremarkable abilitytodeliverreliablesolutions.Inordertoadmire andacknowledgesuchbusinessesandtheirnovel approaches,InsightsSuccesshascuratedalistof“The
Providers,2019”.
Ourworldismoreconnectedthanever. Thermostats,televisions,appliances,smart speakers—allofthesedevicesneedtobeconnected foruseinourpersonalandprofessionallives.The companiesandfieldservicetechnicianswhohelp customersconnectthesedevicesneedtherighttools todotheirjobwellandimprovecustomer satisfaction,productivityandrevenue.Withtherealtimedemandsoffieldservice,itcanbeoneofthe mostchallengingaspectsofrunningabusiness. That’swhereCSGcomesin.Formorethan35 years,CSGhasdeliveredsoftwareandservicesthat helpcompaniesaroundtheworldmonetizeand digitallyenablethecustomerexperience.Thus,it featuresonthecoverofthisedition.CSGField ServiceManagement(FSM)helpstechnicianswith therightskillsetgettotherightjobattheright time,sobusinessesandconsumershavethe connectivitytheyneedtoworkandplay.
Also,makesuretoscrollthroughthearticleswritten byoureditorialteamandCXOstandpointsofsome oftheleadingindustryexpertstohaveabrieftaste ofthesector.
Let’s start reading!
Hitesh DhamaniOurworldismoreconnectedthanever. Thermostats,televisions,appliances,smart speakers—allofthesedevicesneedtobe connectedforuseinourpersonalandprofessionallives. Thecompaniesandfieldservicetechnicianswhohelp customersconnectthesedevicesneedtherighttoolstodo theirjobwellandimprovecustomersatisfaction, productivityandrevenue.Withthereal-timedemandsof fieldservice,itcanbeoneofthemostchallengingaspects ofrunningabusiness.
That'swhereCSGcomesin.Formorethan35years,CSG hasdeliveredsoftwareandservicesthathelpcompanies aroundtheworldmonetizeanddigitallyenablethe customerexperience.CSGFieldServiceManagement (FSM)helpstechnicianswiththerightskillsetgettothe rightjobattherighttime,sobusinessesandconsumers havetheconnectivitytheyneedtoworkandplay.
CSGFSMkeepscustomersconnectedthroughoutthe servicejourney,basedonchangingconditionsthat regularlyhappenonthedayofserviceandevolving demandsinthecustomers’lives.CSGknowsthat
delightingcustomersrequiresconstantcommunicationand agility—whetherit'sfortheinitialorder,tothedayof service,tothefirsttroublecall.
Buthowwasthisaward-winningsolutiondeveloped,and howisithelpingcompaniesbetterservetheircustomers today?ChadDunavant,HeadofGlobalProduct ManagementatCSG,hastheinsight.Withover20yearsof experience,Chaddevelopsthestrategyanddirectionfor CSG'sglobalproductsandserviceportfolios,ensuringthe company'ssolutionslikeFSMmeetandexceedthecurrent andfutureneedsofthecompany’sglobalclientbase.
Builtfornewindustriesandgeographies CSGwasfoundedin1994,providingrevenuemanagement andcustomerexperiencesolutionstothecableindustry. Eversince,CSGhasexpandeditssuiteofmarket-leading productsandservicestoservevariousindustriesand geographies.
Today,CSGisoneoftheleadingfieldservicemanagement solutionprovidersinNorthandSouthAmerica,usedby over75,000technicianstocompletemorethan100million workorderseveryear.GlobalserviceprovidersuseCSG FieldServiceManagementtooptimizetheirfieldservice operations.
“CSGhasbeendeliveringfieldservicemanagement solutionstoclientsfordecades,”saysDunavantofCSG’s expertise.“Ourmodernizedproductsuitehelpsmaximize ourcustomers’productivity,whilepositioningtheproduct tosupportthegrowingdemandsoftheserviceecosystem.”
Anddemandsinthefieldserviceecosystemarecertainly growing.InaCSGsurveyof2,000consumersacrossfive countries,thecompanyfoundthat89percentofconsumers wouldbeverylikelytocallonaservicetechnicianto troubleshootorrepairdevicesiftheirserviceprovider offeredthatservice.Almost40percentofrespondentsalso saidthattheythinkconsumerswillwantanon-demand installationorrepairservice50-75percentofthetime.
“Ourclientsareclearlyidentifiedasatrustedservice providerandareseeingtremendouschangeinwhat consumersexpectfrombrandexperiences,”saysDunavant. “Thisrequireschangeinhowtheydeliverservicerelying moreonthefieldservicemanagementoperations—moving fromlegacytodigitalsystemswhileeffectivelyand efficientlymanagingriskandcosts.”
Fortunately,CSGFieldServiceManagementisbuiltforthe connectedserviceprovider—andbuilttodeliveragreat customerexperience.
Fieldservicerevolutionized TheCSGFieldServiceManagementproductsuite
transformsthewayservicetechniciansconducttheirwork, providingareal-time,360-degreeviewofacompany's operations.Thiscompleteviewallowsserviceprovidersto gettherighttechnicianswiththerightskillstotherightjob attherighttime,whileadaptingtoinevitabilityofthe changingconditions.
Therearefivetechnologiesthatenablethisreal-timeview:
Ÿ Real-timedata:CSGFSMpushesimportantandurgent informationincludingreal-timetraffic,scheduling,and communicationstofieldtechnicians,dispatchers, supervisorsandcustomers,whileaccommodatingin-app communicationsbetweenusers,inrealtime.Without real-timedata,thesystemwouldbeunabletomakerealtimedecisionsandensurethetechnician,andworkthey needtofulfill,aretrulyoptimized
Ÿ Globalscalabilityandavailability: CSGisan AdvancedTechnologyPartnerintheAmazonWeb Services(AWS)PartnerNetwork,extendingitscloudfirstapproachtoitsFieldServiceManagementproduct suite.Bydevelopingandhostingtheproductinthe cloud,itprovidesCSGclientswithglobalavailability, scalability,anddatasecurityassociatedwithcloud investmenttomeetandexceedtheirneeds,inrealtime.
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Optimizedappointmentscheduling(OAS):OAS improvesproductivityandlowerscoststhrough dynamicroutingthatcontinuouslyupdatesand optimizesthefieldserviceorganization;takinginto accountserviceappointmenttime,route,real-timetraffic incidents,actualstreetleveldistancetothejobaswell astechnicianskillproficiencies,licensesandequipment. Withautomateddispatchlogic,companiescancreatea real-timedialoguebetweentechniciansandcustomer's scheduleavailabilitytoenabletheteamtofocuson solvinghighpriorityissuesandkeepingservice promises.
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ExtensivesuiteofAPIs:CSGFSMintegratesintoany existingbillingsystemandthird-partyapplication.The solutionintegratesjobsfromanyordermanagement system;tracksemployeetime,laborandinventoryused fromanyenterpriseresourceplanning(ERP)system; andautomatesequipmentactivation,warrantychecksor customersignatures.
Ÿ ServiceOrchestrationplatform:CSGFSMenables jobstoautomaticallybebrokendownbasedonclientdefinedbusinessrulessotheworkcanbeappropriately assignedtotherightset(s)oftechnicians. Asservice workbecomesmorecomplex,thisisacriticalfactorto ensuretherightinformationisgatheredbasedonany relevantevent.
ButwhatreallydifferentiatesCSGFieldService Managementisthatitwasdesignedwiththetechnicians andcustomersinmind.CSGFieldServiceManagement enablescompaniestocustomizehowandwhento communicatewiththeircustomers,utilizingchannelssuch asSMS,mobile,emailandthewebtogivecustomersrealtimeupdatesabouttheirappointment,includingtheability tofollowthetechnicianwhiletheyareenroutetothe customerlocation.Allofthisleadstoabettercustomer experience.
“Theonlywaytodifferentiateourselvesisincustomer service,”saysSimónTadeo,CXDirectoratTelecom Argentina,anFSMclientinSouthAmerica.“CSGField ServiceManagementhelpsusdeliveronourpromisesto ourcustomers.”
Inadditiontoservingthetechniciansandendcustomers, CSGalsostaysfocusedontheserviceproviderclients themselves.Byhelpingthemprovidebetterservicetotheir customers,CSGanditsclientcandeliverontheirpromises. Throughare-imagineduserexperience,CSGFSMallows clientstomanageworkmoreeffectively.Byfocusingon exceptionsinaninteractivedashboard,companiesno longerhavetoorganizedispatcherstotechnicians,but dispatcherstoexceptionsthathappenduringtheday.This
allowsforoperationalefficiencies,streamlined communicationsandtheabilitytoworkacrossgeographies fromanydevice.
“CSGiscustomerobsessed,”saysDunavant.“Bystaying focusedonbringinginnovativesolutionsthataddressthe business-criticalchallengeswithinourclients’operations, we’venurturedrecurring,long-termclientrelationshipsthat growandhaveexpandedourleadershippositionand domainexpertise.”
DunavantsaysCSGiscommittedtoelevatingitscultureby fosteringadynamic,collaborativeandempowered environmentthatinspiresitsemployees,nurturestheir successandsparksinnovation.
Fromthecustomersthemselves
Below,CSGsharestestimonialsfromclientswhouseCSG FieldServiceManagement,aswellasresultsthoseclients haveseen:
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Real-timetraffichelpsourtechniciansexceedon-time arrivalguaranteesanddeliverthegreatexperiencesour customersexpect.Techniciansareabletohelpmore customersperdayandgettothejobontime,leadingto highercustomersatisfaction.”VP,TechnicalServices, Tier2Operator
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AtlanticBroadbandisleadingthewayinprovidingits customerswithcompellingandflexibletelevision, internetandvoiceservicesacrossits11-stateregion.To besuccessful,wemustbediligentincontinuingto investininnovativetechnologiesthatenhanceour customerexperience,ouroperationalsystemsandour processes.OurrelationshipwithCSGhelpsusfurther accelerateourdigitaltransformationandcreatean experienceforourcustomersthatissecondtonone.”
CourtneyLong,VPCustomerOperations,Atlantic Broadband
Ÿ FieldServiceManagementhasallowedustoprovide bettercustomerexperiencebyofferingshorterwindows ofarrivaltimes,setcustomerexpectationsofhowlonga jobwilltakeandinformthemofwhoisarrivingattheir door,nosurprisestoourcustomers–whichisimportant tothem.TherelationshipwithCSGhasalwaysworked well,they’realwaysresponsiveandlistentoourneeds.”
SamHaulman,GeneralManager,ServiceElectric
Ÿ TierOneCableProvidersawa73percentincreasein dailybookedjobsinjustonemarket,equatingtoa productivityincreasevaluedat$4.6millionperyear
Lookingahead,Dunavantwantstokeepdeliveringgreat experiencesforclientsandendcustomersthroughCSG FieldServiceManagement.Thesolutionhelpsprotectand maintainexistingrevenuestreamsbyimprovingservice deliveryleadingtohighercustomersatisfactionand increasedretentionforgreatercustomerlifetimevalue.And CSGFSMallowscompaniestounlocknewrevenue streamsthroughthemonetizationofmultipleserviceslike smarthomesandtheInternetofThings.Companiescan offerservicesacrossmultiplelocationsandchannels,while bringingnewservicestomarketquickly.
ItallcomesbacktoCSG’smissionofhelpingcompanies optimize,transformandmonetizethroughinnovative, connectedserviceecosystems.
“We’recommittedtohelpingcompaniestackletheirbiggest businesschallengesandthriveinanever-changing marketplace,”saysDunavant.
Manyservicebusinessestodayareatapivotal pointintheiradoptionoftechnologythat addresseskeyfieldservicemanagementand operationschallenges.Ayearortwoago,theymayhave purchasedasimpleschedulingappthatmovedthemaway fromschedulingworkorders,tasksorjobsviaspreadsheets. Or,theymayhavesubscribedtoamobileformsapptogo paperless.Eachattemptwasinanefforttostemthe hemorrhagingofefficiencylosses,increasingoverhead costsorbruisedcustomerexperience,acrossone componentoftheirfieldoperations.
Today’sservicebusinessesarenolongeracceptingof softwarethatonlysolvesoneoftheirchallenges.Instead, they’relookingforsomethingthatdoes everything,all-inone,while,atthesametime,hasthecapabilitytogrowand scaleasthebusinessgrows.
Takingtheseandmanyotherchallengesservicebusinesses experienceintoconsideration,FieldSquaredwasformed. It’sintheDNAofthecompanytocontinuouslyexpandthe FieldSquaredPlatform,enhancingitssolutiontogobeyond
thepresentinordertosolvethefutureneedsofits customers.Advancingtheindustryforwardissomething thatthecompanydoesnottakelightly,rather,it passionatelyacceptstheresponsibilitywhole-heartedly.The companythrivesonsolvingitscustomerschallengesacross theirentirefieldoperations.
FieldSquaredisapioneerinthefieldserviceautomation softwaremarket.Thecompanywasfoundedonthe observationthattherewasadesperateneedinthemarket foranall-in-onesoftwaresolutionthatcouldbringtogether enterpriseoperationsacrossfieldservicemanagement, enterpriseassetmanagementandmobileworkforce managementunderasinglepaneofglass,byapplying businessprocessautomation.
Asaquickprimer,businessprocessautomation(BPA) seekstoautomatecomplexbusinessprocesses,leveraging technologytodotheheavylifting.Thegoalistoautomate simple,redundant,repeatabletaskstoenableoperations managersandexecutives,aswellasthemobileworkforce oftechniciansinthefield,tosignificantlyincrease efficiencyandeffectiveness.Automationisfurtherapplied viaintegrationsthatorchestrateautomaticupdatesacross themanydisparatethird-partysystems,toolsandsoftware fieldservicebusinessesuseeveryday(i.e.,ERP,OMS, CRM,GIS,EMR).
Bybringingdatafromdisparatesystemstogetherundera singlepaneofglass,servicebusinessesgainaconsolidated viewacrosstheirentireoperations.WithFieldSquared,and unlikesingleusecaseorsingleindustryfieldservice softwareproviders,thatconsolidatedviewincludes activitiesspanningfieldserviceoperations,assets(internalorcustomer-owned)andthemobileworkforceinthefield.
FieldSquaredisledbyChristopherJamesCamut,the company’sDirector,PresidentandCEO.Asafifth-time CEO,Christopherisnostrangertobuildingsuccessful technologycompanies.WithChristopheratthehelm,Field
Today’sservicebusinesses nolongeracceptsoftware thatsolvesonechallenge. Theyneedall-in-one softwarethatgrows withthebusiness.
Squaredhasachievedrecordyear-over-yeartriple-digit revenuegrowthandgreatlyexpandedandenhancedthe FieldSquaredPlatform.
Withabackgroundintheever-busytelecommunications servicesindustry,heunderstandsfirst-handthechallenges fieldservicebusinessesexperience.Fromeffectively managingfieldtechnicianstoprovidingtherighttoolsthat enableefficiencygains,hispulseisontheindustry.At everyturn,Christopher’svisioniswhatpropelsthe innovationengineatFieldSquared.ThisiswhyField Squared’saward-winningsoftwarecontinuestomakean impactinthemarket.
FieldSquaredbuiltsomethingdifferent,anindustry-first innovationtodisruptthefieldservicemanagement, enterpriseassetmanagementandmobileworkforce managementmarkets.Ratherthanfollowingthestatusquo tofocusonasingleindustry,componentorfeature,the companybuilttheFieldSquaredFieldServiceAutomation Platformtoaccomplishsomethingfardeeperandbroader. Theplatformhastheabilitytoenablecompletedigital transformationoffieldserviceoperationsthrough automationviaanall-in-onesoftwaresolution.
FieldSquaredsolvesallthethings,fromthetrulysimpleto highlycomplexbusinessproblemsfacedbyfieldservice organizations.WithFieldSquared,itscustomersmove faster,drasticallyreduceoperatingexpenses,andachieve exponentialfieldworkforceefficiencygains.
Oneofthemostimportantaspectsofthefieldservice technologythatbusinessesadopttodayisthatit’seasyto useandallowstheirteamstogetupandrunningquickly.A keycapabilityoftheFieldSquaredPlatformisanindustryleadingdigitalmobileformsbuilder.Customerscanquickly gopaperlesswithasimpleyetpowerfuldrag-and-drop environmentinwhichtobuildtheirmobileforms.
TherealpowerofFieldSquaredistheextensibleworkflow builder.ComprisingtheautomationenginethatField Squaredisknownfor,customersareempoweredtoincrease operationalefficiencytothenthdegree.Fromtheabilityto automateandorchestrateupdatesfromthefieldacrossthe multitudeofdisparatethird-partysystems,toolsand softwaretheaveragefieldservicebusinessusestosending real-timenotifications,FieldSquaredenablesitall.
Thefutureisverybrightforfieldservicebusinesses.Being aninnovator,FieldSquaredisalwaysevolvingand expandingtomeetthefutureneedsofitscustomers. Currently,thecompanyisexploringopportunitiesto incorporateartificialintelligence(AI)andmachinelearning capabilitiesintoFieldSquared.Additionally,itislookingat theconceptofintegratingwearabletechnologydirectlyinto itsmobileapplication.
ChristopherJamesCamut Director,President,&theCEOChangetheworld!That’sreallythepointofourexistence,isn’tit?Sometimeswechangetheworldto
provideuswithbetteropportunities,resources,enjoyment;sometimeswechangetheworldtosolve problemsthatareplaguingourselvesandothers.Ipartnerwithorganizationstopositionpeopleto changetheworld;it’sallaboutefficacy--theabilitytoidentifyagoal,putaplaninplacetoachieveit,and thendojustthat.
Clearly,thebrainisthebesttoolforachievingefficacy.Technology,however,canbeapowerpartnerinone’s accomplishments.Italldependsonhowtechnologyisused.Whentechnologywasfirstembracedbythe masses,itwasviewedasan“automational”tool:Icanstoreandretrieveinformationmoreeasilythanon indexcards;Icanwriteandmakechangesmoreeasilythanonatypewriter;Icanmanagemyfinancesand generatecalculationsmoreeasily.Thisviewoftechnologyfocusesondoingwhatwealreadyknowhowtodo, butdoingitbetter,faster,andmoreeasily.
Technologyismorepowerfulasa“transformational”tool:whatcantechnologyallowmetodothatIcould notdowithoutit?Icannowgatherandanalyzeenormousquantitiesofdataformoreaccurateforecastingand decision-making;Icanconnectinstantaneouslywithothersaroundtheworld;Icanworkfromremote locations.Oneofthosetransformationalbenefitsoftechnologyisthatofthree-dimensionalreadingand writing.Withtheadventoftheprintingpresscamereadingandwritingintwodimensions:acrossanddowna page.Computertechnologynowallowsustoreadandwriteinthreedimensions:across,down,andout throughlinks.Thisallowsustopresentandreceiveamessageinamuchricherandrobustformat.Howwell doyoureadandwriteeffectivelyinthree-dimensions?Thatisaskillthatmustbetaughtinourschoolsand capitalizeduponinourorganizations.Inmylistof‘10characteristicsofanet-centricsociety,information overloadisthebiggestthreattoorganizationstodayintheirhopesofmarketingtheirmessage.Leveraging three-dimensionalreadingandwritingcanmaximizethesuccessofyourmessagingandmarketing.Itisa transformationaltechnologythatchangesthewaywecommunicatewithothers.
Anotherfavoritetransformationaltoolofmyistheengineeringdesignprocess.Considerthatthescientific methodallowsustoprovethatwhichalreadyexistsintheworld.Adesignprocessallowsustocreatethat whichdoesnotyetexist:itisthefoundationforchangingtheworld!Considerhowtechnologycanfuelasixstepdesignprocess:
Formulate-Definetheproblem.Whoisaffectedbyit?Whataretheconsequencesofnotsolvingit? Technologyallowsyoutogatherreal-timedatatoidentifyaproblemandconnectwithotherstodetermineits impact.
Dr. Nancy Sulla is an author, national speaker, and thought leader in transforming learning environments to build engagement, empowerment, and efficacy. As the creator of the Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom™ and founder of –IDE Corp. Innovative Designs for Education, Dr. Sulla leads her consulting firm in the pursuit of equity-focused instructional design, positioning people to change the world.
furtherdatatodrilldowntoeachideauntilyouselectthe mostpromising.
Explore-Learnasmuchasyoucanabouttheproblemand relatedtopics.Technologyputsaplethoraofdataatyour fingertips,allowsyoutoconnectwithexperts,andhelpsin conductingexperimentstolearnmore.
Ideate-Generateasmanysolutionsaspossible,without critiquingthem.Mind-mappingsoftwareallowsyouto trackgeneratedideasandrelatedideas.
Sift-Considereachsolutionintermsofitsfeasibilityand potentialeffectiveness.Whatmaybetheunintended consequencesofeach?Technologyprovidesaccessto
Simulate-Technologyallowsyoutocreateaprototypeor digitalmodelofthesolution.
Advocate-Technologyallowsyoutopromotetheideaand shareitwiththeworld.Three-dimensionalwritingwilladd totheeffectivenessofyouradvocacy.
Technology,usedmasterfully,candomuchmorethan automateourlives;itcantransformthem.Changethe world!
Dr. Nancy Sulla Author & National SpeakerIntoday’son-demandeconomy,convenienceisthenew currency.Thisisespeciallyimportanttoconsider duringdeliveriesandservicecalls.Consumersare movableanduntethered,whichmeanstheyneedaccurate, real-timevisibilityaboutwhentheyneedtobehometo meetaservicerepresentativeordeliveryperson.Glympse isabuilt-for-mobilitySaaSleaderthathelpsFortune1000 companiesempowertheircustomersbyeliminatingthe anxietyanduncertaintyaroundtheseproductandservice deliveries.
Asthepioneerofreal-timetemporarylocationsharing technology,Glympsehasapowerfulplatformwhich informscustomerswithlive ‘Uber-like’ viewsoftheirfield servicetechnicianordeliveryrepresentativeonthewayto anappointment.
AnEntrepreneurwithaPassionforNewTechnology Glympse’sCEOandPresident,ChrisRuff,hasbeen
runninggrowthenterprisecompaniesfornearly2decades. Beinganentrepreneurwithapassionfornewtechnology anddisruptivebusinessopportunities,Chrishasover20 yearsofexperienceinvariousexecutiveleadershiprolesin thesoftware,mobileandIoTindustries.Hehasdeep operationalexperienceindefiningcorporatestrategy, developingbusinessplans,closingstrategicpartnerships andraisingmillionsofdollarsinventurecapitalwhichis requiredtocreatesuccessfulhigh-growthtechnology companies.
PriortojoiningGlympse,ChriswasthePresidentandCEO ofUIEvolution(nowXevo),agloballeaderinenterprise softwareforconnectingcars,mobilesandtheInternetof Things.Hehasspokenonpanelsandgivenpresentationsat MobileWorldCongressAmericas,CESandNPRtonamea few.
Glympsebeganitsjourneyin2008asaconsumerlocation sharingapp.Theappisstillfreeandavailablefor everybody.Glympsewasfoundedonthebeliefthatlocation sharingshouldbesafe,secure,temporary,privateandeasily accessible,whichitsolvesforbynotrequiringtherecipient tocreateausernameandpassword.
TheCompanyappliedthesameapproachindevelopinga solutionthatenablesfieldserviceorganizationstoshare real-timelocationoftheirtechniciansandaveryaccurate EstimatedTimeofArrival(ETA)countdownwithendcustomers.Thishasresultedinenhancingtheexperience forcustomers.
Customersreceivemultiple,proactivenotifications,all directingthemtoinitiallyviewandthencheckbackwitha uniqueURL,whereitdisplaysandupdatestheGlympse journey.Aseachcustomer’sappointmentdrawscloser, Glympseupdatesthatexperiencefromasimple confirmationwithcapabilitiestorescheduleoraddto
WecallitGlympse. Customerscallit personalizedinsight andengagement foreverystep oftheirjourney.
calendar,toa‘live’viewofthetechnicianontheway, arrivalconfirmationandevenaninstantrequestfor feedback.Theendresultishappierandmoreinformed customerswhodon’thavetositaroundwaitingalldayfora fieldservicerepresentativetoarrive.Thebrandsthatuse Glympseexperiencesignificantreductionsincustomernotat-homesand ‘Where’s my tech?’ callstothecallcenter.
Beyondfieldservices,Glympsealsoappliesthesamewebbasedjourneyapproachwithsolutionsspecificallydesigned forfoodandproductdeliveryexperiences.Theirplatform canevenenableconsumer-to-business(C2B)location sharing,toempowergrocers,retailersandrestaurants streamlinetheirorderpreparationandhandoffforno-wait curbsidepickupscenarios.
Glympsehasmasteredthenuancesofbuildinginteractive experiencesbasedonlocationdata.Thecompanycan automatetheupdatesofcustomer’sperspective,basedon sophisticatedarrivaldetection&geo-fencinglogic,and optimizedbatterylife.Throughthisitcanbalanceallofthat withsmoothUX/UIcapabilities.
Glympse’splatformapproachsolutionisincrediblyflexible andcustomizable.Everycustomerdesignsacustomerfacingexperiencethatmatchestheirbrandandbusiness processes.TheGlympse-poweredcustomerjourney experiencedrivesincredibleengagementbeyondsimple text-basednotificationswithbroadETAs.Endcustomers spendmorethan5minutesactivelyengagedwitheach journey,whichmakesGlympseapowerfulchannelfor customerservice,customermarketing,creativee-commerce andup-sell/cross-sellrevenueopportunities.TheCompany canintegrateanyofthesecapabilitiesdirectlyintothe experience.
Glympseexcelsatcollectingimmediateandactionable feedbackandgivesend-customersthechancetoprovidea ratingandanecdotalfeedbackthemomentafieldservice technicianfinishestheirjob.Theythenroutepoorfeedback toacustomercareagentforimmediatefollowup,or promptacustomertosharepositivefeedbacksonsocial media.
TheteamatGlympsedoesnotviewthecompanyasin competitionwithothertraditionalfieldservicesoftware providers.Rather,thesevendorsareitsexcellentpartners. Wheremanysolutionsfocusoncomplexrouting, schedulingandresourcemanagement,Glympseisfocused
ChrisRuff CEO&Presidentonbuildinganincrediblyrichlastmileexperienceforthe fieldservicecustomer.
GlympseblowsanySMSoremailbasedcustomer notificationsystemoutofthewater,asitsexperiencestarts withaproactivenotificationbuttrulyengagestheendcustomerinamulti-step,highlyengagingexperiencethat makesfieldservicesfinallyfeelhuman.TheGlympseteam states, “Customers get their time back, and field service teams can focus on what they do best, save money and even accelerate revenue in the process.”
Plans
UpcomingFuture Glympseisexperiencingfantasticinterestandadoption fromfieldserviceorganizationsaroundtheglobewithhigh volumesofcustomer-facinginteractions.Theyexpectthe businesstokeepgrowingandatthesametimearelooking foremergingfieldserviceusecasesfortheirtechnology.
Beyondfieldservice,thecompanyisexpectingtodoalot morebusinessinsomeoftheemergingindustriestheyare testingtoday,whichincluderoadsideassistance,hotel courtesyshuttletrackers,on-demand/mobiledelivery services,andcurbsidepickupwhichisknowninthe groceryindustryas ‘buy online pick up in store.’
Atpresent,cybersecurityis playingavitalroleinthe digitalworldanditisalso knownasastandardtechnologyuse fortheprotectionofcyber environmentofanindividualorany organization.Itismainlyknownfor securityculturewhichincludesuser network,drives,softwareprocess, informationstorage,application securityandsystemsupportwhichis directlyorindirectlyconnectedtothe network.Theprimeobjectiveof cybersecurityistoreduce continuouslygrowingcyberrisksand cyberthreats.
Cybersecuritytechnologyconsistsof acollectionoftools,policies, securityconcepts,riskmanagement, actions,andtraining.Thetechnology tracksprotectednetworks,data securityfromdataattack,alongwith cybersecurityandphysicalsecurity. Thecorefunctionalityofcybersecurityisbasedontechniques involvedprotectinginformationand systemfromcyberthreats.
HowCyberSecuritycameinto Existence?
Aswiththehistory,cybersecurity hashugenetworkbackgroundwith itsownfindingsandtechnology aspects.Intheearly1990s,a researchoninformationsecurityand policywasbeenintroducedwhere informationwasintheformof accuracyandbasedonsystem awareness.Under2016survey,70% oftheorganizationsintheUSwere adoptedbyUSSecuritysurvey whichiscomprisedofNIFT (NationalInstituteofStandards andTechnology)
Cyber-securityframework.
Cybersecurityisdefinedasa packageofsafetysolutionswhich providesmajorsecurityprocesses. Therearemanysectorswhichare consumingcybersecurityplatformas itsmajorfunctionalityforweb servicenetwork.Thefundamentals ofcybersecurityprocessare,
Information
NetworkSecurity
Applicationsecurityiscovered withtechnologythatmeasuresthe feasibilityoftheapplicationby finding,fixingandpreventing securityexposers.Thereare differenttechniqueswhichare beingusedassecurityplatformto emphasizesafetyatdifferent stagesoftheapplicationcycle. Applicationcycleincludes differentsegmentssuchasdesign, development,deployment, upgrade,andmaintenance.The standardofsecurityprocessis consequentlychangingand applicationcyclehasalsoa differentprocesswithdifferent standardization.
Techniquesusedinapplication securityaremainlyfocusedon itsexposeroftheapplication security. Whitebox security is usedforreviewingthesource codeandnoticingsecurityflaws oftheapplicationthrough manualfunctionality. Blackbox security auditisusedfortesting securityfunctionswheresource codeisnotneeded.
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Design review isusedasan applicationofthreatmodel,and worksbeforethecodeiswritten. And Tooling isthetechnique whichincludesautomatedtools thattestsecurityflawswith higherpositiverate.
Informationsecurityisacore sourceofinformationwhichis confidential,integratedandeasily available.Theprimaryfocusof thissecurityprocessistothe stabledataprotectionwhile maintainingafocusonefficient policyapplication.Risk managementprocessisachieved byidentifyingassets,threat sources,andvulnerabilitiesandis alsofollowedbytheeffectiveness oftheriskmanagementplan.
Informationsecuritymainly worksonconfidentialinformation whichishighlyentitledtothe process.
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Networksecuritysetsavariety ofcomputernetworks,usedin bothpublicandprivatesector.It alsoincludesconducting transactionsandbuild communicationsamong businesses,governmentagencies, andindividuals.Allnetworksare dividedintotwosections,private networkandpublicnetwork.
Privatenetworkingisused withinthecompanyandpublic networkaccessrelatestothe opensourcenetwork.This securitycultureishighly involvedinmostofthe companies,enterprises,andother typesofinstitutions.Itismainly usedforprotectingand overseeingtheoperations.The
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networkresourceisrelativelyprotectedbyassigning auniquenameandacorrespondingpassword.The processisconcernedwithauthenticationof usernameandpasswordwhichimplementsits securityconcept.
Operationalsecurityisaprocessthatidentifies informationwhichiscriticalandeasytodetermineby competitorintelligence.Itprotectsindividualpieceof datathatcouldbegroupedtogethertogiveaproper setofinformation.Itincludescriticalinformation essentialformilitarycommanders,seniorleaders,and highermanagement.Thewholeprocessalsoincludes technicalandnon-technicalmeasuressuchas,useof emailencryptionsoftware,takingprecautionsagainst spyingdataandsecuringconfidentialinformationnot tobesharedonsocialmediaplatform.
Operationalsecurityisafive-stepprocesswhich assistsanyorganizationtospecifyrequired information, Ÿ Identificationofcriticalinformation Ÿ Analysisofthreats Ÿ AnalysisofVulnerabilities Ÿ AssessmentofRisk.
SecuringOrganizationProcesses
Cybersecurityprocessplaysacrucialroletoimpact informationsecurityoftheorganization.Italsoexplores the“RelationshipbetweenOrganizationCultureand InformationSecurityCulture”andcontributesintothe organization’sprotectionaswellasmaintainsallkindof information.Securityprocessisanever-endingprocess inwhichinformationisusedasaresourcetoolto managestatisticssecurityculture.
Thesecurityprocessservedfive-stepprocessesincluding pre-evaluation,strategicplanning,operativeplanning, andimplementation. The pre-evaluation process identifiestheawarenessofinformationsecuritywithin employeesintheorganization. Strategic Planning offers healthierawarenessprogramwheretargetgetssets accordingtothegroupingofpeople. Operative Planning providesgoodsecurityprocesswhichcanbeestablished basedoninternalcommunication,securityawareness,
andatrainingprogram. Implementation isfourstage processusedassecurityprocesstoimplement information.Theprocessisusedformanagement, communicationwithorganizationalmembers,and currentemployees.
CybersecurityisaggressivelycontributingtotheITfield concernedwithreducingorganization’sriskanddata break.Accordingtoresearchin2016,46%of organizationscarry"problematicshortage"ofcyber security,andisincreasedby28%comparedto2015. Also,government,commercialandnon-governmental organizationsusecybersecurityforbetterandsecure platform.
Thedemandforcybersecurityisincreasingrapidlyas professionalsecurityworkerinallindustriesare managingthevolumeofconsumerdataoffinance, healthcare,andretail.However,theuseoftheterm “cybersecurity”ismorepopularinallindustrialareas thatwillhelporganizationswithsecurityprocessculture.
Conclusion
Cybersecurityisequallyimportantforlocal,state,and centralgovernmentastheseorganizationsmaintainsa hugeamountofconfidentialdataandrecordsconcerning thecountryanditscitizens.Yettherearemany governmentandcommercialorganizationsthatface difficultiesinprotectingtheconfidentialdataduetolack ofinadequatesecuredinfrastructure,andlackofsecurity awareness.
Itisdifficultforaservicebusinesstomanagetheirfield operationwithresponsibilitiessuchasdispatchingjobs tomobileworkers,recordingdata,andensuring productivity.Ittakesalotoftimeandahighvolumeof resourceswhichmeansthatjobsandinvoicesareinevitably missed.Thelackofefficiencyinsuchoperationsledtothe necessityofFieldServiceManagement(FSM)software. FSMreferstothemanagementofallthefieldrelated operationsthroughamobileworkforce.Itisacategoryof softwareproductthatenablesenterprisestoimprovetheir performance.ItisestimatedthattheFSMmarketwillbe valuedatmorethan$3.5billionby2019.
Joblogicisoneoftheleadingenterprisesinthesegmentof fieldservicemanagement.Itwasfoundedin1998andisa globalsoftwarecompanywithheadquartersbasedin
Birmingham,UK.Thecompany’smissionistoprovide contractorswithworld-classfieldservicemanagement softwarethatenablesthemtogrowrapidly,savetime, increaseproductivity,andensurecompliancy.Thecompany hasinternationalofficesinSydney,Australia,andLahore, Pakistan,andemploysover40peopletodevelop,support, implement,andselltheirFSMsoftware.Joblogicisusedby servicecontractorsinthebuildingmaintenanceindustryto streamlinetheirbusinessoperationsandmaximize productivity.Thesoftwareconsistsofapowerfulback officesystem,amobileworkerappforsmartphonesand tablets,andanonlinecustomerportalwherecustomerscan keepinformedaboutjobupdates.Itenablesservice contractorstosupporttheirbusinessgrowthbyboosting productivity,reducingpaperwork,andimprovingcashflow.
Recently,Joblogichasenteredits20thyearandmostofits keypeoplehavebeeninthebusinessformorethan10 years.Thecompanybelievesthatitselegantuserinterface, world-classmobileapp,andaffordablepricingmakesita popularchoiceforcompanieswhohaveaspirationtogrow theirbusiness.
FieldService Managementsoftware thatconnectsyour backoffice,mobile workersandcustomers togetherinasingle cloud-basedsystem.
Joblogichascustomersinboththecommercialand residentialmarkets,cateringtoarangeoftradesfrom facilitiesmanagementtoheating,ventilationandair conditioning(HVAC),andspecializedtradessuchaswater hygiene.OneofthestrengthsofJoblogicisitbeinganoffthe-shelfproductwiththeabilitytocreatebespoke workflowsthatworkforeachtrade.Forexample,aheating contractorcancompletegassafetycertificatesonthe mobileapp,whilstarefrigerationtechniciancancomplete F-Gaslogbooks.
JamesWhatmore,CEO,joinedin2000asasales executiveandbuiltanestablishedcustomerbasebefore progressingtosalesdirectorin2007.In2013,heleda successfulmanagementbuyoutandstartedimplementing growthplansforthecompanywhichledto30%yearover yeargrowthinthe5thyear,accompaniedbyteamgrowth from11to40people.
TheseconddecadeofJoblogic’sexistencehasseen impressivegrowth.Therecruitmentofsoftwarearchitect YacoobMoolla(currentCTO)andthelaterdevelopmentof arobustmobileappenabledthecompanytogrow significantly.Additionally,italsohelpedittocompeteata higherlevelthanotherestablishedsoftwarecompanies. Joblogichasalsobeenselectedbythehighlyrespected BuildingEngineeringServicesAssociation(BESA)to provideitssoftwaretotheirmembers.Thisisa developmentthathelpscompaniesintheservice maintenanceindustrytoremaincompliantwith environmentallegislation.
Inordertomakeasuccessfulproduct,itmustbedesigned insuchawaythatitisimmediatelyattractivetothe customerbase.Joblogicbelievesthatsoftwareneedstobe design-ledtoensurethatthesystemisuser-friendlyand intuitive.Joblogichasamobileappforfieldtechnicians
thatworkscompletelyoffline(nosignalrequired)foriOS andAndroiddevices.Additionally,thesoftwareishostedon theMicrosoftAzureCloudplatformwhichguaranteesbestin-classhosting,security,andavailabilitytoensurethatitis alwaysliveandsecure.
Joblogicisalreadylaunchedgloballyandthenextstageof itsgrowthistobeamajorplayerintheNorthAmerican market.Ithasspentthelast18monthsresearchingtheUS andCanadawithaviewtoahardlaunchinQ3,2018.Also, duringthesecondhalfofthisyear,itbuiltsomestrategic partnershipsintheUKthatwilladdsignificantgrowthto thebusinessanditscustomerbase.Rightnow,thecompany isrecruitinganadditional6seniorsoftwaredevelopersand hassetupanotherofficeinVietnamtosupportits worldwidegrowth.
JamesWhatmore CEOAstrologersandscience-fictionwritershaveentirely losttheirprofessionalexclusivitywithbigdata comingintoactionenablinganyonetopredictthe futurebackedbystatisticallyanalyzedcomplexdata,that tooinamatterofseconds.Thekeytothefutureliesinthe pastandthepresenthastoconnectthedotstomakethe timetraveljourneysuccessful.Astonishingly,thisentire processisreduceddowntoanoperationaldurationofjusta fewminuteswithadvancedpredictiveanalyticstools.
FieldService,inparticular,isagoldmineofdatafromGPS andlocationtoclientdetailswhichhadalwaysbeenlying dormantinsidecompanyserversbutarenow,gradually, beingchanneledforgreaterpurposes.Predictiveanalytics hasbecomesoimportantinfieldservicebecausecustomers are,blatantly,expectingcompaniestounderstandtheir needsandcustomizetheirofferingsbeforethemexpressing it.Companiescannomoremerelysellproductsand servicesandhavetoshifttheirfocustosellingexperiences tomakeahugeimpactontheresults.
Thesearethemajorimpactpointsofpredictiveanalyticsin thefieldservicesector:
Forecastingdemandforproductsandservicescansupport enterprisesinbetterinventorymanagementandhelpin calculatingthenumberofstaffrequiredtomeetacertain objective.
Althoughenterprisesarestillslowinadoptingmodern methodsofpricingandstillrelyonthetraditionalones, timeshavechangedwithpredictiveanalyticsmakingthe pricingprocessmuchmoreaccurateandflexibletovarious internalandexternalfactors.
Superiorperformancestronglyreliesonactionable informationwhichiswhypredictingKPIshasbecomeso importantforenterprises.Theabilityofpredictiveanalytics tomeasure,monitorandreacttoKPIsbecomesimperative informulatingbothshort-termandlong-termstrategies.
Taskschedulingandrouteoptimizationbecomesmuch moreefficientespeciallywithaheavyreductionin unnoticedslackusingthemultifunctionalaspectsof predictiveanalytics.
Preventativemaintenancebecomesmuchmoresensemakingwithpredictiveanalyticssupportingaccurate
planningusinghistoricaldataaboutwhenapartislikelyto fail.
AlthoughthereareabundantbenefitsofusingPredictive Analyticsnotjustinfieldservicesbutinanydomain, however,wecannotshyawayfromtherisksthatitbrings alongwithit.ForPredictiveAnalyticstoproperlywork, thereshouldbeahugevolumeofrelevantdatasetsfroma widerangeofactivitiesandevenwiththeavailabilityof suchheavydatasets,algorithmscanfailinanticipating humanbehaviorwhichinitselfisfullofcomplexities.Ifwe bringtimeintotheframe,itmakesthingsevenmore completed.Theanalyticsdesignmightbesuccessfulatone pointoftimebutitmightfalterwithchangesinvariables withrespecttotime.
However,modernpredictiveanalyticstoolshavemanaged torisebeyondtherisksandhavehitaveryhighaccuracy markinmakinganalyticalpredictions.Especiallyinfield services,thealgorithmshavebeenmodifiedtoadapttothe changesinlocation-baseddataandcustomerinsights consideringtimeintervalsaswell.Suchlevelofaccuracy becomesimperativeinshapinghowhistoricaldataisused inmakingbusinesslevelandfunctionalstrategiesforthe organization.
PredictiveAnalyticsplatformshavestartedtobecome extremelyprominentsince2017withmoderntechnology givingapushtobusinessintelligenceplatformssupporting predictiveanalytics.Enterprisesinthefieldserviceindustry canlookatplatformslikeTookanandKatototakeadive intopredictiveanalyticsandtransformhowtheycarryout theirbusiness.
Tookanisarobustone-stopshopforallthefieldservice managementproblems.Itsanalyticalprowessgivesyoua glimpseofthefuture.Tookandiagnosesandunderstands thebusinesswiththehelpofitsdataminingandanalytical functionshelpingtomakebusinessintelligentdecisionsto thriveinthisvolatileindustry.
Katoisafullyequippedanalyticalplatformwhichhasa widerangeofanalyticalofferingsfromdatapreparation, analyticsdashboardtopredictiveinsights.ItactsasanAI andpredictiveanalyticstoolbyofferingplugandplayML algorithmsthatsolvespecificusecasesforyourbusiness model.
Withpredictiveanalyticssupportingfunctionalactivitiesat everystep,enterprisescan,literally,visualizeabetterfuture andmakebusinessintelligentdecisionsbasedonhistorical datadefiningpatternsofactivitiesandbehavior.
Itallstartedbackin1998,whenOnProcess’founder sawamarketneed,andbuiltamulti-million-dollar business,startinginthebasementofhishomeina smalltownintheGreaterBostonArea.Afriendand professionalcontactofhisworkinginanearbybusiness wasdescribingsomeofthechallengestheyhadin recoveringcostlyequipmentstrandedinthefieldorwith theircustomers-servers,networkinggear,androuters.He quicklyrealizedtherewasgreatvalueinnotonlyhelping thiscompany,butalsohelpingothercompanieslikeitto createandmanageaprocessbringingtheirstranded equipmentbackintotheirinventory,refurbish&reuseratherthanhavingtospendmoneybuyingnewequipment. Thatveryfirstclient,thebusinessheadquarteredinthe samesleepypatchofsuburbanMassachusetts,was technologygiantEMC.
OnProcessmaynotbeahouseholdname,butitdoescount manyoftheworld’sleadingbrandsascustomers.Dell/ EMC,HPE,Cisco,Comcast,Verizon,andAT&Talllookto OnProcesstohelpoptimizetheirserviceoperations.
SpanningtheEntireServiceValueChain
Today,OnProcessisaleadingglobalproviderofservice operationsoptimizationsolutions.Withoriginsfirmly rootedinprocessimprovement,thefirmhasexpandedits offeringsfarbeyondassetrecovery,andnowspansthe entireservicevaluechain. Asonecanimagine,ittakes significantcross-functionalactivityforanyserviceprovider toservetheircustomers. Andmoreoftenthannot,crossfunctionalprocessesareriddledwithgapsandoverlaps-all drivenbyorganicfunctionalsilosexistingwithinthat company. Forexample,theleaderresponsiblefortech supportisworkingtoreducehandletime,whileafield serviceleaderisworkingtodriveontimearrivalandfirsttimeresolution,andatthesametimethesupplychain leaderisworkingtoreduceinventoryvalues. Thetrouble is,whencreatedandmanagedasindividualprocesses,those metricsbecomeadversarialforceswreakinghavocon serviceoperations.Inordertodriveavoidablecostoutof one’sbusiness,anddeliveraseamlesscustomerexperience, onemustmanagetheirserviceoperationsasa comprehensiveprocesswithalignedmetricsandgoals.
That’swhereOnProcesscomesin.OnProcessallows serviceproviderstofocusontheircorecompetency,by providingoperationsoptimizationsolutionsthatstreamline theentireserviceoperationsecosystem-everythingfrom customeronboarding,tocustomersupport,triage,remote diagnostics,orderdeskmanagement,thedispatchofparts andtechnicians, on-demandfieldengineers,andendoflifeservicesincludingassetrecovery,refurbishment,anddisposition.
TurningCostCenterintoProfitCenter
OnProcessleveragesacombinationofproprietary technology-fueledbypredictiveanalytics,andservice lifecycle/processimprovementexpertstodeliver significantcostsavings,seamlesscustomerexperiences, anddriverevenuegrowth. AtOnProcess,it’sallabout turningyourcostcenterintoaprofitcenterthrough outcomebased,customtailoredsolutionspullingtheright leversforeachindividualclient’sbusiness. OnProcess reducesavoidabletruckrolls,andgetstherighttechwith therightparttotherightplace,attherighttime-atthebest possiblecost,withoutsacrificingqualityorcustomer satisfaction.
AneliteteamofOnProcessisledbyMichaelWooden,the ChiefExecutiveOfficerofthecompany.Michaelhasbeen leading,growing,andbuildingglobalenterprisesaswellas start-upservicesformorethantwodecades.Priortojoining theteam,heheldmultipleexecutiveandC-levelroleswith P&Lresponsibilityacrossdivergentsaleschannelsand marketingfunctions,aswellasstrategydevelopment,and withresponsibilitytocreateandexpandoutsourcing servicesforcompaniesincludingConvergysCorporation andXerox. “OnProcess built an incredible business over the first 16 years of its existence, and with some of the biggest names in technology, cable, and wireless as clients,”saysWooden. “When I joined the company, the question I had to ask was: how do we continue to deliver outstanding results, while unlocking new levels of value for our customers- both current and future? ”Thisquestion spurredthestrategyandtransformationofOnProcess’ businessfromitsfoundationinassetrecovery,tothe technologydriven,outcome-basedserviceoptimization specialistthatitistoday.
“Our transformation strategy was really 2-fold”,asserts Wooden. "First, we built predictive analytics providing deep insights into our customer’s businesses- insights including the likelihood of a part to be returned, the likelihood of a warranty claims to be fraudulent, and even the likelihood of a part to be determined no fault found. Simultaneously we developed our proprietary technology platform with automated business rules to be driven by the embedded predictive analytics, and real-time visibility for our clients- and most importantly our own operational teams. The final step was the most critical- transforming our previous business model from transactional and headcount based, to an outcome-based model. A model where we wouldn’t win until our clients won. That was the real game-changer.”
“OnProcessquicklytransformedaglobal,fragmentedand highlycomplexordermanagementsystemintoa centralizedstreamlinedprogramthatimprovescustomer experiencewhilesavingsusmoney.”
— Bridie Norman, VP Elekta Logistics Platform
“OnProcess’customsolutionforHPEiscriticalto substantialfinancialsavings…benefitskeyareasof
Wooden ChiefExecutiveOfficerbusinessincludinginventorymanagement,transportation costs,&improvementstoourreturnsprocess.”
— Kollen Bower, Director HPE Global Services
“OnProcessenablesDell-EMCtobetterunderstandcost avoidanceopportunities&drivegreaterefficiencieswithin ourpost-salesupportlandscape.OnProcesscontinually innovatestodeliveradditionalvaluetoourbusiness.”
— Mark Deitemeyer, Senior Director, Dell-EMC
Founder
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,the and CEOWaveApplicationManueldelaEsperanza of , shareshisinsightsbehindhistriumphantjourneyof developinganapplicationwhichfocusesonlocation sharingservices.
Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterviewconducted betweenManuelandInsightsSuccess:
KindlyprovideabriefoverviewoftheWaveAppandits solutionsandservices?
Wave App isafreeapp(iOS,Android)thathelpspeopleto meetbysharingtheirlivelocationonaprivatemap.Itisa usefultooltofindfriendsorrelativesespeciallyinplaces whereit’sdifficulttomeetsuchasbusystreets,music festivals,newcities,skiresorts,skiingtripsetc. Nevertheless,themostcommonuseissimplymeeting betweenfriends,becauseitmakestheprocesseasy, effectiveandfun.
Howdoyoudiversifyyourproductofferingstoappeal toyourtargetaudience?
Wave App isanapplicationfocusedonthegeolocationof peopleandthereforehasseveraluniquefeaturesthatmake itanessentialapplicationtomeetfriendsorfamily.Among themisgeolocationinrealtime,theoptiontocreategroup maps,tosetameetingpointonthemap,thenavigation, geofencingalertsacompletechatandmanymoretocome.
Andaboveallweofferaprivateapproach.Wedon’tbelieve anybodywantstobestalkedorfollowedatalltimes.Only whenyoudecidetoandbywhoyoudecide.Thereforethere isalwaysanexpressconsenttobelocatedbyyourcontacts. Inadditionyouwilldecideifyouwishtobelocatedfora limitedperiodoftimeorindefinitely.
WhatarethecorestrengthsofWaveAppofferings?
The Wave App’scorestrengthsareitsnativetechnologyof positioninginrealtimewithpinpointaccuracy,theprivacy ofitsusers,sincetheyareawarethattheyaresharingtheir locationandcanstopitwhenevertheywant,anditsunique featuresthatimprovepeople’smobility.
Themainfeaturesusedintheappare:Unidirectional Location,GroupLocation,ChatandNavigation.
UnidirectionalLocationisthefeatureinwhichoneusercan sendunidirectionallyhis/herlocationthroughaweblinkto anysmartphoneuserthatdoesnothaveWaveinstalled.In grouplocationgroupcanbemadefrom3till10people whereallmembersaredisplayedonthescreenwiththeir profilepicture.
TheChatfeatureisacompletechatsolutionwhichincludes sharingmessages,voicenotesandimages.Navigation featuresetsuserswherehecannavigatetothemeeting pointortotheirfriendsinrealtime,seetheestimatedtime ofarrivalandtheestimateddistance.Theycanalsocallan Uberifthemeetingpointisfar.
WaveApplication helpspeopleto meettheirfriends orrelativesbysharing livelocationsona privatemap.
Whathistoricalforces,achievementsorlearningshave shapedthejourneyofWaveApp?
WaveApplicationhasbecomeareferenceforpeopleto meetandithasnotbeenaneasyway,sinceinthebeginning peoplewerereluctanttosharetheirlocation.However,its approachtoprivacyandthefeaturededicatedtoeachuser casehasallowedWavetoconquerabaseofusersfromall overtheworldthatexceeds11millionpeople.Also,itisthe idealmomentforthesekindsoftools.Geolocationis everywhere,itisprobablyoneofthenewbigdigital commodity.Devicesareready,usersarereadyand technologyisfinallyready.
Oneofthebiggestchallengeshasbeingshapingthe technologytothenumerousdevicesacrosstheworldthat hasdifferentdataconnectionandGPSquality.Alongwith this,theUXdesignhasbeenademandingfactorforusers thatareusedtoplaywithapps,sotheteamhasmadegreat efforts,withthehelpoftheCreativeDirectorofPinterest andadvisorofWave,todefineatrendyandfriendly interface.Theseimprovementshavemadepossibleto achieveagreat80%ofretentionrate.
WheredoesWaveAppseeitselfinthenearfutureand whatareitsfuturegoals?
Thecoreof Wave App isitsleadingtechnologyandthe biggestchallengesthatitfacesinthenearfuturearethe workintheimprovementofthetechnologyanditsconstant adaptationtothepositioningnovelties,theUXdesignto adaptittothedemandingconsumertrendsandthe developmentofnewfeaturesthatusersdemand.Forthis, theteammustgrowandthecompanyisworkingonthe searchfornewtalents.
Inthelongterm,theappwantstobethereferencetoolin geolocationinallsmartphonesoftheworldandtohelp peoplemeet,movearoundthecityandhaveapersonalized experience.
Withtherisingnumberoffieldservicebasedsolution providers,howdoesWaveAppstandoutfromitscrowd ofcompetitors?
WaveApplicationhasledamarketwithauniqueproposal ofgeolocationbasedonprivacy.Whiletherearesomeapps thatoffertheoptionofsharingthelocation,Waveis consideredthemostprivateandusefuloptiontomeetthe peopleweloveincrowdedplacessuchasdowntown streets,festivalsormarkets,aswellasinplaceswhereitis difficulttogivedirections,suchasskiresortsornatural landscapes.Itscorevaluecomesalongwithuniquefeatures thatcompletetheexperienceinthemobilityfieldsuchas thenavigation,thedirectaccesstoUber,thepossibilityto pinameetingpointongroupmapsandthechat.
Theco-foundersofWaveApplication,Manueldela Esperanza,CEO,andLuisGelado,COO,havebeenableto carryapioneeringideaatatimewhenthemarketwasnot asusedtogeolocationasitisnow,bydevelopingitsnative technologywithauniqueapproach.Themostdifficult challengeshavebeentodefinethetechnologicalstrategy,to findrealprofessionaltalentstoexpandtheteamandtoseek fundingtocontinueinvesting.Havingalargefanbaseanda positivegrowthhasallowedWavetoconquerinvestors throughseveralroundsoffundingastherecentbeton Crowdcube,inwhichWaveraisedmorethan€1Mto continueinvestingintechnologyandmarketing.
Wave App isamobileapplicationwhichhelpspeoplemeet upbysharinglivelocationonaprivatemap.Theapp enablesuserstogatherpersonalaswellaslocation informationwithitsuser-friendlyinterfaceinasecure manner.ItrunsonmajoroperatingsystemssuchasiOSand Androiddevices.Theappheightensitsperformance especiallyindifficultplacessuchasbusystreets,music festivals,skiresorts,skiingtripsandnewcities.
Nevertheless,themostcommonmediumofusagefor Wave App isitssimplisticapproachofmeetingfriendsandfamily, asitmakestheprocesseasy,effectiveandfun.
Inrecenttimes,theretailindustryhasn’tseenamore excitinginventionsincetheinventionofcashregister. Withnewandinnovativetechnologieshelpingshape bothonlineandofflineexperiencesforconsumers,the landscapeiscontinuouslychanginginawaywhichwas unimaginableevenfewyearsback.Thebestpartisthat thereseemstobenoendoftheinnovation,whichonly influencingthepurchasedecisionoftheconsumers.
Nowadaysthemainfocusofretailersistocreateasafe, engaging,anduniqueshoppingexperienceforits consumers,it’sveryimportantfortheretailersto understandtheimportanceof Big Data and in-store analytics and adapting to the cloud. Withtheretailindustry atthevergeofmassivetransformation,wearelistingout fewkeytrendsthateveryoneneedstoknowtobe successfulintheecosystemthatistransformingquickly.
Multi-systemintegrationwithvariousapplicationsgetsthe utmostpriorityfromtopretailers.Mostoftheretailerslist outPOSintegrationwithotherapplicationsasakeypriority alongsidetheimplementationofdynamicmarketingcontent throughmobiledevices.Thisismostlyduetotheretailer’s interesttostoreallthecustomerinformationandpurchase historyinadatabase,whichiscompletelycentralizedthat couldbeeasilyintegratedwithmultipleapplications. However,inordertodothat,aretailerneedstouseanERP databasethatcanhandleallthese.
Peoplealwayslookforquicksolutionsforeverything.A clockstartstickingthemomentacustomerenters,nomatter howgoodtheproductis,iftheprocessisslowandthe attentiontodetailsaremissing,thencustomerswillleave
disappointed.Asaretailer,onecannotpleaseeveryone,but withamodernandefficientPOS,theservicecanbe improved.AmodernPOSsimplifiesthecommunication betweenvariousdepartmentsandcansavealotoftimefor boththeretailerandthecustomerrespectively.
Keepingandmanaginginventoryisanightmareformostof theretailers,andit’squitenatural.Managinginventoryisa never-endingtaskandtakesalotofeffort,time,and manpower.However,itisquiteimportanttomanage inventorieswhenitcomestolong-timesurvival.An efficientPOSsystemalwaysmakestheprocessof managingtheinventorymucheasier.ThebestpartofaPOS is,onecanmonitorthestatusofstockeditems,shipped products,andnewordersanytime.Thisisahugetimesaver foracumbersomeandatediousprocess,andeventually helpsretailerstofocusonotherimportantaspectsof runningthebusiness.
WithPOSsystems,retailersjustneedtoprovide personalizationthatscoopsouteveryshopper.Every passingyear,retailersareadaptingtopersonalized technologysolutionsthatallowaninteractiveuser experience.Thankstotheemergenceofallnewmobile POStechnology,nowretailerscanofferitscustomersmore choicestoaccommodatetheirshoppinghabitsbyletting themtocompletetransactionsanywhereinthestore.Now withtheinventionofimprovedPOSmarketersand customerserviceteamscancontactthebuyerateachpoint oftheirpurchasedecision.Withsomuchdataretailersand consumerscanhavebettercustomerservice,quicker paymentprocessesandaccesstobetteroffersandreal-time personalization.
Nowadayswiththeadventofdigitaltechnology,marketing involvesmaintainingadigitalpresenceaswell.APOScan integratealltheadvertisedofferswithtransactions,making iteasiertokeeptrackofallthecampaigns.Additionally,it canintegratewithCRMandtrackcustomerbehavior.When anoffergetspopularamongthemasses,thentheretailer willseeitinhistransactiondata.
Inordertocompetewithe-commerce,retailersarenow takingthehelpofBig-Dataandinstoreanalyticsjustto haveabetterideaaboutwhat’shappeninginsidethestore. Big-Dataanalyticshelpsretailerstotrackhowfrequentlya specificitemmovesfromshelftoshoppingcartallows retailerstoknowthetrendsthataredominantinthemarket. Analyticshelpstheretailindustryinabigwaytobetter understandconsumerpurchasepatternandbehaviors.
Torunabusinesssmoothlyaretailer,needfewpeople.A POSsystemenablestomanagethemwithgreataccuracy.
WithaPointofSalesysteminplace,employeescansignon oroffeasilyandthesystemwillautomaticallylogtheir workhoursandbreakhours.
Aboveall,aPOSsystemoffersgreatsecurityprotections thathelpkeepingcustomerdatasafe.Retailstoresand businessesarealwaysprimetargetsforCyberCriminals, andadatabreachisnotgoodforabusiness.So,byusing standardencryptionandfirewall,businessescanbesecured fromcyber-attacksandcustomerscanswipetheircards withapeaceofmind.
So,herewehavelistedoutfewofthePOStrendsthatwill shapethefutureoftheretailindustry.Aswelookahead, thesetrendswillbeonfocusforbothretailersand customers.ThemainadvantageofanadvancedPOSsystem isgreaterefficiencyandoptimization,itlinksallthe departmentstogetherwhicheventuallyallowstohavebetter controlovertheinventory,betterprofitability,andto manageprocessesinanefficientway.