In many service organisations, mobile solutions have long since reached their maturity level. Here, smart digital solutions are not just an option, but rather a standard that is expected to be available. Of course, the use of mobile solutions varies from industry to industry, but what they all have in common is that not taking the time to incorporate mobile solutions can have major consequences, both in terms of production and financially. Covid-19 has really emphasised this, with all businesses, large and small, being impacted and forced to consider how they want to work with the digital aspect of their business.
For manufacturing companies, there are two things specifically that set them apart. One is that for companies that are only now embracing servitisation as a vital part of their value proposition, it's not a given that everyone is ready to adopt mobile solutions. In fact, the use of mobile devices for any business process may be something that hasn't even been directly considered before, so the organisation is not digitally mature and ready to embrace it. The second is that there is a huge difference in what each company produces and therefore what type of requirements there will be for service. For example, a company that serves food and beverage equipment is subject to different physical requirements that require you to be on site when the service needs to be carried out. On the other hand, there may be companies that produce digital products and therefore have the ability to perform service or repairs remotely. There are many considerations when starting to utilise mobile solutions, which is why we have outlined some of the ones we think are important below.
User interface and real-time
A user interface with real-time data on the various mobile devices and the computer is essential for delivering good service. This is especially important for companies that want to perform service, where it is important that service managers and technicians can see the same data at the office and at the customer site where the service is performed. If this is not the case, it can create inconsistencies, which is why the best service software has transparency between the different devices. IFS customers can ensure this by utilising Aurena, IFS’ Cloud version of the ERP system.
Knowledge sharing
Mobile devices have already swallowed up many of the physical libraries we have in our lives. Whether it's our CD collection, books, films or the phone book, for many of us they are on our mobile phones or computers. Of course, with this technology, it should also be possible to do the same for reference materials that technicians often need to access on the go, which is also the case with IFS Aurena. Furthermore, mobility also gives companies an opportunity to approach and access knowledge sharing in new ways that take advantage of the form factor of mobile devices and mean that knowledge is always at your fingertips. This could be attachments containing specifications or user manuals that can help the service technician at the customer site.
What should we take with us going forward?
It can be difficult to get an overview and see which solution is right for your company, which is why it can be an advantage to have a business developer or consultant to look at the different options. The advantage of IFS is that the many digital solutions are combined in a system that is compatible between different digital devices, which ensures that you always have your entire business at your fingertips, no matter where you are in the organisation.
