Networked. Field Services

Transcription

1 Networked Field Services

2 Table of Contents Overview Visibility and Enterprise Mobility The New Networked Organization M2M and Networked Field Services Networked Field Services and Decision Making Summary

3 Introduction Overview This paper explores the convergence of several different technologies including: mobility, GPS, business intelligence and M2M (machine to machine) technologies with evolving field services management strategies. This convergence has resulted in a new Networked Field Service model. Investment in space travel has provided many direct and indirect benefits to society. For example, weather forecasting technology, solar energy, scratch resistant lenses, water purification systems, enriched baby food and air quality monitoring have all made advancements because of investments in space travel research. Likewise, the military has made huge investments related to the implementation of Network-Centric War fare technologies and mobile data collection strategies that are now providing benefit and revolutionizing the way commercial field services organizations operate. In this paper we will explore these concepts and benefits and learn how they can be implemented. In addition to the technology, we will explore how field services organizations can take advantage of the advances in management and decision making models that are now possible with a networked field services organization. Visibility and Enterprise Mobility One of the most important capabilities that mobile solutions offer organizations today is the ability to provide better visibility, in near real time, into the activities and events taking place in the field. Historically, it has been difficult to ensure that quality and service standards and processes are followed on remote jobsites and in mobile environments. The lack of real time visibility often means critical operational decisions are delayed which results in the inefficient utilization of resources and assets. Better communication and visibility to issues on remote jobsites can assure that proper policies and operational and safety processes are followed and assistance is provided when needed. The simple task of sharing data, digital images and real time updates with management and other process experts can often resolve challenging issues quickly and efficiently. Today mobile applications on smartphones, rugged mobile handhelds and other mobile devices have enabled mobile data collection, real time database queries, alerts, mobile business processes, work order dispatch, location tracking and wireless connectivity in most locations around the world. Visibility into events and actions everywhere is a new capability for most organizations. It virtually enables managers and experts from anywhere in the world to be digitally present on remote jobsites. Being digitally present is accomplished today using a variety of tools available on most smartphones and mobile devices. These tools include: Digital images Digital video Voice Text messages Augmented reality Bluetooth enable anything M2M GPS Most organizations have yet to understand, assimilate and exploit these capabilities to maximize efficiency and optimize returns. Each of these tools can and do play an important role in a networked field services operation. 3

4 The New Networked Organizations The most advanced militaries in the world are developing and implementing strategies based on the concept of Network- Centric Warfare. These strategies, methodologies and concepts have direct relevance to commercial enterprises and field services organizations today under the name Network- Centric Operations or Networked Field Services. The military uses rugged handhelds, radios, laptop computers, satellites, radio scanners, aerial drones, human resources, video surveillance, aerial surveillance, infrared cameras, remote sensors of all kinds and many other embedded mobile devices to create a web or grid of mobile data collection points that are all wirelessly networked together. The collected data is wirelessly sent to a central server where it forms a real time and unified view of operations that can be used for analysis, forecasting, resource allocation, planning and real time decision making. This networked approach enables users to see where their assets are located, where they are needed and how best to manage them at all times to successfully and efficiently accomplish the mission. Network-Centric Warfare, now commonly called Network-Centric Operations in commercial environments, is a relatively new military doctrine or theory of war pioneered by the US Department of Defense. It seeks to translate an information advantage, enabled in part by information technologies, into a competitive war fighting advantage through the robust networking of well informed geographically dispersed forces. This networking, combined with changes in technology, organization, processes and people, enable organizations to behave and respond in ways never before possible. Specifically, this theory contains the following four tenets in its hypotheses: A robustly networked force improves information sharing. Information sharing enhances the quality of information and shared situational awareness. Shared situational awareness enables collaboration and self synchronization, and enhances sustainability and speed of command. These, in turn, dramatically increase mission effectiveness. In order to optimize the performance of a military operation or a field services organization, it is critical to know, in real time, the location of all resources, the status of each job, the assets and equipment needed, and the time each job will require. When effectively coordinated and managed, human resources, equipment, assets and mobile inventories can be shared between multiple projects, and the right experts with the right levels of experience can be used on the right projects at the right time. The bottom line is that a leaner, more efficient organization can be put in the field that can accomplish more work with fewer resources and generate a higher return on investment. M2M and Networked field services Vehicles, high valued equipment, and other assets can utilize M2M technologies and embedded mobile devices to wirelessly report on their status, location, environment, maintenance and repair needs. This data can alert field service teams when there is a problem, event or automatically send a message when it is time for maintenance. The location of your mobile workforce can also be tracked via smartphones or vehicle tracking systems which enable management to better understand how to optimize the use of experts in a particular geographic area. Today wireless remote sensors are capable of bidirectional data exchanges. Sensors can both send data to the central server and receive commands. In many cases remote sensors can receive commands from central servers to adjust settings or perform other functions via wireless data exchanges. M2M is a vision of connecting physical things to each other wirelessly through a network. These connections, and the data exchanged, can provide real time access to information about the physical world and the objects in it. Used in the context of an electrical grid, enterprise asset management system, plant maintenance, field service automation system, or any other mobile workforce management solution, this data can lead to innovation and gains in efficiency and productivity that were never before possible. Juniper Research predicts that the number of M2M and embedded mobile devices will rise to approximately 412 million globally by ABI Research uses a more conservative set of numbers and says that there were approximately 71 million cumulative M2M connections in 2009 and predicts this will rise to about 225 million by GSMA predicts that there will be over

5 billion embedded mobile devices by All of these predictions represent big numbers and a lot of data. The challenge for managers today is how to turn this high volume of available data intoactionable intelligence in real-time. some of the key market for m2m systems are: Utilities/Smart grids Fleet management/automotive systems Equipment monitoring/plant maintenance Connected homes/home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) Healthcare - Remote patient and health monitoring, medical equipment monitoring Vending/POS Remote asset management monitoring Security systems Consumer electronics (ereaders, Wireless Printers, Appliances, etc.) In a world filled with M2M data feeds, the question is what can you do with all of this data? Where can this data provide value? This is where decision support, optimization and business intelligence applications are needed - solutions that have the capacity to immediately analyze vast amounts of data and recommend how best to use it for optimal operational efficiencies. Networked Field Services and Decision Making Mobile enterprise applications can offer significant value on their own, but when integrated together into a network with many other applications, M2M devices and other data collection technologies, this grid or network of applications can offer exponentially greater visibility and value to an organization. The challenge, as identified earlier, is to understand how to use this plethora of data for the purpose of good operational decision making. Again, the military has some strategies that offer value to field services organization. USAF Colonel John Boyd is credited with the concept of the OODA loop. The OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) is a concept originally applied to combat operation processes. Today it is also applied to commercial operations and learning processes where significant value has been realized. According to Boyd, decision making occurs in a recurring cycle of observe=>orient=>decide=>act. An entity (whether an individual or an organization) that can process this decision making cycle quickly, observing and reacting to unfolding events more rapidly than an opponent, can thereby get inside the opponent s decision cycle and gain the advantage. In the business world, OODA loop is an emerging concept for making decisions and managing field services, remote jobsites and mobile operations. The ability to observe and react to unfolding events more rapidly than an opponent benefits from the following technologies: Wireless networks M2M devices Mobile data collection solutions (mobile inspection forms, barcode scanners, RFID, GPS, etc.) Mobile field services applications Mobile business intelligence applications Enterprise asset management solutions Plant maintenance systems Mobile CRM GPS location tracking technologies Mobile data collection and M2M technologies supply the data that enables a field services manager to observe. The next step in the OODA loop is orientation. The manager needs to be oriented as to what the data means, and how it impacts the mission. Decide - now that you have the necessary data and you understand what it means, you must make a decision. Act - take action based upon the data, its meaning and the 5

6 decision you have made. The loop refers to the fact that this is a continual process. The loop or cycle never stops. Each time you complete a cycle in the OODA loop you observe, orient, decide and act again based upon the results you see from the prior cycle. If the results are positive, you can continue down that path and improve it. If the results are negative, you quickly adjust and review the results again. It is a fast moving process of trial, error and adjustment until you get the results you want. The OODA loop is particularly useful in environments that are chaotic and unpredictable. In these working environments, decision making is often very difficult and without the appropriate training, indecision, inaction and inefficiency often occur. The OODA loop is a decision making process that is well suited for helping people make decisions and acting in situations where there is no readily available contingency plan. The military has effectively utilized the OODA loop decision making processes in the chaos of battle found in air combat, tank warfare and daily in Special Forces operations. Field service operations can benefit from the implementations of these processes and decision making cycles as well. In a world where nearly 40 percent of the workforce is mobile, companies must learn and implement these concepts in order to successfully manage mobile operations and services. To be successful implementing and integrating the OODA loop and Network-Centric Operational concepts into your field services operations requires the following: 1. Data collection systems and processes. 2. Real time knowledge of the location of your mobile workforce, assets and inventories. 3. Real time knowledge of the capabilities and expertise of your mobile workforce. 4. Real time status and progress updates of the tasks, work assignments and schedules of the mobile workforce. 5. Real time knowledge of the location of all inventory, equipment, tools and other assets required to complete specific tasks. 6. Work order management system that optimally assigns, schedules and dispatches specific assignments to specific members of your mobile workforce. 7. Business intelligence software applications for analyzing data collected in the field. All of the items listed above help provide the real time visibility into your field operations that is required in a Networked Field Services organization practicing OODA loop management decision making. One of the remaining challenges, however, with the systems listed above is that humans quickly become overwhelmed by large volumes of data. Complexity can become an inhibitor to the practice of OODA. It is not enough to have real time visibility into massive volumes of data, one must be able to orient, or understand what the data means and how it will impact the mission. Business intelligence software applications fit in here. Let s consider the following scenario in a Networked Field Service environment: 1. A high value farm tractor with a remote engine M2M sensor wirelessly notifies a contracted service organization that maintenance is needed. 2. The information is instantly integrated into the work order management system. 3. The business intelligence feature analyzes the scheduling requirements related to the maintenance code that was received. 4. The business intelligence feature quickly searches for maintenance updates or alerts from the tractor s manufacturer that might be related to the received code. 5. The business intelligence feature searches for the nearest available and qualified diesel mechanic on staff. 6. The business intelligence feature reviews the qualified mechanic s current schedule and compares it to other qualified mechanic s schedules. 7. The business intelligence feature searches for the nearest location where there is an inventory of parts for that particular make and model of tractor. 8. The business intelligence feature looks for the nearest inventory of tools and repair equipment that may be necessary to complete the job. 9. The business intelligence feature searches for and reports on the current account status for the customer and any relevant warranty or service contract details. 10. All of this data is unified and wirelessly sent to the service technician s smartphone. All of the above steps can be performed in seconds, and a complete picture can be provided to the field 6

7 services technician and the field operations manager. This information can help all parties quickly coordinate efforts so they can provide the services efficiently and make the customer happy. None of these technologies or systems is particularly unique or new. Rather it is the idea of integrating them all together with Networked Field Services concepts in a manner that provides unique value. Summary In summary, Networked Field Services concepts seek to translate an information advantage, enabled in part by mobile and M2M technologies into a competitive advantage through the robust networking of well informed geographically dispersed forces. This networked organization, using the OODA loop decision making cycle, has the tools necessary to make good and quick decisions in chaotic and unpredictable environments. Both of these concepts, Networked Field Services and OODA loop, are dependent on the ability to observe, and to observe quickly, events unfolding in the field. Observation of remote operations and jobsites requires mobile data collection systems and systems to unify the data, analyze and present it. Receiving information quickly from the field and analyzing it so good, real time decisions can be made is the key to success in field services operations. 7

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