Vendor Landscape: Field Service Automation

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1 Ensure proactive field service and collaboration in the age of extreme mobility., Inc. Is a global leader in providing IT research and advice. Info-Tech s products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns Inc. 1

2 Introduction The Field Service Automation (FSA) market underwent changes as mobile technologies altered core capabilities of field service workers. Collaboration, dynamic scheduling, and service forecasting are at the forefront of these changes. Select a vendor that is on top of these trends or risk failure. This Research Is Designed For: Enterprises seeking to select a solution for field service automation. Executive-level stakeholders in the following roles: Customer Service and Field Service Managers. IT Managers and Directors involved in selecting an FSA solution. This Research Will Help You: Understand what s new in the FSA market. Evaluate FSA vendors and products for your enterprise needs. Determine which products are most appropriate for particular use cases and scenarios, such as: Integration with CRM solutions. Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) supporting vendors. Proactive field service. 2

3 Executive Summary Info-Tech evaluated ten competitors in the field service automation market, including the following notable performers: Champions: TOA Technologies, an enterprise-class vendor that is continuously on top of field service market trends. ClickSoftware, a product with exemplary strategic planning tools and comprehensive mobile offerings. Astea Alliance, a vendor that supports complete service lifecycle, with a particularly strong focus on dynamic scheduling and inventory management. IFS Metrix, a vendor with an excellent feature set and a strong architecture. Value Award: TOA Technologies, the vendor that provides most bang-for-buck with its forward-looking functionality and competitive pricing. Trend Setter Award: TOA Technologies, a vendor that introduced a self-learning analytics engine to deliver optimized scheduling and capacity planning. This unique information-powered approach is based on predictive analytics and pattern recognition. Info-Tech Insight 1. Native mobile capabilities are becoming market table stakes. Features such as signature capture, barcode scanning, and photo capture used to be important market differentiators. They are becoming commodity today, as more vendors are leveraging native features of touch and camera-enabled mobile devices. 2. Sophisticated forecasting is the future of field service. Vendors will continue to improve their forecasting and predictive capabilities to optimize scheduling and capacity planning. 3. Collaboration is an important market differentiator. Although tools for text communication between technicians are fairly common, examples of less common features include activity streams and the ability to check the trunk inventory of closest peers. 3

4 Market Overview How it got here Field service software has been around for a long time, concentrating on dispatch, scheduling, and analytics for optimizing field service operations. Technicians traditionally used ruggedized laptop computers or specialized devices to access their work orders, only occasionally connecting with the back office. In the recent years, wireless internet allowed for realtime integration between technicians and home base. The rise of mobile technologies has further altered the service market, allowing for more technology features than a corporate-issued laptop. Features such as cameras, GPS, and a constant internet connection are becoming table stakes in the mobile devices used for field service. Where it s going Vendors will continue to embrace the native capabilities of mobile devices, such as voice-to-text, electronic signature capture, and barcode scanning. These are quickly becoming commodity features. Dynamic scheduling and sophisticated forecasting are the future of field service, particularly in industries with complex service needs. Some innovators today are already offering tools that rely on pattern recognition and predictive analytics to optimize dynamic scheduling, as well as demand and capacity planning. This year, Info-Tech found the state of the market unsatisfactory for sophisticated collaboration needs of field service. It is predicted that vendors will continue to add capabilities for technician-to-technician, technicianto-office, and company-to-customer collaboration. Vendors will also improve their knowledge management features; many market players are not yet offering knowledgebases today. As the market evolves, capabilities that were once cutting edge become default and new functionality becomes differentiating. Activity management capabilities (e.g. time and expense management) have become a Table Stakes capability and should no longer be used to differentiate solutions. Instead focus on features such as collaboration and knowledge management to get the best fit for your requirements. 4

5 FSA Vendor selection / knock-out criteria: market share, mind share, and platform coverage Mobile technology is changing how field service works. Features such as advanced information capture, location-based services, and scheduling and dispatch affected vendor inclusion in this report. For this Vendor Landscape, Info-Tech focused on those vendors that offer broad capabilities across multiple platforms and that have a strong market presence or reputational presence among mid- and large-sized enterprises. Included in this Vendor Landscape: Astea Alliance. A well-established field service vendor that supports complete service lifecycle. ClickSoftware. An industry veteran that provides excellent architecture and exemplary dynamic scheduling. High 5. A smaller market player with good inventory and service contract management features. IFS Metrix. A vendor with excellent product focus and a breadth of channel partnerships. Microsoft Dynamics AX. A product with vertical-specific capabilities for a variety of industries. PTC. A vendor with strong global support that acquired Servigistics in Retriever. Popular in Australia and New Zealand, this vendor is currently expanding into North America. ServiceMax. A cloud-only offering built entirely on the Force.com platform. TOA Technologies. An enterprise-class SaaS product that offers information-powered approach to service planning. Viryanet. A vendor with strong scheduling and performance management features. 5

6 FSA criteria & weighting factors Product Evaluation Criteria Criteria Weighting: Features Usability Affordability Architecture The solution provides basic and advanced feature/functionality. The solution is easy and intuitive to use both on traditional and mobile devices for field service. The three year TCO of the solution is economical. The delivery method of the solution aligns with what is expected within the space. Features 40% Architecture 25% 20% 15% Product 60% Usability Affordability Vendor Evaluation Criteria Viability Strategy Reach Vendor is profitable, knowledgeable, and will be around for the long-term. Vendor is committed to the space and has a future product and portfolio roadmap. Vendor offers global coverage and is able to sell and provide post-sales support. 40% Vendor Viability 25% 30% Strategy Channel Vendor channel strategy is appropriate and the channels themselves are strong. Channel 15% 30% Reach 6

7 The Info-Tech FSA Vendor Landscape The Zones of the Landscape Champions receive high scores for most evaluation criteria and offer excellent value. They have a strong market presence and are usually the trend setters for the industry. Market Pillars are established players with very strong vendor credentials, but with more average product scores. The Info-Tech Field Service Automation Vendor Landscape: ViryaNet TOA Technologies ClickSoftware Innovators have demonstrated innovative product strengths that act as their competitive advantage in appealing to niche segments of the market. ServiceMax IFS Metrix Astea Alliance Emerging Players are newer vendors who are starting to gain a foothold in the marketplace. They balance product and vendor attributes, though score lower relative to market Champions. High 5 Retriever PTC Microsoft Dynamics AX For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape is created, see Information Presentation Vendor Landscape in the Appendix. 7

8 Balance individual strengths to find the best fit for your enterprise Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel Astea Alliance ClickSoftware High 5 IFS Metrix Microsoft Dynamics AX* Legend =Exemplary =Good =Adequate =Inadequate =Poor *The vendor declined to provide pricing and publically available pricing could not be found For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Harvey Balls are calculated, see Information Presentation Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) in the Appendix. 8

9 Balance individual strengths to find the best fit for your enterprise (continued) Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel PTC Retriever ServiceMax TOA Technologies ViryaNet Legend =Exemplary =Good =Adequate =Inadequate =Poor For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Harvey Balls are calculated, see Information Presentation Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) in the Appendix. 9

10 The Info-Tech FSA Value Index What is a Value Score? The Value Score indexes each vendor s product offering and business strength relative to their price point. It does not indicate vendor ranking. Vendors that score high offer more bang-forthe-buck (e.g. features, usability, stability, etc.) than the average vendor, while the inverse is true for those that score lower. Champion On a relative basis, TOA Technologies maintained the highest Info-Tech Value Score TM of the vendor group. Vendors were indexed against TOA Technologies performance to provide a complete, relative view of their product offerings. Price-conscious enterprises may wish to give the Value Score more consideration than those who are more focused on specific vendor/product attributes. *The vendor declined to provide pricing and publically available pricing could not be found. 100 TOA Technologies High 5 Virya- Net Click Software 39 PTC IFS Metrix Astea Alliance Service Max Average Score: 41 Retriever Microsoft Dynamics* For an explanation of how Price is determined, see Information Presentation Price Evaluation in the Appendix. For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Value Index is calculated, see Information Presentation Value Index in the Appendix. 10

11 Info-Tech evaluated a range of features: basic points were awarded for table stakes, more for advanced functionality Feature Activity Management Collaboration Information Management and Capture Inventory / Field Parts Management Knowledge Management /Adv. Timekeeping tools (calendars, time tracking, alerts). What we looked for (technician-facing features): Travel and expense management. Task completion wizards. Budget control tools. Integrated text communication between technicians (e.g. SMS). Integrated chat. Videoconferencing between technicians and head office. Ability to cross-check inventory with the closest technicians (trunk check). Activity streams. Signature capture. Barcode / QR Code Scanning for quick input of information. Aided information capture, such as attaching snapshots of the equipment to service history. Text-tospeech capabilities. Ideally, customer has the ability to attach pictures and other binaries to work order. Access to information about spare parts, tools, and other equipment. The product covers full service lifecycle with optimized van stocking, equipment purchasing tools, and forecasting capabilities for parts availability. Field workers have access to a basic knowledgebase / content library to assist in service requests. Assisted diagnostics. search and service history on a mobile device. Service Contract Management Access to customer contract information and SLAs. Credit card purchasing and invoicing in the field (contact renewal and in-field upsell). Scoring Methodology Info-Tech scored each vendor s features on a granular scale. Vendors were given partial marks for basic and advanced features, summing up to full marks if all the advanced criteria were satisfied. See appendix for scoring methodology. 11

12 Info-Tech evaluated a range of features: basic points were awarded for table stakes, more for advanced functionality Feature Customer selfservice /Adv. What we looked for (customer-facing, dispatcher-facing, and manager-facing features): Messages and reminders directly to customers. Customer self-serve portal. Notifications through a variety of media, including social websites (e.g. Facebook). Self-diagnosis tools. Globalization Support for multiple languages. Support for multiple currencies. Location-Based Service Reports and Analytics Scheduling and dispatch Use of GPS to aid in manual or automatic dispatch. Technician using GPS for navigation. Technician using GPS for navigation. Location tracking of the technician by the front office. Location tracking for inventories. Notifications to customer based on the technician s proximity. Capture and display of relevant service metrics. dashboards. Ability to drill down by department, team, individual, etc. Service demand forecasting. Performance management. Automated and manual scheduling of service appointments and technician scheduling. Scheduling based on some relevant variables such as job classifications, shift schedules, skills, etc. rules engine for scheduling. Dynamic scheduling. Management of a blend model of in-house and third-party technicians. Capacity planning. Scoring Methodology Info-Tech scored each vendor s features on a granular scale. Vendors were given partial marks for basic and advanced features, summing up to full marks if all the advanced criteria were satisfied. See appendix for scoring methodology. 12

13 Each vendor offers a different feature set; concentrate on what your organization needs Evaluated Features Inventory Mgmt. Knowledge Information Collab. Service Contract Scheduling & Dispatch Analytics Customer Self-serve Global. Activity Location Astea Alliance ClickSoftware High 5 IFS Metrix Microsoft Dynamics AX Legend =Feature fully present =Feature partially present/pending =Feature Unsatisfactory For an explanation of how Features are determined, see Information Presentation Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix. 13

14 Each vendor offers a different feature set; concentrate on what your organization needs (continued) Evaluated Features Inventory Mgmt. Knowledge Information Collab. Service Contract Scheduling & Dispatch Analytics Customer Self-serve Global. Activity Location PTC Retriever ServiceMax TOA Technologies ViryaNet Legend =Feature fully present =Feature partially present/pending =Feature Unsatisfactory For an explanation of how Features are determined, see Information Presentation Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix. 14

15 Scenario 3: Proactive Field Service These vendors provide the most sophisticated forecasting and planning tools to ensure proactive and dynamic approach to field service Proactive Field Service Why Scenarios? In reviewing the products included in each Vendor Landscape TM, certain use-cases come to the forefront. Whether those use-cases are defined by applicability in certain locations, relevance for certain industries, or as strengths in delivering a specific capability, Info- Tech recognizes those use-cases as Scenarios, and calls attention to them where they exist. Exemplary Performers ClickSoftware s forecasting and planning modules (ClickForecast and ClickPlan) predict service demand by analyzing trends, seasonality, business cycles, and business-defined scenarios, and assess the resources required to meet this demand. The modules include intra-day predictions as well as longterm trends. TOA uses a patented pattern recognition engine to provide information-powered approach to FSA. The engine relies on predictive analytics and real-time study of operations, creating a fingerprint for every field resource to maximize workforce efficiency. ViryaNet s strategic planning component allows organizations to forecast future service demand based on history, statistical models and the planner s knowledge. Based on this analysis, capacity planning decisions can be made. For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, see Information Presentation Scenarios in the Appendix. 15

16 ViryaNet is a good choice for organizations looking for strong scheduling and performance management Innovator Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: ViryaNet G4 65 Westborough, MA viryanet.com 2000 NASDAQ: VRYAF 2012 Revenue: $10.7M 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 7, between $100,000 and $250,000 $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor Overview ViryaNet has a proven track record in midmarket field service. Most customers use the on-premise version of the product, although hosted deployment and a true SaaS deployment model are available through ViryaNet s partners. Virtualization is also a popular deployment method. Strengths ViryaNet made a significant investment in mobile over the past two years. Today, native Android and ios applications are available, along with HTML5 access. ViryaNet is the only platform reviewed that leverages voice commands on mobile. ViryaNet handles complex scheduling scenarios out-of-the-box. The system focuses on performance management culture, and is able to provide the dispatchers feedback on the quality of their decisions over time. Strong globalization features include a translated dictionary of terms that can be developed during implementation. Challenges Knowledge management capabilities are not very strong out-ofthe-box; customers tend to integrate different sources of knowledge to be pushed to the field, such as customer history and work instructions. Out-of-the-box infield upsell features aren t too comprehensive. Customers need to introduce dedicated electronic forms on the technicians devices and integrate them with the back-end system. 16

17 With strong mobile features and a modest price tag, ViryaNet is making waves in the SMB space Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel Collaboration features of ViryaNet SMS between users* Check location of closest peers Activity Streams Integrated text chat* Check trunk inventory of closest peers Feature unavailable Feature available Value Index 73 3 rd out of 10 Inventory Mgmt. Integrated video chat Knowledge Information Collab. *Besides collaboration via text and chat, an internal messaging system is available for cases where tighter audit and control are required. Service Contract Features Scheduling & Dispatch Analytics Customer Self-serve Global. Activity Location Info-Tech Recommends: With good product focus and a solid roadmap, Viryanet should be considered by SMBs that are looking for solid mobile support. 17