Manufacturers have an additional source of revenue not all industries can claim: field service. In fact, 75 percent of decision-makers at organizations with field service say it drives a significant portion of their revenue. But the key to making field service a long-lasting and strategic revenue channel is making field service digital and easy for customers to interact with. And it’s not always pivoting a traditionally very in-person, hands-on service into, well, not. But digital field service can save your agents’ time, reduce organizational costs, and boost the bottom line when done correctly. 

Based on our experience with clients in the manufacturing space, we’ve noticed five key insights that best prepare organizations for digital field service and a more cohesive customer journey: proactive service, self-service based on customer feedback, remote options, partnerships, and service as a revenue center. Let’s dive into each facet: 

Make proactive service your agents’ standard

The first foundational step to making digital field service a reality is instilling a culture of proactive service with your agents. This means your reps are actively looking to solve problems before the customer even notices them rather than only addressing surprise issues or troubleshooting on the spot. This doesn’t mean never going on-site to resolve requests, but it means agents go into every job with an eye toward the future: what was the last maintenance check date on this equipment, and how are the replacement parts functioning?

Coupled with a single source of truth for customer data—something that combines ERP, CRM, and any other relevant data platforms—the proactive approach empowers agents to…

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