Big data and AI play a part in improving field service work

ManpowerGroup reported in 2018 that 70% of companies interviewed in a survey said that they expected a skills shortage in field service personnel over the next 10 years. Field service workers are those who travel to locations to repair goods and services onsite. Among the contributing factors were an aging (and retiring) workforce and a lack of enthusiasm among millennials for field service careers. "For large enterprises, field service must address an entire lifecycle of a product or service," said Arka Prava Dhar, CEO and founder of Zinier, which provides field service AI solutions. Field service starts with work orders, then the work is done by the field service worker, then it's either verified or forwarded to an expert, Dhar said.