5 Key Takeaways from the 2024 Smarter Services Executive Symposium

Last month, service leaders and industry innovators gathered in Chicago for the 2024 Smarter Services Executive Symposium by Service Council. The event highlighted how organizations blend human interaction with technology to reshape customer service.

Here’s a quick look at our key takeaways from this year’s discussions.

1. Improving knowledge management for the service workforce

Managing knowledge effectively was a key theme. Teams need quick, easy access to the information that helps them do their jobs. Building a culture where knowledge is shared openly is critical to empowering the workforce.

In any industry, different roles and responsibilities converge around one key need: easy access to knowledge. As Bit Rambusch from Philips Healthcare explained during the “Linking Data + Knowledge Together to Eliminate Disjointed Customer Experiences” presentation, “Ultimately, they want accessible, intuitive, seamless, and frictionless experiences. They want information when they want it. They expect it when they want it, and they're looking for it at their fingertips.”

This shared need for fast access to the right information highlights the importance of knowledge management. By making sure key insights are easy to find, technicians can solve problems faster, work more efficiently, and deliver better service.

2. Adopting AI in service organizations

AI is changing how businesses deliver service. AI is not only automating tasks but is also helping businesses predict maintenance needs and improve customer interactions.

As Tim Sione from Safelite noted during the “Acting on the AI Imperative” panel, “If the technology can start to take the mundane pieces of your job and automate them and allow you to start to use your talents, for the more fulfilling parts of your job.” This shows AI’s growing role in freeing team members from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on more complex work that requires emotional intelligence.

For example, panelists from Bell+Howell shared how AI is helping them predict service needs while still relying on humans to make critical decisions. The key challenge for businesses is finding the right balance between automation and human oversight, ensuring that AI complements rather than replaces human expertise.

3. Service leadership

During the symposium, leaders discussed how aligning business strategies with customer needs drives better service outcomes and creates a more engaged workforce. Great leadership directly impacts service outcomes. When service leaders prioritize employee experience—offering the right tools, training, and recognition—they create a motivated team, which translates into better service and happier customers.

.

During his presentation, "Building a Holistic Strategy," Jerome Soltani from Schneider Electric shared how they’ve developed a unified service strategy that streamlines operations while enhancing the customer journey. He emphasized the need for leaders to focus equally on internal employee engagement and external customer satisfaction.

By actively listening to and empowering employees, leaders can ensure that teams stay motivated and aligned with the company’s goals.

4. Digital transformation

In the panel “Achieving Interoperability in Next Gen Services,” panelists from Waters, P3 Services, Dell EMC, and Steris shared how they’re managing complex digital transformations.

Chris Marquez from Dell EMC discussed how governance is key to managing large-scale projects. By prioritizing technology initiatives and aligning them with business goals, companies can make sure they’re focusing on the tools that will have the biggest impact.

Sarah Smith from Waters Corporation highlighted how effective communication between teams and tools is essential for breaking down silos and getting the most out of new technologies. Similarly, Laura Mather from STERIS stressed that change management is crucial for successful technology implementation. Without team buy-in, even the best systems can fall short.

5. The Voice of the Field Service Engineer

The panel, "The Voice of the Field Service Engineer," gave field service engineers a platform to share their on-the-ground experiences. From managing overwhelming amounts of data to the need for continuous training, the panelists emphasized the importance of equipping technicians with the right tools and support.

A key takeaway was that improving technician support is as critical as adopting new technologies. Quick access to the right information and ongoing training were highlighted as essential to keeping technicians efficient and engaged. Notably, the 2024 VoFSE benchmark survey found that 30% of field service engineers cited time spent searching for information as a top issue during their day-to-day work.

This is important because the more time technicians spend hunting for information, the less time they have to focus on solving customer issues. By making information easier to find, businesses can reduce delays, improve customer satisfaction, and help technicians focus on getting the job done.

Meeting service challenges with AI

The 2024 Smarter Services Executive Symposium showed that the service industry is undergoing significant transformation, with businesses finding new ways to combine human expertise with cutting-edge technologies. A recurring theme throughout the event was the need for better access to information—an issue cited by 30% of field service engineers.

With Circuitry.ai's Service AIdvisor, businesses can address this challenge head-on. By providing instant AI-powered answers drawn from your company’s own knowledge and data, Service AIdvisor reduces the time technicians spend looking for answers. Whether troubleshooting an issue or finding the right part, Service AIdvisor helps technicians get answers fast, allowing technicians to focus on delivering effective service.

Missed us at the 2024 Smarter Services Executive Symposium? Schedule a personalized demo today and see how Service AIdvisor can transform your field service operations.