Businesses are potentially wasting millions on field service management technology each year by failing to take sufficient care when rolling out new solutions, new research has found.
According to The Forgotten Workforce Report by data capture specialists, WorkMobile, around three-quarters (73%) of field service professionals now use some form of field service management technology while out in the field. Consequently, the global field service management technology market is currently worth more than US$4 billion and predicted to boom to US$24 billion by the year 2030.
However, the research revealed that 41% of field workers feel they are not given enough help and support then they are expected to start using a new piece of technology or digital solution, which is having a clear impact on their attitudes towards the technology and, as a result, its effectiveness.
Just 28% of those surveyed said that technology enhances their day-to-day life, and one in 10 even said that it prevents them from doing their job to the best of their ability. Less than half (44%) believe that technology improves efficiency, 36% that it enhances productivity – typically two of the key benefits of carefully chosen and implemented digital tools – and only 12% think that it positively impacts customer relationships.
However, the good news is that just 7% of field workers think that the traditional way of operating is more effective, while 45% of respondents said that they appreciate the benefits of new technologies.