PODCAST:The AI in Business Podcast
TITLE:Collecting Data for B2B Customer Experience Challenges - with Tom Pettit of Xylem
DATE:2023-12-13 00:00:00
URL:
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Key Points from the AI in Business Podcast with Tom Pettit of Xylem:
Xylem's Focus: Xylem is a global water technology company dedicated to addressing critical wastewater and water-related challenges using technology, innovation, and expertise.
Challenges for B2B Leaders in Field Services:
- Increasing Customer Expectations: B2B customers expect faster, cheaper, and better services, similar to B2C customers.
- Labor Constraints: There's a shortage of skilled technicians and a need to help less experienced technicians become more productive.
- Technology Competition: B2B leaders need to extract value from new technology and stay competitive.
Customer Pain Points:
- Customers in the water technology industry prioritize high-quality water, affordability, and asset uptime.
- Downtime of critical water equipment can have a significant impact on customers' operations.
Data Collection for Field Services:
- Remote Diagnostics: Collecting data from equipment to understand its condition and usage, enabling revenue opportunities.
- Technicians: Using data to improve technician utilization, reduce wasted time, and optimize their routes.
Skills Crunch in the Workforce:
- Aging Workforce: Many senior technical experts are retiring, leading to a skills gap.
- Solutions: Augmented reality, virtual reality, and remote assistance help less experienced technicians learn faster and perform tasks more effectively.
Generative AI for Retaining Knowledge:
- Generative AI can retain technical and organizational knowledge, aiding in employee churn scenarios.
- It can guide technicians with interactive learning and historical data, reducing the reliance on tribal knowledge.
Return on Invested Capital (ROIC):
- ROIC measures the return generated from invested capital, considering revenue, cost, and invested capital.
- Improving ROIC through data and technology involves optimizing revenue, reducing costs, and decreasing invested capital.
Adoption of Virtual and Augmented Reality:
- VR and AR are used for technician training and remote assistance.
- Basic remote video capabilities can also assist less skilled technicians.
Data Requirements for VR/AR Implementation:
- Essential data includes equipment identification (serial/model numbers), exploded bill of material views, and service bill of material.
- Data helps VR/AR recognize equipment shapes and compare them to service manuals, facilitating remote assistance and training.
Comprehensive Metrics for B2B Leaders:
- ROIC (Return on Invested Capital): Measure return relative to invested capital.
- Metrics related to field service challenges, such as technician utilization, remote diagnostics, and optimizing routes, are crucial for improving operational efficiency.
Overall, the podcast highlighted the importance of leveraging data and technology to address challenges in B2B field services, improve customer experiences, and optimize business operations.
