How Will Your Company Benefit from Integrating Field Service Management, the IoT and Cybersecurity?

Field service management (FSM) systems cover a very wide range of organizational processes, and they can benefit greatly from additional functionalities and integrated systems. The best-known case is the Internet of Things (IoT), which allows devices to communicate with each other and gather data, equipping FSM to react quickly to information and environmental conditions, machine performance and the possibility of device failure.

A modular approach combining field service management, the Internet of Things and cybersecurity can deliver the best of each to your company – seamlessly.

IoT Solutions in Field Service Management

While integration with other systems, especially in the case of the IoT, is far from a new concept, the effects are often unsatisfactory. According to Forrester’s report[i], just over 50% of companies collect data from their IoT devices, and only 33% can turn this information into actionable insights to gain competitive advantage. Companies are also increasingly worried about data security, yet only 33% of surveyed enterprises have taken measures in this field. Moreover, the market lacks comprehensive and flexible solutions that would allow simultaneous implementation of field service facilities along with other systems.

Comarch has addressed these problems in implementations related to various industries and scenarios, such as remote healthcare, smart lighting and enterprise access management – covered in our recently published ebook entitled: Pushing Field Service Management Boundaries.

Such modular solutions enhance FSM capabilities with IoT support, which, combined with process methodology carefully tailored to individual clients, allows business-critical data about devices and field workers to be captured. One example of the benefits of such systems is the option to introduce preventive maintenance, where a sensor network informs field workers about the possibility of device failure before it occurs. In this case, IoT solutions in field service management are developed in a new direction - to limit ad hoc repairs.

On the security front, increased integration with cybersecurity systems allows mobile access authorization to secured premises through cryptographic tokens, and associates entry conditions with tasks defined in Comarch FSM. A cybersecurity system integrated with FSM can go even further in enhancing IoT scenarios, as the identity and authentication of interconnected devices can be managed through one platform, leading to greater solution integrity and security.

[i] Simplifying the Complexity of IoT. A Forrester Consulting Thought Leadership Paper Commissioned By Xively By Logmein, June 2016.