Podcast: Leveling-Up Field Service Operations with AI

In a recent interview on the AI and Business podcast, EK Krishnamurthy, vice president and chief information officer, BSNA and Global Field Operations, Johnson Controls, discussed the practicality of implementing AI in the field service industry.

EK emphasized that having consistent data is critical for the success of any AI model. He also noted the need to provide field service technicians with the necessary data to enrich the customer experience.

“All of those field service technicians are meeting customers, so how do we ensure those interactions are a lot richer?” he asks. AI helps them fix things the first time - and helps them understand the root causes better to enable them to do more first-time fixes.

“If you have thousands and thousands of service tickets and we have data on what exactly happened to those tickets in the machines, then AI can really give advice to the technician depending on the problem and say, ‘OK, this is what the solution could be like.’ Even before he goes to the site, he or she will be able to clearly understand the situation,” he said.

EK also discussed the potential for augmented and virtual reality to aid in employee training, allowing technicians to quickly get up to speed on various machines and equipment. He mentioned the concept of a digital twin, where a virtual representation of a machine or equipment is updated in real-time to mirror its real-world counterpart.

For field techs, he explained the importance of personalizing technology – that it is critical to provide them with the necessary data and tools in a way that is easily consumable. He also emphasized the need for organizations to invest in people and technology to drive business outcomes.