The Shift Left Strategy: A Game Changer for Service Organizations

In the manufacturing industry, where complex machinery and costly downtime can wreak havoc on operations, service leaders are constantly searching for ways to boost efficiency and cut costs. Enter the Shift Left strategy, a powerful approach that emphasizes resolving service issues closer to their origin through remote and self-service options, reducing the reliance on expensive field dispatches. Aquant’s latest report, “Unlock Hidden Savings: The Power of Shifting Left in Field Service,” dives into this strategy and reveals how companies implementing it are seeing significant financial benefits.

Based on data from over 100 service operations teams in the manufacturing sector, the report highlights that companies investing in personalized AI to implement the Shift Left strategy can achieve over $4 million in annual cost savings. These savings stem from reducing unnecessary technician dispatches, boosting First-Time Fix Rates, and enhancing other key performance indicators.

The Numbers Speak: Top Performers Reap Big Rewards

The report categorizes companies into top, average, and bottom performers, with top performers setting themselves apart through proactive use of personalized AI, which drives superior operational outcomes and cost reductions. Here are some key findings:

First-Time Fix Rate: Top performers boast an 88% first-time fix rate, significantly outpacing the median rate of 75%, and far surpassing the bottom performers at 59%.
Remote Solve vs. Remote Investigations: Top performers resolve 75% of issues remotely, compared to a median of 54% and just 27% among the bottom performers.
Avoidable Dispatch Potential: Leading companies have minimized avoidable dispatches to 3%, whereas the median stands at 8%, and the least efficient report 17%.

The Rise of Personalized AI: Meeting the Unique Demands of the Service Industry

The service industry is unique, and the tools it uses must be tailored to its needs. As large language models like ChatGPT gain traction, there is a growing shift towards smaller, domain-specific models—what Aquant calls “personalized AI.” According to Gartner, these models, designed with specific use cases in mind, are expected to outperform their more generalized counterparts.

Assaf Melochna, President and Co-Founder of Aquant, points out a critical gap in the market for such specialized AI tools. “Manufacturing relies on complex machinery, and breakdowns can lead to costly downtime. Field service teams need solutions that enhance human capabilities to troubleshoot intricate machines. Generic AI tools often fall short, delivering one-size-fits-all answers that lack the nuanced understanding of expert service professionals. Only personalized AI, crafted to replicate the unique insights of seasoned experts, can guide workers to the precise solution for each issue, ensuring a customized approach to every service challenge,” says Melochna.

Case Study: Shifting Left Saves $3 Million for a Medical Device Company

Aquant’s report also highlights a compelling case study of a leading medical device company that successfully implemented the Shift Left strategy. Despite its success in developing, manufacturing, and marketing medical devices, the company faced challenges like frequent equipment downtime, extended resolution times, inconsistent technician training, and limited visibility into critical service data.

By adopting the Shift Left strategy, the company reduced field events by 5% between 2021 and 2023, thanks to enhanced remote diagnostics and pre-visit troubleshooting. This led to a 3% increase in the First-Time Fix Rate, which improved efficiency, cut costs, and boosted customer satisfaction. The financial impact was substantial: the 3% boost in First-Time Fix Rate alone saved the company $3 million. Further minor adjustments, like a 1% shift toward early-stage resolutions and a 1% increase in remote resolutions, could save an additional $1.1 million and $1.5 million annually, respectively. These figures demonstrate the powerful financial and operational benefits of continued optimization.

Getting Started: Aquant’s Four Recommendations

To harness the power of the Shift Left strategy, Aquant recommends the following steps:

Commit to a Shift Left approach: Embrace early-stage issue resolution, prioritize remote diagnostics, and aim to reduce on-site interventions.
Organize existing data: Gather and organize all available data, even if incomplete, as a foundation for integrating AI models and uncovering immediate insights.
Invest in personalized AI tools: Choose AI solutions tailored to your industry’s specific needs. Personalized AI provides targeted guidance, outperforming generic tools in addressing service challenges.
Capture expert knowledge: Ensure that the expertise of your top service professionals is integrated into your AI system to retain and utilize critical, nuanced insights.

By adopting these strategies, service organizations can not only unlock hidden savings but also revolutionize their approach to field service, driving significant operational efficiencies and enhancing customer satisfaction. To learn more about the Shift Left Strategy, download Aquant’s latest report

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