Every day, across the field service industry, thousands of field service technicians carry out operations such as repairs, maintenance, installations and configurations at customer sites. The primary focus for these field service organizations is to improve asset uptime, first-time-fix, customer satisfaction, retention and service-margin. However, they face a myriad of challenges like introduction of newer regulations, retirement of knowledgeable service engineers, increased connectivity, and complexity of equipment. 

These challenges are partly addressed by field service applications like Oracle Customer Experience (CX) Service Cloud applications. Oracle CX enables omni-channel customer service, self-service capability, improved visibility of service jobs, optimized service delivery, and optimization of technician utilization, scheduling, dispatch, parts and forecasting. But there are other challenges, like having to conduct multiple service visits even for small issues, diminishing expertise due to workforce churn, etc. – which require a different category of solutions.

Meeting the need with the right solution

Wipro’s Interactive Experience (iX) platform provides advanced capabilities leveraging Augmented Reality, Machine Learning and Computer Vision to address the above said problems. Figure 1 presents the building blocks of the Wipro iX platform. The platform consists of 4 key solutions, namely:

• Connect transforms how field teams and subject matter experts collaborate to get work done. Augmented reality on the mobile connects field teams to experts around the world in real-time for faster diagnosis without the need for travel. With the field teams’ ability to connect and collaborate with a remote expert via video, audio, and annotation in real-time, remote experts can troubleshoot problems together with field teams, faster.
• Clairvoyance augments information onto objects being serviced within the physical environment. The combination of augmented reality and artificial intelligence blends physical machine and virtual knowledge, connects field teams to real-time data, guidance, and assistance from remote experts for faster diagnosis and improved first-time fix rates.
• Coalesce projects virtual objects at scale within the physical environment so that field teams can hone their skills without the disruption and cost of travel. It enables any-time, any-place hands-on training in a safe environment by connecting field teams with virtual objects, learning paths, assessments, and certifications.
• Cicerone guides people through places when GPS is not effective with contextual information to ensure the safest and most efficient path is taken. Technicians are presented with real-time information and visual cues to reach their destination safely and efficiently with the help of persistent augmented reality and spatial awareness.

Figure 1: The building blocks of Wipro’s iX platform

Coherence between Wipro’s iX and Oracle CX Service Cloud

Wipro’s iX platform further adds to the robustness of Oracle CX Service Cloud. The combined power of these two platforms is a compelling answer for next-generation field service management. Figure 2 depicts the solution architecture for Oracle CX Service Cloud and Wipro iX.

The combined solution provides digital field service management capabilities along with modern interactive experiences. This allows iX to be effectively deployed in industries where high technical complexity of equipment, limited access to internal parts of the equipment, high churn in field technicians, and mandated safety and regulatory compliance are the key challenges. For e.g.

• Remoteness and lack of easy access:
  • Oil and Gas
  • Utilities
  • Industrial Equipment Services
• Product/equipment complexity
  • Medical Devices
  • Communications
  • Industrial Equipment Services

Figure 2: Solution architecture for Oracle CX Service Cloud and Wipro iX

Features and benefits of Wipro’s iX solutions and Oracle CX Service Cloud:

• Remote coach – If expert advice is required at any point during a guided process, teams can collaborate via video call and chat with just a click
• Contextual knowledge access - Provides contextual process information about tools, processes and surroundings in technician’s field of view
• Precautionary and safety compliance - Computer vision can detect compliance of security and pre-process checks and validations
• Step by step AR assistance - Provides step-by-step standardized operating procedure guidance as and when needed
• Visual guidance - Experts can provide over the shoulder support and share detailed guidance using AR annotations
• Indoor navigation - Shows users their and equipment location and guides them through points of interest with turn-by-turn interactive navigation
• Equipment training and information sharing - Step-by-step instructions to interactively train technicians with hands-on equipment experience
• Knowledge library - Technicians can also access all other enterprise knowledge (pdf and videos) about the equipment in the application
• Standardized training process - Remove variability in live delivery. Improve Completion time, User performance variability, qualitative review of sessions
• Anytime, anywhere information accessibility - As a physical equipment is not required and technicians are trained on virtual 3D equipment, training can be undertaken anytime and anywhere

Begin your field service management transformation journey. Contact us to schedule a discussion with our experts.

Satish Chowdary

Practice Head, Oracle CRM/CX, Wipro

Satish has over 22 years of experience in IT and leads the Oracle CRM/CX practice at Wipro. He has led multiple large CRM and CX transformation programs for global organizations across industries. Satish can be reached at Satish.chowdary@wipro.com