November 2015

Can Tablets Add IoT Business Value

in Field Service?

By Sal Yazbeck

Today's tablets feature a variety of network connectivity options, web-based applications, and familiar operating systems that can enable a field service engineer to retrieve and update cloud data from the field as it happens.

In Field Service Management, tablets function as part of a larger Internet of Things (IoT) data ecosystem since, by design, this data ecosystem enables an end-user to interact with available cloud services. In this way, end-user tablets, cloud services, and a working Internet connection work in harmony to facilitate a data exchange process. Looking at the big picture, from a strategic business value approach, it becomes clear how tablets play a key business role in field service and for their organizations.

The following is a framework I usually use when analyzing IoT services for strategic insight, and which articulates an interconnected approach symbolizing current innovation in 3 distinct areas:

1. The Enablers

2. The Support System

3. The Business Drivers

These three areas, together, represent an ecosystem of technology and operational processes I refer to as an “IoT Data Value-Chain Ecosystem,” and which one might apply to gain rapid clarity and insight on a technology, business, and market level.