Improve field service efficiency with IIoT

IoT PROVIDES direct access to machines in the field for fault analysis, insight into operator usage and allows for remote troubleshooting. In addition, data can be stored and visualised over longer periods of time to discover trends. Tools like IXON Cloud combine the power of remote access and Industrial IoT. This enables machine builders to improve their field service efficiency by taking advantage of the following benefits that come with it:

Benefit 1: Improve first time fix rate to decrease customer visits

Service trips often require at least one follow-up visit to completely solve an issue, which means many companies have quite a low first time fix rate. By logging and visualising machine data in the cloud, engineers get insights into machine issues and can perform analysis to better understand the problem.

Benefit 2: Troubleshoot from anywhere for better response times

Field service engineers often have to travel to the customer’s location for easy-to-fix issues, reacting at a moment’s notice and leaving projects unfinished. That results in frustration and high time investments.

A smartphone is always at hand and gives engineers ultimate flexibility. Easy-to-fix issues can simply be solved via the IoT portal app, even on the road or during the weekend. By taking over the HMI the engineer can adjust settings and view data trends. With alarms the engineer will receive push notifications with preventive warnings when something is wrong with the machine.

Benefit 3: Support operators remotely to save time

It regularly happens that customers need guidance from the machine builder to work with new settings or repairs. However, understanding each other can be difficult over the phone if you live in different parts of the world.

By combining an IIoT platform with visual support, engineers can support customers remotely with a live view of the machine. The engineer at the office can see exactly what is happening at the customer’s location and give targeted feedback and instructions via text, audio, or video. On site, the customer has his hands free to adjust or repair the machine.

Benefit 4: Access machine information from one central location

To optimally benefit from an IIoT solution, it should be your core tool for everything: from fleet management to real-time data and camera access.
In order to better collaborate with colleagues, customers and partners, an advanced user management system is extremely valuable. It gives users access rights to see all information they need in the platform.

Benefit 5: Predict maintenance to decrease unplanned downtime

With IIoT, data from machines in the field can be collected and visualised via dashboards that can be created for data analysis. This makes it possible to recognise data patterns so alarm triggers can be set to notify the machine builder in case of anomalies or when failure is imminent.

This helps machine builders predict when maintenance is needed, so their engineers can better organise their planning. Maintenance can be scheduled well in advance, and only when needed, so equipment can be repaired or replaced before it breaks down and downtime occurs.

Implementing Industrial IoT and using it for one of the above-mentioned purposes brings considerable advantages alongside your implementation. Visit us at the Manufacturing Expo and find out how IXON can help you take advantage of improved field service efficiency.

Shelly Boom is content marketer at IXON

www.ixon.cloud