The New Savior of Service Industry

CIO Applications| Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Today's customers expect quick and consistent service. In one 2021 survey, nearly 70 percent of respondents said that fast shipping was a deciding factor in their online purchases

Fremont, CA: The Internet of Things is not just for big businesses or smart home enthusiasts. The benefits of this technological revolution, in which equipment shares real-time data, are ideal for meeting the needs of service providers ranging from restaurants to automotive shops to pet groomers. One of the most significant of these challenges is changing customer expectations.

Today's customers expect quick and consistent service. In one 2021 survey, nearly 70 percent of respondents said that fast shipping was a deciding factor in their online purchases. "Fast" is increasingly synonymous with "instant," with the same-day delivery market expected to grow at a rate of more than 20 percent through 2027. These expectations, however, are not limited to e-commerce. If one cannot meet a client's deadline, they will go elsewhere—perhaps somewhere that already uses IoT solutions to improve the customer experience.

In terms of addressing service challenges, IoT has a lot to offer, such as asset tracking, predictive maintenance, and advanced process automation. However, the critical advantage IoT brings to service industries stems from a single capability: service tracking.

IoT Solutions for Service Tracking The data is transmitted via Internet connectivity. Edge devices collect process data, but they need wireless connectivity to share it. A dedicated narrowband IoT network, 5G, or even Bluetooth could be used.

A data management platform that is hosted in the cloud. Observational data is fed into a centralized cloud platform. It is transformed into insight there. For instance, let us assume one owns an oil business. Cameras in one's work bays may send video feeds to one's data platform, where software recognizes a car pulling out of the bay. This activates indicators that an oil change has been completed.

Front-end software applications that provide human interfaces. The final stage of IoT service tracking is data sharing with stakeholders. In this context, that could mean a branded app that provides real-time estimates to one's customers, such as "Your car will be ready in 10 minutes." It may also include a reporting dashboard to assist one in identifying process improvements.