AI Makes Field Service More Proactive and Intelligent

Two-thirds of companies will be using artificial intelligence to manage their field service operations by 2028, tightening control over the many variables involved in providing on-site customer support, according to new research from ISG.

Among the reasons for adding AI to field service, companies are looking to optimize operations, improve customer experience, and forecast maintenance needs, ISG Software Research concludes in a new report, noting that this trend aligns with a broader shift from reactive to proactive service delivery, which can help companies better engage with customers and meet their demands for speed and reliability.

“Current FSM platforms enable more timely, accurate, and smoother customer service by tapping into deeper sources of data,” says Keith Dawson, research director for customer experience at ISG Software Research. “This lets companies predict when certain types of service will be needed and even inform the customer in advance.”

AI is the latest stage in the evolution of field service management software, which is now designed around mobility, automation, and data-driven decision making, the reports say. Like IoT-enabled remote monitoring and predictive maintenance, AI is beginning to transform the deployment of field service technical teams.

AI-powered analytics, along with the growing availability of real-time data, enables companies to use field service resources more efficiently and effectively, the research found. By 2029, remote sensing and IoT will become standard tools for reducing on-site visits and calls to service centers, ISG says. These tools also will support proactive maintenance using AI to analyze historical data and usage patterns to anticipate service needs.

Customer engagement with FSM is increasingly proactive and customer-centric, allowing customers to track requests and provide feedback. ISG advises companies to consider field service systems with integrated customer engagement across multiple communication channels along with self-service capabilities. AI-based predictive tools, including evolving agentic AI, provide a more precise view of what needs to be repaired and when, while supporting interactions between remote teams and customers, it says in the report.

Field service operations need to continuously support the expectations of consumers for uninterrupted service and strong customer support, according to ISG. It requires not just worker dispatch but a complex orchestration that includes optimizing processes and automating as much of the workflow as possible, it says further.

CRM Technologies Most Valued in the Finance Function

CRM technologies are the most valued in the finance function, followed by cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) and analytics and business intelligence tools, with all three expected to see high investment going forward, according to new research from Gartner.

Chief finance officers “are increasingly relying on CRM applications to analyze sales forecasts more accurately, using historical performance data to evaluate the likelihood of sales materializing,” says Nick Duffy, senior director analyst in the Gartner Finance practice. “The fact that this is the highest-valued technology in this survey shows CFOs are looking for deeper insight on customer trends that drive financial outcomes.”

Finance department leaders, meanwhile, are using analytics and business intelligence for data visualization, as well as for data prep, modeling logic writing analytic tools.

“With a volatile business environment, there’s a need to provide faster, decision-ready financial insights to leaders in the business,” Duffy explains. “Integration with AI capabilities is making this more accessible than ever for finance teams, so these tools rank highly for adoption and future investment currently.”

At the same time, cloud ERP is quickly replacing on-premises deployments of the software, with finance functions keen to tap into the advanced features available via the subscription model.

Significant Signings

>>> Personnel Moves

Medallia has named Carrie Parker, formerly chief marketing officer of Cision, as its chief marketing officer.

Yahoo! has named Josh Line, formerly chief brand officer of Paramount Global, as its chief marketing officer.

Contentful has named Karl Rumelhart, formerly with Gainsight and VMWare, as its chief product officer.

Generative artificial intelligence platform provider Squirro has promoted its chief marketing officer, Lauren Hawker Zafer, to chief operating officer.

>>> Capital Investments

While many tech companies are announcing layoffs, customer support artificial intelligence agent company Cognigy is hiring and expanding. The company is relocating its headquarters from San Francisco to Dallas, tapping into Dallas’ emergence as a thriving tech talent and innovation hub. It also aligns with a broader trend of AI companies expanding into more scalable, business-friendly regions like Texas.