Delivering Services the SST Way- The Time Is Here and Now!

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By Manoj Chugh, President – Group Public Affairs and Member, Group Executive Board, Mahindra & Mahindra

Since the days of the yore, Indian customers have always been value buyers. Over the last forty years, I have witnessed many technologies come and go, but the mindset of customers, through the generations has remained, by and large the same. One question that always needs to be answered,no matter how good the product is, that does it have“ adequate” SST. Now what is SST? Some of my friends who have been through the hallowed portals of elite business schools, might be scratching their heads, wondering whether they had missed the class when this concept was taught! Well, the good news is that they need not fret. SST is a phenomenon which was taught by customers to field sales folks, pounding the streets. It simply stands for “ Sasta, Sunder aur Tikau”. Reliable, Cost Effective Beautility!

Whilst products were often compared on adequacy of SST, when it came to Services, there was no easy answer. In the High Tech Sector, an experienced engineer showing up at the door ensured peace of mind and these premium services were relatively expensive. This model served well, as long as volumes were manageable and there were enough good engineers one could afford on one’s payroll. With the consumerization of IT and it’s deep penetration into every nook and cranny of the Country, the old model gave way. There just aren’t enough engineers, technicians or trained staff to support each brand that is sold in every “Kucha and gali.”Over the years, organizations have changed tack and moved from having engineers on their direct payroll to outsourced and franchisee models. This has worked well, for a while, particularly in locations where there is a critical mass of customers. But what if one had just a handful of customers in a Pin Code? The entire model of being able to provide quality service even through indirect channels becomes unprofitable. Transferring the problem to a partner is never a worthy solution. The situation gets more complicated as customers start looking for choices-rather than signing up for Annual Contracts, particularly when they start asking for on-call services. In the cloud enabled world, it is akin to looking for on-demand services rather than a subscription based one.

The good news is that in the Digital Enabled World, we have several good models that can be adapted to Field Services. Many of us have experienced these, particularly during the lock down periods through the Pandemic. Zomato and Swiggy, delivering home,by bring providers and customers together through Digital Cloud Platforms, providessome food for thought (no pun intended).

Technology today offers the possibility of Crowdsourcing Skills, which one can share across Vendors to services customers in far flung locations, thereby bridging the Digital Divide by enabling large cross sections of society to embrace Digital products unhesitatingly.

IoT, RPA, AI powered on crowdsourcing platforms will change the way Field Services are delivered in the future. IOT will enable remote diagnostics and many Level-1 problems could get fixed remotely. RPA and AI will enable “ straight through” resolution of many basic problems. Where there is a need for a physical engagement of an engineer, geo-tagging will enable engagement with the nearest skilled technician. Crowdsourcing Platforms will provide “on demand” technical support, on call, at the site. The best skilled engineers can be “called upon” to provide speedy resolution. Through Remote diagnostics, root cause analysis and resolution can be enabled by the best minds coming together,delivering on the promise of customer delight.

A technology platform will connect customers with talent and take care of task assignation, tracking, quality, payment and compliance. An entire middle layer of resource cost gets eliminated in the process. Customers will also get to rate the technical personnel who have served them. When problems arise, onewill have choice to decide which technical person they want to engage with, based on ratings. Learnings from taxi aggregators will come into play.

With 5G round the corner, which in turn will drive unprecedented demand for Digital products, new ways of servicing customers will become imperative. Older models will not serve the new World. Digital Platforms can help provide good answers. Crowdsourcing Platforms focused on Field Services, will provide new employment opportunities for our youth, even in the remotest corners of our Country and act as a catalyst to driving entrepreneurship.

My MobiForce is a great example of a flexible Platform which has already catered to over 2 million transactions, by working with thousands of partners enabling a technical workforce of over 50,000, across 8,000 Pin Codes to provide services to marquee brands.

Crowdsourced Field Services, clearly pave the path to adequate SST!

We have abundant technical talent in our Country. Digital technology is playing an important role in channelising their energies for the greater good of society.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author. They may or may not reflect the opinions or views of the author’s organisation)

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