Managing day-to-day field service operations, maintaining assets or working with a highly distributed mobile field workforce is no easy feat. You need to grow the business, while striving for significant operational efficiency as well as moving the business forward with new, innovative technology.
Keeping up-to-date on the latest industry news is an excellent way to learn new tips to help your field workers be more expedient or key insights on how to get the most out of field service software. The list of publications is long. How do you decide which ones to follow? When do you take the leap and sign up for email updates? Afterall, you can’t subscribe to all of them.
To make it easy, we compiled a list of 10 publications for field operations professionals to follow. A couple are industry-specific, though we recommend them nonetheless, since great information can be found that either relates to your industry or could be implemented regardless of industry.
10 Publications Field Operations Professionals Should Follow
1. Field Technologies Online
Best for: Operations, field operations managers, dispatchers and executives
Field Technologies Online consistently publishes timely articles any service business will find helpful. Topics range from the latest field service technology making headlines, to operational strategy techniques that move the business forward.
They also publish guest columns from leading field service industry experts. Most of the time, these articles include statistics as well as case studies stemming from the author’s direct experiences.
Field Squared’s VP of Technology has even published a few articles over the years, including The Impact of Real-Time In-App Messaging on Field Service and 7 Field Service Processes and Workflows to Automate Today.
Must-read article: A Second Chance at Field Service Success
Follow on Twitter: @FTOnline
2. Forbes
Best for: Executives, information technology leaders, customer experience directors, and business leaders. Or, anyone.
Forbes needs no introduction. If you aren’t following Forbes, you’re missing out on unimaginable value. Not only do they cover hard-hitting business news and leadership, they have an entire section focused on Innovation.
The bottom line is you should follow them, follow them now.
Must-read article: Interpreting AI is More than Black and White
Follow on Twitter: @Forbes and @ForbesTech
3. Energy Central
Best for: Enterprise asset managers, operations managers, executives, and GIS managers
Don’t let the name of this publication deter you. Geared to the electric power, utilities and oil & gas industries, Energy Central is one of those publications that provides amazingly insightful information practically any industry will find useful.
We particularly enjoy the Esri collection of posts. Both Pat Hohl and Bill Meehan consistently post personal stories that can’t be missed.
Must-read article: Stop Ignoring Safety
Follow on Twitter: @EnergyCentral
4. CIO.com
Best for: Operations executives, information technology leaders, CIOs, and CISOs
For anyone who thinks only CIOs should read information technology related news, this publication breaks the mold. Revered as one of the best publications, CIO.com covers a broad range of subject matter.
You’ll find everything from business news; digital transformation case studies; technology spanning AI, the cloud and enterprise software; and leadership.
They also have an extensive partner network in addition to sponsored posts. Do not discount these types of articles as marketing fluff; they are usually packed with actionable tips you can implement quickly without buying whatever the brand sells.
If you follow CIO.com, be sure to look up their sister publications of ComputerWorld, NetworkWorld, InfoWorld and CSO.
Access to some of their content requires creating a login, but it’s more than worth it.
Must-read article: Successful Digital Transformation Begins with a Cultural Transformation
Follow on Twitter: @CIOonline
5. Service in Industry HUB
Best for: Operations managers, executives, digital transformation leaders, and information technology leaders
The Service in Industry Hub publishes articles that includes commentary or research on bleeding-edge technology. They also publish insights focusing on technology that shows a trend of increasing adoption.
Like most news outlets we’ve covered, they also accept guest posts from across the sphere of customer experience management, strategy, servitization, and digitization.
Must-read article: How Capable is Your Team at Turning Business Problems into Data Solutions
Follow on Twitter: @servitisation
6. Field Squared Blog
Best for: Field operations managers, operations, executives, business leaders, digital transformation leaders, and information technology leaders
New operations managers to seasoned executives will gain valuable insight from the Field Squared Blog. After all, that’s why we regularly publish posts to help field service professionals keep in-the-know about what’s trending in the industry.
Typically, our goal is to provide tips on how to increase operational efficiency or our take on a the efficacy of the impact a new technology will have on field service. We also make it a point to present real-world use cases for field service and mobile workforce management automation software, instead of just talking at you.
Must-read article: How to Build a Powerhouse Mobile Field Workforce
Follow on Twitter: @FieldSquared
7. TechTarget
Best for: Executives, operations directors, information technology leaders, digital transformation leaders, and innovation offices
Similar to analyst firms, TechTarget generates their own research while also covering the latest industry news for a broad range of topics. Specifically, we recommend following the categories of digital transformation, ERP and supply chain.
Along with their own research, they have a network of contributors who publish fact-filled articles. They maintain a comprehensive library of content as well.
Must-read article: A glimpse into the future of AI enterprise applications
Follow on Twitter: @TechTarget
8. McKinsey & Company
Best for: Digital transformation leaders, executives, business leaders, head of operations, CIOs, and CISOs
McKinsey & Company is one of the world’s foremost consulting companies. It should be no surprise they offer a wealth of research—empirical and otherwise. What you may not know is they regularly publish content under what they call, Featured Insights. Their content bridges the gap between bleeding-edge technology and business adoption.
Of particular interest to us, and a topic we highly recommend following, their Future of Work series is rich with articles focused on automation. The beauty is McKinsey doesn’t stop at one industry; they explore many, in addition to other factors not readily found at other publications, even on our list.
Seeing as how we at Field Squared provide the industry’s first Field Service Automation Platform, of course we would be enamored by other organizations that are talking about the subject.
Must-read article: 4 Success Factors for Workforce Automation
Follow on Twitter: @McKinsey
9. Field Service News
Best for: Field service operations managers, dispatchers, executives, and information technology leaders
Another field service publication to follow is Field Service News, a UK-based news organization covering the world of field service and mobile workforce management.
This publication routinely publishes real-world use cases, interview-style articles, technology tools to be aware of, and industry events worth attending.
One of our favorite authors is Kris Oldland and should be on your shortlist of field service experts to follow.
Must-read article:IoT is Not Enough
Follow on Twitter: @FSNewsUK
10. Service Strategies
Best for: Operations leaders and executives, customer experience managers and dispatch centers
Known for their comprehensive training and consulting services, the Service Strategies Blog covers everything from how to better prepare field technicians, to the latest technology driving change in the field.
The team at Service Strategies also conducts surveys, reporting on the key findings via their blog and social channels. We tend to pay close attention to anything John Hamilton publishes.
We have found this particular blog has a higher than average post frequency as it relates to the topic of the customer experience. Of course, that’s something we can all learn from.
Must-read article: The Emergence of the Chief Customer Officer
Follow on Twitter: @SvcStrategies
Did we miss anything? Let us know how you get your news, tweet @FieldSquared and tell us what news outlets you follow for the latest technology and field service news.
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Image Source: Unsplash by Bethany Legg