It’s a tough game out there for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and technology providers today: Adoption and sales figures are flat, and customers are struggling with IT infrastructure that’s more complex than ever. But there’s a bright spot — managed  Continue reading

When Canadian ice hockey player-turned-coach Pat Curcio visited San Francisco’s historic Cow Palace in 2011 for a show, he realized he could make his dream of owning and operating a professional hockey team a reality. The puzzle piece he had  Continue reading

2,000 packages processed in 17 seconds? No sweat. At least not for UPS.
The parcel giant prides itself on swift service based on an internal organization system practiced every day at its 5.2 million-square-foot processing facility in Louisville, Ky. Little  Continue reading

The 2013 Detroit Auto Show is in full swing. While a majority of the concepts and updated models are aimed at the consumer market, the automakers are giving commercial buyers something to lust over, too.

Ford featured its full-size 2014  Continue reading

John Pomerleau knows field service. As Motorola’s North America field mobility principal, he develops the mobile strategy and execution for field service companies nationwide. Since mobile software and devices are slowly, but surely, gaining footing in the field service industry, we couldn’t pass  Continue reading

Now’s the time to plot out annual goals. What should be top of mind for field service managers? Here are six strategic priorities — culled from experts we interviewed around the industry — that should factor into successful planning for  Continue reading

With the advent and, now, near-ubiquity of QR codes and RFID tagging in warehousing and operations, it’s easy to forget the significance of the modest UPC bar code.
The New York Times, in an compelling obituary for Joseph Woodland —  Continue reading

A new line of work trucks and van is set to crash the U.S. market in 2013.
Ram Trucks, a subsidiary of Chrysler (which is owned by Italian carmaker Fiat), will introduce the Ram Commercial lineup of vehicles next year — and one  Continue reading

2012 saw field service organizations creatively find ways to boost service-related revenue and experiment with new tools like the iPad to make technicians more productive, connected, and efficient. What will 2013 bring?
The SmartVan spoke with Ravi Naidu, director of research for  Continue reading

Customer satisfaction and loyalty are the two big buzz terms in service organizations today. Question is, how do you achieve — and measure — them?
First step: Instead of targeting good practices, focus on getting rid of the bad ones,  Continue reading

Now’s the time for companies to look back on the good, bad, and ugly of this past year and determine what they can do better in the next year. But according to professional service strategist James “Alex” Alexander, most field  Continue reading

Most field service people are in the business of fixing a thing — a piece of equipment, appliance, or cable line. Barrett Burghard services a mountain.
Burghard is the director of snow services for Heavenly ski resort near Lake Tahoe, on  Continue reading

Think your field service job is tough? Try climbing 1,700 feet above the ground to repair a radio-transmission tower — with only a cable rope to save you.
After watching this nail-biting video (warning: may cause bouts of nausea and/or vertigo) we  Continue reading

What’s the hottest hiring sector in field service? Solar installation — backed by hot companies like soon-to-IPO Solar City — is making a strong case heading into 2013.  A new report from The Solar Foundation shows that the number of solar installer job  Continue reading