The field service function in the electronics industry: Providing a link between customers and production/marketing

Abstract

In today's economy, the importance of and emphasis on customer service has been steadily increasing. In response to this shift, the field of operations management has expanded both its teaching and research horizons to include not only the traditional concepts of production but also those of service operations. Companies are becoming increasingly aware of customer service as a competitive edge and, in many cases, as a competitive necessity. An important aspect of the service sector is the area of field service. Field service often represents a service organization within a manufacturing firm — providing customer service, a source of revenue, and a means for strategic competitive differentiation. Although field service has been recognized by many companies as a competitive edge, in-depth case studies of field service firms are difficult to find. In response to this lack of information, a research effort was undertaken focusing on field service leaders in the electronics industry. The electronics industry was chosen due to the emphasis on and the importance of field service to competitiveness; industry leaders such as General Electric Computer Services, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, NCR, were selected based on various industry rankings and on recommendations provided by field service consultants, practitioners, and personnel from national field service professional associations. Data were collected primarily through on-site interviews with field service and marketing managers from the various companies. On-site interviews, telephone interviews, facsimile transmissions, and mail correspondence were also utilized to gather data from other parties (recommended by the primary interviewees) and to correct any discrepancies. Areas studies include organization, strategy, performance measures, service processes, management information systems, and service parts management. Case summaries will be provided in addition to cross-case analysis. The research indicates that field service is a critical source of customer and product performance feedback. Additionally, in the six companies studied, field service management information systems and information flow are recognized as critical to not only the field service organization but also to the business as a whole. In addition to management information systems, the physical co-location of field service personnel within other company functions facilitates the cross-flow of information necessary to provide total customer account support.