Generation Y as service technician? A new role model based on digital service technologies!

By connecting machines at the end customer with the manufacturer, remote access to the machine control, the possibilities of Predictive Maintenance and Augemented Reality, service processes at machine and system manufacturers can already run more digitally and efficiently today than described in the previous – somewhat exaggerated – explanations. With remote access to the machine control via the Internet, many machine faults can be fixed remotely. However, what is often missing here is the visual view of the affected system or its components in order to find the cause and the solution to a problem. Also phone calls or the exchange of emails with photos of the problem often do not help. Augmented Reality (AR) and Remote Service Support Solutions play out one of their strengths here. The service technician switches via live video from the office to a machine operator on site and works virtually and collaboratively on the diagnosis and solution of the malfunction. Ideally, the problem is solved immediately and there is no need to travel to the machine’s location. Should a repair of the affected system nevertheless be necessary, AR-based remote support can be used to clarify in advance which spare parts and tools are required for a repair, which can then be installed by a local service partner with the help of AR-based step-by-step instructions. By combining these remote service concepts with predictive maintenance approaches, it is also possible to better plan when a machine will need to be serviced or repaired with a certain probability and when remote support will be required. This makes the service processes more predictable and transparent for machine and plant builders and also enables them to create new business models on this basis. Because faster troubleshooting not only makes service technicians happier, whose role model based on new digital technologies is increasingly being transformed into managers of service-relevant information, but also, of course, the end customer, who is ultimately solely concerned with his machine being up and running!