I think we can all agree that the ability to be proactive and solve a problem before it even starts is greater than being reactive and solving the issue after it occurs. Once a company is in the middle of unexpected downtime, the service desk calls can be endless -- potentially distracting team members from the core goal: A faster time-to-resolution.
On the flip side: If you can spot an issue on the horizon, plan for the downtime, notify the company exactly when the downtime will occur and for how long, expectations can be set properly and everyone can reach a resolution more quickly and efficiently.
Predicting IT Infrastructure Failures?
Just as we predicted in November 2016 when GE purchased ServiceMax, the company's field service management software will now be able to proactively “predict” when hardware and IT infrastructure is about to fail, which will allow for companies to be proactive with resolutions.
Indeed, GE and ServiceMax announced the integration of the cloud-based ServiceMax field service management (FSM) solution with GE’s predictive, AI-based Asset Performance Management (APM) portfolio on GE’s Predix Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform.
The intent of the ServiceMax-APM integration on Predix is to shift from a reactive, break/fix service model to a predictive model. Using the Predix platform, ServiceMax will be able to transform how companies predict, manage and service equipment through the entire asset lifecycle, the company claims. Together the software can understand the data received, come up with strategies around the data and then utilize that information to make predictions about maintenance and service.
The integration of these two platforms could also allow for greater insight into a current issue. When a service technician is deployed onsite, they will be able to arrive with the necessary parts to replace and will have the needed skills to return the devices to working order. Arriving onsite to fix an issue that is currently affecting productivity, only to find you don't have the proper skills or parts necessary to complete the task can be extremely frustrating for both parties. This new insight can help technicians resolve problems that were not predicted much more efficiently.
Goodbye Break/fix (Forever?)
The break/fix model is quickly becoming a thing of the past, as we gain greater insight into warning signs of failures and also know how long certain parts of the machinery will last. Planning for these failures can also really help the company budget for the replacement parts or devices. If a company knows that these particular devices will be failing soon, they can be proactive about purchasing replacements prior to the failure leveling the downtime to almost zero.
