The industry is changing at a dramatic pace. In recent years, however, the development has slowed down due to a fundamental problem - a shortage of experienced technicians. But why is it happening? And how can the situation be resolved?
Technicians get older, newcomers are not interested
The current statistics are dire - the number of people applying for maintenance and service jobs does not cover the companies' demand at all. According to a recent industry study, there will be a shortage of 795,000 qualified technicians in the labour market by 2027 - just in the US.
There are several causes of this problem. Young people are less interested in professions that require manual work and, frequently, long shifts. And even if they do show interest, they often don't stay in the job for long.
Another important factor is the ageing workforce. A significant percentage of experienced technicians are now at pre-retirement age - so the employers need to prepare for their departure from the company.
Easier training with software
Therefore, new employee training and know-how transfer nowadays play a big role in the service industry. Unfortunately, there is a lot of work and lack of experienced workers. And overworked technicians simply don't have the time (and often even motivation) to train new colleagues.
The solution? New technologies. Not only do they improve technicians' work - but also make the newcomer training easier. These practical tools include smart maintenance systems.
Bohuslav Paule, CEO of Lumnio, supplier of a maintenance system of the same name, adds, "Often, companies don't even have the know-how written down anywhere. Therefore, the newcomers have to rely on the older technicians to explain the work to them. Of course, that's not very efficient. That's why we recommend digitisation to our clients."
The future of maintenance? Digitisation and augmented reality
Digitisation of your paper materials ensures that your technicians will be able to access service documentation from anywhere. What's more, the digitised knowledge base can be searched easily - and in some systems, even hands-free. For instance, the aforementioned Lumnio works not only on a mobile phone or tablet, but also on smart glasses. These are controlled by voice or eye movements, so the technician can use his hands for work at the same time.
But digitalisation is not the only advantage that maintenance systems offer. "Lumnio can show workflows, including sample recordings, to your technicians. Additionally, thanks to augmented reality, the user sees interactive 3D models and instructions when he has the smart glasses on - directly in his field of vision," says Bohuslav Paule, "and should he need help, he simply makes a video call with the control room in the system interface."
The maintenance systems also provide you with a variety of data to evaluate the service intervention. In Lumnio, it is also possible to upload a footage from the smart glasses' camera to the system, so you have a proof that the intervention was made properly.
These features make work easier not only for the technicians, but also for their supervisors. There are fewer mistakes and the service is generally faster. Are you considering digitisation? Do you want to improve your technicians' efficiency? We'd be happy to help. Contact our experts to discuss the details. Or try free demo of the Lumnio app and test it on your own project.
