AI & Emerging Technology
Applying AI where service operations actually break
This hub explores how AI and emerging technologies can improve service execution, decision-making, and customer outcomes. It focuses on practical use cases, readiness considerations, and cross-functional impact rather than isolated pilots or tool-specific features. The perspective is shaped by working with service organizations testing, scaling, and sometimes intentionally stopping AI initiatives based on data quality, process maturity, and change readiness.
Core AI Insights
The Fully Autonomous Service Organization: What AI-Led Aftersales Really Looks Like
Aftersales is entering a new phase, one where service decisions are made before customers notice problems. This article explores what a fully autonomous service organization could look like, how AI-led orchestration changes warranty, parts, and dispatch, and why the shift is as much about operating models as technology.
Agentic AI in After-Sales: The Missing Execution Layer That Automation Couldn’t Fix
Discover how agentic AI transforms after-sales and field service by closing the execution gaps that automation alone couldn’t. Learn how it orchestrates cross-system workflows, improves technician productivity, elevates customer touchpoints, and drives closed-loop feedback into product design. Packed with real business use cases, KPI impacts and insights, this article shows why forward-looking manufacturers must adopt…
GenAI Hype Is Over: Welcome to Reality
Generative AI hype is fading as organizations confront the reality of data gaps, weak ROI, and integration fatigue. Gartner’s 2025 Hype Cycle shows GenAI peaking while traditional AI quietly delivers results. Learn why mature enterprises are hitting pause, what’s driving this shift, and how to navigate the post-hype era with clarity, readiness, and measurable impact.
Platform of Platforms: Why Individual Tools Are No Longer Enough
Discover how a “Platform of Platforms” approach transforms field service management. Learn why integrating planning, execution, quoting, and analytics under one connected architecture is key to service-led growth. Explore enablers, business benefits, and real-world use cases that show how unified platforms drive efficiency, revenue, and customer experience.
Quantum Computing in After-Sales Service
Quantum computing is beginning to reshape after-sales service in the industrial and automotive sectors- enabling smarter maintenance, routing, inventory, and materials innovation when integrated with AI, IoT, and enterprise systems. This article explores how early pilots are delivering value, what kinds of organizations should adopt, and how to determine when the quantum leap is truly…
AI Won’t Replace Customer Service: It Will Redefine It
AI, GenAI, and agenticAI are often hyped as replacements for customer service, but in reality – especially in after-sales and field service for manufacturing and automotive industries – they are enablers, not substitutes. These technologies cannot replace the human expertise, accountability, and customer trust required in complex, high-stakes service environments. The future of service transformation…
Featured Articles
Handpicked insights on the biggest shifts shaping after-sales and field service
The Field Service KPI Dashboard: What Executives, Managers & Technicians Should Really Track
A complete guide to field service KPIs by role, from executives to technicians. Learn which metrics drive profitability, efficiency, and customer experience. Based on the SmartServiceOps Field Service KPI Framework, this article helps service leaders…
Why Service Revenue Remains Untapped (Even When Everyone Has a Strategy)
Service revenue remains one of manufacturing’s biggest untapped opportunities. Many leaders have the strategy, but execution falters due to data gaps, weak change management, and unclear ownership. This article explores why most initiatives stall, what…
Service Leadership in the AI Age: From Cost Containment to Force Multiplication
In the AI age, service leadership is being redefined by a paradoxical mandate: lower costs, shrinking workforces, and rising customer expectations. Move beyond the hype of “predictive” service to master Data Orchestration and Force Multiplication….
