Insights

Perspectives on Service, Technology, and Execution
This page brings together perspectives on after-sales, field service, digital transformation, and emerging technologies, drawn from real-world work with manufacturing and automotive organizations. The insights here explore what’s changing, what’s working, and where execution often breaks down, with links to deeper topic hubs for focused exploration.
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Latest Insights
The AI Readiness Trap: Why AI Readiness Assessment Should Come Before Roadmap
Most organizations believe they’re ready for AI because the roadmap looks solid. But execution tells a different story. When ambition outpaces data, processes, and systems, initiatives stall. This gap between intent and capability is where AI efforts fail, and where the real work of readiness actually begins.
Where Should You Start with AI in Aftersales? A Practical Prioritization Framework for Service Organizations
Most AI initiatives in aftersales fail not due to lack of ideas, but poor prioritization. This article introduces a practical framework to help service organizations decide where to start, based on business impact and data readiness, so they can sequence AI investments effectively and avoid costly, unscalable pilots.
KPI of the Month #5: Service Gross Margin
Service Gross Margin measures the profitability of your after-sales business after direct service delivery costs are accounted for. For manufacturing and automotive leaders, this KPI determines whether service growth translates into sustainable margin, financial resilience, and long-term enterprise value.
The $10M Junk Folder: Why Installed Base Revenue is Lost
Installed base revenue often goes unrealized even when analytics uncover valuable service opportunities. In many organizations, these leads disappear inside CRM pipelines as sales teams prioritize larger deals. This article explores why service-generated opportunities get ignored, and how manufacturers can redesign the service-to-sales handoff to capture millions in lifecycle revenue.
IT-OT Integration in Aftersales: Turning Machine Data into Service Revenue
Manufacturers invest heavily in ERP systems and industrial IoT, yet many still operate with a critical blind spot: enterprise systems disconnected from machine reality. This article explores how IT-OT integration in aftersales operations unlocks service revenue, improves field service efficiency, and enables outcome-based service models.
When the Dashboard Becomes the Project
Executive dashboards promise clarity, but poorly sequenced rollouts can shift teams from execution to optics. When red-green status indicators become visible to leadership before workflow discipline stabilizes, teams optimize for the dashboard instead of the work. This article explores how transformation leaders can design dashboard rollouts that improve governance without creating delivery friction.
Service Revenue Execution: Why the Levers Matter More Than the Strategy
Service revenue growth in manufacturing doesn’t fail because of weak strategy, it stalls due to execution gaps. This article explains how aligning ownership, incentives, and revenue levers such as contracts, parts pricing, and warranty governance determines whether installed base potential becomes measurable, scalable growth.
KPI of the Month #4: Installed Base Coverage Rate (IBCR)
Installed Base Coverage Rate (IBCR) measures the percentage of assets under active service contract or monitoring within your installed base. For manufacturing and automotive after-sales leaders, IBCR is a strategic KPI that drives recurring service revenue, enables proactive service, and strengthens long-term lifecycle monetization.
Business Case for Agentic AI in Aftersales: Quantifying Incremental Value Beyond Copilots
Most AI investments in aftersales improved productivity but failed to deliver material ROI. This article explains how Agentic AI changes the equation by orchestrating decisions across warranty, parts, dealers, and enterprise systems, unlocking incremental value beyond copilots in aftersales operations.




