Field Service & Aftersales Insights
Perspectives on Service Growth, AI in Aftersales, Operation and Technology
This page brings together perspectives on field service, aftersales operations, and emerging technology in manufacturing and automotive service, grounded in real implementation experience.
The articles here explore what is changing, what is working, and where execution often breaks down. Topics range from KPIs and AI adoption to dealer operations, warranty management, and the day-to-day decisions that determine whether a transformation program succeeds or stalls.
Pick a topic below to explore further or browse the latest insights.
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Latest Insights
The Dealer’s Changing Role in OEM Aftersales: Partner, Channel, or Liability?
OEMs are quietly undermining the dealer networks they still depend on for last-mile service delivery. This article examines four friction points reshaping the OEM-dealer relationship in automotive and industrial manufacturing, and what people, process, and technology changes are needed to build a sustainable model.
Warranty Management in Manufacturing: Why Outward Leakage Is Your Biggest Hidden Cost
Warranty management in manufacturing goes far beyond claims processing. Most organizations have digitized intake but still lose millions through dealer fraud, registration gaps, and ignored quality signals. This guide maps where warranty breaks down across the full lifecycle, and how AI in warranty management is helping close the gap.
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.