Field Service Management | Remote Support with Augmented Reality

Carry out repairs and maintenance work in the technical field service with augmented reality

Repairs, maintenance, and quality inspections for machines and systems involve varying levels of complexity. This work requires special expertise for the many possible service situations. Augmented reality (AR) enables easy solution finding as well as knowledge transfer for future service requests. Your internal service employees, technicians, customers, or business partners are given specific instructions by an expert. Using tablets, smartphones, or smart glasses, the augmented support employee (e.g. a service employee back in the office or the manufacturer) sees what the technician or the customer sees. They then provide assistance via video call and virtual elements such as drawings, symbols, or SMS.

Augmented reality is fully integrated into the L-mobile service software solution and provides innovative field service management. Your service technicians or customers can call up remote support via the service app and assign it directly to an existing field service work order. All images, notes, and screenshots are stored in the field service work order management system, so you can build your knowledgebase and history data for future use.

Choose between L-mobile’s SaaS Solution and the Self-Managed Solution

SaaS Solution
The subscription-based version of our cloud solution tailored to your needs and requirements. Suitable for up to 20 service technicians.

L-mobile service as a SaaS Solution

For companies with smaller service departments

The mobile app for your field service staff. The intuitive SaaS-based software solution allows smaller companies with field service staff to achieve complete transparency over their field service assignments while also keeping administrative overhead low. The software can be reserved in custom packages which meet your company’s needs. Flexible, no hidden costs.

To L-mobile SaaS
Self-Managed Solution
The one-time purchase version of our field service management software, tailored to your company. Ideal for 20 or more service technicians.

L-mobile service as a Self-Managed Solution

For mid-sized companies in any branch of industry

Optimize your field service assignments all the way from technician deployment planning to the final digital field service report. Our self-managed solution is tailored to your company and requirements, and optimally integrates with your existing IT landscape by interfacing with your ERP system.

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The Key Functions for Optimal Remote Support

Field service work order Visualization Ad-hoc order Service history Appointment planning

Remote Support in a Field Service Work Order

L-mobile Field Service Management Remote Support mit Augmented Reality

On receipt of a malfunction notification, you create a field service work order in the L-mobile service software solution. You can either do this in your ERP system or via the service management system from L-mobile. The next step is to plan the deployment of a technician using the planning board. When planning deployment, you can transfer information about the customer, the assignment location, or the machine and any history data to the tablet or smartphone of the technical field service employee.

However, once on site at the customer, the service technician may find that the malfunction is more complex and they need assistance from an expert. The service technician requests remote support via the field service work order that has already been created. A list of available personnel is then displayed and the technician can contact them via a tablet or smartphone. The service technician is assisted with repair and maintenance work in a very short time via augmented reality. All call times, notes, images, and videos are stored directly in the field service work order and are available to service technicians.

Remote Support at a Machine or System

L-mobile Field Service Management Remote Support mit Augmented Reality

When the service technician has made contact with remote support, they can be assisted by voice, symbols, drawings, or SMS. To do this, the technician points their tablet, smartphone, or smart glasses at the machine or system. The expert sees the components and parts. The remote support employee then provides instructions for carrying out the repair or maintenance work. At the same time, screenshots and videos can be captured. The transfer of knowledge by the expert makes it possible to find a solution quickly and also means that technicians are trained at the same time. AR glasses also enable technicians to keep their hands free while they work.

Perform Ad-hoc Repairs or Maintenance Work with Augmented Reality

L-mobile Field Service Management Remote Support mit Augmented Reality

Random malfunctions or problem-solving requests from customers can also be handled via the service app and remote support. Along with the original service request, the service technician simply creates another order—an ad-hoc order. In an ad-hoc order, the technician stores details of the nature of the malfunction, customer data, and machine information. Times and the materials used are also recorded on an order-specific basis. The technician can also request remote support within an ad-hoc order.

Building an Image and Document History

L-mobile Field Service Management Remote Support mit Augmented Reality

Images/screenshots and videos can be captured while working on a field service assignment with remote support. They are stored in the field service work order, so that training videos and possible solutions are available for future assignments. This means that data and service-related information is all grouped together in one place. You can thus build your service history and support your service technicians in their day-to-day work. They get mobile access to an extensive knowledgebase of information that can be retrieved on a machine- and system-specific basis. This saves time and money as a variety of scenarios for solutions and faults can be found.

Appointment Calendar Function for Planning Remote Maintenance

L-mobile Field Service Management Remote Support mit Augmented Reality

In order to provide remote support, another person must be available. This is ensured using the calendar function in the service app. Both service technicians and customers can arrange appointments with an expert. The appointment is assigned to a field service work order at the same time, so all parties can see information about the machine, system, or assembly directly.You can define categories for your appointments in advance. It is then immediately apparent what type of remote support is involved.

Advantages of Remote Support with Augmented Reality

Time Savings

Experienced technicians assist their colleagues or customers in finding a solution so that maintenance work or repairs can be completed promptly. The necessary problem-solving steps are shared directly via the camera. This saves valuable time.

Reduce Travel Expenses

Remote support helps reduce travel expenses for both national and international field service assignments. Using the service app, service technicians can communicate worldwide via augmented reality. This reduces the amount of travel required.

Reduce Downtimes

When machines and systems malfunction or fail completely, fast action is needed. However, service technicians are not always able to get there immediately. With remote support, the customer can be assisted remotely so that the issue is quickly fixed.

Knowledge Transfer from Experts

Over the years, service technicians acquire an enormous amount of knowledge. New employees or inexperienced colleagues are able to access this knowledge by means of remote support. This enables them to carry out technical customer service activities on their own on site.

Hardware Compatibility

Depending on the working environment, various hardware options may be useful for remote support. Service technicians are already familiar with popular devices such as tablets or smartphones. AR smart glasses enable them to keep their hands free when working.

Image Database and Knowledgebase

It is possible to capture images and videos whenever remote support is provided. Additional notes can also be created. They are stored in the field service work order and are available for future service requests.

Augmented Reality Hardware—Tablets and Smart Glasses

L-mobile digital field service management with augmented reality

Application Examples

Remote Support between Technicians

An experienced service technician carries out several field service assignments during the week and swaps to office duties on two days. They have already stored their colleagues’ assignments in their appointment calendar so they can assist them remotely. This is an advantage, especially during busy periods, as they cannot be at every field service assignment at the same time. They open the appointment stored for a field service work order. Now they know who the customer is, which machine or system it is, the nature of the malfunction, and which technician is handling it. They contact the service technician, who accepts the call on their tablet. The technician points the tablet at the machine and their colleague in the office provides precise instructions via the symbol function.

Provision of Remote Support Directly to the Customer

Machine availability is extremely important for customers, so a fast response time is crucial in the event of malfunctions. In the past, the machine manufacturer always had to be contacted by phone and it took some time for the service technician to arrive on site. Now, the customer uses a video client on their smartphone. When a malfunction occurs, they call the manufacturer, they arrange an appointment with an expert on the same day, and the customer is assisted via remote support. The appointment is assigned directly to the field service work order, so the expert can view all customer data directly. The expert can see which machine it is and whether it has experienced similar problems in the past. The call is started and the customer receives step-by-step instructions on how they can fix the malfunction.

Highlights of L-mobile service

Field service management software

ERP-independent solution

Duplicate work and unnecessary paperwork avoided

100% offline capability

Increased customer satisfaction

Prompt invoicing

Day-to-day operations simplified

Rapid processing of field service work orders

Efficient use of resources

Simple, centralized customer management

Deployment planning via drag and drop

Management of maintenance contracts

Machine and system management

Field Service Management Software—One Solution for Your Entire Field Service Process

L-mobile digital service management mobile service solution post image — Digital Service Management

Would you like to get a complete overview of our field service solution? You’ll find information on our full field service solution on the field service management page.

In the first step of the process, office staff create all essential data (personnel, company, field service work order). The field service work order is then passed to a dispatcher who uses the digital planning board to find the right service technicians to assign to the order. Using the service app, technicians can access the data created by the office staff and then carry out and complete the field service work order. The completed field service work order can then be released for invoicing. Finally, the reporting process combines together and evaluates all key data from the field service process.

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Customers Who Use L-mobile service

L-mobile service in use at Deutsche Windtechnik! Watch the reference video to see how the service app supports the technical maintenance of wind turbines.

“With the mobile solution from L-mobile, we are able to prevent errors consistently and optimally exploit the potential for machine and system maintenance.”

Klaas FeldmannHead of IT at Deutsche Windtechnik AG

To the case study

L-mobile reference Deutsche Windtechnik Offshore und Consulting GmbH

L-mobile reference Grimme Landmaschinenfabrik GmbH & Co KG

L-mobile Digital Warehouse Management proALPHA Case Study Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG

L-mobile Digitales Service Management und Mobiler Vertrieb CRM & sales Referenzbericht Swecon Baumaschinen GmbH