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November 9, 2026 | 6 Mins Read

A Real-World Example of How AI Amplifies Service Revenue Potential

November 9, 2026 | 6 Mins Read

A Real-World Example of How AI Amplifies Service Revenue Potential

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

You have my word that this isn’t turning into a situation where every article I publish is an AI article, BUT I came across a LinkedIn post last week that I had to share some thoughts on. It was discussing an example that perfectly illustrates a point I’ve been trying to make about how important mindset is in AI innovation. So, yes, this week’s article is (another) AI article – but a worthwhile one, I promise!

Earlier this year, I wrote about my belief that the future of service success hinges on understanding the distinction between a mindset of optimization versus one of amplification.

As I state in that article, while optimization is about perfecting the present, amplification is about reimagining what’s possible.

Amplification asks a fundamentally different set of questions than optimization does:

  • How do we deliver exponentially more value, not incrementally more efficiency?
  • How do we scale expertise, not just output?
  • How do we elevate the role of service from execution to impact?

There’s Risk in a Narrow View of AI Impact

For a long time, we’ve talked about technology as a great enabler – and I think this exacerbates the tendency to stay focused on optimization. AI, however, is far more than an enabler – it’s an amplifier.

One of the biggest risks organizations face right now is underestimating the role of AI.

Too often, we view modern AI through the same lens as we’ve viewed previous iterations of technical innovation. As such, it is considered as a tool for efficiency:

  • Reducing costs
  • Automating tasks
  • Streamlining operations

While those benefits are real, they are also limiting.

AI is far more powerful when viewed as an amplifier – a force multiplier that expands what your people and your business are capable of.

When considered as an amplifier, AI allows organizations to:

  • Scale expertise across the workforce
  • Deliver proactive and predictive service at scale
  • Enhance decision-making in real time
  • Create richer, more personalized customer interactions

But I’m not here to regurgitate these previously made points; I’m here to share some excerpts from the post I came across on LinkedIn that offered a real-world example of the amplification approach.

Chris Donnelly, co-founder of Searchable.com, posted about IKEA’s use of AI which caught my eye because it’s a compelling example of the sentiment I’ve been trying to impart. His post explains that IKEA’s largest franchisee, Ingka, launched an AI assistant called Billie (in 2021) that – within two years – was handling 47% of customer queries to its call centers.

IKEA Creates New Service Revenue by Redeploying AI-Replaced Talent

But rather than limit its view of what’s possible at the obvious option of reducing headcount, IKEA thought about how this could amplify its business potential. The company retrained 8,500 call center workers as remote interior design advisers. In its 2022 financial year, that channel brought in $1.4 billion in sales and Ingka is aiming for it to reach 10% of total revenue by 2028.

Instead of investing in AI to replace humans and reduce cost, IKEA saw the opportunity to leverage AI to free up its human talent for work AI can’t do – keeping employees in roles while creating a new service for customers and new revenue stream for the business. This is amplification at its finest.

While Donnelly’s post didn’t offer a source, Fortune published an article in July of this year on “Ikea’s Big Bet on Humans in the Age of AI.”

IKEA’s story shared by Chris caught my eye, but the comments kept me around for quite a while as there were some excellent and diverse points made. Here are a few that offer important insights to consider:

  • Leaders must think about how to protect tacit knowledge (especially when customer-centered). Abhishek Mishra said, “The retraining part is what most companies skip. Moving call center agents into design advice works because they already know the customer's questions better than anyone else in the business. Cutting those roles would have thrown that knowledge out along with the headcount.”

Caleb Ramsey adds, “The detail that matters is that IKEA didn't let those 8,500 people go. AI handled 47% of the questions, and the people who used to answer the phone moved into design advice because they already knew the products and the customers. Knowledge is the last thing I'd cut. AI can learn your answers in a few weeks, but it takes people years to learn your customers. I am curious to see how far consumers will allow customer service to automate. I have a feeling a lot of corporations might overshoot then slowly retract until they find that line. Will be an interesting few years ahead!”

  • AI will change jobs, innovative companies will know what to do with people when it does. Asad Muhi Ud Din says, “The part of this story that matters isn't the AI replacing roles — it's IKEA redeploying 8,500 people into remote interior design advice and building a €1.3 billion channel from it. That's the model: use AI to clear repetitive work, then move people to the work AI can't do, where their product knowledge actually sells. The question for every service leader isn't whether AI changes jobs, but where you put your people once it does.”
  • Cost-cutting needs to give way to reimagining human potential. Bola Matel-Okoh said, “The most important part of this example is that AI adoption became an opportunity to rethink how human talent creates value, rather than simply a way to reduce costs. Redeploying people successfully requires organizations to identify new customer needs and invest in the skills needed to meet them. The real competitive advantage comes when technology makes existing talent more valuable by freeing people to do work that requires human judgment, creativity, and connection.”

Vladyslav Shabalov adds, “The smartest part of this story isn’t replacing repetitive work with AI. It’s creating a new revenue stream from the human skills that were previously underused. I think many companies will miss that second step. They’ll celebrate lower support costs while competitors use the same technology to create better customer experiences and new ways to sell. There’s a catch, though: redeployment only works if customers actually value the new service. IKEA connected efficiency to a real buying need, not just a headcount target. That’s the difference between using AI to cut costs and using it to grow the business.”

  • The capacity AI creates demands thoughtfulness. Joe Donnely says, “Automating a task creates capacity. Turning that capacity into better service takes a deliberate decision about how the work and people’s roles will change. Kudos to IKEA.”
  • Judicious AI innovation builds trust and sets the stage for sustainable competitive advantage. Danielle Basely said, “Trust is the part people underprice. A bad first deployment does not just fail on its own terms; it makes the next three harder because everyone has already decided what AI means in that building. Adoption on tool two is mostly a function of how you handled tool one.”

Gabor Markus adds, “An interesting illustration of why AI adoption and AI transformation are two very different things. What makes this case particularly interesting isn’t the automation itself, but the organizational capabilities behind it: workforce reskilling, process redesign and strategic resource reallocation. AI creates opportunities. It’s how organizations reorganize around those opportunities that may determine their competitive advantage.”

And, finally, Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld weighs in with an important point saying, “We also have to admit that this is not possible for all companies but shows that there is still huge potential.” IKEA’s ownership and a variety of other factors may make companies with different structures or in other industries feel this example isn’t relevant for them. And while there may be aspects of it that isn’t, I do believe it underscores a mindset around AI innovation that’s really important – that if we think about how AI can amplify the potential of our human talent and our business, we’ll get much farther than if we maintain a narrow view of what the technology makes possible.

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November 2, 2026 | 5 Mins Read

5 Imperative Soft Skills for the Modern Service Era

November 2, 2026 | 5 Mins Read

5 Imperative Soft Skills for the Modern Service Era

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

We talk often about how rapidly and immensely the service landscape is changing, but I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet. As AI weaves its way into more industries, businesses, and workflows, the soft skills we’ve been saying need more focus for the last 10 years become absolutely crucial.

I’ve written a couple of articles recently about the way AI can make an impact on service operations and I find those examples mostly really exciting. I say mostly because I fear what will happen in the instances equal emphasis, effort, and care isn’t put into the humans still doing what AI can’t.

Service businesses still struggle to put ample investment in building, nurturing, and expanding soft skills – despite most preaching their importance. Why is this? Because any intangible is harder to measure and, therefore, harder to quantify an ROI on.

My hope is that this thinking shifts quickly and the examples I’ve seen of companies putting action behind the statement that soft skills are important rapidly multiply. Because I believe soft skills aren’t still important in the AI era, but more important. I also think that the importance will compound in the coming months and years as AI becomes more widespread in service.

So, if you’re reading this, take a moment to get honest with yourself about just how well your organization invests in the development of soft skills among its teams. If you aren’t brimming with confidence that it’s top-notch, advocate to change that fact expeditiously.

At last week’s Field Service Next Europe, there was ample talk of soft skills in reference to what customers value, what enables service success, and what’s required for the future of service to look bright. In my opinion, the following five soft skills top the list of utmost importance to nurture among service teams.

#1: Communication

Expected? Boring? Sure. But the root of more friction, frustration, and quite frankly cost than anyone would like to admit. No matter how important we know or say it is, how effectively it’s honed doesn’t seem to change. AI will only magnify the communication deficiencies that already exist in most organizations.

And in service, frontline employees with poor communication skills are even more troublesome because that will impact their effectiveness, their employee experience, and customer satisfaction. Communication skills are key for using AI effectively, but more importantly, they underpin any healthy relationship – employee to employee, employee to leader, employee to customer. The fact that communication skills are the foundational layer of soft skills may be why they get overlooked – it’s expected anyone can do it – but this is a major mistake.

#2: Curiosity

I believe that, in many ways, curiosity is a superpower – and that superpower will be turbocharged in the AI era. Curiosity motivates individuals to figure things out, to solve problems. On the panel I moderated at last week’s event, I asked the closing question, “if you could change one thing in your organization that you feel would help it achieve service growth, what would it be?”

One of the panelists, Chiara Maiello with Syntegon, quickly responded, “I’d increase curiosity. I’d get employees asking more and better questions.”

Curiosity reveals things, it uncovers things – problems to be fixed, emotions to be addressed, needs to be met.

There’s a risk with AI that people will fall more into auto-pilot; curiosity is the antidote.

#3: Trust

Trust is built by investing in relationships and I’ve heard many service leaders speak about the high degrees of trust the frontline builds with customers, the loyalty that creates, and the impact it has on the business.

Many people are naturally skeptical of AI, or the digital landscape in general. As such, the trust built with customers becomes even more important moving forward.

Erik Lapre of VMI Group said on another panel last week that, “trust has and always will be most important in service, and even more so in a high-tech landscape.”

Trust is equally important with employees, and leaders need to keep in mind that – whether warranted or not – many fear AI’s impact on their roles. It’s important to prioritize making time to have conversations, invest in relationships, and keep trust intact.

#4: Authenticity

What’s one thing AI can’t do? Be YOU! Or anyone.

Individuality, personality, authenticity, relatability – these traits are only going to increase in value. They are the perfect compliment to AI’s ability to improve efficiency, reduce manual and menial tasks, and remove time consuming administrative burden.

Authenticity keeps humanity alive – in the workplace, between employee and leader, and in customer interactions.

#5: Connectedness

At IFS Unleashed, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian described community as a “trojan horse” in the AI era. He said spoke about how in a sea of “AI slop,” community will shine.

I think this is well worth pondering, both in how it relates to your teams and to your customers.

From a team perspective, the reality we know is that many frontline employees already feel isolated. Finding ways to create connectedness among them, and to the organization, is crucial to not only satisfaction and retention, but wellbeing.

From a customer perspective, it’s worth considering whether there might be an opportunity in your industry to be a conduit for customers to connect, collaborate, or rally around. Maybe that doesn’t apply, but maybe it could.

Regardless, we all have a responsibility moving forward to create points of connection rather than letting them deteriorate.

What’s your view on soft skills in the AI era? What would you add to the list? I’d love to hear from you.

Follow Sarah on LinkedIn for daily insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and the conversations shaping the future of service.

Connect with Sarah Nicastro on LinkedIn

Follow Future of Field Service on LinkedIn for new articles, podcast episodes, and event updates as they go live.

Follow Future of Field Service

Subscribe to The INSIDER - our monthly newsletter with exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else.

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Subscribe to The INSIDER, our exclusive monthly newsletter, and get a first look at what’s new, what’s next, and what’s only shared with our inner circle.

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5 Scenarios that Illustrate Using Agentic AI for Field Service Advantage

October 26, 2026 | 7 Mins Read

5 Scenarios that Illustrate Using Agentic AI for Field Service Advantage

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

It’s become evident to me that there are some truly mixed feelings among service leaders when it comes to AI.

On one hand, I’ve heard plenty of “I’m so sick of hearing about AI.”

On the other, in our most recent Stand Out Service Trends report, 90% of leaders say that advanced AI is crucial for the future of service.

I can understand feeling torn; in many ways, I do too. I’m pro-human in every way, so I too tire from all the AI talk – and have my concerns around the potential implications it could have if not harnessed responsibly.

But it’s also become undeniable how – in the right instances – AI is unmatched in how it can help alleviate some of the pressure of the workforce gap, ease burdens for the frontline, and allow scalability of service outcomes that humans alone cannot.

The ideal human/AI partnership was on full display at IFS’s recent Unleashed event in Orlando, as I described in my article last week. Seeing the examples come to life at the event was really helpful in understanding the real-world context of where AI can be most beneficial in service-centric businesses.

Let’s explore five scenarios where AI, particularly agentic, can have a positive impact on service operations and outcomes:

#1: The Parts Agent

A technician is scheduled to repair a compressor, but the required part isn't in their van. Instead of making the technician search multiple systems or call the parts department, an agent identifies the correct component for the specific asset, checks inventory locations, and initiates procurement if necessary.

This is real-world example shared by Kodiak Gas Services at Unleashed. Pedro Buhigas, CIO, explained how Kodiak's material replenishment agent has improved the efficiency of this process by 85%.

What makes it agentic? It doesn't stop at recommending a part. It coordinates the steps required to get it where it needs to be.

Potential next step: Have the agent coordinate delivery to the technician's next location, while flagging substitutions or high-cost purchases for approval.

#2: The Expertise Agent

One of the biggest points of potential for AI in field service? Giving every technician access to your best engineer’s knowledge.

A technician encounters an unfamiliar fault. An agent searches technical documentation, past repairs, parts information, and equipment history, then guides the technician through the most relevant troubleshooting steps. If the issue remains unresolved, it escalates with the diagnostic information already assembled.

This process could significantly reduce phone calls, messages, and drain on the time (and energy) of the organization’s experts, as well as save time on manually searching for information, speeding repairs and eliminating frustration.

What makes it agentic? The system helps progress a repair through multiple steps, rather than merely retrieving a document.Potential next step: Let the agent recognize when it has reached the limits of its knowledge and bring in the right human expert with a concise summary of the problem and steps already attempted.

#3: The Incident Agent

A connected device indicates that a fault may be developing. An agent correlates alarms, historical incidents, and customer reports; determines whether remote remediation is viable; and coordinates a field dispatch only if one is necessary.

One such example is AT&T, which has reported that its AI-enabled end-to-end incident management system, which added AI agents in 2025, helped prevent 3.1 million unnecessary field dispatches and reduce customer downtime by more than 12 million hours over the preceding year. (The overall results reflect the broader AI-enabled system, not agents alone.)

What makes it agentic? It moves from identifying a problem toward coordinating resolution, including deciding when a human technician is needed.

#4: The Job-Completion Agent

Imagine a technician finishes a two-hour repair and needs to document the fault, work performed, parts consumed, readings, and follow-up recommendations.

The agent interprets voice notes, photographs, equipment readings, and work-order details. It drafts the service report, reconciles parts used against inventory, flags missing information, and prepares the job for invoicing. Less administration for technicians, faster invoicing, cleaner asset histories, and better data for future AI applications.

The story shared by Mo Dawood, CIO of Eight Group at IFS Unleashed offers an example of a real-world starting point: its use of image analysis reduced documentation time from 25 minutes to one.

What makes it agentic? It coordinates the completion workflow across field documentation, inventory, and billing rather than merely transcribing notes.

#5: The Service Growth Agent

A technician repeatedly finds that a customer's equipment is operating outside recommended parameters or discovers that an aging asset would benefit from an upgrade.

With the appropriate permissions, an agent compares the findings with the customer's installed base, service agreement, maintenance history, and available offerings. It creates a qualified opportunity, prepares a tailored recommendation, and routes it to the account manager — without asking the technician to become a salesperson.

What makes it agentic? It connects operational evidence to a commercial action and coordinates the handoff.

This could lead to more relevant service-contract renewals, upgrades, parts opportunities, and outcome-based offerings — with less dependence on individual technicians remembering to record every opportunity.

This example also connects to a larger point for service: AI has potential in service beyond simply improving efficiency or reducing costs; it can help service organizations grow revenue and differentiate through outcomes.

The Bigger Story: Looking Beyond Isolated Agents to Coordinated Work

While it can be helpful (and a great crawl/walk/run starting point) to consider these specific examples, they become even more interesting when we look at what becomes possible when they work together.

Imagine an industrial asset showing signs of failure. One agent detects the issue; another evaluates its severity; a third identifies the parts and technician needed; another coordinates scheduling and customer communication; and a final agent assembles the service report, captures the findings, and identifies follow-up opportunities.

The value isn't five separate AI features; it's a coordinated process that moves from detecting a problem to resolving it and learning from it, with humans stepping in where judgment, safety, customer relationships, or exceptions demand it.

Moreover, the opportunity isn't to put an AI agent into every corner of field service. It's to identify the points where work gets stuck — where people are waiting for information, chasing parts, coordinating schedules, or translating one system's output into another system's action. Those are the moments where agentic AI can begin to change not just how efficiently service is delivered, but what service organizations are capable of delivering in the first place.

An Important Reminder

To bring it back to needing to strike right balance of leveraging AI’s value without overinflating its role, I wanted to share this reminder that Gyner Ozgul, CEO of Fortis Fire & Safety posted on LinkedIn last week:

“Three out of four AI users now ask a chatbot before they ask a colleague. If you value the ability to network with peers, read on.

I get it. I use AI every day. It’s fast, it’s always available, and it never makes you feel like you’re imposing. But I keep thinking about how I learned before any of this existed.

Years ago, I was an operations and service guy who got asked to lead a supply chain role. I knew nothing about supply chain. There was no AI to lean on. So, I reached out cold on LinkedIn to leaders across the supply chain I was now overseeing. People I’d never met. I asked a lot of basic questions. Those conversations turned into the solutions we built, and a lot of them turned into real relationships, ones I value even today.

AI would have given me answers faster. It wouldn’t have given me those people. We watched social media do this to generations of kids. Real connection got swapped for something that felt close enough. I think a lot of professionals are walking into the same trap without noticing. I’m not saying stop using AI. I’m saying use it to get ready for the conversation, not to skip it.

Let AI handle the basics, then call someone with a sharper question. Pick one person a week you haven’t talked to in six months, or one you’ve never met. Send them something useful before you ask for anything. And if you lead a team, say ‘I don’t know, what do you think?’ out loud. It gives everyone else permission to ask too. Plenty of people tell me they skip the call because they don’t want to bother anyone. Bother them. Most people want to be asked.”

As AI use cases in service expand, we need to be diligent in considering how we continue to prioritize humanity. How we nurture relationships, avoid isolation, and how we protect the brainpower required for critical thinking as we come to embrace new information-rich processes. So, go crazy in envisioning how AI can be an asset to your service operation – but spend equal time and energy ensuring you protect the people aspects that make it special.

Stay Connected

Subscribe to The INSIDER, our exclusive monthly newsletter, and get a first look at what’s new, what’s next, and what’s only shared with our inner circle.

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My Top 10 Highlights of IFS Unleashed 2026 (Part 1)

October 19, 2026 | 6 Mins Read

My Top 10 Highlights of IFS Unleashed 2026 (Part 1)

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

Last week, more than 3,000 people from over 100 countries descended upon Orlando, Florida for IFS Unleashed – including yours truly! I’ve been attending IFS Unleashed events (formerly called World Conference) since before my time at IFS began (in my former role, with Field Technologies, I attended as press). The 2026 version was truly something to behold.

I’m sharing my top 10 highlights from the week, part one here in this article and part two on Wednesday’s podcast. But a quick disclaimer first that these are my personal stand-out observations, not a list intended to be comprehensive of what the event covered in any way. The week was jam-packed with information, stories of transformation, displays of innovation, reminders of the power of networking and human connection, and much, much more. But among the action-packed days, these are a handful of moments that made me truly take pause and reflect.

#1: The Opportunity of Industrial AI Became Palpable

In his keynote, IFS CEO Mark Moffat shared a thought-provoking statistic: most industrial operations are running at 60% of their potential. Sixty percent. Just beyond half.

If this is true, imagine what’s possible. The possibility contained within that remaining 40% is really interesting to consider – so is what it would take for any individual organization to increase its number from sixty.

What stood out to me throughout the week was how the ways in which industrial AI and other forms of digital sophistication can help organizations reach more of their potential. Not hypothetically or theoretically, but tangibly. It was on display, session after session, all week long. Real businesses sharing real stories of what’s been done, and technology innovators showing what more is possible, today and tomorrow.

In previous events, there’s been a feeling of knowing AI is becoming important but not feeling sure precisely where and how. Last week, there were countless crystal-clear examples of how it’s having an impact and what more it can do.

#2: Success is a Constantly Moving Target, Therefore Agility is Key

Tony Hemmelgarn, President of Siemens Software, joined Mark on stage and in his session, he said, “We’re in the age of innovation, that means we’re never finished.”

This statement made me reflect on the reality of how not so long ago, success was a clearer – and more stable – target. You could set a bold goal, work toward it, and then take a breather once you achieved success. That model today would be a recipe for disaster, because success is a moving target and – as Tony stated – the work is never finished.

As both leaders and as businesses, I believe we need to do more reflecting – and reconciling – what this truly means. It seems that we know the game has changed, that the old playbook no longer works, but we aren’t sure what (all) to do about it.

To me, while much is uncertain and there’s no single path to follow, the attributes that are universally important are resilience, agility, tenacity. How are these characteristics represented in your business, or within your team? How do you nurture, evolve, and expand these qualities?

An era of innovation, in my opinion, doesn’t revolve around the technology – the true innovation is in the application of the technology; to make better decisions, faster. To serve customers in new ways. To build a business that’s nimble, able to continuously improve and evolve, and adept at change.

#3: Creativity Matters Now More Than Ever

When Badri Narashimhan, CTO of William Grant & Sons took the stage to speak of the company’s transformation, he began by speaking about heritage. “For us, heritage is defined not by history, but by character,” he said. “We pride ourselves on zigging where others zag; daring to do something different.”

For a business established in 1887, this ethos is refreshing – and so smart.

In the AI era, creativity will become even more of a competitive differentiator. Doing what you’ve always done well may have gotten you this far, but Badri’s wise words of daring to do something different will be increasingly important to reflect on in the coming years.

#4: How AI Helps Address the Workforce Gap is Clear, But #5. So is Reverence for the Human’s Unique Role

If you come here often, you know I feel strongly that the future will be won not by digital prowess or human touch, but by the perfect marriage of both. I was delighted, and honestly a bit surprised, at how fairly represented – and how well articulated – this crucial balance is throughout the week’s sessions.

From a variety of perspectives, the message was reinforced that AI is here to elevate human potential; to augment  what our people – and therefore our businesses – are capable of, not to detract from, dilute, or threaten it.

There was framing of the realities of the workforce gap. Mark Moffat spoke of it in his opening keynote, giving one illustrative example that in the US, 500 aircraft sit without a technician to conduct necessary repairs.

Kiva Allgood, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, spoke about the organization’s Smart Start program and its work to attract high-school age youth into industrial career paths. She reinforced the fact that, while AI is a powerful multiplier, a focus on people must remain at the core of what we do.

In the session with Badri mentioned above, Kriti Sharma, CEO of IFS Nexus Black joined him on stage to speak of the partnership. She shared that, when spending time with William Grant & Son’s frontline workforce, one experienced engineer said of the Resolve mobile application, “I don’t need this to do my job, but I can see how it brings others up to my level.”

Capture of tribal knowledge and how it can then be democratized among new talent entering the workforce is a powerful example of the role AI can play in helping alleviate some of the pressure of the workforce gap. Less experienced engineers who have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips and support at the ready can create value for the business sooner, but are also more likely to feel fulfilled and be retained.

A series of leaders took the stage following Badri to showcase the impact AI is having on businesses across different service and asset-centric industries. Each example was a real-world illustration of how businesses gain back some of that potential being lost, but each also underscored the importance of people.

Mo Dawood, CIO of Eight Group, joined to talk about the company’s journey, explaining that each decision is made through a lens of people-centricity. He explained that he asks first, “Is it right for our people? And then, is it right for our customers?” Excellent anchoring for strategy. The example was shared how, with Resolve, documentation has been reduced from 25 minutes down to one with image analysis. Significant time savings that eases burden from the frontline’s day and lets them focus more time on what matters most.

Pedro Buhigas, CIO of Kodiak Gas Services, shared a glimpse into the company’s incorporation of agentic AI. He stated that, “our business is driven by people, but they’re a scarce resource – augmenting with agents helps with scalability.” Kodiak’s first IFS Loops agent is a material replenisher that helps technicians identify the right part for the asset, locate it within inventory, and, if needed, assists in procuring. The incorporation of just this one agent has increased the efficiency of that process by 85%.

Joe Marcella, VP of Planning & Performance, Technical Operations at Southwest Airlines shared the company’s journey of transitioning from paper and pen to digital as recent as 2021. When looking at where AI fits today and into the future, Joe said there’s a tremendous opportunity for AI to support the frontline workforce but reinforced that the best way to put it to its best use is to “find out what your employees need to do their jobs better.”

The way these examples (and others) brought clarity to specific AI use cases making a measurable impact today – but were shared by leaders who are framing its use by how it best elevates the human talent that makes service special – embodied the balance of digital prowess and humanity that is so important.

Believe it or not, that’s just the start! If you’re interested in part two of my top 10 moments of IFS Unleashed, tune in for this week’s podcast on Wednesday.  

Follow Sarah on LinkedIn for daily insights, behind-the-scenes reflections, and the conversations shaping the future of service.

Connect with Sarah Nicastro on LinkedIn

Follow Future of Field Service on LinkedIn for new articles, podcast episodes, and event updates as they go live.

Follow Future of Field Service

Subscribe to The INSIDER - our monthly newsletter with exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else.

Subscribe to The INSIDER

Stay Connected

Subscribe to The INSIDER, our exclusive monthly newsletter, and get a first look at what’s new, what’s next, and what’s only shared with our inner circle.

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The Soundtrack of Future of Field Service Live London

October 5, 2026 | 6 Mins Read

The Soundtrack of Future of Field Service Live London

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

At our recent London event, I welcomed Rob Stephenson, keynote and TEDx speaker, mental health advocate, author of Music is the Answer, and Founder of Choose Your 3, to deliver a guest keynote. Before we got into the “task” of the day that everyone was expecting to tackle – knowledge sharing among peers on how to navigate today’s biggest service challenges and opportunities – I wanted to offer leaders a session focused on them.

Why? Because I believe we’re at a pivotal role in service where strong leadership is more important than it’s ever been. And we often get right to it, without much thought to what such an important role requires of the individuals living it.

I’ve known Rob since 2024 when he appeared on UNSCRIPTED as a feature for Mental Health Awareness month. When we began planning the London event, he immediately came to mind as someone who would perfectly set the tone for the day – and that he did.

Rob spoke about the importance of wellbeing, but more specifically about how to manage energy. He shared different types of energy and talked about why it’s crucial for leaders to do this for themselves before they can create a space for their teams to do the same. It was an important message, one that I plan to revisit in a future article (and hopefully another podcast!).

But Rob also shared not only his love of music, but his belief in how it can help us conserve, create, and shift energy. He asked the room to share in a Slido one song that always lifts their mood, and it was so fun – and interesting – to see the different responses pop up.

The Day as a Mixtape

On last week’s podcast, Berend Booms of Future of Assets guest hosted to share his key reflections from the event. Berend and I have been working closely together for the last year-plus to create Future of Assets, but a fun fact is that the London event was actually our first time meeting face-to-face. I asked him to do the summary podcast because I felt, having planned the event myself, his perspective as a more objective party would be more interesting.

It was indeed, and if you haven’t yet, you should have a listen. But my favorite part is that he took a cue from Rob’s keynote and selected a musical track to pair with each session of the day. How creative and fun is that?

So much so that I felt it was deserving of its own recap, here, as a documentation of the “soundtrack” of Future of Field Service Live London 2026. Without further ado, here’s the tracklist:

The White Stripes – We’re Going to Be Friends. Berend chose this track for my opening keynote on the three seismic shifts I am witnessing in service. He said, “The song that I would pick for Sarah’s opening session is We Are Going to Be Friends by The White Stripes. First of all, it's a vibe thing, right? It catches the vibe of the event really, really well. But it also pays respect to Sarah's friendly disposition and how she goes out of her way to make sure that everyone feels welcomed, feels included. Even myself, someone outside of the field service ecosystem, I could come in, I could participate and have a fantastic day.”

Bill Withers – Lovely Day. Berend chose this track for Rob’s guest keynote to honor the exercise Rob asked the audience to take part in. “This is the song that I picked during Rob’s prompt as the one song that never fails to bring me energy and never fails to set me right. It always just puts me in a great mood and I'm ready to start the day.”

ACDC – High Voltage. Berend chose this song for my interview with Natasha Nelson, CTO for Services at Schneider Electric, who spoke about the company’s journey of incorporating agentic AI into services. “So, a great song that I think fits Natasha's background really well, and it's also a classic for me, is ACDC's High Voltage.” Not only is this a nod to Schneider’s business, but perhaps also to the power – and delicacy – of expanding AI’s role in service.

X – Xzibit. This is Berend’s pick for my interview with Patrycja Sobera, SVP and GM of Digital Workplace Solutions at Unisys, who spoke about her award-winning shift to XM (experience management) and from SLAs to XLAs (experience level agreements). “I really enjoyed the session and going through my notes, the very first thing I actually put down was the big X, right? X for X factor, X for experience, X for expanding, X for XLA. And in my mind, there's only one song that is going to do justice to this, and that is X by Mr. X to the Z Xzibit. If I recall correctly, his first bar in that song is ‘the first day of the rest of my life.’ I really like that; I think it fits the forward look and building that future together through events and through communities like Future of Field Service exceptionally well.”

Bonnie Tyler – Holding Out for a Hero. The next session was a workshop given by Simone Schneider and Torben Petersen of Simon-Kucher, based on our joint research around the potential for service growth. They spoke about the opportunity that exists to better leverage field technicians to contribute to revenue. “Thinking about that maintenance technician showing up to save the day, there's only one song that comes to mind that fits that perfectly for me, and it is Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out for a Hero. This is your cue to check out that song once again. It is a banger.”

Queens of the Stone Age – Go with the Flow. Next up was a Think Tank on the human side of digital transformation, which featured Clinten van der Merwe of TOMRA, Yasir Sheikh of Honeywell Technologies, and Nick Vandivere of IFS Nexus Black. “My song pick for this one was heavily influenced by Clinten’s comments, but I'm going with Queens of the Stone Age, Go with the Flow, which is one of my favorite songs by them, actually. It's a great song first and foremost, but it's also a great reminder of what we're all facing, right? This hesitation, this fear that we have, and how can we all deal with this change? We can all go with the flow when it comes to transformation.”

The Beatles – With a Little Help from My Friends. This is the song Berend selected to represent our ‘grand finale’ of the day, which was our announcement and celebration of this year’s Stand Out 50 leaders. “Roy Dockery, one of the judges this year, explained really well this feeling that I think a lot of people have where we mostly recognize sales; we mostly recognize revenue and revenue creation. Where are we rewarding people for showing great leadership? Doing so helps people feel seen, it helps them feel understood, it helps them feel appreciated, it helps them feel supported by having people take an interest and taking your peers into consideration. And I think Sarah summed it up perfectly, saying that leadership is action, it is not a position. So, my suggestion for a song to listen to in this case would be the Beatles’ rendition of With a Little Help from My Friends.”

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Celebrating Stand Out Leadership: The Crucial Bridge to the Future of Service

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Celebrating Stand Out Leadership: The Crucial Bridge to the Future of Service

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

I’m headed home from London, just having wrapped our Future of Field Service Live event. It was a wonderful day full of lightbulb moments, knowledge sharing, and community building – but one of the most special parts was announcing this year’s Stand Out 50 leaders.

If you’re not familiar, Future of Field Service began the Stand Out 50 in 2024. Having spent many years working with service leaders, I have a deep respect for the unique role they play and all that they juggle. Stand Out 50 accepts nominations over a two-month period each year and then awards 50 leaders who are having a truly exceptional impact. Our objective is of course to recognize their hard work, but also to create broader awareness of it within their businesses and beyond (as service leaders are often not celebrated enough).

Toward the end of Thursday’s event, we unveiled the 2026 Stand Out 50 and were fortunate to have nine individuals with us in-person to receive their award and celebrate with the community. Please join me in giving these leaders another massive congratulations!

In my morning keynote, I shared some reflections on why I see strong leadership as particularly crucial in service right now. So much is changing, so rapidly and leaders really are the link between the service of today and what it is becoming. The challenges are real, but the opportunities are exciting. In my view, though, the potential that exists won’t be possible to attain without stand out leadership.

Why? Well, first and foremost, today’s talent demands it. Emotional intelligence, authenticity, empathy, psychological safety, the ability to create a culture that is change adept and resilient – these aren’t “fluffy” ideals, but leadership imperatives.

Further, leaders will be responsible for overseeing a delicate time of transformation. AI is here to stay and should be wielded, but not at the expense of what makes service special (which is the people). Striking the right balance, and pace, of innovation without sacrificing ample focus on human talent is of paramount importance if we want the future of service to look bright.

So, it was an honor to celebrate 50 leaders who are giving their all to meeting today’s challenges head-on, who are pouring themselves into their teams, and who want to nurture the best of what service has been while ushering in what it can be going forward.

In our process of nominations, we’ve debated how specific to be, but I’ve maintained that I don’t want the process to be prescriptive. While certain attributes are universally important, uniqueness should be celebrated too. As such, reading through the nominations is such an interesting and heartwarming process each year.

What we ask is that those nominating share anecdotes (and evidence, where applicable) of how they feel the candidate stands out across three categories: purposeful innovation, authenticity, and ability to execute. The entries that roll in illustrate a wide variety of impressive efforts – and a big impact on teams, customers, and companies.

I’d like to share an anonymous example from each category to offer a sense of why celebrating these leaders is such a worthwhile cause.

Innovation: Prioritizing Long-Term Impact

“He is an open-minded and forward-thinking leader who actively seeks diverse perspectives and encourages constructive challenge. This mindset not only strengthens decision-making but also fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation across his teams. He creates an environment where people feel empowered to think differently, take ownership, and focus on outcomes that genuinely matter.

What sets him apart is his ability to balance commercial realities with strategic vision. He does not shy away from short-term pain when it is necessary to deliver long-term impact. Instead, he leads with transparency, bringing his teams and stakeholders on the journey, building trust and alignment along the way.

His leadership consistently translates into stronger customer relationships, improved service outcomes, and a more resilient, future-focused organization. He demonstrates that great leadership is not about quick wins, but about making the right decisions for lasting success.”

Authenticity: Action To Makes People Feel Valued

“At his very core, he is a servant-based leader. As his career advanced into senior service roles, he has established a reputation for being approachable, trustworthy, and results-oriented. He leads with compassion and empathy, creating a safe environment where differences of opinion are valued. No question is out of bounds.

During a time of great internal change, he proactively took the company's core attributes and translated them into the global service organization operating norms. As he introduced them through a series of town-hall style meetings, he openly shared how he lives them and provided examples of how we can hold each other accountable. More important than focusing on “the what”, he stresses “the how;” ensuring people feel valued, honored, listened to, and that they make a difference.

He reads every comment from our employee engagement surveys and consistently challenges us to take care of the people who care for our customers. He leads by example in tangible ways. He has been known to have ice cream delivered to your house for your kids after a tough week, or to send a handwritten card to acknowledge a significant event or personal challenge. In speaking with team members around the world, the most common feedback I hear is that he listens, he cares, he acts, and I trust him!

On a practical level, since stepping into his current role, our employee engagement scores have increased by 20%, reflecting a stronger sense of trust across the team. He supports employee recognition and also reinforces development and investment in people, leading the charge for role alignment, career progression, and team equity.”

Execution: Focus Far Beyond Quick Wins

“One of his greatest strengths as a leader is his ability to turn strategy into execution. I've watched him throughout his career develop thoughtful plans, gain buy-in from the people around him, and then follow through until those plans produce measurable results. He doesn't chase quick wins or short-term fixes. He builds processes, develops people, and creates accountability so improvements are sustainable.

Throughout his leadership career, he has consistently been entrusted with growing and transforming service organizations. That trust isn't accidental. Organizations continue to place him in increasingly larger leadership roles because of his ability to improve operational performance, strengthen customer relationships, and build high-performing teams. His progression from technician to executive leadership reflects a track record of delivering results wherever he's gone.

What has always impressed me is that he understands successful execution requires more than good ideas. He believes strategy only works when everyone understands the objective, their role in achieving it, and how success will be measured. He has a unique ability to align people around a common vision while maintaining accountability at every level of an organization. I've also seen his commitment to continuous improvement throughout his career. He is constantly evaluating processes, asking what can be done better, and implementing changes that improve efficiency, customer experience, and long-term organizational performance. Rather than accepting the status quo, he creates a culture where improvement becomes part of the organization's identity.”

The Stand Out 50 awards wouldn’t be possible without the time of my co-judges. A sincere thank you to Lauren Neal, Founder of Valued at Work; Ged Cranny, retired service leader who spent more than 45 years with Konica Minolta; and Roy Dockery, Founder of Visionary Service Operations who kindly volunteered their time on the awards because they also feel strongly about the value of celebrating strong leadership.

In the coming weeks and months, you’ll see insights shared from the Stand Out 50, so stay tuned! This is just the beginning.

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Successful AI Innovation in Service Requires a Strong Defense

September 21, 2026 | 8 Mins Read

Successful AI Innovation in Service Requires a Strong Defense

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

While I’ve been on the receiving end of plenty, I’m not personally one to throw around a sports analogy too often.

However, when I was talking with Dr. Aymen Gatri for a recent episode of UNSCRIPTED, the conversation about AI risk brought one to mind that I couldn’t shake (or pass up sharing).

My eldest son, Evan, plays basketball. He absolutely loves the game, and over the past few years I’ve found myself repeatedly reminding him of something that isn’t always especially exciting to hear when you’re young and focused on scoring:

Offense gets the glory, but you can’t win games without strong defense.

You shoot a basket, it goes in, and everyone celebrates. It’s visible. It’s exciting. It’s easy to point to the scoreboard and say, There’s the impact.

Defense is different.

Good defense can be less noticeable. It’s about positioning, anticipation, awareness, and discipline. It’s often about preventing the other team from capitalizing on an opening, but strong defense doesn’t only protect your team – it creates opportunity. The challenge – especially for young kids – is that sometimes, the value of a defensive play is only obvious because of what didn’t happen.

(As a quick sidebar, I am so passionate about this point that I’ve been known to yell from the bleachers (sometimes very passionately), “Rebounds win games!” We took the boys to see a Cleveland Cavaliers playoff game this past season, and there as an area where you could make your own signs. My sons quickly said, “Mommy – you should put ‘Rebounds win games!’” It was a nice reminder that they do listen.)

So, it dawned on me during my conversation with Aymen, and I’ve thought more about it since, as a useful way to think about where we are with AI in service.

Right now, AI offense is getting a lot of attention. And for good reason; the potential is enormous.

Aymen wanted to be clear in our discussion that, while he wants to draw more attention to the risk that’s inherent in AI that he feels many are overlooking, he isn’t at all trying to diminish the excitement that the potential of AI brings. He feels it, too.

But if service organizations want to capitalize on that potential sustainably, they need to give just as much thought to their AI defense as they are their offense.

6 Aspects of a Strong AI Defense

One hypothesis I have is that leaders know they need a stronger AI defense, but they haven’t yet determined exactly what that looks like. In the rush to keep pace, offense is getting more focus not only because it gets the glory, but because it’s the clear starting point.

Aymen weighed in with his thoughts on what defensive concepts service organizations should consider augmenting their offensive approach with:

1. Start with strategy, not the technology.

One of the most important points Aymen made during our conversation was that the initial risk is implementing AI simply because AI is happening (without clear objectives).

That sounds obvious, but I think it's increasingly difficult to avoid the pressure.

There is a new capability, a new model, a new application seemingly every day. Organizations know they need to keep pace, and that urgency can easily turn into a mentality of racing rather than reasoning.

But the starting point should be intentional. Put very simply: What problem(s) are we trying to solve?

Aymen suggests starting the conversation with a fundamental question: Why does service matter, and why does AI matter for service?

The underlying objectives of service haven't suddenly changed because AI exists. Organizations are still trying to get things fixed, reduce downtime, increase uptime, improve customer outcomes, and address the very real challenge of getting knowledgeable people where they are needed.

AI can help with those challenges. But it helps most when the technology serves the strategy — and often goes awry when technology becomes the “strategy.”

A strong AI defense therefore starts before implementation, with clarity around what the organization is trying to accomplish and where AI genuinely fits.

2. Establish clear governance and accountability.

Aymen was sure to underscore that the risk profile changes significantly when we move from AI that assists people to AI agents that can take action. As we move toward systems that can ask questions, reason, make decisions, and potentially conduct work on our behalf, he suggests organizations seek answers to some fundamental questions:

  • Who governs what?
  • Who owns what?
  • Who is accountable for what?
  • And can an AI agent itself be held accountable?

These aren't necessarily questions with simple answers today. In fact, part of the challenge is that we're moving into territory where many organizations haven't yet established the appropriate frameworks. That's precisely why governance can't be an afterthought.

Aymen compared this evolution to cybersecurity. As cybersecurity became increasingly important, responsibility expanded beyond traditional IT security into areas including OT and IoT, ultimately creating a need for broader organizational governance.

He sees a similar requirement emerging with AI. Whether that means a dedicated AI leadership role, an existing executive taking on the responsibility, or some other structure will vary by organization.

There isn't one model that fits everyone, but what matters is that there is a clear home for AI governance, accountability and risk.

3. Build risk and compliance into the AI strategy.

A strong AI defense isn't about identifying every possible risk before moving forward. That’s not possible. The technology is developing too quickly, and there are questions we don't even know to ask (and more to come). But that doesn't mean risk should be left out of the equation.

Aymen's recommendation is to incorporate AI risk and compliance directly into accountability, risk, and strategy planning. He pointed to the evolution of cybersecurity and the established management systems organizations have developed around quality, information security and other areas as useful parallels.

The idea is essentially to create a management approach around AI that allows an organization to pursue the opportunity while deliberately managing the risk. That distinction is important. Risk awareness isn't an argument against AI adoption; it's part of responsible AI adoption.

4. Know your data — and protect it.

For service organizations, this becomes particularly important because AI may operate across an ecosystem involving the service organization, its customers, suppliers, and technology providers.

Aymen raised a deceptively simple question: Who owns the data? Customer data. Corporate data. Supplier data.

Also: Who is processing it? Where is it going? What infrastructure sits behind the AI agent? What happens to that data throughout the lifecycle?

Those boundaries aren't always clear. And when an AI agent is acting on behalf of an organization, the implications of unclear data ownership and processing can extend beyond a technical concern. There are privacy implications. Cybersecurity implications. Intellectual property implications. And, ultimately, business and reputational implications.

A strong AI defense therefore requires organizations to understand the data ecosystem surrounding their AI use — not simply the AI application itself.

5. Protect the trust of customers and employees.

This was another part of our conversation that I found particularly interesting because it moves the discussion beyond technology: AI has to be trusted to be adopted.

Aymen gave the example of remote service. It took years for some customers to become comfortable with the idea that a service provider could remotely access their machinery or systems and perform service.

Now consider asking a customer to trust an AI agent to conduct service. That's a very different threshold. And the same applies internally.

If employees don't trust the technology, they won't necessarily use it effectively. If customers have a poor experience with an AI capability, their confidence in the technology — and potentially in the organization providing it — can suffer.

This is why usability belongs in the AI defense conversation. So do accessibility, data privacy, and cybersecurity.

Aymen described these elements collectively as creating a kind of “middle layer of trust” in B2B relationships — a zone that helps establish confidence between the parties involved. This extends the goal from simply building AI capabilities that work to building capabilities that customers and employees are comfortable allowing to work.

6. Build AI literacy, not just AI capability.

Finally, I think there's a distinction emerging that organizations need to pay much more attention to: AI capability versus AI literacy.

There's a lot of focus right now on acquiring the people who can build AI, implement AI, and operate AI. Those capabilities are important.

But organizations also need people who can understand what is changing, connect those developments to business objectives, and determine what matters for their particular organization.

Because the pace of AI development creates a unique challenge. If there's another major development every day, it's impossible for an organization to chase every one of them. The answer can’t be to implement everything, but to develop enough understanding to make informed decisions about what deserves attention.

Aymen's perspective is that organizations that don't start building this knowledge now will face a much larger effort later.

And I think this is particularly important for service leaders. You don't necessarily need every service leader to become an AI expert. But you do need enough AI literacy throughout the organization to ask the right questions, understand the implications, and recognize where an opportunity aligns — or doesn't align — with the problems you're actually trying to solve.

A Balanced Approach to AI Innovation

As I said to Aymen during our conversation, I think it's easy to fall into one of two extremes with AI. On one side, there is the belief that AI is going to solve everything — including the skilled labor shortage — and that we should move as aggressively as possible.

On the other, there is fear of the unknown that can cause organizations to move too cautiously and miss meaningful opportunities. Neither extreme is particularly helpful.

What we need is the ability to hold both realities at the same time: There is enormous opportunity. And there is real risk.

Aymen's message wasn't to avoid the opportunity. His message was to adapt — with a strategy behind that adaptation. And that's where I keep coming back to the basketball analogy.

Offense gets the glory. It's the three-pointer everyone remembers. It's the new AI capability that gets announced, demonstrated, and celebrated.

But defense is what protects the lead. It means understanding where the vulnerabilities are, establishing the rules of engagement, and having people in place who can recognize when something changes.

In AI, that means defending the business, the information, privacy, intellectual property, customers, employees, and ultimately the trust that makes service relationships work.

We don't know everything that can happen next. We probably don't even know all of the questions we should be asking yet. But we can make sure we're building the awareness, governance, accountability, data protections, trust, and organizational capability needed to respond as the game evolves.

Because AI offense is getting the headlines. But a pairing strong offence with a strong AI defense is what will allow service organizations to keep playing.

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8 Traits the Next Era of Service Transformation Will Demand from Leaders

September 14, 2026 | 7 Mins Read

8 Traits the Next Era of Service Transformation Will Demand from Leaders

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

Next week we’ll announce the Stand Out 50 of 2026 – a group of leaders being recognized for their notable impact in the areas of authenticity, innovation, and execution. As we prepare for what is both an incredibly taxing and rewarding event, you can understand why I have leadership on my mind.

My fellow judges and I poured over the nominations, reading tales of how these individuals have not only accomplished impressive feats but – more importantly – how they’ve impacted peoples’ lives.

When the news is full of headlines of individuals that don’t seem to lead with integrity, care, or even humanity, it’s comforting to be reminded that there are plenty of leaders out there putting good into the world (while working hard).

How AI Impacts Leadership

I believe there’s a groundswell underway that demands more of today’s leaders. This shift, precipitated by the talent evolution and perpetuated by the expansion of AI, is significant and will create a point of differentiation for businesses in the coming years.

Which companies are set apart in the future will have to be adept at keeping pace with technology, certainly. And they must adapt to meeting today’s – and tomorrow’s – customer demands. What work looks like for all levels of the business will undoubtedly change, yes. But, in my opinion, strong leadership has never been more important as it is today – and will only be increasingly so.

However, there are a couple of variables that make this especially tricky. First, some of what constitutes good leadership has changed – and not all leaders have taken note. Second, in service specifically, we have many leaders within the ranks that really weren’t ideal for the role – they were put there as a progression from being strong individual contributors, but not necessarily because they’re good people leaders.

The next era of service transformation isn’t going to look like the last, in more ways than one. AI is far more capable – and complex – than any technological evolution that’s come before. The frontline workforce is in a precarious position. Service leadership isn’t an easy feat – it never has been, but even more so – which is why we care so much about recognizing the individuals that take it on.

When I reflect on my conversations with leaders across industries, around the world, as well as with frontline employees, these are the leadership traits that come to mind that have never been more important. That’s not to say they haven’t always been valuable traits, but rather that they have either taken on new meaning or are even more valuable given what’s changed.

Authenticity & Emotional Intelligence

In my recent podcast discussion with Kris Oldland, we spoke about how authenticity becomes an even more crucial characteristic in the AI era. I believe we’re only seeing the very beginning of how so, and it’s a trait that today’s workforce really needs from leadership.

We’re all weary of BS, of individuals who offer nothing more than towing the company line, who show no interest in getting to know people, or being known. We want realness, humanity, and to know someone gives a damn.

Beyond authenticity, other elements of emotional intelligence play an important role in meeting the needs of the new generation of workers. Leaders need to listen more – not only in quantity, but in depth. Psychological safety is an attribute that hasn’t always existed in the workplace but is an expectation and right today.

Employees want to feel connected, they want to understand their purpose and fulfill their potential, and they want to know they matter. The concept of mattering, and its power, was the topic of a podcast a while back with Zach Mercurio which is well worth a listen.

But the thing about these traits is that it isn’t just about being effective at applying these traits – leadership today and moving forward needs to have a very keen understanding of where these traits are most needed in the business.

As leaders determine where AI fits, and what it can and should do, a deep respect for authenticity and the ability to apply emotional intelligence are musts. Without ample respect for where humanity is needed within the business, and in the customer experience, there is massive risk.

More Curiosity & Creativity

Many of today’s leaders have spent decades acquiring skills, mastering experiences, and collecting accolades that – quite frankly – aren’t all relevant today. And that can be a really tough pill to swallow. Some leaders are excited about the opportunity to learn new skills, live new experiences, and collect fresh accolades – but others long for yesteryear.

Leaders who can’t, or won’t, unfurl themselves from the warm embrace of the status quo don’t stand a chance in the next era of service transformation. It requires boundless curiosity – not just about what’s changed or changing, but about what motivates individuals, about how differences create strength, and about the knowledge to be gained from considering new perspective and new possibilities.

Only with this type of curiosity can leaders foster the creativity that today and tomorrow’s landscape requires. Today’s challenges can’t be solved for with yesteryear’s formulas for success; greater creativity is essential. This can be frustrating because it feels like harder work – and it is. There are leaders who will be excited by the work itself, not just the outcome – and those are the leaders best fit for the future.

Temperance and Tenacity

Leadership in the next era of service transformation requires a unique combination of temperance and tenacity. In my recent conversation with Peter George about Alfa Laval’s service innovation, I asked him what he found most challenging.

“I would say what's been most challenging is the pace that we want to move at. Once you’ve identified what it is you need to do, you just want to get on and do it. But you have to allow the organization to move at a pace where it can digest and come along on the service journey,” he said. “It’s not just service on that journey; it’s the whole organization – and taking the time to make sure we get it right can feel challenging.”

There’s tremendous pressure on leaders today to keep pace with change, to move fast, to achieve results – and that pressure can cause a rush that often creates more damage than progress. Temperance is important.

Tenacity is as well, though. This isn’t about being lackadaisical at all, it’s about moving with intention and conviction. To achieve what many set out to achieve in service today takes a lot of grit. It’s being told no multiple times before you get a yes, failing ten times before you finally succeed. Leaders who are up for the task aren’t in it for the glory, but for the outcome – and they’re willing to stay that course.  

The Ability to Challenge

Leadership leading well today – and in the future – is not weak. It’s not afraid to push back when expectations are unrealistic, the time isn’t right, or they disagree with a path. Strong leadership requires a willingness to stand up for what you believe in, go to bat for your teams, and to voice the unpopular opinion.

At our NYC event in June, Natalia Shuman, CEO of MISTRAS Group, shared that when she began with the company, she told the board she needed 90 days before she’d begin discussing financials. Her priority was to get out in the field and spend time listening to customers and employees – only then, she said, could she properly set a strategy.

That’s a wonderful example of setting a boundary – to question the standard or push back on an expectation to instead do what you’re being asked to do in a way you believe is right and necessary.

Expert Curation & Choreography Skills

At some point, a strong leader was the person everyone turned to for the answer. Today, a leader who thinks they have all the answers is a massive liability. Dynamics have evolved in a way where the best leaders understand that their role is to curate and choreograph a variety of talents.

Leadership isn’t about knowing all or being able to do all but rather understanding context and seeing the big picture. Being stellar at listening, aligning, motivating, and rallying.

I remember having lunch with a leader in Copenhagen a couple of years ago who said to me how humbling she’s found leadership in recent years. She retold how she’s found herself having evolved from the go-to person to the conductor of greatness.

Humbling is a great way to put it, and that’s what it takes. Going back to my recent conversation with Kris, we talked a bit about “ego deaths” – and that’s a concept that may fit here. Ego is one trait there’s no room for in leadership today.  

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September 1, 2026 | 7 Mins Read

From Black Box to Glass Box: The Real Transformation of Servitization

September 1, 2026 | 7 Mins Read

From Black Box to Glass Box: The Real Transformation of Servitization

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

When I first spoke with Dave Mackerness for an episode of the podcast in late 2021, Kaer was well into its journey toward fully transitioning to a CaaS (cooling-as-a-service) company.

Fast forward several years, and Kaer has built upon its initial success. The company has expanded beyond its Singapore base into markets including India, Indonesia and Malaysia. Cooling as a service has moved from something that might have seemed like a bold experiment to an increasingly accepted business model. And technology—particularly AI—is creating entirely new opportunities to improve the performance of the assets Kaer operates.

But when I recently reconnected with Dave for a new episode of UNSCRIPTED, one point stood out to me above all others: The most challenging part of as-a-service isn't necessarily changing what you do, it's changing the relationship around what you do.

Kaer has been in the cooling business for roughly 70 years. Its evolution has been gradual: from distributing equipment and technology, to becoming a turnkey contractor and system integrator, to performance-based contracts, and then to CaaS.

As Dave shares, in many respects, the underlying work hasn't fundamentally changed. Kaer still designs cooling systems. It still procures equipment. It still installs and operates those systems. What changed was who owns the responsibility for the outcome—and therefore who owns the decisions about how that outcome is achieved.

In a traditional model, the customer buys the equipment and tells the provider what needs to be done. In an as-a-service model, Kaer takes responsibility for delivering the outcome. The customer doesn't need to care which chiller is running, how the system is optimized, or exactly how maintenance is scheduled, as long as Kaer delivers the agreed result.

That sounds straightforward, right? Theoretically, yes. In reality, not quite. Because the customer has to give up some control, and giving up control requires trust.

Transforming CX: From the Black Box to the Glass Box

Dave described one of the biggest lessons Kaer learned in a particularly memorable way.

Initially, the company thought about its operation as a black box. We'll take care of everything inside. You just care about the outcome.

But customers weren't necessarily comfortable with that. Imagine you've spent years owning and managing a critical piece of infrastructure. Suddenly, a provider tells you, essentially, “Don't worry about what we're doing. We'll take care of it.”

Even if the business case is compelling, that's a difficult psychological transition.

So Kaer changed its approach. Rather than a black box, it created a glass box.

Customers don't control how Kaer operates the system, but they can see what is happening. Through Kaer's customer experience application, customers can access the data and information that demonstrates performance, including historical temperatures, service records, checklists, and other documentation.

With the glass box, transparency replaces control. The customer doesn't need to dictate how the outcome is achieved. But they receive confidence that it is being achieved.

Organizations exploring servitization should pay close attention to this lesson Kaer learned. When you take responsibility for an outcome, you're not simply taking responsibility for the physical work. You're taking responsibility for creating enough confidence that the customer is comfortable allowing you to take control.

The 80/20 Lesson of Servitization Nobody Tells You

Another important consideration for anyone considering servitization is the reflection Dave shared on how Kaer's understanding of its own business changed as the company matured.

As a traditional contractor, the focus was largely on designing and installing equipment and ensuring it operated. With cooling as a service, Dave says, those technical activities represent only about 20% of the work.

The other 80% is managing the customer relationship: ensuring customers are happy, creating confidence, making the service auditable, and building the experience around the outcome. It's easy to focus solely on the commercial and operational aspects of moving to an outcome-based model, but it’s crucial to understand it’s more than that.

It's a customer experience transformation.

When you're selling equipment, the transaction has a relatively clear endpoint. When you're selling an outcome, the relationship is continuous. The customer needs to understand what they're receiving, trust that you're delivering it and have an easy way to engage with the information that matters to them.

As-a-Service Doesn’t Suit All

Another thing I appreciated about Dave's perspective is what he’s learned about what types of businesses “fit” the as-a-service model. He shares that, earlier on, he was of the mindset that anyone and everyone should consider the journey – but over time, he’s realized there are use cases where it simply doesn’t make sense.  In fact, he developed a framework of thinking about whether a product or industry is actually suited to as-a-service that considers two dimensions: complexity and cost.

If something is cheap and simple, customers may choose as-a-service primarily because it provides a better experience or greater convenience. If something is expensive but relatively simple, the economics and cost of capital become more important.

But when you move into products that are both expensive and highly complex, the opportunity becomes much more compelling (provided the provider has the expertise to operate and optimize them effectively). That's where cooling sits. The equipment itself matters, but so does the complexity of operating it well.

As Dave points out, buying the best equipment and installing it perfectly doesn't necessarily result in the best performance. Poor operation can dramatically increase energy consumption and carbon emissions. The ongoing optimization is where significant value can be created.

And that's a critical consideration for any organization thinking about servitization: Where is the expertise that your customer doesn't have, or doesn't want to develop themselves? That may be the real source of your service value.

AI Amplifies As-a-Service Capabilities, But it Can’t Become Another Black Box

Kaer began its AI journey in 2017, developing an AI platform to optimize cooling systems. The impact of AI in CaaS is that Kaer’s highest-performing system isn’t the newest, but the asset for which it has the most data.

The company's first cooling system installed in 2013 remains its highest-performing system, because it has accumulated the most data and that data allows Kaer's models to continually improve how the system is operated and optimized.

That's a powerful concept for asset-intensive industries: The value of an asset doesn't have to deteriorate simply because the asset ages. If data, intelligence, and optimization capabilities improve over time, the operational performance of that asset can actually become better understood and potentially better managed. AI is part of the mechanism through which an outcome is continuously improved.

While AI presents significant opportunity in as-a-service, it must be leveraged responsibly. Just as customers need transparency to trust an as-a-service provider, employees need transparency to trust AI.

Dave described the challenge of introducing AI into mission-critical cooling infrastructure. An AI system might identify an optimization opportunity, but if engineers don't understand or trust why the system is changing something, they may be reluctant to rely on it.

And unlike a consumer using an AI assistant, a cooling system can't simply produce an occasional bad answer. The consequences are far different.

Kaer addressed this by building a second validation layer around its machine learning. The AI can make recommendations, but those recommendations are checked against the physical realities of the system—thermodynamics, pump curves, fan curves ,and the defined service requirements—before action is taken.

That's a useful model for industrial AI more broadly: Intelligence needs guardrails.

The more mission-critical the environment, the more important it becomes to combine AI's ability to learn with domain expertise, physical constraints, safety mechanisms and transparency. The goal isn't simply to make AI autonomous, it's to make AI trustworthy enough to act.

Servitization Creates a Different Kind of Continuous Improvement

Perhaps the biggest lesson from Kaer's journey is that moving to as-a-service removes your endpoint, which changes the incentive structure around improvement.

If you're selling a piece of equipment, there’s a natural end to the transaction. When you're responsible for the outcome, you have a reason to keep asking:

  • Can we deliver this more efficiently?
  • Can we make the asset perform better?
  • Can we reduce energy consumption?
  • Can we improve reliability?
  • Can we make the customer experience easier?
  • Can we use what we've learned from one asset to improve another?

That creates a powerful feedback loop between operations, data, technology, and customer value. And it's one reason Kaer sees the as-a-service model continuing to expand into other industries. Dave points to the growing adoption of models such as lighting-as-a-service, transport-as-a-service, and data-as-a-service.

The Real Transformation is in the Relationship

Kaer's story is obviously about cooling, but the lessons are much broader. Servitization isn't simply about changing the contract from buying something to subscribing to something.

It requires organizations to reconsider:

  • What the customer is actually buying
  • Who owns the responsibility for the outcome
  • How much control the customer needs—and how much they are willing to give up
  • How transparency can replace control
  • What capabilities the provider must build to continuously improve
  • Where data and AI can create new value
  • How customers need to be supported through the behavioral shift
  • Whether the economics and complexity of the product actually make servitization a good fit

And perhaps most importantly, it requires a different definition of the customer relationship. When you sell a product, you give the customer ownership. When you sell an outcome, you ask them to give you some of that ownership back.

That's a much bigger shift than changing a pricing model; it is a shift in trust.

Kaer's experience suggests that the companies most likely to succeed will be those that understand this nuance. They won't simply tell customers, “Don't worry—we've got it.”

They'll say: “Let us take responsibility for the outcome. And we'll give you enough visibility, transparency, and confidence to know we're doing it well.”

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August 24, 2026 | 8 Mins Read

The Jigsaw Puzzle of Service Transformation at Alfa Laval

August 24, 2026 | 8 Mins Read

The Jigsaw Puzzle of Service Transformation at Alfa Laval

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By Sarah Nicastro, Founder and Editor in Chief, Future of Field Service

When organizations talk about transforming service, particularly given today’s pressures, the instinct is to look for the big move. Is it a new service strategy? A technology investment? A shift toward servitization? A new operating model? More digital services? Better talent?

The reality is that it’s all of those things—and none of them in isolation.

In a recent conversation for the UNSCRIPTED podcast, I spoke with Peter George, Head of Global Sales and Service for Alfa Laval’s Industrial Food and Heat Transfer Division, about the company’s journey to bring service into greater focus. I loved how Peter described that journey as a “big jigsaw puzzle with a lot of pieces.”

It’s an apt analogy.

Because what makes successful service transformation so complex is quite similar to the challenge of a jigsaw puzzle; it isn't simply that there are a lot of pieces, it’s that the pieces have to fit together just right to complete the vision.

You can’t redefine the service proposition without considering what that means for the people delivering it. You can’t ask technicians to become more consultative without giving them the competence, tools, and information to do so. You can’t build digital service capabilities without thinking about new roles and career paths. And you can’t expect the organization to invest differently in service if the business still fundamentally sees it as a reactive, break-fix function.

Service Transformation Starts with Changing the Vision You’re Aiming to Build

Historically, Alfa Laval viewed service as important—but, like many manufacturers with a strong product heritage, it didn't necessarily receive the same level of focus as product development.

That began to change as the company listened more closely to customers.

Peter explained that customer conversations were increasingly moving beyond traditional concepts like reliability and maintenance toward efficiency, sustainability, and ROI. Those are all areas where service can have significant impact, but they require a different way of not only thinking about but talking about service.

That became an important starting point: understanding that the value customers seek through their lens and allowing that to fundamentally change the service conversation.

Instead of, “Your machine is broken, and we can fix it,” the conversation becomes, “What are you trying to achieve, and how can we help you get more value from this asset across its lifecycle?”

That shift may sound subtle, but it has significant implications for everything that follows. And while the pieces to any one organization’s jigsaw puzzle will be unique, here are those that were vital to Alfa Laval’s success.

Puzzle Piece #1: Redefine the Service Vision

The first piece of Alfa Laval's puzzle was redefining what service should be.

The company brought service leaders together to establish a new service vision and then looked at its existing offerings through the lens of the customer lifecycle. Rather than simply retaining traditional service names and descriptions, the organization reconsidered how those offerings fit into the customer's journey and, critically, what value each one delivered.

That meant moving away from describing activities and toward describing outcomes. In the eyes of the customer, a reconditioning service isn't simply reconditioning. An upgrade isn't simply an upgrade.

What does that intervention enable the customer to accomplish? What happens when the equipment isn't performing as it should? What can be done to prevent recurring problems? How can the asset contribute more effectively to the customer's broader objectives?

And not only considering the view of the customer but adopting their language so that you express your understanding and so what you say resonates because it’s in their terms.

But redefining the offering creates another puzzle piece: if you're asking your people to have a different conversation with customers, they need to be equipped to have it.

Puzzle Piece #2: Build the Workforce Around the New Value Proposition

The frontline role changes when service changes.

A technician who is expected to simply diagnose and repair a problem has a different job from someone expected to act as a trusted advisor, identify opportunities to improve performance, and help a customer understand how to get more value from an asset.

Alfa Laval recognized that distinction. Peter emphasized the importance of attracting people with the right mindset and behaviors, but he also highlighted something that can sometimes get lost in conversations about frontline transformation: the human experience of doing the job.

For Peter, who began as a service engineer himself, work-life balance is one of the first considerations when thinking about attracting and retaining field service talent. Recognition, appropriate workload, training, tools and support all matter, but so does making sure people have a life outside of work.

Another important piece is career development. Not every field engineer wants to become a manager (nor should they). Alfa Laval has created learning programs and pathways that allow people to develop their skills and move into other roles when they're ready, including newer digital service roles.

That is a perfect example of why the puzzle pieces interconnect. Digital transformation creates new roles. New roles create new career opportunities. Career opportunities help attract and retain talent. And better talent enables the organization to deliver a more sophisticated service proposition.

Puzzle Piece #3: Give the Frontline Workforce the Tools to Succeed

One area Alfa Laval focused on was making information much more accessible to technicians in the field. For an OEM, critical information can live across multiple systems and repositories. A technician may need a drawing, parts list, standard operating procedure, or other piece of information while standing in front of equipment at a customer site.

Alfa Laval worked to centralize that information and make it accessible through tools such as IFS, reducing the friction involved in finding what technicians need to execute their work. The company also simplified reporting so technicians could complete documentation in real time rather than spending additional hours at the end of the day.

Notice the dual benefit here: Better technology can improve operational efficiency, but it can also improve employee experience.

Reducing administrative burden doesn't only mean a technician can potentially complete more jobs. It can mean less time spent working after hours, less frustration and more time away from work. That's an important mindset shift: technology investments shouldn't be evaluated solely through the lens of productivity. They can also be investments in the people who use them.

Puzzle Piece #4: Extend Beyond the Physical Field with Digital Services

As mentioned, Alfa Laval's transformation involved the creation of new digital capabilities. The company has established digital service centers where experts monitor connected equipment and provide predictive services. Those teams also act as a support mechanism for field engineers, helping them troubleshoot problems and access expertise when they need it. Alfa Laval has expanded this capability globally and incorporated technologies including augmented reality.

Again, this is more than the surface-level technology story. Digital service creates new capabilities for customers. It creates new support mechanisms for technicians. And it creates new career pathways for employees.

The pieces reinforce one another. The frontline doesn't become less important because digital capabilities expand. Instead, the definition of the frontline ecosystem becomes broader. Expertise can flow between the field and digital teams, with each making the other more effective.

Puzzle Piece #5: Create R&D Specifically for Service

Perhaps one of the most tangible indicators of Alfa Laval's changing perception and prioritization of service is the development of dedicated R&D activity for service.

Product R&D is a natural concept in a product manufacturer, of course. But service R&D requires a different mindset: proactively looking at what could be improved once products are in the field and creating new tools, services, or interventions to improve performance, efficiency, and customer value.

And critically, Alfa Laval's service organization is feeding those opportunities into dedicated R&D resources.

That creates a feedback loop: The field sees the opportunity. Service captures it. R&D develops it. The customer receives more value.

That is a very different model from waiting for something to break and then responding. It is service innovation becoming an intentional discipline, which only happens in a business that truly values the opportunity service presents.

Puzzle Piece #6: Build the Organizational Infrastructure Around Service

There's a lot of infrastructure required to make all this work. Peter talked about ensuring service has the right footprint, service centers, and infrastructure to support the installed base, while also embedding service systems into the broader IT landscape so employees can access the information they need seamlessly.

But it’s more than just infrastructure. It’s the understanding that to achieve true success, you have to accept that service transformation isn’t a “service initiative,” but rather a business transformation.

Marketing has a role because the organization needs to communicate value differently. HR has a role because talent models, career development, and employee experience have to evolve. R&D has a role because service opportunities need to influence innovation. IT has a role because information and systems need to support execution. Sales has a role because the conversation around customer value has to extend beyond the initial product sale.

In Peter's words, the transformation requires the whole organization to come along, not just service.

Advice for Service Transformation Success

The fact that the pieces can't be solved in isolation is, ultimately, what I find most compelling about the jigsaw puzzle analogy. The complexity isn't simply that there are many things to do; it's that each thing changes the requirements for the others.

Pull one piece out, and the picture changes. That's why transformation can feel overwhelming. There isn't necessarily one obvious starting point, and there certainly isn't one initiative that will solve everything. What’s helpful in achieving success is to understand upfront the interconnectedness of the pieces.

When I asked Peter what he found most challenging about this journey, it wasn’t the complexity itself he named, or any certain aspect of it, but rather the temptation to move too fast.  “Once you know what needs to change, the temptation is to move quickly,” he shares. “But transformation has to be digestible for the organization for it to work.”

Alfa Laval has deliberately brought the pieces together over time, allowing different functions to adapt and ensuring changes become embedded.

That may be one of the most important lessons for organizations embarking on their own transformation: Service transformation is not a project you complete; it's a new way of operating that you progressively build.

The goal isn't to put every piece in place as quickly as possible. It's to make sure the pieces fit—and that they stay in place.

There’s a wealth of knowledge in the full conversation with Peter, I’d recommend giving it a listen.

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Subscribe to The INSIDER, our exclusive monthly newsletter, and get a first look at what’s new, what’s next, and what’s only shared with our inner circle.

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Build Your Builders: What It Really Takes to Create a Service Culture People Stay For

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