Praxedo study links specialist software to workforce gains

Praxedo has identified a marked difference in reported workforce outcomes between field service organisations using industry-specific management software and those relying on less specialised platforms. In a survey conducted with Field Service Insights, 48% of AI adopters using tailored systems reported significant improvements in technician morale and burnout, compared with 9% using other platforms.

The research involved 100 senior field service leaders working in energy and utilities, heavy equipment and telecommunications. It examined artificial intelligence adoption alongside scheduling, recruitment, technician support and the ability of organisations to retain specialist knowledge. The results are based on leaders’ assessments of their operations, rather than independently measured workforce or productivity outcomes.

AI was already widely used among the businesses surveyed. Some 88% reported adopting it to support technicians, including 79% using it in selected activities and 9% using it extensively. The remaining 12% were piloting the technology, while no respondents reported having no plans for adoption. These figures indicate broad participation in AI projects, although the extent of deployment differed considerably between organisations.

Among adopters, 99% reported some improvement in technician morale or burnout, but 80% described the effect as moderate. The difference between moderate and significant outcomes is important when comparing the technology’s contribution to working conditions. Reducing paperwork or making job information easier to access can improve a technician’s working day without necessarily producing a substantial change in overall workload.

The software supporting those activities varied in its suitability for industrial service work. Only 23% of respondents described their field service management platform as specifically tailored to their industry. Another 64% considered their systems adequate but reliant on workarounds or spreadsheets, while 13% regarded them as inadequate for their operational requirements.

Those workarounds can arise when standard software does not represent the conditions required to complete a service task. Scheduling work on industrial equipment may involve technician qualifications, specialist tools, spare parts, site access and safety permissions. A system that records only the location of a customer and the availability of a worker can leave dispatch personnel to reconcile those additional requirements manually.

Even when a technician is available, the assignment may be unsuitable if the person lacks the required competence or equipment. Dispatch teams must match the work order with the skills needed, the customer’s operating hours and the materials available to complete the repair. Where that information is held in separate spreadsheets or local records, changes to one part of the schedule may not be reflected consistently elsewhere.

The survey found that 70% of respondents using industry-tailored software considered their scheduling and dispatch functions very effective, compared with 26% of those using other platforms. These are reported assessments, not the results of a controlled comparison. Organisations using more specialised systems may also differ in management practices, investment or the complexity of their operations.

Dispatchers identified repeated changes to routes and customer calls among the administrative demands affecting their work. Some 47% cited manual route adjustments and customer communication as their leading frustration, while 32% reported inadequate real-time visibility once jobs had been assigned. Both problems can affect the ability to respond when a technician is delayed or a higher-priority repair becomes necessary.

With current information about job progress, a dispatcher can assess whether a technician will finish in time for the next appointment or whether another worker should be allocated. A schedule that lacks reliable status updates may instead depend on telephone calls to establish where engineers are and whether their tasks have been completed. That additional communication can occupy time otherwise available for planning and customer support.

Technicians experience a related information problem when they arrive at a site. Some 43% of survey respondents identified inadequate access to customer history and work order information as a leading technology frustration. Another 25% cited excessive driving caused by inflexible routing, while 24% reported processes still relying on photographs sent by email or paper records.

Incomplete service histories can cause an engineer to repeat diagnostic work or contact colleagues to identify previous repairs. Equipment records may also contain details of replacement parts, recurring faults and procedures used during earlier visits. Providing those records through a suitable mobile application can assist preparation and troubleshooting, provided the underlying information is accurate and kept up to date.

These limitations are compounded by shortages of experienced personnel. Some 72% of respondents described difficulty recruiting qualified technicians as a significant challenge to productivity and retention, while 70% identified the loss of institutional knowledge as senior employees retire. A further 62% reported that junior technicians become frustrated when they cannot obtain timely support while working on site.

Preserving technical knowledge was consequently an investment priority for many respondents. Some 57% identified searchable knowledge bases as a way to capture experienced technicians’ expertise, while 52% favoured systems that assign work according to skill level and seniority. These capabilities depend on structured equipment records, suitable work classifications and information that can be retrieved when technicians need it.

Over the following 12 months, 40% of respondents planned to prioritise improvements to mobile applications and the digital tools used by field workers. AI-supported diagnostics were selected by 33%, reflecting interest in helping technicians identify faults and complete repairs. The operational benefit will depend on whether diagnostic recommendations are based on reliable records and remain appropriate to the equipment and conditions encountered.

Customer-facing systems showed a similar distinction between basic availability and more substantial satisfaction. Only 10% of respondents regarded customers as very satisfied with their self-service portals, applications and automated updates, even though 77% considered those services useful. Among organisations using industry-tailored software, 30% reported very high customer satisfaction with self-service tools, compared with 4% using other platforms.

The survey took place in the first quarter of 2026, with 65% of respondents working for businesses generating more than US$1 billion annually. Its findings describe relationships within a selected group of service organisations and cannot establish that specialised software alone caused improved morale, scheduling or customer outcomes. The reported differences nevertheless provide a basis for examining how effectively management systems accommodate the practical requirements of industrial field service work.