Maxoptra Blog

Last month, I was contemplating the research from the European Field Services conference 2013 as I prepared for my visit to the 2014 conference (on which there is much to comment on from the 2014 conference in terms of content and atmosphere but more of that in a future blog!).

I remember one Christmas morning and my Dad opening up a present given to him by my Mum. After removing the wrapping he held up an unusual looking circular object proudly bearing the words “A round tuit” at the bottom. When I asked my Mum what it was for she simply smiled and answered that it was a tool for my Dad to complete all those jobs around the house that he had left until “he got around to it”.

As I prepared my vegetable patch for planting at the weekend I mused over some of the objections we face when introducing new efficiency improving technologies to our potential customers.

In 2012, when Magenta Technology started on the development of its cloud-based Maxoptra dynamic routing and scheduling solution for distribution and field service companies, the potential benefits to our potential customers seemed obvious.

As 2014 came to a close, a number of articles reminded me of technology and business trends I have observed over my career providing businesses with new technology. The first was a report about research carried out by Epson showing that 85% of European businesses believe new technology provides a competitive advantage.

It is sometimes frustrating when start-ups seem to take a lead in your market with better technology – although with the advent of UBER, some private hire companies may say it is a little more than just ‘frustrating’.

We have all seen at least one Terminator movie and heard the prediction of eminent scientists that artificial intelligence poses the greatest known threat to mankind.

“Time is money” is a well-used phrase we hear repeatedly as we grow up. We learn to appreciate that our own time is valuable and it should not be wasted, especially by someone else!

The “Ideal Plan” should be viewed as a masterpiece of excellence and perfection. After all, it is ideal. Designed with care, based upon knowledge of all the facts, specialist expertise and the benefit of past experience, the “Ideal Plan” is intended to deliver the agreed objectives, precisely to a set timetable.

The European Court of Justice has ruled that, for workers without a fixed office, time spent travelling to and from their first and last appointments count towards the EU Working Time Directive of 48 hours per week, a decision that many leading experts fear will drive up costs for businesses.

Most road accidents are typically related to bad driving behaviour. But what is not so obvious is, who are most likely to be involved? Research undertaken by Brake, the road safety charity reveals that 20 people are killed every week while driving for work in the UK. That is almost one in three (31%) of fatal crashes and one in four (26%) of serious injury crashes – typically involving field service and mobile workers, most of whom are home-based.

People often talk about those rare individuals who have the capability to effectively turn their hand to almost anything and succeed – to be a ‘jack of all trades’. But can such a multi-skilled person really exist and are such individuals really an asset in a growing business or a liability?