New Research: Field Service Leaders Face a Growing Talent Crisis and ROI Challenge Even as They Double Down on AI Investment

Field service organizations are rapidly adopting AI, with 95% already using some form of the technology and 85% planning to increase investments within two years. The primary goals driving adoption are enhancing customer satisfaction (35%), mobile worker productivity (31%), safety (27%), and revenue (25%). AI tools are currently deployed for customer communication (54%) and field employee assistance (51%).

While 85% of leaders report measuring AI ROI, concrete benefits are most evident in scheduling and dispatch, where 57% of users see higher revenue per job and productivity gains. Additional reported benefits include reduced emissions (52%) and lower labor costs (49%). However, these gains are uneven due to workforce challenges and data accessibility issues.

A workforce crisis is emerging, with two-thirds of leaders reporting increased mobile worker turnover over the past two years. Insufficient training and support during technology rollouts are cited as the leading cause. Compounding the problem, 61% of organizations say mobile workers lack access to critical customer data needed to act on AI recommendations.

Fragmentation in technology platforms exacerbates these issues, with only 16% of organizations reporting unified field and back-office systems. This lack of integration makes it difficult to measure AI effectiveness, with 40% of leaders struggling to assess performance. Organizations prioritize transparency, data security, and vendor support when selecting AI partners, reflecting the critical nature of AI infrastructure.