New Connector Has Ability to Improve First-Time Fix Rates by Empowering Field Technicians With Critical Information From IoT and MR Sources
BOSTON — (BUSINESS WIRE) — June 19, 2018 — PTC (NASDAQ: PTC) today announced at the sold-out LiveWorx® 18 digital transformation conference a new connected field service solution that integrates the ThingWorx® platform with Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Field Service. ThingWorx with Dynamics 365 Field Service enables field technicians and others to seamlessly connect to vital engineering data (such as bill of material (BOM) information), which can provide improved insights in an easy-to-understand way, thus enabling expedited service delivery.
ThingWorx is PTC’s Industrial Innovation Platform that integrates Microsoft Azure IoT capabilities. The new connector for Dynamics 365 provides companies additional ways to develop a connected service strategy that enables improved efficiency of service operations. As a result, ThingWorx can now tap into key features of Dynamics 365 for Field Service to enable reduced downtime and resolution of service issues faster by allowing users to schedule the right resource with the right part and information to complete the job. A typical scenario may include these steps:
1. A machine in a factory sends a sensor-initiated alert to ThingWorx
through Azure IoT indicating that it’s about to fail.
2. Automated
actions are generated when ThingWorx receives IoT alerts, collects and
contextualizes the alert information, and pulls relevant and supporting
data from myriad systems, such as PTC’s Windchill® PLM
solution.
3. A comprehensive view of the situation is presented to
the service manager using ThingWorx with Dynamics 365 Field Service,
including IoT data and predictive failure information.
4. Advanced
scheduling capabilities in Dynamics 365 for Field Service are used to
help the technician service manager assess and validate the situation
and then schedule the right resource with the right skills.
5.
Automated field service notifications are sent to the customer that
there is an issue and that a technician is scheduled to fix the problem.
ThingWorx with Dynamics 365 Field Service also pairs PTC’s Vuforia® Studio augmented reality platform with Microsoft HoloLens, providing a robust authoring tool that enables technicians to access powerful mixed reality (MR) experiences. For example, technicians on site will now be able to use HoloLens (or other industry devices) to visualize assembly and disassembly procedures.
“IoT and mixed reality have changed how companies are building and servicing their products. With better insights into more engineering data, our customers can improve uptime and increase first-time fix rates,” said Iain Michel, general manager, ThingWorx, PTC. “Our collaboration with Microsoft enables our customers to bring together information from the major product lifecycle functions, including design, manufacturing, operations, and service for the purpose of ensuring the highest quality service response.”
ThingWorx with Dynamics 365 Field Service is available now on Microsoft AppSource and is being demonstrated during LiveWorx 18 this week at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.
“When servicing a product, ThingWorx with Dynamics 365 Field Service enables a technician to easily access detailed information from a customer’s engineering data systems (like PLM) about the affected equipment’s bill of materials (BOM) so that they have a quick understanding of what parts are needed for their service visit,” said Sona Venkat, general manager, Intelligent SaaS, Microsoft Corp. “This BOM information is critical to ensuring that issues are addressed faster and field technician visits are more efficient.”
This is the next stage of the relationship announced in January between PTC and Microsoft to help customers unlock the value in their digital transformation journeys.
Additional Resources
- Gartner Magic Quadrant for Industrial IoT Platforms
- Harvard Business Review: “Why Every Organization Needs an AR Strategy,” authored by PTC CEO Jim Heppelmann and Harvard Professor Michael Porter
- Microsoft Business Forward 2018 – Proactive Field Service Demo
About PTC (NASDAQ: PTC)
PTC helps companies around the world reinvent the way they design, manufacture, operate, and service products in and for a smart, connected world. In 1986 we revolutionized digital 3D design, and in 1998 were first to market with Internet-based product lifecycle management. Today, our leading industrial innovation platform and field-proven solutions enable you to unlock value at the convergence of the physical and digital worlds. With PTC, manufacturers and an ecosystem of partners and developers can capitalize on the promise of the Internet of Things and augmented reality technology today and drive the future of innovation.
