IFS unveils smarter Field Service Management 6

IFS Americas President Cindy Jaudon speaks at the inauguration of Day 2 of the IFS World Conference 2018 in Atlanta yesterday when IFS’ latest version of the Field Service Management 6 application was launched. 

IFS, the global enterprise applications company, yesterday previewed major updates of its IFS Field Service Management (FSM) offering at the IFS World Conference in Atlanta.

IFS Field Service Management 6 features a number of enhancements, including:

New user experience (UX): With a completely reengineered, fully responsive front end, IFS FSM 6 will run on any browser and on any device at any time. The new UX features user-centric and intuitive action patterns as well as stunning graphic designs including high-resolution charts and diagrams.

Major performance boost in IFS Planning & Scheduling Optimization (PSO): The IFS PSO component of IFS Field Service Management yields a 50% improvement in processing performance on Microsoft Azure. In addition, the maximum number of activities per standard Dynamic Scheduling Engine (DSE) for dynamic responsive processing has been significantly increased.

Next-generation configurability: Written in an all-new scripting language which empowers customers to configure data fields, workflows and user behavior, IFS FSM 6 eliminates the need for costly customisations, providing greater agility while evergreen service management capabilities ensure seamless updates.

Key functional enhancements: Alongside these major new architectural changes, IFS FSM 6 introduces a multitude of significant new features and extensions to existing functionality in areas including increased scheduling optimisation flexibility, warranty claims management, mobile synchronisation and UI improvements.

Pay and deploy with even more flexibility: Customers can choose to deploy IFS FSM 6 as a true multi-tenant solution on the Microsoft Azure cloud, as a managed service in the cloud or on-premise. This flexibility also offers customers choice in how they pay, from outright ownership to a monthly subscription.

“We are very excited to offer a preview of IFS Field Service Management 6, which leads the market in terms of usability, configurability, connectivity and flexibility,” said Mark Brewer, IFS global industry director for service. 

“With this major new release, we are further differentiating our value proposition but are continuing to provide customers with the ability to choose the functionality they need and deploy in the way they want—be it in the cloud or on-premise. Choice is a good thing, and with IFS, the customer can decide what makes sense for their business. Combine this flexibility with industry-leading functionality, leading AI and optimisation technology and a new user experience and it is evident that IFS really does represent the most complete, connected field service solution on the market.”

One of the early adopters is Eickhoff, a leading manufacturer of machinery and gearing technology used in mining, wind turbines and other industrial applications. 

Commenting on IFS Field Service Management 6, Dietmar Schmitz, Head of Product Development Service at Eickhoff, said: “As a provider of mission-critical machinery, we see service as a core competency and competitive differentiator. Consequently, we needed a solution to manage our more than 6.5 million items in complex parts lists for over 15,000 custom units. IFS FSM 6 provides an engaging and effective way to make this possible.”

The new version is planned to be made generally available in Q4, 2018.