Industry Summary Articles

PTC and ServiceMax, a GE Digital company, today announced Varian Medical has deployed Connected Field Service, the first IoT-enabled field service solution available through the collaboration between PTC and ServiceMax.

Connected Field Service provides remote diagnostics and contextual repair procedures for service technicians while automating dispatching and work orders. This enables faster, more informed services - and in some cases, the ability to fix machines remotely to avoid unplanned downtime. The solution, which was introduced in January 2016, combines PTC's ThingWorx platform with ServiceMax's field service management mobile suite to give technicians in the field the first solution that seamlessly integrates IoT data into a field service management system.

Varian Medical joins McKinley Elevator, Medivators and Elekta, which are already experiencing the benefits of connecting [field] assets to the IoT, as the latest company to deploy the Connected Field Service solution.

Varian Medical is the world's leading manufacturer of integrated cancer therapy systems with a network of 20,000 devices at 5,000 hospitals. They selected Connected Field Service to improve device performance through connectivity and predictive monitoring and to improve customer satisfaction by reducing the frequency and duration of clients waiting for service support.

"Our focus is to deliver the highest value to our customers through more effective and more proactive service," said Todd Lauer, product support engineering, Varian Medical. "By connecting our devices to the IoT, we are able to execute service proactively and reduce the number of technician visits per year, per device."

"The digital transformation companies are undergoing is not only completely reshaping the customer experience, but is also putting field service at the center of it all," said Athani Krishna, co-founder and chief strategy officer, ServiceMax. "Asset uptime is so crucial in the medical device space, and the stakes are higher than ever for getting service right. Integrating connected devices with the service process can lead to better outcomes, happier customers, and more predictable business models for companies that deploy it."

"Together with ServiceMax, we've been able to architect technology solutions that demonstrate real business results that focus on customer needs," said Michael Anderson, senior director, SLM solution management, PTC. "We are pleased to be supporting Varian Medical in their connected service journey."

In addition to the collaboration with ServiceMax for Connected Field Service, PTC and GE Digital announced plans this past November to expand their strategic alliance to bring integrated Industrial Internet of Things solutions to market. The companies are exploring ‘ThingWorx for Predix' — a technology suite that will make it easier for joint customers to use ThingWorx to develop custom applications that run on Predix, GE's Industrial Internet operating system.

To view the original press release, please click here.

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