AI Trends in the Service Industry: The Agent Takes Care of the Machine

Erlangen, February 25, 2025 – AI independently handles many tasks, dynamic deployment planning becomes accessible to all, companies receive support in combating the skills shortage: IFS demonstrates how Artificial Intelligence will transform the service industry in the coming years.

Artificial Intelligence is changing the working world at a rapid pace. This also applies to service providers and the service organizations of companies. Chatbots already answer customer inquiries precisely and around the clock, AI assistants support service technicians in their daily work. But this is just the beginning. The further advancements of Artificial Intelligence will truly revolutionize the service industry in the near future. IFS, a leading provider of Industrial-AI software, shows what developments are on the horizon.
 

1. AI agents handle tasks on their own. In addition to chatbots and AI assistants, so-called AI agents are increasingly joining the ranks. These are capable of autonomously completing certain tasks without human input and making independent decisions. An example of this is when a customer wants to know the cost of upgrading their service contract and requests an offer. An AI agent can review and understand the customer history, the specific details of the existing contract, and the technical specifications of the devices, derive an offer from this, and send it to the customer via email.
2. Machines will be equipped with their own agents. In the future, machines will have their own AI agents. Machines are increasingly networked and exchange data in real-time with manufacturers and independent maintenance service providers. An AI agent can monitor these data streams, analyze them, and take proactive measures. If an agent detects that a component is about to fail, it can independently issue a warning, but also automatically provide the machine operator with appointment options and prices for a technician to install the required replacement part.
3. AI democratizes dynamic deployment planning. IT tools that companies use to optimize deployment planning for their field staff are often complex and require extensive manual fine-tuning. Through embedded AI, such tools become self-learning and autonomous. With training on minimal data, the tool teaches itself the required decision-making behavior, and few to no manual interventions are needed for rule optimization. Dynamic deployment planning thus becomes accessible to all companies, regardless of size, complexity, resources, or volume.
4. Companies expand their pool of field staff. AI-optimized deployment planning helps companies mitigate the skills shortage in the field. They can more easily employ workers who work part-time or with flexible hours, as well as freelance workers from the so-called gig economy who take on short-term jobs flexibly via digital platforms. As they are digitally savvy workers, they are ready for deployment after basic task-related training and can efficiently perform many services guided on smartphones and tablets.
5. Knowledge articles write themselves. Technicians from service providers for facility management, testing, monitoring, and certification, or from managed services providers deal with a wide variety of devices and models from different manufacturers. AI enables companies to automate the creation and continuous updating of knowledge articles that describe solution steps, spare parts, and technical procedures, and supplement them with technical data from manufacturers. This allows them to preserve the valuable knowledge of colleagues who are retiring and optimally support less experienced newcomers.

"Artificial Intelligence in its various forms will increasingly penetrate and transform the service industry," explains Sebastian Spicker, Managing Director DACH at IFS in Germany. "By making autonomous and context-based decisions and mimicking human capabilities, it makes service providers and service organizations of companies more efficient, increases customer satisfaction, and helps them address the skills shortage and demographic change."

IFS® develops and delivers cloud business software worldwide for companies that produce and distribute goods, build and operate assets, and provide services. On a single platform, IFS unites its industry-specific solutions, connects them through a common data model, and integrates digital innovations. This allows companies to fully leverage their strengths exactly when it matters: in the Moment of Service™. The industry expertise of the employees, the growing IFS ecosystem, and the stated goal of providing every customer with real added value make IFS a recognized leading and most recommended provider in their field. Around 6,000 employees support more than 7,500 companies daily – agile, trustworthy, and collaborative. More information: ifs.com

Current news about IFS, technology, and innovation can be found on the IFS Blog at https://blog.ifs.com/ , on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/164301/ or https://twitter.com/ifs available.

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