Microsoft (MSFT) introduced an AI-powered version of its 365 Field Service platform on Wednesday. Meant for use by frontline managers and workers, the software is intended to decrease response times for things such as services and repairs in the field.
Microsoft says the product will make everything from work orders to maintenance and installation requests be faster and it will also offer the frontline workers access to remote experts for real-time troubleshooting capabilities.
Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president (CVP) of business apps and platform at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post that a recent Work Trend Index survey by the company found that repetitive tasks are a struggle for 60% of frontline workers, and AI can help with that.
Lamanna wrote, “Microsoft is committed to investing in innovative solutions to help frontline workers thrive. With AI transforming productivity across most segments of the workforce, our survey found that 65% of frontline workers are optimistic that AI will help them in their jobs.”
Copilot in Dynamics 365 Field Service, with Outlook and Teams integrations, will help workers to spend less time creating work orders, improving scheduling, and responding to customer messages. This will allow frontline workers to interact with customers and schedule appointments with technicians, without being forced to spend an inordinate time filling out forms.
In addition, Microsoft announced its Shifts plugin for Microsoft 365 Copilot, which is designed to draw upon data from a number of sources, including Teams chat history, SharePoint, and emails. It will make scheduling employees to cover shifts and bringing on new workers more efficient for managers.
Microsoft is betting heavily on a future based around the use of AI to drive growth in its productivity, consumer, and cloud segments. CEO Satya Nadella was heavily focused on AI products in the company’s recent earnings call.
The company recently announced on July 18th that it would be charging users of its Microsoft 365 Copilot $30 per user per month. Shares of the software giant jumped 4% on the day.
The company is racing to secure its lead in the race to dominate the AI field among its competitors. In a multi-year, multi-billion dollar deal with ChatGPT developer OpenAI, the company has dedicated billions to the development of the technology.
However it faces stiff competition from rivals including Google (GOOG, GOOGL) Amazon (AMZN), and others, who are investing in their own platforms, leaving who the ultimate winner in the space will be entirely up in the air.
