Field Service IT News For VARs – November 26, 2014

By Cheryl Knight, contributing writer

This week’s news includes the Equipment Leasing & Financing Foundations Monthly Confidence Index for November, coverage on how the use of mobile apps is affecting the travel industry, and how planning an exit strategy is an important part of a field service business plan.

Monthly Confidence Index Increases In November

The Equipment Leasing & Financing Foundation has released its Monthly Confidence Index (MCI) for November 2014. The survey resulted in the increase of the MCI to 64.2, almost a four-point increase over October’s MCI of 60.4. Another promising stat: 42.4 percent of respondents believe the U.S. economy should improve over the next six months.

Custom Field Service Apps Vs. Generic

An article by Enterprise Apps Today highlights the difference between purpose-built custom apps and more generic apps built for a wide variety of companies. By tailoring software to specific processes, companies can cut time and costs.

Transformation Of The Travel Industry

The move to a more mobile world has had wide-ranging affects on a variety of markets, including the travel industry. Enterprise Holdings’ CSO and executive VP Greg Stubblefield stated at the Travel Leaders National Meeting in Phoenix that mobile technology and globalization are impacting how the industry approaches the customer experience. 

Planning an Exit Strategy

Any good business plan will include an exit strategy for owners. The Fleet Owner article, “Exit Planning: Five Critical Factors,” details some of the factors you should keep in mind when planning your exit strategy. These include a potential exit date, exit strategy type (IPO, corporate divestiture, passing the business on to an heir, or a buyout), as well as considering the industry and the merger and acquisition climate.

Field Service IT Talking Points

A rebound in retail sales is an indicator of higher consumer confidence going into the 2014 holiday season. A Truckinginfo article covers this unexpected increase in more detail.

This SourceWire article talks about how a disruption of the field service industry on a global scale is expected to drive growth and transformation.

Field service departments are expected to serve as the sales team of the future, according to a diginomica article.

For more news and insights, visit BSMinfo’s Field Service Tech Center.