Remote assistance for service technicians

Abstract

Industrial maintenance work is changing rapidly due to the ongoing digitization. The new communication technologies involving video and augmented reality enhance the way two persons can communicate during troubleshooting situations. By utilizing the common mobile communication devices, it is possible to create more interactive and informative support concepts for remote support. The purpose of this thesis is to research the next generation’s remote assistance concept for service technicians in industrial maintenance and validate its benefits by conducting a case study with the commercial remote assistance tool. The objective of this study is to understand the user’s requirements of the next generation’s remote assistance concept and to generate accurate insights to support future decision-making in the client company. The knowledge base of the thesis was built on the theories related to communication and interaction between people. The theories explain the practical application of different communication principles in the context of the modern remote assistance channel. Service design disciplines were applied extensively during the research project. The creative problem-solving model was used as the main body of the process. Qualitative research methods were used extensively in the thesis, including in-depth interviews, user experience study and usability testing. The results of the project indicated that the tested remote assistance tool provides some benefits in troubleshooting situations compared to the current process. The results of the field pilot indicated that the service technicians found the audiovisual channel as a suitable and informative tool when explaining the fault situation to a support person. The results of the project can be used in the further planning and implementation of the next generation’s remote assistance concept for the industrial maintenance situations