In the era of the connected customer, delivering a superior, end-to-end customer experience has never been more important. In fact, according to the Customers 2020 report, customer experience has overtaken price and product as the key brand differentiator. To put it simply — the future of business success relies on providing superior customer service.

Customers are expecting personalized, connected service everywhere and service expectations have long evolved from the call center. In today’s connected world, online contact and engagement centers are also no longer enough — on-site support must be connected as well. Additionally, it’s now easier than ever for customers to switch between competitors if they’re dissatisfied with their service experience with one company.

With the changing customer expectations, today’s businesses are not equipped to deliver what customers expect, particularly when it comes to field service management. As a result, the customer experience gap is widening. As technology transforms how companies are interacting with their customers, field service in particular faces exclusive challenges in evolving its model to meet the needs and expectations of the modern customer. How could your business revolutionize the way it manages field service from end-to-end? What would it look like if companies were able to deliver personalized, smarter, faster service that transforms the customer experience? Moreover, what would it look like if this exceptional customer experience could be delivered – every time – by service reps in the field?

Salesforce Research surveyed over 200 US Manufacturers on the strategic importance of service to their business, how they stack up when it comes to delivering connected field service, and the impending impact of the Internet of Things. Their findings can be found in the 2016 Connected Manufacturing Service Report, and we pulled out some of the key findings and put them together in an interactive infographic. Check it out!