Ben Franklin is attributed with the maxim “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. As also the inventor of the eponymous “Franklin Stove,” Ben would have also known that routine maintenance on a piece of equipment like this would prevent a lot of problems down the line. But this is easier said than done for modern facilities managers and their contractors who are responsible for the Read More

There are 23.5 square feet of retail space for every person in the United States, which is more than any other country in the world. All this retail space is critical to our economy as more than 90 percent of the nearly $6 trillion consumers spend in the US take place inside brick-and-mortar stores – so much for the retail apocalypse. Managing all this square footage well requires strategic Read More

The far-reaching impact of digital transformation is typically associated with the digital-first preferences of millennials (or “Generation Z”). However, we were recently startled to see that Gen X grocery shoppers are now trending toward online services more than ever before. If we see even a modicum of shift among the even larger Baby Boomer generation, this begs the question: Are the days of Read More

When Arthur Conan Doyle introduced Sherlock Holmes’ to the world in 1891 with A Scandal in Bohemia, he wrote, “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.” This holds true for any business that’s built upon processes that require continuous upgrades and analysis. Doyle’s words are arguably even more prevalent today as the use of data has become a foundational piece for Read More

Mobile device usage has been a part of everyday life for quite some time now. Have a burning question that’s driving you crazy? Touch one button or use a simple voice command to get an answer from Siri. Forgot your wallet at Starbucks? Use your mobile wallet to scan to pay. Mobile devices allow us to be more efficient in the multi-tasking world we live in, staying connected to one another in ways Read More

Facilities managers know how complicated the nature of their job can be. Between having to manage tens, hundreds or even thousands of locations, managing hundreds of partners (internal and external), and striving to meet everyone’s expectations of what facilities should be - pristine, high-functioning, safe, and up to brand standards - it can be a lot to juggle. And at the core of all these moving Read More

Standing in lines has been the bane of the grocery shopper’s existence since supermarkets first popped up in neighborhoods around the country. Supermarket chains have employed all sorts of gimmicks and technologies to solve this problem – everything from three’s a crowd that relied on more cashiers to self check-out stations that relied on none. Now, digital transformation is offering up Read More

The strong US economy has created a white-hot labor market across both white and blue collar jobs. More than seven million jobs went unfilled in the United States this month – yet the labor participation remains under six million workers.  Clearly, the math doesn't add up. This is a major predicament for businesses across all verticals, from the restaurant industry to construction and Read More

ServiceChannel provides facilities managers with a single platform to source, procure, manage and pay for repair & maintenance services from commercial contractors. The Challenge Customers come into your stores every day, expecting a positive experience.  How your customers perceive your brand is based on the conditions of all your locations.  Today, your stores and facilities have a direct Read More

Though the concept itself was born out of a Dartmouth University lab in 1956, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is finally making its mark today as a mainstream technology – one that businesses are adopting seriously and at scale. Right now, almost half of the corporate world has embedded AI into at least one business process. This is up from 20 percent just two years ago, according to the Wall Street Read More

For contractors and service providers, automation technology is a way to streamline operations and holistically improve the user experience. With a unified platform that makes it easy to communicate and establish expectations, you can simplify processes and ultimately improve performance. When you find yourself working with a wide array of customers and service providers, the ability to Read More

There are now more multi-location businesses than ever. The most tangible example of these are in retail, an industry which actually added almost 4,000 net new locations in 2018 in the face of the supposed “retail apocalypse.” However, the margin for error is thin: Businesses operating multiple locations must employ operational best practices and the latest technologies to ensure ongoing Read More

Big things are happening in the grocery world: online grocery sales have more than tripled between 2013 and 2018, while meal kits, on-demand delivery services and other digital alternatives increasingly tempt shoppers away from traditional grocery shopping. Amazon continues to shake things up after its acquisition of Whole Foods, making its same-day grocery delivery service free for all Prime Read More

Refrigeration and air conditioning are arguably two of the greatest innovations of the 20th century, having reshaped societies everywhere by improving health, sanitation, and overall quality of life. ‘What happens in Vegas,’ for example, wouldn’t be much without refrigeration and air conditioning keeping all those gamblers, diners, and entertainment seekers oh-so-comfortable inside the mega-towers Read More

A recent Forbes survey of nearly 600 senior executives uncovered some interesting insights on the topic of digital transformation. In terms of top business priorities, the survey found that revenue growth was number one, followed closely by cost cutting. In today’s heavily automated, digitally-driven business environment, it’s no surprise that corporations are starting to scrutinize the “legacy” Read More

As any first-year finance-major student can tell you, there are two big levers that businesses can use to maximize profit: Increasing revenues and containing costs. The latter is especially applicable in today’s competitive corporate landscape – yet when most businesses implement a cost containment initiative, they mostly focus on the most obvious cost centers - the lowest of the low hanging Read More

ServiceX 2019 truly exceeded our expectations. Attendance at this year’s event was incredible, breaking records from all prior years. We had the opportunity to connect with customers, industry leaders, and friends who came from far and wide, each with a keen interest in learning more about what ServiceChannel has to offer.  Our theme throughout the event was focused on the importance of Read More