Recently there has been a lot of conversations about AI replacing entry level jobs, and in some cases roles that are well established within the organization.

This concept hit closer to home while attending a recent birthday party where two friends shared how their children (40 somethings) had recently been laid off due to AI. One worked the film industry in the Los Angeles area, and another worked in Oregon developing virtual material for various companies.

We know it’s coming (it’s here); AI is going to have a direct impact on many jobs in the near future. We can’t avoid it; it’s going to happen. So, my question to those in the workforce is how do we compete with AI in the workforce and career fields we are employed?

Below is some information collected using AI to outline how those in the workforce can prepare themselves for the inevitable. 

The information is broken into five elements:

• Understanding how to work with AI 
• Careers Most Likely to be Impacted by AI
• Careers Least Likely to be Replaced by AI
• Adopt an “AI-Augmented” Mindset
• Self-Assessment Worksheet of Your AI Adoption Readiness

I entered “How to compete with AI in the workforce” using a popular AI search engine. Some of the information is a result of the AI search,

Competing with AI in the workforce doesn’t mean working against it — it means learning to work differently and strategically.”

AI is not the first innovation that has/will disrupt the workforce. If we look back over time within our own work history, and back to our parents and grandparents we can identify how industrialization and technology has played a role in disrupting many jobs and careers over time. Those that recognized the challenge and began adjusting their purpose and skill set are much more likely to succeed in the changes coming to their careers/jobs.

There is also a responsibility for the government (federal, state, and local), educational institutions, and employers to be early adopters to provide transitional training and educational opportunities to assist in transitioning in the application of AI within the workforce.

Below are some examples AI recommends on how individuals can remain relevant and even thrive in a world increasingly shaped by AI (quoted from AI- I can’t explain it better than this):

Double Down on Human-Centered Skills

AI is fast and efficient — but it lacks emotion, creativity, and nuanced judgment. Humans excel at:

• Emotional intelligence (EQ)
  “Empathy, communication, leadership, and the ability to build relationships still give people an edge, especially in customer service, sales, teaching, counseling, and management.”  This sounds simple, but we have all struggled and in many cases are providing training in these areas due to the current workforce lacking these important skills.
• Critical thinking and ethics
  “Evaluating AI output, making tough decisions, and navigating moral gray areas are human strengths.”  Again, employers and training institutions (educational and consulting services) have provided training and education in this area to continue develop the workforce.
• Creativity and innovation
  “While AI can generate content, the spark of originality and intuition is still uniquely human — especially in art, design, strategy, and storytelling.”  This is a great opportunity for us as individuals, teams, and leaders to continue developing the “spark” needed to continue growing our businesses, leading, and developing our employees.

Learn to Work With AI

“Become “AI-augmented” rather than “AI-replaced.” Learn how to use tools that enhance your productivity”:

• Prompt engineering: Learn how to use AI (like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Copilot) effectively to accelerate tasks. We have some companies that are restricting employee access to the various AI tools. There are concerns that no doubt need to be worked through, but it is important to take a proactive approach and not a set and watch approach in how to blend these AI tools into our businesses. 
• AI + human combo: In fields like law, medicine, marketing, and writing, humans who use AI wisely can outperform those who don’t. This is where the employee can excel. Using their expertise added to the tools of AI can provide a great combination and lead to job security and an avenue for career growth. 
• Upskilling: Take courses on how to use AI in your specific field. A few years ago, I took on a role of using the various corporate data points within the marketing department. This was new role “Data Analytics Marketing Manager.”  I knew and understood the data but didn’t have the data analytics tool belt skills. After completing a certificate program through the local university, I was able to combine both skills to support my value added to the organization. This was a new offering at the university in 2015, now enters AI ten years later. If I were still in the workforce, it would be important for me to upgrade my skills to include AI.

Stay Adaptable and Continuously Learn

AI is evolving rapidly. Staying competitive means staying curious:

• Learn new technologies
• Stay up to date with trends in your industry
• Stay up to date with trends outside of your industry
• Embrace change rather than resist it

Examples: 

• Bookkeepers who learn cloud-based accounting software and AI tools can manage more clients with deeper insights — those who didn’t are being outpaced.
• Heavy Equipment Dealers that monitor what’s being introduced in the auto industry can gain an understanding of what’s coming in the equipment industry (OnStar and autonomous vehicles are examples).

Focus on Complex Problem-Solving

AI handles repetitive, rule-based work well. Humans still lead in complex, ambiguous situations. 

The sweet spot:

• Cross-functional thinking
• Systems design and improvement
• Strategic decision-making
• Visionary applications

Specialize in Roles Where Trust Matters

Certain jobs require a human touch:

• Therapists
• Teachers and mentors
• Religious leaders
• Managers and coaches
• Analysist being able to interpret and identify gaps in the communication and understanding

People still value human presence when the stakes are emotional, deeply personal, and need additional clarification and understanding. 

Embrace Entrepreneurial Thinking

AI lowers the barrier to starting a business, creating content, or building products.

• Leverage AI to prototype, market, and scale
• Solve niche problems with unique value
• Think like a problem-solver, not just an employee
• Requires current businesses to be continually thinking ahead. There is less time available to spend on gathering the data and doing the analysis. AI can help close the gap.

Final Thought:

You don’t need to be better than AI at what it does best — you need to be better at being human. The future belongs to those who can use AI as a tool, keep learning, and lead with insight and empathy.

Guest writer Ron Wilson covers a crucial snowball effect we experience in our businesses in this week’s blog post: “Disputed Work Orders Cause Delays in Payment and Increase Unnecessary Interest Expense.”

We are all aware of the common causes that impact the accuracy of work order reviews, closing, and the customers invoices not being paid on time.

Digging a little deeper into the specific causes and frequency for the invoice being disputed by the customer can have a major impact on the reduction of the Service Department’s receivables. We often correct and resolve the disputed invoice without determining the root cause of the issue, and the problem often re-occurs.

Reducing the disputed and aged invoices also reduces the corporate interest expense due to not carrying the aged invoices within the accounts receivables.  This can greatly improve profitability without much effort.

Some of the common reasons work orders are disputed are:

1. Pricing Discrepancies

• Unexpected Costs: The final bill is higher than the original estimate, and the customer wasn’t informed beforehand.
• Disputed Labor Charges: The customer believes the labor charges are excessive or doesn’t understand how they were calculated.
• Parts Pricing: Customers may feel the parts are overpriced or question whether they were necessary.

2. Scope of Work Issues

• Unapproved Repairs: Work was performed that the customer didn’t authorize.
• Missed Repairs: The customer feels the dealership failed to address the initial issue or left something undone.
• Over-repairing: Customers may dispute repairs they believe were unnecessary.

3. Quality of Service

• Recurring Issues: The problem persists after the repair, leading the customer to question the quality of the work.
• Damage During Service: Equipment is returned with new damage or wear that wasn’t present before the service.

4. Miscommunication

• Poor Documentation: The work order lacks clear descriptions of the problem, repairs, or costs.
• Misunderstood Terms: The customer misunderstood warranty coverage or service agreements.
• Incomplete Updates: Failure to update the customer about changes in the scope or cost of the repair.

5. Warranty and Coverage Disputes

• Warranty Denial: The dealership claims the repair isn’t covered under warranty, which the customer disputes.
• Incorrect Coverage Application: Misunderstanding of extended warranty or service contracts.

6. Timing Delays

• Delays in Repairs: The customer disputes the bill if they feel the service took too long or caused operational downtime.
• Missed Deadlines: Promised completion times were not met.
• The age of the invoiced work order is excessive:  Customer feels the work order is should have been billed in a timelier manner.  The machine may have been sold or the job the machine was on is completed and the customers internal billing has been closed out.

7. Customer Expectations

• Performance Post-Repair: The equipment doesn’t perform as expected after the service.
• Lack of Preventative Insight: Customers may feel they weren’t informed about future issues during the service.

8. Inadequate Communication about Diagnostics

• Charges for Diagnostics: Customers may not realize diagnostic fees apply even if they choose not to proceed with repairs.
• Disagreement on Findings: Customers may not agree with the dealership’s assessment of the problem.

Strategies to Prevent Disputes

Below are some recommendations to prevent the disputes:

• Clear Communication: Provide detailed and upfront explanations of the work, costs, and expected timelines.
• Customer Approvals: Always seek explicit approval before performing additional repairs.
• Thorough Documentation: Keep clear records of customer complaints, work performed, and parts used.
• Warranty Clarifications: Ensure customers understand their warranty coverage and any exclusions.
• Proactive Updates: Regularly update customers on the status of their equipment.

These steps can reduce misunderstandings and foster better customer-dealership relationships.

Sometimes the smallest, non-flashy improvements can yield the greatest improvements.

Below is a table and a chart showing some possible  ways to prioritize reducing the number disputed work orders.

The chart above shows the data in a visual format that makes it easy to see that 84% of the overall causes are related to the first three areas.  

Take each of the first three causes and identify which of the reasons listed on page one contributed to the invoicing dispute.  Implementing the proper processes, training, policies, proper communication, and coaching can quickly reduce a costly issue and improve customer satisfaction.

Once the first three have been resolved take some time to review the remaining issues.  Often addressing the first three issues will contribute to resolving the remaining issues.

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Reskill and Upskill Plan

Guest writer Ron Wilson brings a blog post on lifelong learning this week with “Reskill and Upskill Plan.”

I came across a book titled “Long Life Learning” written by Michelle Weise. The title intrigued me due to my interest in and commitment to Lifelong Learning.  The need for skills changes along the way and this book does an excellent job of sharing the why’s and how’s of the challenge.

Here are a few quotes from the book that will help set the importance of the rest of the article.

• Workers who are fifty-five and older are staying in the workforce well into their 60s and 70s.
• Many of the baby boomers will experience at least twelve job changes by the time they retire.
• The number of job transitions will only increase with time, as people confront longer and more turbulent work lives.
• Education has largely been thought of as a “one and done” experience.
• Technology’s transformation of nearly every facet of our economy means that we will all need to develop new skills and knowledge at a pace and scale never seen before.
• The future of work changes the future of learning.

Developing a Personal Reskill and Upskill Plan

The bullet points above, and many other examples in the book, identifies the importance and provides direction in developing a personal reskill and upskill plan that will be critical in success of our business, and our employees.

Developing a personal reskill and upskill plan is crucial in today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape. Here are several key reasons why it is important:

1. Adaptability to Technological Changes

• Technological Advancement: We have all experienced the challenges of implementing a new business system and updated technology within an organization. Industries are experiencing rapid technological advancements, requiring continuous learning to stay relevant. Automation, AI, and digital transformation are changing job requirements. In a previous blog I shared the expansion of the “Tool Belt Generation” job titles and career paths that are providing many new opportunities to the employees of today. New roles, new skills, and upgrading old skills.
• Job Market Evolution: Roles that exist today might be obsolete tomorrow, while new roles will emerge. Reskilling and upskilling ensure individuals can transition smoothly into a new job function. Reskilling and upskilling will play a significant role in addressing the labor shortage issues.

2. Career Growth and Opportunities

• Enhanced Employability: Employers value employees who are proactive about their learning. A well-rounded skill set makes individuals more attractive to current and potential employers.
• Promotion and Salary Increase: Upskilling can lead to higher responsibilities, promotions, and better compensation. Demonstrating a commitment to ongoing learning can also increase an employee’s chances of career advancement.

3. Personal Development and Job Satisfaction

• Increased Confidence: Gaining new skills boosts confidence and empowers individuals to take on new challenges.
• Job Satisfaction: Engaging in continuous learning can lead to greater job satisfaction as employees feel more competent and capable in their roles.

4. Economic Stability

• Job Security: Continuous learning helps in maintaining job security in an unpredictable economic climate. Employees with a broad skill set are more likely to retain their jobs during layoffs.
• Financial Resilience: With a diverse skill set, individuals can explore freelance opportunities or transition between industries more easily, contributing to financial stability.

5. Innovation and Creativity

• Encouraging Innovation: Learning new skills can spark creativity and innovation. Employees who bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas are invaluable to organizations.
• Problem-Solving: A diverse skill set enhances problem-solving abilities, enabling employees to approach challenges from various angles.

6. Lifelong Learning Culture

• Adaptation Mindset: Developing a habit of continuous learning fosters a growth mindset. This mindset is essential for personal and professional development.
• Setting an Example: Individuals who prioritize their own learning can inspire colleagues and peers, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement within the organization.

7. Navigating Career Transitions

• Career Shifts: Whether by choice or necessity, reskilling and upskilling provide the tools needed for successful career transitions. This is particularly important for those switching industries or roles.
• Futureproofing: Proactively acquiring new skills can future-proof a career, preparing individuals for unforeseen changes in their professional paths.

Developing an Effective Plan. 

Now that we have listed several reasons why Reskill and Upskill plans are important, let’s look at what a personal reskill and upskill plan may consist of:

1. Assess Current Skills: Identify strengths and areas for improvement. Regularly assess the current skills of employees to identify gaps and areas for development.
2. Offer Diverse Learning Options: Provide a variety of learning formats such as workshops, online courses, mentorship programs, and on-the-job training.
3. Set Clear Goals: Align Training with Business Goals: Ensure that reskilling and upskilling initiatives are aligned with the strategic goals of the organization. Define what you want to achieve, and the skills required to reach those goals.
4. Research Trends: Stay informed about industry trends and emerging skills. Look outside the dealership in other industries and how similar roles have changed.
5. Create a Learning Path: Choose courses, workshops, or certifications that align with your goals.
6. Allocate Time: Dedicate specific time for learning and practice regularly.
7. Seek Feedback: Engage with mentors or peers for constructive feedback.
8. Monitor Progress: Regularly review your progress and adjust your plan as needed. Track and Measure Progress: Monitor the effectiveness of training programs and adjust as needed to ensure the evolving needs of the organization and its employees are being met and accomplished.
9. Encourage Lifelong Learning: Foster an environment where continuous learning is valued and encouraged.
10. Provide Support and Resources: Offer the necessary resources, including time, funding, and access to learning platforms, to support employees’ development.

This all sounds complicated and time consuming, but start here:

• A few roles across the organization and expand systematically.
• Review the current job descriptions and the changes required to meet the needs of the future.
• Identify avenues of training. This may be accomplished in-house, with local community colleges, professional dealer training organizations (such Learning without Scares), and professional certification programs. Most likely it will be a combination of the available resources.
• Define a training path that includes length of training time, length of executing/practicing the new skills, assess the success of the training.
• Celebrate along the way.

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Applying Services Marketing within the Equipment Dealers Business Model

Guest writer Ron Wilson offers an instructive guide in this week’s blog post: “Applying Services Marketing within the Equipment Dealers Business Model.”

Marketing plays a critical role within the equipment dealership. Two of the basic functions are to promote the Products and Services for the equipment the dealership sells and services. To successfully accomplish this there are two types of marketing utilized:

• Product Marketing- focuses on a specific product, features/benefits, comparing one product to another, product application. 
• Services Marketing– Utilizes marketing strategies that apply customer-centric approaches, builds trust with the customers, and how the dealer’s services can support the customer and the products that were purchased. The offerings will often include benefits, promises, commitments in savings, safety improvements, turn time commitments, and firm pricing. All of which are focused on building trust and relationships.

The remainder of the article will focus on the history and application of Services Marketing.

A Brief Timeline of Key Developments in the History of Services Marketing 

• 1950s-1960s:  The Services Sector arises as the economies shift from manufacturing to service-oriented markets.
• 1970s: The 4Ps of marketing were expanded to include People, Physical Evidence, and Processes.
• 1980s: Growth of Services Marketing Literature grew to academic research and focus services marketing, which included an emphasis on service quality and customer satisfaction.
• 1990s:  Digital transformation and customer experience evolved due to the internet and digital technologies/
• 21st Century:  Services marketing continues to advance with the inclusion of data analytics and artificial intelligence with a focus on improving interactions and personalizing of the customer experience.

The formation of Services Marketing has focused on the challenges and addressing opportunities within a unique market.

Apply Services Marketing in the Heavy Equipment Dealers Business Model

Services Marketing applied in the heavy equipment dealer’s business model will contribute to the enhancement of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, revenue growth, and introduction of new product support offerings.

Strategies to Effectively Implement Services Marketing within the Dealers Territory

• • Identify and Understand the Customers’ Needs:
    • Understand the specific needs and preferences of the customers within specific markets. For example, in many cases the needs of the small fleet owner will be different than a large fleet owner, or governmental agencies.
    • Identify the challenges faced by the customers, including frequency and severity of the application.

• Segmenting and Targeting of the Market:

• • • Segment the market based on factors such as fleet size, industry, type/size of machines, local work environments (weather, altitude, job site restrictions)
    • Identify how tailoring the services can assist in meeting the needs of each segment.
  • Develop Value-Added Services:
    • Offer value-added services such as equipment maintenance, machine inspections, mobile air conditioning repairs, field machining services, extended warranties, hydraulic component rebuilds, machine second life rebuild options.
    • Operator and equipment maintenance/repair training for customers.
    • Proactive services connecting machine GPS data to schedule PM services, notifications of machine alerts such as overheats and over speed occurrences focused on preventing down time, improving utilization, and extended the life of the components of the machine while providing touch points with the customer.
  • Communication of the dealer offerings:
    • Clearly communicate the value-added service offering that includes additional benefits and features based on the needs of the customer. These needs would have been collected through customer surveys, focus groups, historical customer response surveys.
    • Utilizing various channels to communicate the offerings through online platforms, brochures, Product Support, Sales Representatives, and Parts Counter Sales personnel are a few examples of communicating the offer to the customer.
  • Build a strong online presence:
    • Establish and continually review and update the user-friendly website.
    • Utilize social media platforms, customer events, community events, local industry trade events that will provide an opportunity to share customer success stories and provide insight to the dealer’s approach of addressing customers business needs.
  • Customer Education and Training:
    • Offer training programs for customers that provide an opportunity to expose and familiarize the customers with the features and benefits of the services provided.
    • Provide educational content, reference materials, and tutorials that empower the customers and enhance their skills.
  • Responsive Customer Support:
    • Implement a responsive customer service process that addresses questions and concerns quickly.
    • Offer multiple channels of communication, including phone, email, and live chat. Quick and accurate responses are important.
    • Utilize the information received to modify and improve the messaging of the services offered.
  • Services Guarantees:
    • Provide service guarantees such as quick response times for maintenance requests, warranty offerings, firm pricing, timely invoicing.
    • Clearly outline the terms and conditions of the service guarantees to avoid confusion both with the customer and within the dealership’s service areas, such as the service department and the warranty department.

• Feeback Mechanism:

• • Establish a feedback process to gather insights from customers about their experiences with the new service offerings.
  • Utilize the feedback to continually improve and modify the service offerings.
• Collaborate with the OEM:
  • Partnering with the OEM can enhance the service offerings through program support, technical and historical information of other dealers that may have implemented a similar service offering.
  • Leverage the OEM certifications to build trust and credibility to the dealer’s offering. Fluids Lab certification, Root Cause Failure Analysis Certification, Hydraulic Technician Specialist, Certified Equipment Training Instructors are examples of certifications that can add value to an offering.
• Promotions and Loyalty Programs:
  • Promotional campaigns will highlight the new service offerings.
  • Implement or link to an existing loyalty program to encourage utilizing the new offering, reward repeat business, bundle with other offerings. All are intended to build long-term partnerships.
• Networking and Industry Involvement:
  • Participate in industry events, trade shows, and associations to stay updated on industry trends and build a network of contacts.
  • Collaborate with other businesses in the heavy equipment industry to expand the service offerings. An example would expand the hose and fitting business from the customer’s machines to re-hosing of garbage truck fleets as an expanded service offering within the waste/landfill customer base.

The above strategies can effectively assist the dealer apply the services marketing principles to create a competitive advantage and build long-term relationships with the customers.

Closing Remarks

While both services marketing and product marketing share common marketing principles, the unique characteristics of the dealer’s services offerings require different strategies and approaches to meet the marketing needs of the various customers.

Services marketing emphasizes the crucial elements such as customer-centric, variability (among customers), intangible (the tractor business is a people business), relationship building and delivery of exceptional customer experiences.

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The Four “R’s” Within a Talent Management Strategy

Guest writer Ron Wilson writes about one of the critical focus points of a business plan: the employees. Here he shares “The Four ‘Rs’ Within a Talent Management Strategy.”

Many years ago, we were developing business plans for the year and one of the critical areas of focus was Employee Retention and Recruitment. Retention and recruitment have been a challenge throughout our leadership roles, regardless of the department we lead, or the industry we are a participant in.

Within Employee Retention and Recruitment there are four areas of focus:

• Recruitment
• Retention
• Relationships
• Respect

Focusing on the four areas above will improve employee retention and attract the new talent needed for the future.

Recruitment– This “R” focuses on recruitment of talent from outside the organization. Recruiting to fill the immediate and long term needs for skilled talent in our industry will continue to be an obstacle to business growth potential. Therefore, out of the box creative approaches are necessary to recruit talent.

• Recruitment of talent from outside the organization should include a variety of approaches. There is no one successful approach in finding skilled talent and it’s important to continually evaluate what is working and seeking innovative approaches. Look at what other companies are doing (inside and outside the industry).

• Advertisements will take a focus on what the organization has to offer as a career and a long-term employer with very competitive wages and benefits, seeking employees that will take the company into the future. 
• Special events utilized to identify skilled talent. Some examples are rodeos, racecar and motor cross events, trade shows, and vocational schools. The intent is to reach communities where potential employees live their daily lives outside of work.
• Apprenticeship programs will be utilized to “grow” the needed talent from within and outside the organization. Participating in community college and high school technical skills education provides a wonderful opportunity to expose the company to individuals that are seeking a company that is not only a place to work, but also build a career.
• Shorten the time between posting a position and providing a job offer. Individuals applying for a position are ready to move forward with a new opportunity, and most likely are applying for several positions at other companies. Let’s not delay in reviewing the applications, scheduling interviews, and providing job offers. Develop a metric to measure the amount of time it takes to hire a new employee. It may be surprising the amount of time it takes to recruit, interview, and hire someone,
• If the applicant does not match the needs of the position being applied for, is there a role that may be a better fit within your organization? 

Retention– This “R” places a great deal of emphasis on developing the talent within the organization to meet the immediate and long-term skill set needed to take the organization into the future. 

• Development of internal talent will include the skill sets for technicians and non-technicians. 
  • The priority will include developing the skills in the basic skills needed to accomplish the individual’s current job responsibility.
  • Skills needed to prepare the employee for the next level in their career path. 
  • There should be a “building block” approach with career path options. For example, technical level 1-4 starts with the basic skill set needs of a technician to advanced troubleshooting and diagnostics. Additional advanced levels for a technician can include Technical Communicators, Service Department Supervisors/Managers, Product Support Sales Representatives, and Training Instructors. 

Respect for dealing with each other leads us through the challenges that will occur. There will not always be an agreement in everything we do, but everything we do can be managed in a manner of respect. The issues should be addressed based on the issue, and not on the person. 

Relationships that are positive between employees encourage an environment that allows growth and development as individuals and as teams. 

• Through positive relationships the organization will recognize the needs of the marketplace and introduce competitive products and services that add value to our customers. 
• Strong internal relationships encourage strong relationships with our customers.
• Recognition is important to all of us. It is important we seek the opportunities to recognize individuals and teams of employees on their successes and contributions to the organization. Each supervisor should develop their own way of providing employee recognition for their areas of responsibilities. The types of recognition will vary based on the event, the location, and the employees.

The Four “R’s” play a significant role within our talent management strategy of taking care of the current employees and seeking the employees needed for the future.

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