Firms Can Cut Service Costs by 26% With Better Training
What happened
Companies can unlock up to 26% in service cost savings by effectively scaling knowledge and expertise across their field service workforce, according to a new report from Aquant. The 2026 Field Service Benchmark analyzed 30 million service events from 161 organizations to identify key savings opportunities.
Why it matters
- The performance gap between the top and bottom 20% of service teams is substantial, with top performers achieving an 88% first-time-fix rate compared to 60% for the lowest performers. - Failed service visits are a primary driver of costs, accounting for 25% of total service expenses for the average company and as high as 44% for bottom-performing organizations. - A significant opportunity for savings lies in remote resolution, as the report indicates that one in five service cases could be resolved without dispatching a technician. - The "skills gap" between an organization's top technicians and the rest of the team is a key factor; for low-performing teams, this gap is over three times wider than for high-performing teams. - High-performing companies demonstrate better employee retention, with an 87% retention rate compared to 66% for underperforming companies, which helps to preserve institutional knowledge. - The challenge of an aging workforce is a significant industry trend, with nearly half of all field service technicians being over the age of 50. - Previous Aquant benchmark reports have highlighted the high cost of underperformance, with one finding that the lowest-performing employees can cost an organization 80% more than its top performers. - The field service management market is in a period of rapid growth, with projections showing an increase from $5.64 billion in 2025 to $9.68 billion by 2030.
Key numbers
- Companies can unlock up to 26% in service cost savings by effectively scaling knowledge and expertise across their field service workforce, according to a new report from Aquant.
- The 2026 Field Service Benchmark analyzed 30 million service events from 161 organizations to identify key savings opportunities.
- - The performance gap between the top and bottom 20% of service teams is substantial, with top performers achieving an 88% first-time-fix rate compared to 60% for the lowest performers.
- Failed service visits are a primary driver of costs, accounting for 25% of total service expenses for the average company and as high as 44% for bottom-performing organizations.
What happens next
- A significant opportunity for savings lies in remote resolution, as the report indicates that one in five service cases could be resolved without dispatching a technician.
Quick answers
What happened in Firms Can Cut Service Costs by 26% With Better Training?
Companies can unlock up to 26% in service cost savings by effectively scaling knowledge and expertise across their field service workforce, according to a new report from Aquant. The 2026 Field Service Benchmark analyzed 30 million service events from 161 organizations to identify key savings opportunities.
Why does Firms Can Cut Service Costs by 26% With Better Training matter?
The performance gap between the top and bottom 20% of service teams is substantial, with top performers achieving an 88% first-time-fix rate compared to 60% for the lowest performers. Failed service visits are a primary driver of costs, accounting for 25% of total service expenses for the average company and as high as 44% for bottom-performing organizations. A significant opportunity for savings lies in remote resolution, as the report indicates that one in five service cases could be resolved without dispatching a technician. The "skills gap" between an organization's top technicians and the rest of the team is a key factor; for low-performing teams, this gap is over three times wider than for high-performing teams. High-performing companies demonstrate better employee retention, with an 87% retention rate compared to 66% for underperforming companies, which helps to preserve institutional knowledge. The challenge of an aging workforce is a significant industry trend, with nearly half of all field service technicians being over the age of 50. Previous Aquant benchmark reports have highlighted the high cost of underperformance, with one finding that the lowest-performing employees can cost an organization 80% more than its top performers. The field service management market is in a period of rapid growth, with projections showing an increase from $5.64 billion in 2025 to $9.68 billion by 2030.
