EP74 - Future-Fueled: AI’s Role in Next-Gen Service w/ Niken Patel, Neuron7.ai

As organizations accelerate digital transformation, the success of these initiatives increasingly depends on how well frontline teams adopt and engage with new technologies. However, there's often a critical gap between leadership expectations and the real-world experiences of field workers — a gap that threatens not just user satisfaction, but business outcomes.Tune in on Thursday, May 15th at 12pm EST, as we’re joined by Justin Lake, CEO of Skyllful. We’ll unpack the critical misconception surrounding enterprise technology and highlight the unique complexities and risks field workers face when interacting with digital systems in high-stakes environments. We also discuss the concept of "The Last Mile" of tech deployments — where the true business value of technology investments is realized through frontline execution. By connecting human motivation, governance, and financial implications of poor tech engagement, the conversation offers a compelling case for why organizations must rethink how they position, support, and sustain technology initiatives.Justin co-founded Skyllful with the mission of helping frontline employees use enterprise technology accurately, consistently, and independently—so that business processes are executed correctly, operational outcomes are optimized, and revenue is protected.With decades of experience across mobile technology and frontline operations, Justin has worked in every part of the ecosystem, from wireless carriers to software development. But his real expertise comes from the field—riding with drivers, shadowing technicians, and uncovering the real-world barriers to adoption. He knows that when technology isn’t integrated into how work gets done, companies face inefficiencies, operational risks, and lost revenue.Through Skyllful, Justin helps organizations bridge the gap between digital transformation and the frontline workforce, ensuring technology delivers measurable business impact.

Whether you're early in your service career or shaping global strategy, our next episode of the inService™ Podcast will be one you won’t want to miss! We’ll be sitting down with Eduardo Bonefont, the Worldwide VP of Technical Services for BD's Life Sciences segment, to reflect on his remarkable journey through the service and support industry. From leading complex international operations to driving business turnarounds as a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Eduardo shares hard-earned insights on building team culture, learning to speak the C-Suite’s language, successful P&L management, and navigating service complexity.Tune in on Thursday, May 1st at 12pm EST, as Eduardo shares his perspective—honed by a career spanning Services, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Sales, and Marketing —on how the next generation of service professionals can build high-performing teams that consistently deliver value to customers. Eduardo Bonefont is the Worldwide VP of Technical Services – Life Sciences Segment at Becton Dickinson, where he exercises his comprehensive global management and leadership experience in small-to-large businesses in Services, Marketing, Sales, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain. As a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, he has come to specialize in business expansion, startups, and turnarounds, with full P&L responsibility, in a variety of U.S.-based and international industries, and he has a proven track record in improving business performance with the rigor of consistently making operational, financial, and customer commitments.

For years, service organizations have measured the success of technology investments based on the return on investment. However, AI has flipped the script and brought into question some of the service leaders’ long-held assumptions. No longer just a standalone investment, AI is becoming ingrained throughout all aspects of service operations. As it moves beyond the limits of previous technology, service leaders must also move beyond outdated metrics to track its success and step into this new, AI-driven era of service.Tune into the inService™ Podcast Live on Thursday, April 3rd, as we’re joined by Michael Hughes, Global Head of Service for Peak Scientific Instruments. Together, we’ll look at the implementation of digitization and AI within his service operations, and how they’re focusing on improving tools and technologies for technicians, rather than just ROI. He’ll discuss Peak Scientific’s AI journey, including how they hope to leverage AI to better shape the frontline experience, the challenges they want to solve and how they are moving beyond financial metrics to account for success.Mike Hughes is currently the Global Head of Service at Peak Scientific Instruments Ltd. His responsibilities include leading a global service organization of over 170 field service engineers and technical support specialists. He also directly manages the Global Technical and Training functions. His tenure at Peak Scientific has been marked by significant achievements, such as introducing Peak Visual Support, an AR based platform to enable enhanced remote troubleshooting and diagnostics. He also developed a strategic approach to service contract sales, based on installed base contract connection rate, on time warranty conversion and contract renewals, which has contributed to the company’s commercial growth. Mike’s background lies in Six Sigma and process improvement, across operational, technical and commercial roles. Mike’s passion lies in developing data-driven strategies that align with the company’s goals and customer satisfaction. His experience in field service and his role in enhancing service delivery at Peak Scientific highlight his commitment to customer centric operational excellence.

Service Council research found that 63% of service leaders cite the “inability to predict demand with something other than historical data” as a reason for their service parts challenges. Why are so many organizations still relying on historical demand for spare parts planning, despite the clear advantages of leveraging IoT data, AI, and advanced analytics?Tune into the inService™ Podcast Live as we’re joined by Franco Roversi, Solutions Engineer – EMEA, and Chad Hawkinson, Chief Innovation Officer, Baxter Planning. We’ll be diving deep into the evolving world of spare parts planning and supply chain optimization, including the challenges of transitioning from outdated methods, the impact of data readiness, and how modern tools can uncover hidden savings and drive strategic growth. We’ll also look at shifts in cost efficiency versus service levels, and AI's role in supply chain decisions. If you're looking for actionable insights on optimizing spare parts management and making data-driven decisions, this episode is packed with real-world examples and expert perspectives!With 15 years of experience in Supply Chain Management, Franco Roversi has built a dynamic career across multiple supply chain domains including optimization, consultancy, technology implementation, and value creation. Franco has been with Baxter Planning for seven years, focusing on the Service Supply Chain, optimizing and enhancing customer efficiency, performance, and ensuring the seamless delivery of Baxter Planning's unique Planning as a Service (PaaS) offering.Chad Hawkinson has over 20 years of management and product leadership experience in both private and public companies. Most recently, he was Chief Product Officer for Vertafore. Prior to Vertafore, Chad was the Senior Vice President and General Manager for a $350M division of IHS Markit, where he managed over 1,000 employees across product development, sales, marketing, data science, and professional services.

Mark your calendars for a very special episode of the inService Podcast, where we dive deep into the experiences, challenges and triumphs of women in service leadership. In this powerful conversation with QuidelOrtho colleagues and service leaders, Linda Tucci and Tammy DeWind, we’ll discuss the impact of leadership styles, the importance of mentorship, and strategies for creating inclusive work cultures that support women’s advancement. Join us on Tuesday, March 25th, at 12PM ET, as we unpack key issues like the "glass ceiling," unconscious bias, and how to balance assertiveness with collaboration as a woman in leadership. Whether you're a woman striving for leadership or an ally looking to make a difference, this episode is filled with valuable insights and actionable advice to help break down barriers and drive meaningful change.Industry veterans and colleagues for over a decade, Linda Tucci and Tammy DeWind both hold leadership roles in QuidelOrtho’s Technical Solutions Center, where they are responsible for the strategic direction and operations of providing remote technical support to customers and field escalation support.

Early data from the 2025 Service Leader’s Agenda survey signals a revealing trend: the service leader's approach to AI is shifting.Once focused purely on operational efficiency and cost reduction, service leaders now embrace AI as a driver of business innovation and growth. The growing adoption of AI in service ecosystems underscores this shift, with AI being integrated into the fabric of service operations rather than being viewed as a standalone tool. As organizations continue to scale AI, success will depend on aligning these technologies with broader business objectives, ensuring that AI enhances the experience for the frontline and customers while delivering measurable business outcomes.Join the inService™ Podcast Live on Thursday, March 20th, as Aquant’s Director of Product Marketing, Tim Burge, stops by the studio. Together, we’ll dive into:● The growing role of AI in field service operations and how its implementation is transforming leadership priorities● How service leaders can overcome the challenge of aligning AI with constantly evolving corporate strategies● Ways to manage internal adoption amidst frontline turnoverFor over 15 years, Tim has been helping people solve real-world business problems using advanced data technologies. With experience in both the technology and agency worlds, Tim focuses on bridging the gap between business and technology and assisting organizations to become more data-driven.

Preventative maintenance agreements play a critical role in business growth. Not only do they secure contracts, but they also boost revenue and customer experience. It’s no surprise that many service leaders are turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) to unlock new ways to deliver lasting value. The 2025 State of Artificial Intelligence and Service Technology revealed that over a third of service leaders see 'Predicting installed base maintenance needs at scale' and 'Proactively triggering service events' among the most urgent challenges to address through their AI and service technology efforts.Join the inService™ Podcast Live on Thursday, March 6th at 12PM ET as we dive into the power of preventative maintenance agreements. Host Gerardo Pelayo and special guest, Alex Kablanian, General Manager of Commercial & Construction Markets at ServiceTitan, will discuss how organizations can connect every part of the process—from prospecting to converting service agreements—so you can better track, nurture, and expand opportunities. We’ll also talk AI strategies organizations can deploy to gain a competitive edge and build a foundation for lasting growth.Alex Kablanian is the General Manager of Commercial & Construction Markets at ServiceTitan. With deep experience in the trades, Alex plays a key role in shaping and executing ServiceTitan’s strategy to empower the success of Commercial Service and Construction contractors. His focus is to help contractors succeed in all aspects of their business - whether that’s running it more efficiently, growing profitability, finding new revenue streams, and everything in between.

Few industries have transformed as rapidly as service and support. Digital advancements have reshaped manufacturing and field service, significantly intensifying both asset complexity and service delivery expectations over the past decade. This tidal shift means both service leaders and frontline agents are feeling the pressure to deliver more for the customer today while also achieving long-term profitability. How can organizations break down existing data silos to gain a holistic view of the service lifecycle that drives aftermarket share and customer retention?Join the inService™ Podcast Live on Thursday, February 20th at 12PM ET as hosts John Carroll and Gerardo Pelayo welcome guest, Sean O’Neill, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Syncron. We’ll explore strategies for retaining customers post-warranty, optimizing inventory, and aligning pricing and parts planning to boost service delivery and cash flow. We’ll also discuss how organizations can utilize data analytics to be more proactive with parts management, unlock new sales opportunities and stay competitive in complex industries.Sean has spent the past 25+ years at the intersection of client needs, tech & data possibilities, and business impact. Sean is the Chief Product & Technology Officer for Syncron. Syncron aligns all aftermarket services for OEMs & distributors with its Service Lifecycle Management (SLM) cloud platform, helping companies differentiate themselves through exceptional aftermarket experiences while driving significant revenue and margin growth. Prior to that Sean spent long cycles at Amazon, Tesco, GfK, and tech start-ups in building teams that build products that customers love. Sean holds an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Northwestern University), is a co-author of multiple patents, and was certified as a Six Sigma Green Belt at Amazon. Outside of work Sean enjoys painting, traveling the world, and dismantling things.

The challenges created by the labor shortage continue to be felt in field service organizations across all industries. The latest research from The Voice of the Field Service Engineer shows this trend is not slowing down, with half of the engineers who expect to make a career move planning to do so within the next 3 years. While service leaders continue to grapple with these challenges, the frontline feels the pressure as they strive to meet utilization rates and customer demands amidst an ever-increasing flow of data.Join the inService™ Podcast Live on Thursday, February 6th at 12PM ET as Michael Gonzalez, Salesforce’s VP of Product Management, stops by the studio to shed light on how customers like AAA are utilizing AI agents to augment their workforce. He’ll discuss how organizations can implement similar transformative strategies that improve the experience of field service teams while continuing to drive the customer experience.Michael Gonzalez is the Vice President of Product Management at Salesforce, specializing in Field Service. With a tenure at Salesforce spanning over a decade, he has played a pivotal role in enhancing the Lightning App Builder, focusing on dynamic pages and component visibility to improve user experience. In recent years, Michael has led initiatives integrating advanced technologies into Salesforce's Field Service offerings, including the use of Apple Vision Pro for spatial computing solutions. His leadership continues to drive innovation in AI and data-driven field service solutions.

As AI continues to redefine how we deliver service, the opportunities to provide smarter, faster, and more cost-effective solutions are mind blowing. But with these advancements come complex challenges: how do we make the case for AI investment, scale existing platforms without disruption, and foster alignment between IT and service teams, all while ensuring our teams remain engaged and energized? The key to AI success lies in navigating this transformation with clarity and purpose. Join the inService™ Podcast Live on Thursday, January 16th at 12PM ET as hosts John Carroll and Gerardo Pelayo tap into the AI expertise of our guest, Niken Patel, CEO and Founder of Neuron7.ai. Having helped many enterprise organizations navigate AI successfully, Niken will help demystify AI and all that comes with it. He’ll explain how to successfully traverse the many crossroads of the AI landscape to ensure you are prepared today for tomorrow’s service transformation. Niken is the CEO and co-founder of Neuron7.ai, a company that is transforming customer service with AI solutions for complex, enterprise organizations that need fast, accurate resolutions at scale. Niken has 20+ years of experience in customer service and support, making 400+ customers successful in the last two companies that he led. As a serial entrepreneur and senior leader in high-growth technology companies, Niken has experience in strategy, sales, marketing, M&A, and board duties, with an excellent track record of growing companies from a nascent stage to successful enterprises that create tremendous value for customers and stakeholders.