AI Agents: Solving the Industrial Skills Gap

In a recent conversation with our CEO Prateek Chakravarty, we discussed AI agents and how they will change field service.

If you missed our whitepaper on AI Agents at Zinier, you can find it here: AI Agents for Field Service.

In this discussion, Prateek's insights reveal why AI agents represent a paradigm shift for the deskless workforce.

Over the last 15 years, kids have become enamored with tech, and you simply don't have people going into industrial jobs.

The Industrial Talent Crisis: A Growing Problem

When I asked Prateek about the changing workforce landscape, he offered this observation based on his own experience working in field service:

"Twenty-five years back when I started my career, 9 out of the top 10 companies were industrial companies with big field workforces. Today, that ratio has completely flipped - 9 out of 10 are tech companies."

This massive shift has created a talent vacuum in critical industries that once formed the backbone of our economy.

"When I was starting out, pursuing a career in the field with industrial engineering giants was really attractive," Prateek explained. "That isn't happening anymore. Over the last 15 years, kids have become enamored with tech, and you simply don't have people going into industrial jobs. These are well-published facts - there aren't enough people to do the work."

Knowledge Transfer Challenges in Field Service Management

The implications go beyond immediate staffing concerns.

"Companies have to figure out alternatives, even for the basic transfer of knowledge," Prateek noted. "When experienced workers retire without qualified replacements, decades of institutional expertise disappears overnight."

This is where AI agents enter the picture - we see AI agents as the fundamental solution to a growing crisis in industrial workforces.

AI Agents vs Traditional Field Service Technology Solutions

What makes today's AI revolution different from previous technological waves? Prateek made the distinction clear:

"This isn't just another chatbot. The evolution of large language models has created an opportunity for true automation through AI agents that can actually understand context and take meaningful action."

When I asked why previous technologies hadn't solved these problems, his answer was revealing:

"Field workers are typically not out there exploring new technology on their own," he said. "Companies like ours have to facilitate adoption by focusing on empowerment first. What's different now is that our vision becomes much easier to realize in the age of AI agents - we can meet workers where they are instead of forcing them to adapt to yet another system."

We've always set out to empower the deskless worker, and now with AI agents, we finally have the tools to do so effectively.

Empowering the Deskless Workforce Through Contextual AI

This approach starts with understanding specific challenges.

"We have a real opportunity to identify the pain points field and office workers face every day, and then use technology to solve those specific problems," Prateek emphasized. "We've always set out to empower the deskless worker, and now with AI agents, we finally have the tools to do so effectively."

I was curious about how Prateek measures success beyond the traditional metrics. His perspective was refreshing:

"From a CEO perspective, this isn't just about productivity enhancements," he explained. "It's equally about employee engagement - keeping workers more engaged by making their daily lives easier. You're ensuring that field workers feel as empowered by technology as their white-collar counterparts have been for years."

Real-World Applications of AI Agents in Field Service

He illustrated this with a practical example:

"Think about a field worker who needs a specific part. Currently, a dispatcher might need to click through multiple screens and filter through recommendations to find what's needed. By focusing on how we can make life easier in these specific moments, we not only solve their immediate pain but also drive meaningful productivity improvements."

When our conversation turned to the broader workforce challenges, Prateek outlined an ambitious vision:

"Companies can leverage AI agents not only to drive productivity gains but also to help close the growing skills gap," he said. "We're facing a major transition in the labor economy, and AI agents can help organizations manage that transition more effectively and plan their workforce needs better."

Predictive AI Transforms Workforce Management

This approach goes beyond point solutions to a comprehensive vision.

"What we're building is one unified platform to help manage both workforce and assets," Prateek explained. "With agentic AI, we can become much more predictive - anticipating needs and identifying potential issues before they become problems."

Beyond Technology: Solving Real Industrial Problems

I asked Prateek how he addresses skepticism about yet another technology wave. His response cut to the heart of what makes this moment different:

"When people express skepticism, I encourage them to think through the lens of the specific problems AI agents can solve that will drive real productivity," he said. "The mistake many companies made in the past was becoming enamored with technology for its own sake. This isn't a technology play - LLMs themselves are rapidly becoming commoditized. The real uniqueness and value comes from identifying and solving meaningful problems."

The End of Traditional SaaS in Field Service Management

This perspective signals a fundamental shift in how enterprise technology will be delivered.

"In many ways, traditional SaaS is dead," Prateek suggested. "The question now is how we can offer a service that actually helps solve your specific problems. AI agents and LLMs are just the tools we use to deliver those solutions."

We're making their lives easier one problem at a time, building toward a vision where industrial work becomes not just more efficient, but more engaging and accessible to a new generation of workers.

The Future of Industrial Workforces with AI Agents

Our conversation made clear that AI agents represent more than incremental improvement - they offer a path to address fundamental challenges facing industrial workforces:

They help close the skills gap by capturing knowledge and supporting workers with less experience. They meet workers where they are, providing assistance without requiring extensive technical training. They address specific pain points without forcing workers to adapt to new systems. They enable meaningful work by handling routine tasks and freeing workers for higher-value activities.

As Prateek put it toward the end of our conversation, "We're making their lives easier one problem at a time, building toward a vision where industrial work becomes not just more efficient, but more engaging and accessible to a new generation of workers."