Digitalisation in the Service Era

At the Field Service Forum 2025, Kim Lyngaae, Head of Professional Customer Service for North-Eastern Europe at Signify, shared how one of the world’s largest lighting providers is redefining its service strategy through digitalisation and artificial intelligence.

From Bulbs to Connected Light

Signify is the world’s number one leader in lighting, employing 30,000 people worldwide. Its history stretches back over 130 years to when the Philips brothers mass-produced lightbulbs, making electric lighting widely accessible.

For over a century, the company focused on conventional lighting products until LEDs arrived in 2008. While Signify did not invent LEDs, it commercialised them at scale. That shift created a new reality, one where lighting could now be connected, controlled, and data-driven.

Lighting has evolved from a physical product into a networked, intelligent system. 

Today, Signify solutions integrate sensors and connectivity for building management, indoor navigation, and even secure data transmission using light. With over 150 million connected light points worldwide, customer service has shifted from simply handling warranty claims to supporting complex, software-enabled systems.

Technology Is Only Part of the Story

Lyngaae emphasised that despite all the focus on new tools, customers remain at the centre:

“Forget about the technology. This is what it’s all about at the end of the day.”

In field service teams, customer expectations often come down to three elements: speed, convenience, and competence. Systems must be restored quickly, customer interactions must be easy, and service teams must deliver with precision. Digitalisation supports these goals but also demands new ways of thinking.

Where Digitalisation Delivers Value

Lyngaae outlined a standard service process to highlight where digital tools make an impact.

Service Contracts and Quotations

Many organisations now provide digital service portals, which are already giving way to AI-enabled systems. 

Signify’s service quotation tool can generate a quote within five minutes, reducing manual effort and allowing sales teams to respond faster to customer requests.

Customer Support and Technical Assistance

AI already assists service agents in real time, monitoring call tone and context to suggest possible solutions. “We’re only a breath away from actually having automated resolution already at that stage,” Lyngaae said. 

Virtual assistants are replacing traditional web forms, holding intelligent conversations with customers, diagnosing issues, ordering parts, and automatically creating work orders.

Field Execution

Mobile tools and smart diagnostics are giving engineers instant access to documentation and imagery. This is particularly valuable for Signify, which supports decades of product variations in its outdoor lighting range.

With AI, field engineers can access data quickly, even for products launched 25 years ago, reducing onsite time and improving first-time fix rates.

The results are evident, including improved speed of service, reduced dependence on tribal knowledge, and faster onboarding for new hires.

The AI Effect

AI is a recurring theme in Signify’s strategy. Lyngaae previously spent 20 years in IT, so he has seen multiple technological shifts, from email to e-commerce. Yet, he considers AI a bigger disruptor than any previous wave:

“I cannot overstate the impact that especially AI will have on what we do here.”

AI enables less experienced support agents to perform at the level of seasoned professionals and helps field engineers handle a broader range of products and situations. It’s a breakthrough that has directly affected workforce management, improving retention and reducing the risk of knowledge gaps as veteran technicians retire.

However, AI also raises questions among employees. Lyngaae recalled a field engineer pulling him aside in Sweden to ask how AI would affect their job. In response, he emphasised the importance of communication and training when rolling out such transformative tools.

People and Skills Still Matter

One of Lyngaae’s strongest points was that digital transformation is not an IT project. It changes how people work, what skills are needed, and even how organisations are structured.

New competencies such as content management, data analysis, and AI-assisted diagnostics are becoming essential. Field service roles that once relied on manual expertise are now supported by automation, changing expectations and workflows.

Lyngaae also advised companies to align their digitalisation pace with their customers’ readiness. Not every customer is prepared for AI-driven portals or automated chatbots. 

Some industries and regions still expect traditional interaction channels, including human conversation in their native language. Ignoring this can damage relationships and slow adoption.

Lessons Learned

From Signify’s experience, several key lessons emerge:

• Start with the customer: Analyse their pain points and expectations before designing solutions. Avoid creating technology for its own sake.
• Define clear objectives: Whether the priority is customer satisfaction or competitive advantage, be clear on the purpose of any technology rollout.
• Commit fully: Half-measures risk damaging customer relationships. “Failure is only one click away,” Lyngaae warned. Solutions must work correctly the first time and deliver visible value.
• Address workforce impact: Explain how technology changes roles and provide training to ease anxiety.

Looking Ahead

Signify is currently rolling out AI-enabled customer service across Europe, integrating field service and customer support functions more closely. This approach reduces silos and improves responsiveness, reflecting a trend seen across industries.

As Lyngaae concluded, digital transformation is changing not only the tools of service but also the people and processes behind them. Companies that start with the customer, adopt the right technologies, and invest in their people will be best positioned to succeed in the future of service delivery.