AI isn’t about replacing people, it’s about meeting them where they are.
That was the core message behind a lively session featuring Edwin Pahk, VP of Customer Success at Aquant, and Sara Smith, Service AI Program Owner at Waters Corporation. In a conversation filled with real-world examples, humor, and heartfelt takeaways, the two explored how AI can truly support, not supersede, technicians in the field.
“AI wasn’t on my five-year plan.”
Sara’s background is in forensic toxicology, not AI. But after more than a decade in the field service trenches, she understood firsthand the challenges technicians face, from solving complex issues on-site to tracking down the right part numbers with limited time and support. That’s what made her the perfect person to lead Waters’ AI initiatives for its global service organization.
Learning to Let Go of Perfection
Before launching their AI tools, Sara’s team grappled with the same concerns many service leaders face: Is our data good enough? Is our knowledge base strong enough? Are our people ready? Her advice?
“Perfection is the enemy of progress. Good enough is good enough to go.”
And that mindset paid off. Within six months of implementation, Waters met its adoption and performance goals, fueled by a combination of early champions and creative training strategies.
Training Through Play: The Star Wars Scavenger Hunt
One of the most memorable strategies? A Star Wars-themed scavenger hunt, designed to help technicians build confidence in prompting and interacting with AI.
Rather than mandating training through traditional e-learning, the Waters team made it fun and inclusive. Each day, employees received a new clue and had to find the answer using Aquant’s AI-powered platform. The result: increased engagement, deeper insights, and even a few surprises, like the fact that diehard Star Wars fans sometimes performed worse than casual participants, revealing a tendency to fixate on what they thought the answer should be.
Meeting Techs Where They Are, Literally
From basements with no connectivity to hands-free environments, Edwin showcased how Aquant is designing tools for the real-world conditions technicians face every day – including Call Assist, which offers instant, voice-accessible support for those without platform access or the ability to tap or type, and AI in Offline Mode, which ensures full functionality even when techs are underground, offshore, or at the most remote job sites.
“This isn’t about building cool tech, it’s about building tools that feel natural, intuitive, and useful in the field,” Edwin explained. “AI is no longer the future. AI is now.”
The Big Takeaway:
Start now. Start small. Make it fun. AI transformation doesn’t have to mean sweeping change overnight, but it does require a shift in mindset. When done right, it can make every technician feel supported, informed, and empowered to deliver better service.
Curious how Waters did it? Connect with the Aquant team to see how AI is reshaping field service, one technician at a time. Request a demo here.
The post How Waters and Aquant Are Transforming Service, One Technician at a Time appeared first on Aquant.