S P E C I A L F E ATURE IDO BARNER, VICE-PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS AT AGS MOBILITAS GROUP IAIN ADAMS, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT GOSSELIN UK D igital technology had made its mark within the moving industry before the COVID pandemic, but rarely a transformative one. Lockdown and its aftermath changed all that as demand for remote digital surveys, which had only just gained a toehold, exploded. Many in the moving industry now consider them a big part of a more digital future. For Ido Barner, VicePresident of operations at AGS Mobilitas Group, theyre more cost efficient, environmentally friendly and offer flexibility. And yet its clear theyre not yet for everyone. For customers who prefer the virtual survey, its often linked to sanitary protection not wanting someone to physically visit their home, he says. However, many clients would still rather have a personal meeting to ask questions and make sure everythings been covered. It is very dependent on generation and geography. Iain Adams, Managing Director at Gosselin UK, agrees. He spent two and a half years with Gosselin in Belgium where the company had already gone completely paperless pre-pandemic. He found digital surveys were mainstream in Western Europe, where good connectivity can be taken for granted. But this isnt necessarily so in Eastern Europe, he told FIDI Focus. You cant underestimate the impact of cultural differences. Its prompted us to think about how we engage with technology. Cultural issues aside, Barner has experienced other problems. The main disadvantage we noticed is that the margin for error is higher compared with physical 1000101 22 FF306 June-August 22 pp20-27 Digitisation.indd 22 surveys, he says. The video lacks depth and theres a handicap in some markets/homes where clients have spotty Wi-Fi coverage. Many industry tools dont cater for this. But, says Adams, the personal touch in sizing up a removal only gives a more complete picture if a surveyor is skilled enough to ask the right questions. Overflows and overestimates always happen, he points out. If we accept that it (the digital survey) is an imperfect science from the outset, it makes it easier to get your head around the process. Gosselin has a tool whereby a surveyor can ask the customer to point out where things are; also one for a survey that can be done solo using artificial intelligence to calculate initial volumes. Thats then reviewed inhouse and is a lot more accurate than someone whos completed an inventory or done a telephone survey. Shankar Ram, Regional Head of relocations at Delight International Movers, tells FIDI Focus that the COVID-induced dash to virtual surveys receded after a couple of months, even though the technology has vastly improved. We went back to physical surveys and it never changed except for a small percentage of customers, he said. The personal touch remains in demand especially for commercial and bigger moves where Delight clients want a full picture. Sometimes, my surveyor takes clients sample packing materials so they can get the feel of them. AI provider Yembo, which sells tech to several movers on an annual subscription basis, is on a mission to exploit the bottom-line potential of virtual Large buyers such as the US military have led the push for digital inventories, facilitated by companies such as Voxme WW W. F I D I FOC U S . OR G 07/06/2022 09:29