205,000 miles.
That’s how far Apollo 13 was from earth on April 13, 1970, when an oxygen tank exploded, crippling the Service Module upon which the Command Module had depended. Despite well-documented hardships caused by limited power, freezing temperatures, a shortage of potable water, and the critical need to make fast repairs, the Apollo 13 crew returned safely to earth just days later.
As someone who grew up fascinated by the NASA space program, I am thrilled to share that Jim Lovell and Gene Kranz of the Apollo 13 mission will be keynote speakers at our annual customer event, Maximize 2017, this September in Las Vegas where they will share their stories of leadership, perseverance and competence.
The story of Apollo 13 is an extreme example of field service where “the machine” had to be fixed and decisions needed to be made quickly in a life-threatening situation. The majority of field service projects are not quite so dramatic, but they are still critical to their industries.
There are tens of millions of field service technicians around the world who maintain billions of machines that have a profound impact on our lives — in our homes, at our work, at our hospitals and cities and airports. Literally everywhere.
Who are these everyday heroes? Are you one of them? I'd love hear your stories in the comments below, on Twitter (@dyarnold), or at Maximize 2017, the most valuable field service event in the industry. Review the Maximize agenda and register at www.servicemax.com/maximize. I look forward to seeing you there!
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