Field Management Consulting
During a career that dates back 40-plus years, Felix Villanueva hadn’t considered getting into the consulting game. He seemed a likely candidate to break into sales, backed by field service experience with both the manufacturer and dealer segments, and was extremely adept at communicating and building relationships. Still, he’d never fancied being anything other than a W-2 employee.
However, around 2023, Villanueva was close to joining a New York-area dealer after doing some consulting for that company. Its owner, impressed with the results, suggested that Villanueva would thrive even more as an industry field service consultant. The idea was a bit of a scary proposition, but buffered by his experience and relationship-building acumen, Field Management Consulting of Virginia was born.
Villanueva has been assembling a nice client base as he approaches the completion of year three. Coaching is truly a passion for him. While Villanueva wryly notes that “A good consultant consults their way out of a job,” he’s enjoyed a great deal of positive feedback. One client opined, “Felix’s ability to connect with individuals at all levels of the organization was evident early on and contributed to a productive, positive experience. His coaching expertise was particularly valuable in reinforcing stronger internal relationships and leadership effectiveness.”
In this edition of Getting to Know You, Villanueva provides a career tour and a dive into how Field Management Consulting can enable dealers to strengthen one of the most critical aspects of their value proposition.
ENX: Walk us through your journey, starting from your days as a New York field service technician.
VILLANUEVA: That experience as a field service technician in New York really shaped how I see this industry. Arguably, there’s no better boot camp than New York City to understand the challenges of business. When you’re in the field every day, you learn quickly that it’s not just about fixing machines, it’s about solving problems for customers who are relying on you to keep their businesses running. That builds accountability, urgency and pride in doing the job right the first time.
As I moved into leadership roles, managing teams and eventually larger service organizations, I carried that perspective with me. I’ve always believed strong service organizations are built from the field up, and that foundation still drives how I approach my work today.
ENX: You’ve worked on multiple sides of the office technology spectrum, from OEM stints with Canon to a dealer experience at Centric Business Systems. Talk a little about how those experiences shaped you.
VILLANUEVA: Having experience on both sides gave me a well-rounded perspective. On the OEM side, I learned the importance of structure, consistency and long-term strategy. On the dealer side, the pace is faster and closer to the customer; you’re balancing service delivery with real-time expectations and business pressures.
Seeing both sides helped me understand where gaps can occur and how to align strategy with execution. That perspective has been invaluable in helping organizations operate more effectively.
ENX: What prompted you to hang your own shingle as a consultant? What do you feel makes you an effective coach?
VILLANUEVA: After decades in the industry, I saw a consistent theme: strong organizations with good people struggling to execute at the level they were capable of, especially in service operations. I realized I could have a broader impact by working across multiple organizations.
What makes me effective is that I’ve been in the roles I’m advising. I understand the pressures and challenges firsthand, and I focus on practical, implementable solutions. I also place a strong emphasis on people because sustainable improvement comes from developing leaders and empowering teams.
ENX: Provide an overview of Field Management Consulting and the services you offer.
VILLANUEVA: Field Management Consulting is focused on helping office technology dealers strengthen their service organizations. I work with leadership teams to improve performance, increase efficiency and build scalable operations. This includes service assessments, leadership coaching and process optimization—everything from dispatch workflows to technician productivity. The goal is to help clients deliver a better customer experience while improving operational and financial performance. I’ve always believed that it’s not a customer service department but rather a customer retention department. Technology today is changing at such a rapid pace, and dealerships need to rely on their after-market support structure to keep their client relationships exceptionally strong.
ENX: What’s your ideal customer profile?
VILLANUEVA: My sweet spot is independent dealers that have achieved success but are starting to feel pressure on their service organization as they grow. They’re doing well, but they know there’s more efficiency and consistency to unlock.
The best partnerships are with organizations that value collaboration and are open to change. They’re not just looking for answers; they’re looking for a partner to help them execute at a higher level.
ENX: How has Field Management Consulting fared thus far? Talk a little about your marketing efforts.
VILLANUEVA: The business has grown steadily, largely through relationships and referrals. In this industry, reputation matters, and most of my work has come from connections built over time. From a marketing standpoint, I focus on being present in the right conversations, industry events, peer groups and direct engagement with leaders. Sharing insights and staying connected has been more effective than broad marketing efforts.
ENX: What are the biggest challenges currently facing field service? Moving forward, what are the variables that bear watching?
VILLANUEVA: One of the biggest challenges right now is the rapid evolution of technology, especially around AI, remote diagnostics and the advent of robotics. It’s changing how service is delivered, and organizations need to adapt quickly. The strong service operations will need to move from a reactive structure to an anticipatory one. There’s a wealth of data provided directly from the equipment now, and utilizing this data appropriately will allow service to provide better uptime for the end-user client.
At the same time, talent continues to be a major concern. Recruiting and retaining skilled technicians is becoming more difficult. Looking ahead, the key will be integrating new technology while maintaining strong, people-focused service organizations.
ENX: Perhaps we can do a better job of cultivating the next generation of technical service professionals?
VILLANUEVA: We’re facing an aging field-service workforce, and recruiting new technicians remains a challenge. The copier industry simply doesn’t carry the same appeal it once did; today’s tech-minded candidates are drawn to cybersecurity and the broader IT ecosystem rather than belts, gears and misfeeds. As an industry, we need to present a clear career path for field technicians—one that highlights both technical growth and long-term opportunity.
With AI, robotics and increasingly intelligent devices entering the space, the role is evolving fast. A modern copier is no longer a standalone electromechanical box; it’s a connected, data-rich system. That creates a natural progression for new hires: start with printers, advance to high-speed devices and ultimately move into more complex technology and IT-adjacent work. Showing that trajectory is key to attracting today’s candidates and helping them see a future here.
At the end of the day, service is the backbone of customer retention. Developing and promoting this career path isn’t just a recruiting strategy—it’s essential to keeping customers for life.
ENX: Fortunately, field service is an area that’s somewhat insulated from AI.
VILLANUEVA: We talk a lot about steering younger generations toward the trades—plumbers, welders, electricians—roles we can’t imagine being replaced by AI. The field service technician belongs in that same category.
Devices will continue to get smarter and more autonomous, but you’ll still need a human to install them, program them and make sure they’re working correctly for the end-user.
What’s changing is the skill set. The job is no longer just about electromechanical know-how; it now demands analytical ability. AI and connected systems are reshaping the role, and today’s technician carries far more than a tool bag. They’re using laptops, smartphones and tablets to access service data, interpret diagnostics and make informed decisions on the fly. Knowing how to find, analyze and apply information is becoming just as essential as turning a screwdriver, and it’s what will make the next generation of field service techs indispensable.
ENX: What will be your keys to growth moving forward?
VILLANUEVA: Growth will come from continuing to deliver real value to clients and building strong relationships. I also see opportunities to expand into leadership development and helping organizations prepare for the impact of emerging technologies. At the end of the day, consistent results and client success will drive sustainable growth.
ENX: What are your company’s goals for the next 12 months, and what will success look like in your eyes?
VILLANUEVA: My focus is to build on client success and maintain a high level of engagement with each organization I work with. Success isn’t just about growth—it’s about impact. If my clients are seeing measurable improvements, developing stronger teams and positioning themselves for the future, that’s what defines a successful year for me.
