Technical Support

The Client
An innovative software company that sells custom built automated shipping systems to help manufacturers save time and money in their overall shipping operations. The case study below is on one of the many processes they've implemented with HighOrbit.

The Client's Need
This client needed an efficient way to manage incoming tech support requests. There was no existing process in place before they began working with HighOrbit. Customers were contacting whoever they wanted for service requests. Some were sending emails to technicians. Others were calling their sales rep. And managers had no idea what was going on in the service side of the company at any given time. No one knew what projects were open who was working on them, or for what amount of time.

Worst of all, there was no tracking system in place to monitor the types of problems and identify any consistencies between them. So when a technician got assigned to a particular service call, he had no easy way to determine if this problem was particular to the client or indicative of a larger system issue. Essentially, no one knew what anyone else was doing with regards to service and support.

How HighOrbit Helped
HighOrbit created a solution to simplify the service process and establish order. A single person was assigned to be the initial receiver of all service requests. That person is responsible for reviewing the request, and starting the process. They access an electronic form through a custom web start. They enter the client's information and current service request details, and the system automatically connects to a back end database and retrieves all prior information about that client. The initial receiver then assigns a technician based on the problem.

Throughout the entire process, the client receives automated emails to keep them up to date on the status of their service request. Each task is given a due date and if the date is not met, everyone involved with the client's account receives email notification. Once the project is complete, the client receives email notification and the project is closed. At the close of every project, the incident is closely reviewed to determine if this particular problem was a client-specific glitch, or a system-wide error that would need to be corrected in future software updates.

The Results
HighOrbit's Workflow provided 3 essential solutions for the client:

• It established control and provided a proper means for communicating incident statuses both internally and externally.
• It allowed the company to control timing, properly schedule personnel, and establish accountability through ownership. It provided a clear picture of what was going on at all times.
• It finally provided the data necessary for the company to identify the scope of each client's problem, and determine the most efficient way to solve it.