CS Holdings bolsters AA customer service

When the AA decided to consolidate its IT architecture to reflect a member-focused business strategy, CS Holdings` integrated approach to business and IT ensured that new, standardised systems reflect the values of client service and operational efficiency.

CS Holdings took over support of the Automobile Association`s (AA) ICT platform in January 2001. Since that time, the organisation`s IT environment has stabilised significantly, and greased the wheels of productivity and customer service.

The roadside assistance and allied services that the AA provides to its members nationwide relies heavily on the availability of the ICT infrastructure. In terms of the outsourcing agreement between the AA and CS Holdings, the latter is responsible for the AA`s server, desktop, telephony and power support, software development and support of existing bespoke systems, as well as support of the IT contact centre.

Credo is particularly impressed by the transparency with which CS Holdings negotiates its outsource contracts. "It`s important that CS Holdings values our business, and makes sufficient profit from the AA to treat us as a premier client and maintain their service levels. Simultaneously, I need to ensure that we receive value for money. The degree of openness displayed by CS Holdings in this regard is very refreshing."

"We decided to part company with our incumbent service provider in November 2000, and went to tender with three other companies besides CS Holdings," relates AA CIO Paul Credo. "Our decision was based on their service capabilities and ability to provide additional skills when necessary. We felt assured that they were more than capable of not only delivering day-to-day operational support, and had the necessary expertise to carry out ad-hoc exercises such as the configuration of our server farm, and the provision of performance statistics. The fact that they also service our hardware provider, Dell, was an added bonus."

At the start of the relationship, CS Holdings carried out a full audit of the AA`s existing hardware and software technologies. "The network comprises a 360-user LAN, as well as a WAN linking the various branches and auto shops across the country," explains Neil Sadler, programme manager at CS Holdings. "The AA had a range of technologies on board, from a number of 286 machines running DOS, to Pentium IIIs running older versions of Windows. We rolled out a common desktop platform across the organisation, and placed all employees onto the same operating system (Windows 2000) and software (MS Office and ACCPAC)."

"The fact that CS Holdings has standardised our systems and enabled all 400 employees to operate on the same software version has brought about significant benefits," says Credo. "Additionally, more efficient contact centre methodology and systems have resulted in a level of stability which we certainly had not experienced before. This is borne out by the quarterly reports we receive from CS Holdings, which enable us to accurately track how the maintenance of network uptime is progressing."

Credo also reports "a much smoother ride and minimal downtime" on the telephony platform. "We demand extremely high levels of uptime on our contact centre which, thanks to CS Holdings, have now been achieved. The volume of service calls has dropped, and in turn the cost associated with those calls. Fewer incidents on the desktop platform also imply higher availability and therefore enhanced productivity. By having a higher level of availability we are obviously delivering a better service to our customers."