Inter-Active Technologies (Pty) Ltd the new Decision Support Services (DSS) kid on the block has its say. This after Brendan van Staaden, managing director of Inter-Active was labelled as controversial when he "called a spade a spade".
"I merely told them not to get caught up in the CR...P," said van Staaden. The comment came after a corporate prospect in the managed healthcare business insisted that a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application would be the solution to all their business problems.
When the team at Inter-Active Technologies (Pty) Ltd carried out an extensive investigation into the business practices of the said corporate, it was found that their business processes were all seriously lacking and that all the new technology in the world would not eradicate their simplest of problems.
"Sometimes we do get labelled as controversial, simply because we do not need to tow the line and fall in place with all the market hype surrounding CRM and it`s siblings". "Any sufficiently advanced technology should only be applied as and when necessary, not because a quick and big buck can be made of an unsuspecting customer dazzled by fat advertising campaigns and overzealous marketing pitches" As co-founder and partner in Inter-Active Technologies, van Staaden adds "we try to be as objective as possible and to utilise existing applications and CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) where possible. If the equipment on site does not fit in with either the revised business rules, or with the revised people rules, then and only then will we consider a recommendation aimed at changing it out! But if it isn`t broken, why the hell try and fix it"
Inter-Active Technologies (Pty) Ltd was formed to provide a decision support service. As the name suggests, the company provides support in the decision making process of SME`s, Corporates and Government, themselves in the process of making decisions on which suitable technologies to apply to the respective businesses. Van Staaden emphasises "we do not make decisions for our customers, we support their decisions based on realistic business expectations and sound rules. If these are not met and in place, we will not support their decisions, no matter who they are or how much they have paid us".
Van Staaden claims that the approach adopted by Inter-Active is completely different. "Of course our approach is different. If, for example a customer wants to install a new telephone system or call centre, or both, we first ask to study their business rules and reasons as to why they want to install the technology in the first place. Then we look at the type of people that the customer wants to deploy in the call centre and then we re-visit the business idea to see if the technology is viable. If we find the business rules to be weak, or the people to be incapable of proper customer interaction, we simply suggest that they get these things right before they embark on a big techno spend" In van Staaden`s own words "we love our customers, they are the ones keeping us on our toes, but sorry guys, we can`t lie to you, no matter how attractive the offer". Business at Inter-Active Technologies (Pty) Ltd would suggest that some of the customers are listening. Since it began trading in 1999, the company is now looking to acquire a stake in a new dot COM business and the prospects keep getting better. As van Staaden puts it "This country needs new blood in the Telecommunications arena, the old dogs have had their day"
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