A newly installed call centre at information technology (IT) infrastructure company Datacentrix is helping the organisation take even better control of its service and support activities, reports Datacentrix services marketing manager Ernest Machill.
As a company that supplies, supports and maintains IT infrastructures for government and large corporates, Datacentrix` call centre is the hub of its nationwide service and support activities. "Therefore, it is important for us to make use of cutting-edge technology to strive for excellence in areas of administration, delivery and services to provide a leading service to our customers," he explains.
The helpdesk expert administration tool (HEAT) from FrontRange Solutions went live at Datacentrix` head office in Pretoria in June, after an installation period of about two weeks. The system also went live at Datacentrix` branch in Cape Town in August and at Datacentrix` branch in Durban early in October. HEAT is a powerful suite of software that has enabled Datacentrix to transform its older helpdesk into a new proactive Service Optimisation Centre, with a long-list of benefits to the organisation.
"We, at Datacentrix, have already experienced the advantages of HEAT, since its installation in June," reports Machill. He explains that HEAT has enabled the company to take sophisticated and complex business processes and create a system, which is simpler and more workable than the company`s previous call centre. With the ability to track customer issues 24-hours a day with the greatest of ease, Machill enthuses that HEAT has enhanced the company`s control and organisation of its service and support. For example, efficient Web access has enabled management, engineers, co-ordinators and other staff to acknowledge, resolve or reassign assignments, as well as access critical information and add, modify or close calls, while at the customer`s site or at the call centre. The centralised interactive system also enables Datacentrix clients to open, view, modify and close a call on the Internet, as well as access Web-based problem resolution data linked to detailed customer IT infrastructure information and history.
"Using crystal reporting we have customised HEAT to our requirements and, more importantly, to the requirements of our customers," he adds. As a result, Datacentrix has an effective reporting program, customised to its client`s requirements. He points out that customising HEAT to Datacentrix and its client`s needs is an ongoing process, made easier by the fact that HEAT consists of smaller components structured with two main components - Help desk Management / call logging and iHEAT / Web access - which has allowed Datacentrix to build service optimisation at its own rate. "In sum, the HEAT system has helped us create a dynamic customer service centre, which added time and cost savings, enabling us to provide a better service to our customers," concludes Machill.
In fact, Datacentrix is so impressed by the value HEAT has added to its business, that the company`s Business Solutions Division has since become a reseller of the product.
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Datacentrix
JSE-listed company Datacentrix (Pty) Ltd forms part of Datacentrix Holdings, which also owns Supported Software and 70% of Commerce Centre of Southern Africa. Datacentrix Holdings has experienced continuous growth over the years, with interim financial results for the six months ending August 30 showing an increase in operating income of 40%. Excluding the group`s new e-business venture Commerce Centre of Southern Africa, which started this year, Datacentrix Holdings` interim results show a 61% increase in operating income. These results are testimony to the company`s growth strategy and top quality product and service offerings, of which its call centre plays an important role.