| When London PC and Mac support company SupportPlan (www.supportplan.com) wanted a service package, it considered a range of options. No existing programme could mirror its processes for progressing and escalating service calls, nor handle its charging structure. There were only two options: one was to have a bespoke application written from scratch; the other to use Daybook Enterprise's scripting language to bring about the same result. With Daybook Enterprise, SupportPlan found the call centre could integrate with marketing, sales and accounts, giving one enterprise-wide solution. SupportPlan needed a system to handle everything through a diary interface. The Enterprise diary provided the basic functionality, with its scheduling, workflow and task management. All that was needed now were procedures to record calls, site visits, timesheets, parts and when calls were closed and guarantee that the right paperwork and invoicing was automatically sent to the client. SupportPlan's contracts were unusual. Having spent years creating plans tailored to the needs of its clients - a major strategic advantage-nothing in the wonderful world of business software could cope with them, except Daybook Enterprise. Custom reports ensured that customers buying SupportUnits could have a monthly statement showing unit usage and balance. Procedures were written to handle contract billing: contracts are based on a wide variety of criteria, and can be billed monthly, quarterly or yearly; billing is done a month before previous payment expires, so that money can be received in time to keep the plan active. Systems play a vital role in guaranteeing quality service. 'We never miss a deadline,' says SupportPlan's Customer Service Manager, Derek Bennett 'and we never have missed one. We have a perfect record of everything that has happened and our invoicing and paperwork are about as good as you could get. I am quite sure that we could never have done this without our specially-written procedures incorporated into Daybook Enterprise.' |