SharePoint Manufacturing Customer Support Application
SharePoint Manufacturing: Recently, a manufacturer of “industrial computers” approached us with a need for a system that provides support and service of the computers it builds and send out to its customers.
The company’s specialized industrial computers are a breed of their own in terms of maintenance, customized equipment, repair, operation, and upgrades.
These computers differ from normal “every day computers” in many ways:
Our client required a solution that could address both first-level phone and email-based customer support and second-level “return-to-manufacturer” service needs. First-level support personnel needed a way to efficiently handle customer support inquiries, from initial request to resolution. In addition, our client needed a way to handle cases where the specialized computer had to be returned for service or replacement. The client wanted the solution to seamlessly integrate with Microsoft SharePoint.
After analyzing our client’s requirements, we recommended a two-tier system. The front-line system would be a customized version of our Customer Support platform designed to make sure all customer issues were handled promptly and effectively. The second-line system would be a customization of our Work Order Management system with the capability to issue Return Merchandise Authorizations (RMAs), track shipping, generate repair quotes, and manage the customer-approval process.
First-Level Support: Engaging with Customers and Resolving Issues
The overall goal of the front-line customer support system was to use intuitive and automated tools to help save time, money, and effort for our client. Our Customer Support application, which integrates fully with Microsoft SharePoint, manages all aspects of customer interaction from initiation through the resolution process.
Key features used by our client include:
Second-Level Service: Managing Returns and Repairs
When one of the computers is beyond the help of front-line support, it must be returned to the manufacturer for repair or replacement. Our support system allows escalation of cases that could not be resolved by front-line support to the service desk; all information on the work done by first-level support staff is available to the second-level service team.
For the client’s service desk, we implemented a robust platform that manages the return and service of a faulty device. The service process requires authorizations, documentation, quotes, shipments, approvals, and a number of other steps.
Like the support platform, our service desk solution uses automated workflows to ensure that hardware returns and refurbishment work is done without mistake. This stage of customer engagement can become quite complex, with a series of actions that need to be juggled to guide the customer towards a successful outcome.
Some of the key functionality our client wanted include:
Conclusion
Our client faced two significant, and interconnected, challenges: maintaining industry credibility as a world-class manufacturer of highly-specialized industrial computers and engaging with customers more effectively in terms of both support and service. To achieve the former, our client needed to first accomplished the latter.
Crow Canyon’s SharePoint-integrated solutions help this manufacturer to efficiently work with its customers while facilitating the success of the support and service teams. Automated workflows and centralized communications ensure the smooth operation and customer engagement plan while burnishing the company’s reputation as an industry-leading manufacturer of specialized computer systems.
Our client has requested to remain anonymous, but has allowed us to tell their story of success using one of Crow Canyon’s applications.
Industry |
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Manufacturing |
Solution |
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Customer Support for SharePoint Work Order Management for SharePoint |