AFSMI and Service Strategies Announce Field Service Certification Program; Certification Will Enable Companies to Ensure Customer Service Quality.

FORT MYERS, Fla. & SAN DIEGO -- The Association for Services Management International (AFSMI), the only global, member-based professional association of executives and managers in the technology services and support industry, and Service Strategies Corporation, administrator of the Support Center Practices (SCP) Certification program, the internationally recognized service quality standard, today announced an initiative to create a Field Service Certification program designed specifically for services delivered onsite to customers.

The initiative will bring together leaders in the technology services marketplace to define industry-standard practices, methods, and measures. "This supports the principle of improving the effectiveness of s-business functions championed by AFSMI," stated John Schoenewald, CEO of AFSMI. "The program will provide a means to measure the performance and effectiveness of field service operations and enable benchmarking of operations across the industry."

Field service operations are critical due to their impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. At the same time, the delivery of on-site services can be very complex and costly. Currently, there are no common standards or industry benchmarks for field service quality. "The Field Service Certification program will establish a foundation to build on existing quality processes and provide a clear focus on measurable results," said John Hamilton, president of Service Strategies. "The program will enable companies to enhance the quality of services delivered to customers by extending certification through the service chain."

The scope of the initiative will be to build a certification program similar in structure to the industry-leading SCP Certification program. A performance-index model similar to that used in the SCP program, targeted at technology support centers, will be used as the framework. This will create a complementary certification program that fits into an overall s-business quality framework so that the entire end-to-end service chain can be improved, certified, and benchmarked against the best in the industry.

A core sponsors committee to develop the program has been formed. The committee will gather input and ideas relevant to their respective market segments, leading to detailed certification criteria and, ultimately, the development of industry standards for field service excellence. A program kickoff meeting was held July 14 and 15, 2004, in San Diego, California. Companies represented include such industry leaders as FileNet Corporation, Lawson Software, McKesson Corporation, NCR Corporation, Novell, Quantum Corporation, and Rockwell Automation. Program completion and launch is anticipated in early 2005. Opportunities still exist to participate as a program sponsor.

About AFSMI

Founded in 1975, the Association for Services Management International (AFSMI) is a global, not-for-profit professional association of customer services and support executives and managers committed to s-business excellence. AFSM International is the acknowledged leader in providing the knowledge, fellowship, and career connections that further the personal and professional development of executives, managers, and individuals involved in s-business. For more information or to join AFSM International, visit www.afsmi.org.

About S-Business

S-business is the industry-standard term AFSM International developed to describe all of the activities, organizations, and individuals involved with providing customer services and support for technology-based products and solutions.

About Service Strategies Corporation

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Service Strategies advances service excellence for quality-minded organizations by providing industry-standard certification and training programs that ensure delivery of consistent, high-quality customer service and support. Service Strategies applies a proven benchmark process to its certification programs that measures and drives effectiveness for continuous service improvement. For more information, visit www.servicestrategies.com.

About Support Center Practices (SCP) Certification

The SCP Certification program defines best practices for delivering world-class technology support. The program quantifies the effectiveness of customer support, establishes a foundation to build on existing quality processes, and provides a clear focus on measurable results.