Astea Cites Benefits of Mobile CRM for Field Service.Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers HORSHAM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 19, 2001 From simple to complex field service and professional services automation See PSA. , mobile CRM (Customer Relationship Management) An integrated information system that is used to plan, schedule and control the presales and postsales activities in an organization. with Astea's Alliance Remote Suite(TM) presents an impressive value proposition for users More commonly associated with sales force automation Automating the sales activities within an organization. A comprehensive SFA package provides such functions as contact management, note and information sharing, quick proposal and presentation generation, product configurators, calendars and to-do lists. applications, mobile CRM plays an increasingly significant role in field service and professional services automation as evidenced by this week's introduction of the AllianceRemote Suite(TM) by Astea International Inc. (Nasdaq: ATEA). The leading provider of equipment-service-centric Customer Relationship Management (eCRM) solutions expands capabilities for sales force automation in its AllianceRemote Suite--notably, greater access to customer service data for sales professionals--but Astea's emphasis is clearly on field service with `families of solutions' for untethered Unattached to any data or power source by wire or fiber; in other words: wireless. Contrast with tethered. , web, and real-time wireless mobile applications. "The laundry list laundry list A popular term for a long list of Sx, diseases, or etiologies that share something in common–eg, differential diagnosis of acute abdomen of field service benefits from mobile CRM is too extensive to ignore," said Greg Cicio, Astea's director of business development. "The mantra mantra (măn`trə, mŭn–), in Hinduism and Buddhism, mystic words used in ritual and meditation. A mantra is believed to be the sound form of reality, having the power to bring into being the reality it represents. of field service management has always been `the right person to the right place with the right part at the right time.' Service-centric mobile CRM with AllianceRemote adds `with the right decision support and administrative tools to expedite jobs, capture expenses and invoice customers." Where customer retention and controlling operating costs operating costs npl → gastos mpl operacionales have long been the business drivers for automating field service management, higher revenue and cash flow lead the value proposition for Astea's new mobile applications that are fully integrated with the Company's AllianceEnterprise eCRM Suite(TM). Direct Financial Benefits Faster and more accurate billing, fewer billing disputes and higher revenue recovery are realized from electronically capturing all expenses and the customer's signature when service is rendered. Displays on mobile devices step technicians through the sequence of posting materials used, technician time and travel details, and other reimbursable re·im·burse tr.v. re·im·bursed, re·im·burs·ing, re·im·burs·es 1. To repay (money spent); refund. 2. To pay back or compensate (another party) for money spent or losses incurred. expenses such as meals and lodging. "We can match displays on mobile devices to the technician's environment and virtually force compliance with the enterprise's reporting needs. Our solutions on handhelds especially are convenient, fast and even fun to use. They take the drudgery out of administrative tasks that impact field service productivity, reporting and revenue recovery," said Cicio. Direct Front Office Benefits Electronic signature capture pre-empts billing disputes and starts billing cycles Billing cycle The time elapsed between billing periods for goods sold or services rendered. before field technicians depart customers' premises. All reporting related to service visits is recorded and uploaded to the CRM enterprise server database, so there is no repeat data entry required of in-house staff. Other tasks done more efficiently with mobile CRM (highlighted below under "Direct Field Service Benefits") minimize the field force's need for support from in-house staff and can increase the number of service calls each technician handles per day. Direct Field Service Benefits Astea's mobile CRM for field service increases the speed and coordination of service dispatch and dynamic team scheduling, leading to faster service response times. Technician time management and productivity improve with easier access to decision support and administrative tools that travel with technicians. Decision support tools can be as basic as receiving assignments and reporting that a call has been completed, and as extensive as providing complete customer profiles with contract and warranty details, site configurations, service histories, equipment diagrams, and service guides. Administrative tools can range from entering a problem code or taking a meter reading to fully documenting a material demand with identification and serial numbers, quantities, warehouse, bin number, cost to the enterprise, price to the customer and disposition of the part being replaced. "Astea's rich portfolio of mobile solutions with the AllianceRemote Suite enables our customers to match a best-fit solution for their organization's needs. All technologies are represented--real-time wireless, untethered and web--and each offers distinct advantages depending on what an organization is trying to achieve with its field service or professional services automation activities. From simple to complex field service environments, the convenience, speed, content, accuracy and `forced compliance' of mobile CRM present an impressive value proposition for users," concludes Cicio. About AllianceEnterprise eCRM Suite and AllianceRemote Suite The AllianceEnterprise eCRM Suite delivers modular, comprehensive out-of-box functionality for automating customer-facing business processes. The Suite's four major components for integrated Field Service management (iFSA), Call Center management (iCCA), Sales Force management (iSFA) and Professional Services (job) professional services - A department of a supplier providing consultancy and programming manpower for the supplier's products. management (iPSA) Automation applications are tightly integrated through a centralized cen·tral·ize v. cen·tral·ized, cen·tral·iz·ing, cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To draw into or toward a center; consolidate. 2. `Core Services' enterprise infrastructure that links with leading financial and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) An integrated information system that serves all departments within an enterprise. Evolving out of the manufacturing industry, ERP implies the use of packaged software rather than proprietary software written by or for one customer. products, collapsing multiple, interdependent in·ter·de·pen·dent adj. Mutually dependent: "Today, the mission of one institution can be accomplished only by recognizing that it lives in an interdependent world with conflicts and overlapping interests" business processes into a centralized, coherent solution for higher efficiency, response and revenue at all customer touch points. AllianceRemote Suite options to AllianceEnterprise offer multiple device choices for each of Untethered Remote (EveryWareUR), Wireless Remote (AirWareWR) and Internet/intranet Remote User (WebWareRU) mobile CRM applications. Astea's PSO PSO - Oracle Parallel Server Plus professional services support AllianceEnterprise with a portfolio of services for Business Consulting, Project Implementation, IT Systems Integration and Life Cycle Support. About Astea International Inc. Astea International Inc. (www.astea.com) specializes in equipment-service-centric Customer Relationship Management (eCRM) software solutions used by companies in multiple industries to improve productivity, revenue and customer interaction. Astea has over twenty years TWENTY YEARS. The lapse of twenty years raises a presumption of certain facts, and after such a time, the party against whom the presumption has been raised, will be required to prove a negative to establish his rights. 2. of experience with automating customer-facing business processes and supports a global client base. Astea markets its products through direct and indirect sales and services networks throughout North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , Europe and the Asia-Pacific. (c) 2001 Astea International Inc. Astea is a registered trademark and AllianceEnterprise eCRM Suite and AllianceRemote Suite are trademarks of Astea International Inc. All other company and product names contained herein are trademarks of the respective holders. |
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