CRM - July 2008 - (Page 46)

pivot tables and display graphs, analyze complex problems, and consider “whatif ” scenarios. GP also provides real-time alerts, something CheckPoint needed not only for regulatory compliance and its own records, but to make timely and informed business decisions. “Having a robust set of financial tools to establish metrics and monitor performance, Dynamics GP gives us a much better window into our business,” Friedman said. CheckPoint listened to the advice of northern New Jersey–based Pinnacle Consulting Group, which had handled some of its other projects, and hired LogicalIT Solutions of Bangor, Maine, for the implementation. LogicalIT completed the project in three weeks, with no disruption to CheckPoint’s business operations. Since the move, CheckPoint has seen several improvements in its ability to conduct business. Better reporting functions—10 times the number of relevant reports—have led to tighter cost controls and improved operational visibility. Dynamics GP’s improved data interface has allowed the elimination of a Microsoft Access database that served as an adjunct to Small Business Manager; with fewer data transformations, electronic funds management is now much smoother. Most important, there’s a practical upshot to all the functional improvements: CheckPoint’s improved ability to serve customers. “Dynamics GP allows us to deliver a broader range of services to customers, and [to] improve all aspects of our business operations through extensive analytical and forecasting capabilities,” Friedman said, adding that the software “offers a scalable financials platform that will help us keep pace with growth and offer an array of new services to clients.” —Marshall Lager Biting Off the Right Amount PracticeWorks brushes up its technical support operations for oral-healthcare offices T the payoff SINCE IMPLEMENTING MICROSOFT DYNAMICS GP, CHECKPOINT HR HAS: $ 10 times the number of useful reports; eliminated an intermediary Microsoft Access database; streamlined electronic funds management; and improved cost controls and visibility into operations. he term “oral surgery” can make people cringe—with good reason. Luckily, oralhealthcare offices have technology and systems that provide the best services possible for patients, and make sure that the often frightful process can go as planned. Enter PracticeWorks, a provider of practice management, digital imaging, and radiology software for dentists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons in more than 37,000 practices nationwide. At its Atlanta headquarters, the company employs 250 technical-support professionals, and Krista Ciccozzi, PracticeWorks’ director of technical support, says that the ongoing support the company provides to these dental offices is essential to maintaining a positive relationship.“After the sales process, the primary contact is going to be in support,” she explains. “So there’s a big weight on our shoulders to keep that relationship strong.” A big part of PracticeWorks’ service involves remote connection—having the technical-support professional literally take over a customer’s computer in order to troubleshoot and correct the problem. Ciccozzi says PracticeWorks had been using pcAnywhere for remote connections, but there were some drawbacks. For starters, PracticeWorks’ customers had to purchase and install pcAnywhere on their desktops at an additional cost. Also, Ciccozzi says, many offices still had dial-up connections.“We spent a lot of time troubleshooting the connection—even more than it took to solve the customer’s problem once we were connected.” As offices began moving away from dial-up, and PracticeWorks saw a higher broadband-adoption rate among clients, the company knew it needed to keep up. “It made sense to look for tools out there so that we wouldn’t have to use a dial-in connection,” Ciccozzi recalls. “We were looking to reduce the issue-resolution problem as well as [to] improve the customer experience—something that was easy to use from both the client’s and support professionals’ perspectives, and something that didn’t cost too much.” Ciccozzi says that PracticeWorks assessed many options, but Bomgar eventually won out. “[The Bomgar solution] is very economical, and provides us with a tool that’s easy to deploy to our end users,” she says. “It also has features we need because in our industry we have to be HIPAA-compliant and encryption is really important to us.” Joel Bomgar, founder and CEO of Bomgar Corp., says that, as an onpremise solution, Bomgar Box offers a high level of security that represents a tremendous competitive differentiator. “Data does not pass through any third party, in contrast to GoToAssist, in which all screen-sharing data passes through its data center in every session,” he says. According to Ciccozzi, the Bomgar Box was up and running just weeks after purchase. The hardest part of the proc- “After the sales process, the primary contact is going to be in support.” ess, she recalls, was setting up profiles for the 250 support professionals using the software. But the payoff came quickly: “We recovered the costs of Bomgar in less than a month,” she says, citing a 24 percent reduction in the amount of support call-time spent dialing in, translating to savings of $5,187 per day. And hard numbers are only half the tale— the larger benefit, Ciccozzi declares, involves agent morale. “I think that not having to deal with the troubleshooting part of pcAnywhere has made them happier. The tool is very easy, and customers love it.” —Christopher Musico the payoff THANKS TO THE BOMGAR BOX, PRACTICEWORKS HAS SEEN: $ a 24 percent reduction in the amount of support call-time spent dialing in; cost savings of $5,187 per day; and 4,000 remote-control sessions per month. 46 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | JULY 2008 www.destinationCRM.com http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - July 2008

CRM - July 2008 Contents Front Office Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point CRM’s a Social Animal SAP Looks to ‘Change the Game' CRM on Twitter CRM to the Max A Prescription for Satisfaction Required Reading Cover Story: Is Microsoft Winning the CRM Race? Jumping into the SaaS Pool Say What? Another Bright Idea Out of Edison A Small Biz Blossoms Biting Off the Right Amount Something for a Rainy Day Connect Re:Tooling Pint of View

CRM - July 2008

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