Case Study: Ecomaster Puts Customers in Control

The furniture restoration company has chosen mplsystems to update its service management system.

The Challenge

Ecomaster works in partnership with many manufacturers and retailers. Over the last decade, the business has experienced steady growth and built both a customer portfolio and an industry reputation throughout the UK.

As a result, the business realised that they were outgrowing their existing, off-the-shelf service management solution. The lack of integration across the business meant that processes were complicated, workload was often duplicated and they relied on manual paper-based processes for parts of their service delivery. Their existing system was not only limited in functionality, they were unable to configure it to deliver the improvements needed to meet their SLAs.

“The applications that comprised our previous service management system did not deliver an efficient solution at key stages of the customer journey and were not designed in a way which allowed for a seamless customer process from initial interaction to completion of a job,” said Dan Harrison, IT Manager at Ecomaster. “We needed a solution that not only made service delivery better for our customers but also improved our internal processes and performance to meet the growing pressures of our customers’ SLAs.”

The Solution

Ecomaster decided to use mplsystems, who were able to configure a solution around their requirements and business processes.

They implemented an integrated field-service management solution which enables a flow of information across the entire customer journey. The end-to-end solution comprises customer online portals, comprehensive service desk software, and drag-and-drop scheduling. It also has integrated mobile apps for the team of 56 expert technicians.

Previously, the service desk team had to call each individual consumer to confirm an appointment over the phone, which was extremely time consuming and often needed multiple calls and rearranged appointments.

The new solution allows customers to access an online portal and log a job themselves. The system will check the availability of a technician with the appropriate skills and allow the customer to select a time and day that suits them. They are then sent an automated text message for approval, which schedules the appointment based on the availability and location of the team of technicians.

The Benefits

The solution combines automated scheduling and route optimisation with a live-map view of technicians, all available calendars and a complete list of jobs. The visual nature of the scheduling application ensures that service staff can easily manage exceptions and optimise schedules if required, over and above the automation.

Once a job has been scheduled, the technician is sent a notification on a mobile app which includes all route optimisation, job details, outcomes, parts management, site audits and costing and billing information. The mobile app was also integrated with the company finance system, allowing technicians’ orders to be automatically invoiced, checked and processed, eliminating duplicate workload and paper-based processing.

To demonstrate the improved performance in service delivery and answer the increasingly complex enquiries from customers, the company knew that they needed to improve their reporting and analytics tools. With the new solution, customers are able to access a visual reporting dashboard through the online customer portal that provides them with bespoke reporting capability specific to their individual business KPIs.

The reporting tool presents the customer with an in-depth analysis of each job case, which allows them to identify common faults and see photographic evidence from the technician’s mobile devices and all the job history details they require.

“Since implementing the solution, we have not only seen a significant improvement in operational efficiency but also an increase in customer satisfaction as a result of providing our customers with greater visibility and access. We are now exceeding expectations in meeting customer SLAs, which is helping us drive the business forward in line with our ambitious growth plans,” said Paul Gresty, Managing Director at Ecomaster.

For more information about mplsystems, visit their website.