The use of Tesseract’s Service Centre service management system as an Internet hosted software solution to provide superlative levels of customer service has not only eliminated Firbimatic’s ‘worry’ and cost of internal IT support for the software, but because regional managers can now remotely access the system for real-time service data they are therefore playing a more effective role in the management of the company’s team of nationwide engineers.

In addition, because the browser-based software is available 24/7, customers, too, are able to log and track service calls as well as view site histories – providing a transparency of service that is proving an invaluable USP that differentiates Firbimatic from its competitors, according to operations director Andy Lambert.
Based in Pershore, Worcestershire and a division of Alex Reid – the market-leading supplier of specialist laundry products for the fabricare industry - Firbimatic specialises in the supply of commercial dry cleaning and laundry equipment to organisations such as the Morrisons supermarket chain and Johnsons The Cleaners.
With a team of highly-skilled 33 engineers, the team project manages, installs, services and maintains a range of equipment including brands such as Danube, Electrolux, Hydrovane, Realstar, Sovrana and Union in addition to its own Firbimatic machines. The field engineers also train users in equipment use.

Tesseract’s Service Centre service management system has been in use at the company for about three years, and it replaced a manual T card-based service process.
Service Centre has always been used by Firbimatic as a stand-alone system, says Andy Lambert, and its powerful functionality has so far focused only on service planning and engineering scheduling.
"The switch 12 months ago to using the software on a hosted basis was prompted by the need to provide our regional managers – and certain customers – with remote access," he continues.

"Tesseract’s hosting service is efficient and cost-effective, and apart from reducing ‘phone calls from the regional guys, the process today enables our managers to easily and quickly record and monitor service activities in real-time."

With Tesseract’s hosting service, users can log and manage service calls by utilising a unique URL for secure access to their own Service Centre database. Likewise, the company’s field engineers - and its customers – can log onto the system via password-protected URLs.

Andy Lambert again: "For new equipment installations, for example, the software has eliminated the chance of double bookings - we often have many ‘balls in the air’ when lorry drivers (equipment delivery), builders, glaziers and our own installation engineers may all be involved in a project.
"Effectively, Service Centre also manages our logistics functions" – a major boon with a system that has service as its prime role utilising solution-driven functionally.
While mobile ‘phones remain the staple communication tool for Firbimatic engineers - service calls are received via text messaging and weekly timesheets are used for mileage logs and parts used - Andy Lambert adds that plans are in place to arm the engineers with devices to enable them to record timely job closure details, for example, to reduce the paper trail.

"There’s no argument that Service Centre is a superb service tool, and we’re steadily putting everything in place to make the most of it – for example, for tracking spares and perhaps link the system to financials," he concludes.

"The end result will be further improved internal processes and, for customers, an even higher level of service."