WITH THE WEB NOW EMPOWERING ORGANISATIONS TO SWITCH BETWEEN SERVICE SUPPLIERS  AT 'CLICK' SPEED, THE BATTLE TO RETAIN CUSTOMERS HAS NEVER BEEN FIERCER.

TO SOME OBSERVERS, WE HAVE ENTERED THE AGE OF THE CUSTOMER WHO CANNOT BE SATISFIED

 Brian Wall Reports

If there is one phrase that sums up the way enterprises set about achieving their financial objectives in the last 20 years of the  twentieth century, 'lean and mean' is the one that most readily  springs to mind. All of the emphasis was on cost-cutting, restructuring  and trimming operations, slicing away at the fat with all of the  enthusiasm of an entrepreneurial Hannibal Lector.

 This inward-looking, knife-wielding philosophy often meant that the whole raison d'etre of the business was forgotten namely satisfying  customers profitably. Many enterprises now accept that this approach is a flawed one where lean and mean means undernourished and weak. It is no springboard from which to foster strong customer relationships.

In the year 2001, many service organisations are moving away from being customer aware in favour of being far more customer-centric and that means adopting the best aspects of customer relationship management (CRM). This calls for the service provider and customer to embrace a CRM philosophy that is nurtured by joint involvement, vision and passion for the anticipated outcome.

These attributes, accordingly to analysts Gartner Group, are crucial  when applying technology to CRM problems. Without them, Gartner  argues, many such initiatives are 'doomed for failure'. As one of  the world's leading providers of solutions and services to the professional users of information and communication technology (ICT), effective,  long-term customer relationship management is critical to Getronics. Following the merger with networked technology services and solutions provider Wang Global, the company is now one of the world's top five ICT firms delivering services on a global basis in 44 countries and employing workforce of 34,000. Headquartered in Amsterdam, with regional head offices in Boston, London, Singapore and Washington DC, Getronics works with many of the world's largest companies to help them to maximise the value of their technology investment. Customers include major corporates, financial institutions, government and leading organisations in the non-profit sector.

'We provide a wide range of business solutions to help customers  to achieve business goals across a variety of market sectors,' says Ernest Greefhorst, Getronics project manager for process implementation and IT infrastructure.'

These include life cycle services ad support of infrastructure, products and systems with service level agreements designed to meet all levels of customer need.'

Since 1986, the company has been using service management software,  supplied by Interchange, to support its third party maintenance  business strategy. More recently, new challenges prompted further  Getronics recourse to Interchange consultancy expertise. These included  the need to resolve Year 2000 system compliance issues and the introduction of the Euro. Getronics also wanted to improve the quality of its internal IT systems and increase the effectiveness of its customer  facing services.

CHANGING TIMES

 'Our business is constantly growing and changing,' adds Greefhorst.  'Whereas in the past we sold PCs and associated equipment and systems, delivered them, handled installation, networking and upgrades, we are now moving to a complete solutions approach, with a strong focus  on value added services.' In 1997, the company signed a five-year contract with Interchange the two major elements of which are to provide service management consultancy and programming skills. Consultancy  covers service management, call control, workshop contract administration and purchase order processing a complete, integrated CRM solution  for the management of internal servicing and repair.

This solution is based on a continuing partnership between Getronics  and Interchange. Under a new five-year contract, Interchange continues  to support the existing installed software, helping Getronics to exploit the new functionality of that software, while also providing  service management consultancy for Getronics' internal repair and  maintenance programmes, along with the necessary programming skills.

 'Because we had an established relationship with Interchange over many years, they know our business and are aware of our strategic  goals. Combined with the technical and management expertise to help  us achieve them, they have exhibited a high degree of responsiveness and flexibility to meet or changing needs,' Greefhorst comments.

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As part of the process, Getronics' field engineers are being provide  with laptop computers so they can receive and send electronically  service transaction traffic to speed satisfaction of assignment requirements, reduce paperwork and provide a better service

This will make a significant impact in day-to-day working practices, where Getronics' 1,200 field service engineers in Holland typically  receive and process up to 1,500 service calls a day. Another area  where Interchange has made a significant contribution is in the integration of its service management solution into the helpdesk.  Benefits to Getronics have included identifiable and significant  improvements in speed of procurement, the establishment of just-in-time  stockholding, more comprehensive and effective service agreements,  better support for customer satisfaction reviews and improved call  handling. All have contributed to an overall enhancement of Getronics' operations, both internally (through service to the company's internal repair and maintenance operations) and in its external services  to customers..

UNDER A FIVE YEAR  DEAL, INTERCHANGE NOW SUPPORTS THE INSTALLED SOFTWARE, THEREBY HELPING  GETRONICS EXPLOIT ITS FUNCTIONALITY

PARTNER EVOLUTION

 The evolution of Interchange's long-term relationship with Getronics  has reflected Interchange's own evolution from a product supplier offering service and consultancy, to a consultancy specialising in improving customer service which also offers and integrates a  wide range of best of breed software. This enables Interchange to use its experience in customer service and technical expertise to choose and implement the right product for a customer's needs and  budget customers like Getronics. The success of Interchange's involvement  with Getronics spanning over a decade underlines the importance of a close partnership approach to identifying business problems  and developing and implementing solutions. This has played a vital role in helping Getronics achieve its business goals through improving  technical and business processes and customer relationships.