Because pressure gauges need to be tested on an annual basis as set out by IANZ (International Accreditation of NZ) CPS needed a customer service system to remind their customers of testing dates. Previously, there were no triggers to send reminders to clients and the company relied on a manual process and spreadsheets as prompts. 

Basically the company needed a workflow system. Of all the pneumatic, hydraulic, steam, gas and other pressure gauges they calibrated they were only getting about 50% to 55% back for testing. The plan is now to make this 100% with the help of a new customer service system from FrontRange Solutions and local reseller Olympic Software NZ Ltd.

HEAT with simple configuration became a specialised customer and product tracking service with workflow and email prompts to facilitate CPS's business processes.

"If a client had 10 gauges, trying to find them all and keep track of which ones needed to come in for testing each year was a major headache," says CPS New Zealand managing director Chris Woudenberg.

Before the new automated system was installed, one staff member spent up to 60 per cent of their time writing worksheets and issuing certificates and there was always the risk of errors. With HEAT, the process is more accurate and streamlined and backlogs are being eliminated.

Where in the past once gauges were tested the certificates had to be typed up at the rate of about ten a day. About twice a month there would be a backlog of 40 to 50 certificates, but now, once a gauge is tested the certificate is printed immediately, no more backlogs. Woudenberg can now run KPI complete reports on volumes and product analysis.

CPS has been gradually refining the system and adding new features after the initial development process with HEAT distributor Olympic software.  "After looking around the world and talking to similar businesses we couldn't find anything that suited our needs. We wanted something that was flexible and would expand with us. So far HEAT has been able to deliver everything we've wanted," says Mr Woudenberg.

"The biggest problem was working out in my head what I wanted HEAT to do, finding out what it could do and then adjusting the way we did things to fit."

So far existing data has been re-keyed and all new business is done directly in HEAT. Between September last year and January CPS ported 85 per cent of its work to the new system, which has made a major difference to workflow.

Although HEAT is now the engine that drives things forward, it also interfaces with GoldMine contact management system, which gives CPS a much greater overview of customers and the gauges they have.

"I can report on any field, call up any customers, see how much work is outstanding how much is due tomorrow and plan ahead. With a better understanding of the workflow I can even predict when I can take a week off," says Mr Woudenberg.

The company is eagerly awaiting the release of HEAT version 8, due for release in March. "The current version doesn't handle anything more than two decimal places but our numbers are often up to 10 digits so we're looking forward to porting everything across to this new version," says Mr Woudenberg.

He's confident that once the full system goes live he'll have a product he can export to other companies with similar needs around the world.

March 2004