Adelaide Bank is reaping the rewards of HEAT 6.0 help desk implementation

Adelaide Bank is a publicly listed retail bank headquartered in South Australia. In 2000 it celebrated its hundredth year of operation. Focussed on lending for housing and business, the Bank is capitalised at more than $8.7 billion.

The Bank has a long history of providing excellent service to its customers around Australia. By installing FrontRange Solutions' HEAT 5.0, its Help Desk staff have been able to extend the same level of service to internal customers.

The Help Desk serves a diverse range of users including Head Office staff in Adelaide, branches throughout the state and remote interstate users and strategic alliance partners.

Why change?

The Bank installed HEAT in December 1999. The decision to upgrade its help desk software was based on a number of factors including concerns over the Y2K bug and dissatisfaction with its existing software.

Y2K compliance was the catalyst but we needed much more than just a safe system. We needed a fully automated system with detailed and useful reporting capabilities, said Adrienne Gosling from the Adelaide Bank. The product we were using had disappointing levels of product support and its reporting capabilities were limited.

What we required was a system that we could build on in years to come, one that would provide us with a knowledge base that we could tap into to reduce call resolution times. Ultimately these factors can save the Bank money by increasing the efficiency of our service.

FrontRange Solutions Vice President Asia Pacific agreed, pointing-out that one of the biggest challenges for internal help desks is that they constantly have to justify their existence to senior management.

Help desks are often viewed, incorrectly, as a cost centre with limited business benefits. HEAT's advanced reporting capabilities assist helpdesk managers to prove that in fact a well managed helpdesk can save money by improving efficiency.

Why HEAT?

Adelaide Bank decided to install HEAT after evaluating a number of competitive products. The quality of FrontRange's local support, its reporting tools, ease of use, asset management capabilities and customisation made HEAT the most attractive and workable solution.

There was a lot to like about HEAT when we compared it to competitive products. The solution partner Technology Partners/Mercury IT had excellent product knowledge and was able to assist us with customising the product to suit our specific needs. We also didn't want a product that would require extensive training - HEAT is so easy to use and required minimal training.

Equally important was the fact that with HEAT everything is inclusive in the price, with no mid-implementation surprises.

At the end of the day price is an important consideration. HEAT has given us excellent value for money and we knew up-front exactly what the system would cost to purchase and install, said Adrienne Gosling

The results

Implementing HEAT has made a significant difference to Adelaide Bank. Through improved reporting, workloads are being managed more efficiently and senior management are more aware of the diversity and complexity of workloads. Additionally, the product is being used as the basis for commencing the implementation of Service Level Agreements (SLA) with internal customers.

HEAT has made a noticeable difference to our helpdesk. We are now managing our time and assets far more effectively, which in turn means we are saving money. Importantly, it has also resulted in happier staff and customers. By providing ongoing feedback on the performance of the Help Desk, and tracking it against SLAs, we will ensure these benefits are enjoyed into the future, Adrienne.

About HEAT

Easy to install and customise, HEAT is an ideal choice in call management software for help desk managers who require a simple yet powerful help desk solution. HEAT includes automatic escalation, automatic ticket generation, and proactive service-level management.

HEATWeb enables incorporation of web-captured information from any PC with a Web connection, thus allowing information to be accessed remotely and helping to relieve call pressure on the help desk.  

In 1999, 25% of the US Fortune 100 companies used HEAT and currently, over 90% of HEAT customers renew their annual maintenance agreement, which is 30% higher than the industry average. Also, both the Gartner and the Meta Groups rate HEAT software No. 1 in terms of product vision.

About FrontRange Solutions (formerly GoldMine Software Corp.)

Founded in 1989, FrontRange Solutions is a leading provider of front office solutions to enable businesses of all sizes to buy, sell and support customers with Web-based applications designed for the New Economy. The company sells its products and services through a direct sales force, value-added resellers and other distribution partners.

FrontRange Solutions has its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The Asia Pacific subsidiary is headquartered in Sydney and has offices in Melbourne and Brisbane.