Stourbridge College chooses FrontRange HEAT® solution to improve Helpdesk response time and efficiency
College hopes new technology will lead to Outstanding rating
Reading (October 20, 2009) –
FrontRange Solutions, the developer of business software for mid-sized and distributed enterprises, today announced that Stourbridge College has chosen its HEAT® helpdesk solution to improve the delivery of IT services to more than 10,000 students and staff.
Already voted best performing college in the Black Country based on an average point score per student, Stourbridge College provides a wide range of high quality learning and training opportunities for the local community and employers. The busy helpdesk receives up to 90 calls a day from users across its three campuses and the decision to purchase FrontRange HEAT was due in part to the college’s aim to achieve a rating of ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted
Prior to selecting FrontRange HEAT, Stourbridge’s helpdesk enquiries were managed using free software, which was cumbersome to use, did not provide any analysis or include any knowledge management or asset management functionality. The lack of any self-service capability meant issues could not be logged out of hours by users and quick calls such as resetting passwords were taking up a considerable amount of time for the service desk staff
Of all the solutions considered. FrontRange HEAT provided the functionality and ability to grow inline with Stourbridge’s needs. Ease-of-use and its uncomplicated interface meant extensive training would not be necessary. Also the back-end support offered was far superior to alternatives on the market. FrontRange HEAT was made even more attractive thanks to its inclusion of voice recognition software and compatibility with VoIP, which Stourbridge is planning to implement in 2010.
Initial implementation took just one week and FrontRange’s own helpdesk was on hand as the College’s IT team got quickly up to speed with the solution.
“In an organisation such as Stourbridge, with many students and staff working to strict deadlines, any IT issues need to be resolved immediately. As efficient as our team already is, we needed the technology to support faster servicing and provide us with a better view of issues,” says Alex Speed, Director of IT & ILT Strategy at Stourbridge. “Having worked with HEAT previously in my career, I was confident it had all the features we needed right now. But also with the amount of time FrontRange are investing in R&D, I am confident the solution will also meet our future needs too.”
Stourbridge is currently in phase one of a three-stage plan, which will eventually lead it to using 14 FrontRange HEAT licenses, as the solution is extended to the facilities and HR teams. By the end of 2009, Stourbridge will have also implemented HEAT Self Service, which will allow users to log their own IT issues, either out of hours or when the helpdesk phone number is busy. The FrontRange HEAT solution provides the service desk team with better management and reporting tools, including job reference codes and an open/closed ticket system, allowing them to see the status of all enquiries at a glance.
“We’ve been very pleased so far with the implementation of HEAT and the support and counsel received from FrontRange Solutions. We’ve already seen much improvement on helpdesk response times and reporting and we’re confident that these same efficiencies will be seen across both facilities and HR departments too.” says Speed.
“FrontRange HEAT is constantly being developed and updated to ensure it includes all the tools necessary to run an effective helpdesk,” says Steve Feeney, UK Sales Director at FrontRange Solutions. “As well as improved visibility of enquiries and reporting, this solution will provide Stourbridge with the ability to analyse particular issues and ensure enquiries are resolved in the quickest time possible.”
For more information, visit www.frontrange.com or follow ‘FrontRangeSols’ on Twitter.
About FrontRange Solutions
FrontRange is a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT Service Management, IT Asset Management, and Customer Service solutions. These solutions enable IT and Services Transformation by providing Enterprise-class capabilities that deliver fast time to benefit, high ease of use, and rapid return on investment. With an award winning tradition and recognized as a leader by industry analysts, FrontRange’s products and solutions are licensed by over 16,000 customers in more than 80 verticals and 80 countries to quickly improve interactions with external and internal clients and achieve better business results. For more information, call 800.776.7889, visit www.frontrange.com or follow us at @FrontRange or on Twitter.
Contact:
Matt Fisher
Director Global PR
+44 (0)1793 836200
Matt.fisher@frontrange.com
Source: FrontRange