SunSystems achieves Institute Technical Support Centre Accreditation
After several site visits, lots of questions and feedback from a ‘mystery shopper’, the support activities for SunSystems, based in Farnborough, have secured Technical Support Centre Accreditation from the Institute of IT Training.
"The support operations for SunSystems have a high regard for the quality of its service – in excess of 60% first call resolution being substantiated – it’s a highly professional and well founded operation, entirely worthy of Institute accreditation," explains Institute accreditation consultant Ian James.
"We found the accreditation process a most rigorous review of our support activities," explains Jim Shepherd, International Financial Support Manager for SunSystems. "All client related aspects of our support activity were reviewed - the process provides us with 3rd party verification of the strength of our service, with the accreditation report giving us a thorough and detailed review of or service with valuable pointers for development. The annual review of our Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) offered by the Institute will, I am sure, prove to be invaluable."
"Accreditation from the IITT has many benefits. In an industry so heavily tainted by stories of bad practice and overstated client service, Institute Accreditation provides impartial evidence, ensuring that we are ‘not tarred with the same brush’ – justifiably we hold our heads high. This must be reassuringly good news for our client base and channel partners," says Dany Erpelding, EMEA Support Director.
Launched formally in May this year, the Institute’s Technical Support Centre Accreditation has been ratified by an appointed Industry Review Panel with representation from major organisations who have actively supported the initiative. The panel includes senior representation from Halifax, World Class International, Centrica and One2One.
Technical Support Centre Accreditation responds to the needs of a growing demand for professionalism and quality in the support arena by providing fit-for-purpose’ benchmarking, best practice recommendation and Code of Practice. The accreditation process is based on 5 areas:
Promises – Undertakings, Service Level Agreements and Client Charter
People – Continuous Professional development and training for support staff (call-handlers) – including product, technical, call-handling and coaching skills
Processes – Call progression, call escalation and call logging
Premises and Facilities – fit for purpose and commensurate with the level of service undertaken
Proof – Objective and visible measures of service level criteria as specified (‘promises’) and adherence to Institute Code of Practice.
Fundamental in the accreditation process is the expert reporting of a ‘real’ call into the Technical Support Centre. This puts a whole new spin on ‘calls may be recorded for quality purposes’. In the case of Institute Accreditation, the call is made by an external organisation (the Institute) who know exactly what they are looking for and report accordingly - not for the feint hearted.
Repeated 'mystery shopper' calls are a phenomenon of continued accreditation.
Colin Steed, chief executive of the Institute of IT Training says: "The Technical Support business is coming of age. There is indisputable evidence of a desire to improve standards and service levels in the industry. The bar is being lowered for those organisations who are all too willing to draw profit but less willing to invest in their business and improve services to their clients. Organisations that already achieve appropriate standards will be worthy of Institute Technical Support Centre Accreditation, those who aspire to achieve these standards may also be eligible, but those who remain partisan will be neither eligible nor welcome."
Technical Support Centre Accreditation exists at an organisation level, however individual Support Analysts (call-handlers) can achieve personal certification through the Institute’s Technical Support Specialist (TSS) certification. This provides eligibility for Associate Membership of the Institute.
Over 50 of the SunSystems support staff rhave already applied for professional Membership of the Institute.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
The Institute of IT Training mission statement is "To create an environment in which the effectiveness of investment in IT is maximised through continuous improvement in training and skills transfer practices".
The Institute’s aims and objectives are specifically to:
Continuously raise standards of professionalism within the IT training industry and to establish benchmarks of excellence against which practitioners may be measured.
Promote and maintain the prestige and integrity of the IT training profession by enabling, encouraging and stimulating the widest use of best practice.
Heighten the professionalism of all who work in an IT training role by providing members with opportunities for the development of their knowledge and skills.
Act as an accreditation body for organisations and departments involved in IT training - both commercial and educational.
Act as a certification body for individuals desiring to enhance their professional skills.
Provide a code of practice for members.
Provide a range of exclusive services to members - such as research, library, conferences, journals, networking opportunities and interactive support through the Institute's on-line information services; all designed to improve professional standards and effectiveness for members.
Establish and maintain strong working links with all sectors involved with the development of IT skills in order to formulate coherent and consensual approaches to the profession's development.
Work with all appropriate academic and commercial bodies in promoting and enhancing IT skills competences.
SunSystems is the core product range of the Systems Union Group plc, which is quoted on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange. The company is one of the largest business software houses in the world, with 20 offices worldwide and some 200 Channel Partners in 76 countries.
Products within the SunSystems range are available in 27 languages with over 18,000 customer sites, and 250,000 customer seats in some 194 countries. The software solutions are used extensively by multinationals, whose offices worldwide require an international product with global support infrastructure.
Customers include 15 of the world’s 16 largest corporations, 60 of the FTSE100, one quarter of the Fortune 500, and names such as Melbourne Cricket Club, Hilton International, BP Amoco, and Save the Children Fund. The company is the largest supplier of financial software to the British public sector, and is the largest supplier of business software into Hong Kong and Japan.Further information
Contacts
Institute of IT Training
Colin Steed, Chief Executive 02476-418128 [email protected]
Ian James, Accreditation Consultant 02476-418128 [email protected]
Tony Moss, Professional Services Director 02476-418128 [email protected]
SunSystems
For more information about any SunSystems software products: 0800 555 789 (within the UK); +44 1252 556000 (international); e-mail: [email protected]; website: www.sunsystems.com
Press Release issued by:
The Institute of IT Training
Institute House
Sir William Lyons Road
Coventry
CV4 7EZ
Tel: 02476-418128
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.iitt.org.uk