Version 2 Support Handbook

Transcription

1 Version 2 Support Handbook Version 2 Support Handbook 1

2 Version 2 Support Handbook 2

3 Table of Contents: Chapter One...3 What is Activant s Support Commitment To Me, Their Customer? Chapter Two.4 How and When Do I Contact Activant Support For Assistance? Chapter Three 6 How Do I Know If I Am Eligible To Receive Support? Chapter Four..7 What Should I Do Before Calling Support? Chapter Five..8 What Kind Of Service Can I Expect From Activant Support? Chapter Six..12 Internet Services & WebSupport Chapter Seven 14 What Can I Do If I Am Not Satisfied with the Service that I have Received? Chapter Eight.15 Support of Old Releases Version 2 Support Handbook 3

4 Chapter 1 - What is Activant s Support Commitment to Me, Their Customer? Support Mission Statement Activant Support will deliver a superior level of customer service, unparalleled in our industry. Our primary mission is to provide our customers with whatever assistance is necessary to enable them to get the most out of the Activant application software they are using. M i s s i o n a n d V a l u e s The overall mission of Activant is to increase our market share by constantly increasing our value to our business partners. Long term, sustainable growth can only be accomplished by: Hiring outstanding people and empowering them to take charge of their area of responsibility. Making Activant a great place to work so that tenure turnover is minimized. Delivering service that exceeds customer expectations. Manufacturing high quality products and providing high quality, innovative services. Being a FAST company. FAST to market, FAST to solve problems, FAST to innovate, FAST to make hard decisions, and FAST to seize new business opportunities. Our People We strive to identify, recruit and retain talent. We reward impact and results. We provide education to our associates to help them become more effective. We expect associates to take the initiative for their own self-improvement. We listen to our associates. We reward innovation. We promote from within when possible. We constantly evaluate our talent to make sure associates are in roles where they have the most impact. Our Core Business We are focused on extending our position as the technology partner of choice to the Pro Dealer segment of the building materials industry. In all areas of our business we strive for constant incremental improvement. How do we accomplish this? By providing outstanding service and allowing customers to focus on their business. We aggressively review all service metrics and processes to insure that we exceed customer expectations. We realize it s what we know about; 1) The challenges our customers face and 2) how to solve these challenges, that really matters. Many companies sell software for our industry, but to differentiate ourselves, we have to know as much about our customers business as they do. Maintaining the trust of customers by adding value to their investment in Activant technology. We do this by being experts in their business, adding vital functionality to their current systems when possible and finding ways to increase their connectivity. Identifying innovative software and services concepts to help our customers drive costs out of their business, gain a competitive advantage and improve productivity. Version 2 Support Handbook 4

5 By investing in R&D so that Activant customers remain at the forefront of technology. Speed will be the mantra when it comes to recognizing the need for and developing new capabilities and products. New business is essential to our long-term success. Therefore we constantly strive to develop new generation solutions that will allow us to succeed in the new business arena. We also work hard to drive costs out of our business so that we can provide products and services to our customers at the lowest cost possible. However, we will not sacrifice long term quality and outstanding service for short-term profits. New Markets We aggressively seek out new business opportunities that take advantage of our core competencies. This can result in offering new products and services to our target market, or developing products for new markets. We reward associates that take risks to grow our business, as long as the course is charted and monitored closely. If we fail in new ventures, in spite of proper preparation, we will encourage new ideas and in no way penalize creativity. We always look for new markets to enter and new product/service offerings to offer our current markets. All ACTIVANT associates contribute to our success. We are the best in the business and we work diligently to maintain this status. Being the best demands tremendous fortitude. We do not rest on our past success - we know that this will result in long term failure. We will not become complacent. Constant, incremental improvement in all areas of our business and in personal development is required in order to thrive. Version 2 Support Handbook 5

6 Chapter 2 - How and When Do I Contact Version 2 Support for Assistance? Method Telephone Support Contact Information Availability When to use Information needed from you Appropriate for all Contact name and incidents. phone number Dispatcher Mon. Fri., 8:30am 5:30pm EST (except on holidays) Company name & ID# Detailed description of issue Case number if calling on an existing case Web Support Internet site: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Fax Faxes can be sent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Recommended for incidents that are less time-critical in nature. Use to obtain technical documents and search for solutions, or to log your own call. Recommended for incidents that are less time-critical in nature You will need a valid support contract, a user ID, and a password. Detailed description of your issue Contact name and phone number Company name Detailed description of issue On Call Coverage A recording explains coverage options and provides our cell number: Week-nights from 7:00pm EST until 7:00am EST Weekends beginning at 7:00pm EST on Fri. and ending at 7:00am EST Mon. morning. Recommended for critical incidents only, as this service is usually billable at T&M rate of $175 per hour. Case # if fax is on an open case. If your call goes to voic , please leave the following information and your call will be returned as soon as possible: Contact name and phone number Company name Detailed description of issue Notes on Version 2 On Call Coverage Version 2 Support offers emergency service after-hours and on weekends. If you have an urgent issue and need assistance outside our normal hours of 7:00am EST 7:00pm EST, or on the weekend, you may call our on-call analyst. On weeknights (Mon.-Fri.), any use of this service after 10:00pm EST and before 7:00am EST is billable. On Saturday, between the hours of Version 2 Support Handbook 6

7 8:00am EST and 8:00pm EST, there is no charge for the use of this service, if you have a down system. Calls other than down systems are billable. A down system is a system that is completely inoperable for business, stemming from hardware issues (terminals and printers hung at POS), or software problems, preventing the normal conducting of business. See the definition of P0 Down Systems in the Call Priority section below. After 8:00pm EST Saturday evening and until 7:00am EST on Monday morning, any use of our emergency service is billable. Please keep in mind that there is only one on-call analyst. Once a customer pages the on-call analyst, the analyst responds as quickly as they can. The on-call analyst typically does not have access to all the Activant resources that are available during normal business hours. The analyst will make every reasonable effort to resolve the problem, but may not be able to do so. Customers are billed for the use of this service even if the analyst is unable to provide a final resolution to the problem. Our charges to you are for the use of this service, not for call resolution. How And When Do I Utilize The Other Service Organizations Within Activant? Organization Responsibilities Contact method V2 Professional Services Provides in-house, on-site, phone training, and web training Version 2 Sales Acts as single point of contact for customers evaluating Version 2 products and services Version 2 Support Manager, Sherry Hennes Version 2 Sales Version 2 Development Activant Document Solutions Coordinates any purchases of subsequent products or services after the initial purchase Provides enhancements and fixes for the Version 2 application and custom programming Provides customers with all of their business form needs Version 2 Development Version 2 Document Solutions Version 2 Support Handbook 7

8 Loss of Telephone Service Occasionally, due to circumstances beyond our control, one or more of our offices may experience a temporary loss of telephone service. In these cases, we immediately go to beeper service. While we will do everything in our power to alert you, we may not always be successful. If you are calling Support and find that the phones seem to be inoperable, please follow these instructions: First, try the appropriate cell number. The Version 2 cell number is currently If you still experience problems, please try contacting one of our other offices: Greenville, SC Salt Lake City, UT Stratford, CT Version 2 Support Handbook 8

9 Chapter 3 How Do I Know If I Am Eligible To Receive Support? Am I Eligible To Receive Assistance from Activant Support? You are eligible to receive assistance from Activant Support if you are current with the payment of your quarterly or annual support maintenance fees and are using versions of Activant applications that are currently eligible for support. See Support of Old Releases for details on our policy that requires customers to stay current with application versions. Who Should I Contact To Verify My Eligibility To Receive Support? We strongly recommend that you review your quarterly or annual maintenance billing and compare all the hardware and software listed to what you are actually using. You are eligible to receive support assistance only for those items listed on the maintenance billing, so any discrepancies need to be corrected promptly. If you have any questions regarding your maintenance billing, please contact the appropriate maintenance specialist for your product at What Assistance Am I Entitled To Receive, Given My Eligibility For Support? Your maintenance payments entitle you to receive software, hardware (POS products only), and enhancement support, as outlined in your Support Maintenance Agreement. Examples of software support are overcoming issues in the software, correction of operator errors, installation of any applications purchased through Activant, as well as assistance in updating your Activant software packages. Examples of hardware support are troubleshooting and correcting problems with supported hardware. Enhancement support covers the R&D costs incurred as we continually add features and correct issues in the software. It is also important to note what is not covered under your support contract. First and foremost, training of new employees or newly purchased software packages is not included. If you have a new employee who needs to understand the procedures involved in Accounts Receivable, Purchase Orders, Inventory Management, BackOffice functions, etc., Support cannot adequately train in many of these functions over the phone. When possible, an appointment should be scheduled at a time when it will have the least impact on Support. Appointments need to be made well in advance. Please do not call to say a new AP Clerk has started and needs to know how to get out checks that same day in order to save the discounts! Not only will your employee not get the proper training on such short notice, but also it is not fair to the other customers who need service. In many situations, on-site training is required. In that case, Support directs you to the appropriate department. All training is billable at our current rate, which is $ an hour. Second, any equipment or software packages purchased through Activant, but not placed under support at the time of purchase, are not covered. Please do not assume because you bought it from Activant, you are covered. In the majority of the cases, you are covered, but we have run into cases where the person making the purchase opts not to take support coverage in an effort to save money. This gamble rarely pays off. Finally, any equipment or software package not purchased through Activant is not covered. Version 2 Support Handbook 9

10 Chapter 4 - What Should I Do Before Calling Support? Support analysts ask a number of standard questions before troubleshooting your issue. Having the information available when you contact Support may greatly reduce the time it takes the support analyst to provide a resolution. Also, please keep in mind that we always ask as a matter of course that you review your documentation before placing a Support call, in case your question/problem can be answered there. What information should I gather? Please consider or collect the following information prior to contacting Support: Define the problem Be able to articulate the symptom(s) of the problem Provide any error messages associated with the issue Provide as many details related to the issue as possible Gather relevant information Determine if this problem has occurred before or if this is an isolated incident Can you duplicate the problem at will? Determine what occurred before the problem was detected Determine if any changes have been made recently to the system (i.e., upgrades or system configuration changes) Does the problem appear to be related to any one location, item, account, operator, terminal, etc.? Determine the version of the software application you are using If you are a POS customer and you are calling with a hardware problem, be sure you can provide the model, make, and serial number of the hardware item in question, and also be sure you have it covered under your maintenance contract Determine the business impact Determine how this affects your system and your ability to meet your business needs Collect the proper contact information Your Customer ID number Appropriate phone number Alternate phone numbers, if possible If not responding to you, the name and contact information for the person Support needs to contact Version 2 Support Handbook 10

11 Chapter 5 - What Kind of Service Can I Expect From Version 2 Support? Version 2 Support s primary goal is to respond as quickly as possible to customer issues, then resolve those issues in as timely a manner as possible using whatever resources are available. Call Priority When a call is placed to our Support Center, we do our best to prioritize the call based on the information we are given at the time the call is logged. Basically, there are four categories: P0 - Down Systems: These calls include, but may not be limited to, a system that is completely inoperable for business, stemming from hardware issues (terminals and printers hung at POS), or software problems preventing the normal conducting of business. P1 - High Priority: Although the hardware may be functioning so the customer is not down, there are critical software issues needing immediate attention. Examples of this are: day/month/year-end processing problems, payroll processing problems, or critical balancing issues. P2 - Medium Priority: Examples include: non-critical balancing issues, one terminal/printer down, or various errors messages. P3 - Low Priority: All other calls. Typically these are how to in nature. We recommend that you only use WebSupport for non-critical issues. Within these categories, the calls are further prioritized based on the time the call was logged, and in cases of hardware, whether the customer is on an annual maintenance contract or a T&M basis. All maintenance agreements are honored first. Not being on an annual support contract may result in excessive down time. Case Handling Please see the flow charts on the following page for a summary of how V2 Support handles new cases, bugs, and enhancement requests. Version 2 Support Handbook 11

12 Case Handling Flowchart You ve found a problem. Gather relevant information. Contact V2 Support via: Web: Phone: Fax: Case is created and prioritized in the VIEW support system and dispatched to the appropriate pending queue. Is this a hardware or software issue? Hardware Issue Software Issue If not a problem that can be corrected by the analyst, necessary information is gathered and a Hardware Field Engineer will be dispatched. Training Issue Possible bug Isolated Incident Installation or appointment Analyst guides you to the appropriate documentation or schedule the necessary training. Bug Procedures followed. See accompanying flowchart. Analyst works on your case in the allotted time in an effort to find a resolution. Assigned analyst picks up the case and performs the task. Case Solved No As much relevant information, as possible, is entered into your case and will be addressed by that analyst. Yes Case Solved Case Closed Version 2 Support Handbook 12

13 Bug Procedures Flowchart Reporting a problem? We log your call into the system and give it a case number. We investigate your call to determine o ne of the following: We investigate the bug for one of the following: The software is broken you ve found a bug. We know about it and are tracking it. We don t know about it. We give you our FIX number, so you can watch for the fix in an upcoming release. We check it out on multiple databases to see if: Call is closed. It is an error only on your system. We work with you to isolate the problem. It s an error on both our systems Call is escalated to Development department. If a fix is readily available, technical support sends it to you. Call is closed. If a fix is not available, a CR number is assigned and we track it. A CR is assigned and we track it. We get a CR number, so you can watch for the fix in a release. Call is closed. Version 2 Support Handbook 13

14 Enhancement Request Flowchart Want us to make a change to the software? We log your call into the system and give you a case number. Analyst initially researches the request. If it is a previously reported request. If it is a new request, not previously reported We give you the CR number so you can watch for it in an upcoming release. Call is escalated to Development department. Case is closed. Investigation determines the enhancement is not feasible. Investigation determines the enhancement is feasible We tell you the reason the request was declined. A CR number is assigned and given to you to you can watch for it in an upcoming release. Case is closed. Case is closed. Version 2 Support Handbook 14

15 Additional Case Handling Notes Method of Correspondence - At times, the analyst may need some time to do research and discuss the issue with other analysts to try to find a solution. As a reminder, please be aware if you have an address, responses to your issue are likely to come via . Please check your regularly if you utilize this feature. And, if you are working on an existing case with an analyst, and the analyst leaves you a message requesting some additional information, please respond as promptly as possible to their request. If an analyst leaves three messages over a period of time and all go unanswered, they close the case in question. Re-opening Cases - If your case has been closed and you feel it is not resolved, we encourage you to reopen the original case. As discussed above in the Automatic Notifications section, you can reopen a case by responding to the Case Closure survey appropriately or by placing a support call. Please note that you cannot reopen a case via WebSupport. Reopening the original case is very important. Doing so ensures that all information relevant to that case is contained within the original case, as opposed to it being scattered across different cases. When you reopen the case, please give a specific reason for requesting it be reopened. Bugs in the Software Sometimes during the process of resolving a reported problem, it is determined that the problem stems from a bug in the application. If the discovered bug is an existing one already being tracked by Activant, the analyst gives you the CR number for that bug. They also tell you if it is currently scheduled to be fixed and on which upcoming release it is, if scheduled. If the discovered bug turns out to be a new one, your case will be escalated to Development, and assuming it is reproducible, Development assigns a CR number for that bug, and the analyst relays that information to you before closing the case. Development, in conjunction with the Version 2 Advisory Council, is responsible for scheduling the correction of bugs in the software. The severity of the bug and the number of affected customers are two critical factors in determining when a fix will be implemented. Version 2 Support Handbook 15

16 When Does Support Close a Case? The following is a list of situations when Support closes cases: 1. The customer agrees the issue has been resolved. 2. The support analyst feels they have given a reasonable solution that will be implemented later by the customer. (Remember, if the fix doesn t work, the case can be reopened.) 3. Support has attempted to return your call a minimum of three times within your normal business hours, and you have made no attempt to return our call. 4. We have requested additional information from you a minimum of three times and have received nothing. 5. The problem is a one-time or sporadic occurrence that neither you nor Support can recreate. 6. A Change Request (CR) has been turned in by either Support or Development. This means the resolution will be considered for a future release. Although the case is closed within Support, it is still an open issue for Development. 7. You call in to schedule an appointment for a specific purpose. When the appointment is scheduled (i.e., the purpose for the call), the case is closed until the appointment is begun. In reference to #2 above, some customers wonder why we don t call back later to follow-up before closing the case. While we have attempted this in the past, we found this procedure was not practical for these reasons: 1. The amount of time it takes to make these return calls is enormous, and takes valuable time away from taking initial calls from other customers. To reinstate this procedure would mean additional hires, thus raising support fees to offset the cost. 2. We found if the problem was resolved, we had a difficult time getting the customer to come to the phone; necessitating another call from us later. We have found that most of our customers are willing to enter into a partnership with us, and let us know when the problem persists. If you receive a Case Closure notification and do not feel the case should be closed, let us know immediately by calling us back and requesting the case number (listed on the notification) be reopened. Or, circle No and send in the Case Survey that comes with every Case Closure notification. As long as the reason for closure does not fall into categories 5, 6, or 7 listed above, we will promptly reopen the case. (It is not beneficial to reopen for reasons 5, 6, or 7, as there is nothing else Support can do at this time.) Version 2 Support Handbook 16

17 Chapter 6 - Internet Services & Web Support We strongly encourage you to establish an Internet connection, as this enables you to interact more effectively with Support. If you have an Internet connection, you can simply place a regular support call and request to be provided with separate sets of usernames and passwords for both our Activant website and VIEW. The Activant website ( is a resource for you. We are gradually posting more information on the website, instead of disseminating this information via facsimile or through the mail, and we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this service. Some of the items you will find on the Version 2 page are: Year-end documentation Download or print for instant access to complete year-end instructions. Software documentation You can download any of our documentation at no charge. Advisory Council listing - The Advisory Council is a group of customers who serve as a liaison between Activant and our customer base for a particular product. Any of the Advisory Council members welcome questions from other customers, so you should feel free to contact them with any questions or concerns. Monthly Web Tips Provides timely information and tips for your specific application, which are written by an analyst each month. How-To s - The How To page gives step-by-step instructions for various system administration procedures and other tasks Release Notices Download for complete details on functional upgrades and fixes on the latest versions of your specific application. Upgrade Checklists Print these right off the web, complete them, and fax back to Support to get the upgrade ball rolling! Holiday Schedules Check these out to stay abreast of your ability to receive support during holidays. Monthly Letter from the Support Manager A monthly memo to all customers by the support manager for your application. VIEW WebSupport is a web-based interface to our VIEW database. WebSupport is a powerful tool that gives you more control over the entire support process. Once logged into WebSupport, you can do the following: Create a new case Look back through prior case history Add research notes to existing open cases Send an to the analyst working on your case Close an open case Run a query on our solutions database View and update your member profile One of the biggest advantages of entering your own cases is that you are not relying on the dispatcher to interpret your problem over the phone. WebSupport enables you to take the time to give a detailed and complete description of your problem in your own words, which in many cases speeds up total resolution time. You can also easily look back over any of your prior cases for problems that may have occurred before and possibly resolve the issue yourself this time. Version 2 Support Handbook 17

18 Please note that we recommend you only use WebSupport for cases that are not urgent in nature. For details on case prioritization, see Chapter 5-What Kind of Service Can I Expect From Activant Customer Support? Version 2 Support Handbook 18

19 Chapter 7 - What Can I Do If I Am Not Satisfied With the Service That I Have Received? There are several ways to escalate an issue if you are not satisfied with the service or processes: Notify the Dispatcher: Indicate your case number when you call and the dispatcher can quickly add an urgent e- mail to the case and copy the appropriate analyst and manager. Case Closure Survey: If your case is closed, in the closure message, you have an opportunity to fill out a satisfaction survey on that particular issue. This is a great tool for the managers to assess customer satisfaction and address problem areas. Please take time to fill these out. We do read them! Manager Escalation: You can call the Version 2 support manager directly at or send an . When calling, ask for the manager by name. If you get their voic after being transferred, dial 0# to get back to the operator and ask that the manager be paged, if necessary. In all cases, you will receive a call back or from the manager within 24 hours. Director of Operations Escalation: If your concerns have not been addressed with one of the paths already described, then please contact Activant s Director of Operations at Please use the escalation path described above, as this is the most effective and efficient way to address your concerns. Our goal is to resolve your issues in a timely manner. Also, the Upper management of Activant welcomes positive and negative feedback by using the following forms that you can submit directly from the appropriate product s Web page. You could have done better" card - This form enables you to voice your concern over a particular incident or process. This feedback goes directly to the Upper management of Activant. "You Didn t Have To, But I'm Glad You Did" card - On a positive note, this form allows you to recognize a particular individual or group of associates that went above and beyond the call of duty. This feedback also goes directly to the Upper management of Activant. Version 2 Support Handbook 19

20 Chapter 8 - Support of Old Releases (This chapter applies only to POS products) Effective January 1, 2000, Activant only supports the most current revision of your application software and one back, as we are focusing our internal training efforts on the latest software releases. Once a new software revision is ready for general release, you will receive a notice that the new release is available and be given 60 days to upgrade to either the newest revision or to one that is supported. Of course, newer revisions always include additional features and upgrades, so we encourage you to take advantage of new technology and begin using your new release as soon as possible. These upgrades are "user-installable," so we ask that you notify us when your installation is complete so we can update our database. As always, we're here to assist you with the installation, if needed. If, before the next billing cycle, we haven't received an installation confirmation from you, we'll remind you to inform us if/when the installation is completed. If you choose not to install one of the newer releases, you will no longer receive Activant support maintenance. However, if later, you find yourself in need of support, be aware that we will ask you to bring your account up to date. This includes payment for past maintenance dollars, including a reinstatement fee to bring you back to the level that is current for all of our other customers. We will then ask you to upgrade to a supported version of the software, since we no longer support multiple older versions of the software. The focus of this new practice is to ensure you receive the high level of customer service you deserve. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding this new policy. Version 2 Support Handbook 20

21 Chapter 9 - After-Hours and Weekend Appointments On occasion, a customer asks to schedule an appointment with Support for assistance on an issue requiring that the customer s system be taken down for a lengthy period of time. Some examples of these types of appointments are adding or replacing disk drives, or adding a device such as a Digiboard. For some customers, taking their system down during business hours is not that detrimental, while for others, doing so has a tremendous impact on their business. Any requests for these types of after-hours appointments are handled by Support on a case-by-case basis. In general, we discourage after-hours or weekend appointments. The primary reason is that both the customer and Activant are in a more vulnerable position when these appointments are performed. Keep in mind that most of these procedures are critical in nature and may involve some complex changes to your system. Also, remember that the analyst performing the procedure will, in many cases, be operating without benefit of the full resources of Activant behind him or her, were something to go wrong. On the off-chance that something does go wrong, a customer s recovery time may be longer than if the procedure had been done during normal hours in the first place. With all that said, we will make every effort to accommodate a customer s request for this sort of appointment, if it is still deemed necessary. However, please understand that not all requests can be accommodated. The time and nature of the appointment are critical variables, in addition to the availability of an analyst that is capable of performing the particular task at hand, given its complexity and potential side-effects. We just want to be sure everyone understands some of the philosophy behind our handling of this type of request. Version 2 Support Handbook 21