JFPM makes radical changes to its customer service

The JFPM is a commission market where producers deliver their produce to market agents who then sell the produce to a wide variety of buyers.

"With a user base of around 200, we needed to centralise all requests made to the Information Services department for them to be addressed properly," says Madelein van Duuren, senior systems analyst at JFPM.

Problems which contributed to JFPM looking to implement a CRM system include being unable to determine the volume of calls received; unable to determine the workload of the IT staff; inability to prioritise requests coming in; and difficulty in identifying generic problems.

Radical is a CRM solution that consists of two major components: firstly, a customisable platform and framework for developing many types of CRM applications; and secondly, a suite of ready-to-use adaptable applications primarily used for service and support CRM.

The decision to select Radical was due to its simplicity and customisability to suit the market's specific environment. "The fact that it is a local product with local support was a big factor in the final decision," says Van Duuren.

JFPM also has its own in-house system, which may require the helpdesk to be customised to suit its change control process. This flexibility does not necessarily exist with other packaged software from abroad.

Benefits that JFPM will derive from implementing the software include being able to measure its workload and volumes of calls being logged and being able to better identify problem areas to be addressed. "Information Services will also use the software to document, control, and track all changes required on its in-house developed system and will be able to put SLA agreements in place with its stakeholders and manage these SLAs," says Van Duuren.

Implementation of the new software will begin in April 2007 with all assets and the user base being recorded. The full rollout should take about six months.

One of the challenges facing JFPM is the change users will encounter of previously dealing directly with IT personnel to working with a centralised, call placement environment.

"We expect to execute this process through a step-by-step system as to familiarise end-users with the change. Ultimately the main goal is to continually improve customer services and Radical software is the most effective in facilitating JFPM to achieve its goal," says Van Duuren.