Is Your Organization Keeping Valuable Customer Data in Spreadsheets or a Homegrown Access™ Database?

A Common Scenario
One of the most common reasons for buying Everest is to replace spreadsheets, old software or a paper-based process. Our expertise comes from over 40 years of software application development. We understand the trade-off decisions considering in-house software development vs. buying a commercial off-the-shelf solution such as Everest.

Resource Allocation
One of the key factors to consider is project resource allocation. Significant issues to consider include:

 The internal resources necessary to create the desired functionality
 The talent and resources needed to maintain and update the system
 The effort required to become a subject matter expert
 The responsibility and resources to keep the system tuned with the latest technical advancements

An internal development team may possess the programming skills and even the lengthy development time required, however the extensive ongoing refinement of Everest keeps it consistently ahead of the pack. With Everest, you get the latest technological advancements, feature enhancements and cross-industry best practices bundled into regular releases of the program. Our focus and software expertise are unmatched because of the simple fact that Everest is all we do at Lynk Software.

Reasons for Change
Is your organization still keeping valuable customer data in various Excel™ spreadsheets or a homegrown Access™
database? Everest is a smart choice for many reasons. Consider the following:

 Multiple spreadsheets make consolidated reporting difficult and very time consuming, while inconsistencies can cause numerous errors
 Internally developed databases require regular maintenance and are usually over-dependent on a particular individual for advanced procedures or troubleshooting
 Data analysis is a time consuming, labor intensive process
 Limited functionality and static system design
 No internal support or completely outdated technology
 Results are displayed or categorized wrong due to inconsistent entries into key data fields
 Does not scale well for an expanded scope across multiple departments or multiple locations
 Evolution of the business including sales growth, expansion, merger, acquisition or re-organization
 Regulatory compliance requirements or industry standards for improving quality

“I have been in the software industry for almost 30 years. This is the first time that a software company has listened and implemented any of my suggestions. The only way that ever occurred in the past was when I was writing the code. So, I am elated that your company has incorporated my suggestions into their release. Please share my kudos with everyone else that was involved.”

Regards,

Paul Burkhardt
Application Support Analyst – MIS
Velcro USA Inc.

Thank you, Paul. Your compliment was so well received, we wanted to share it with our blog readers. ~Lynk Team

Customer Case Study Video Interview with Accutron Quality Manager

Learn how the Quality Manager at Accutron achieved a huge 50% reduction in returns as a result of implementing the Everest Software Solution for Customer Service, Complaint Tracking and Corrective Actions with real-time Reports and Charts.

We recently had the privilege of interviewing several managers from Accutron, a medical device manufacturer that uses Everest to track product returns and internal non-conformances. It was a great experience to get a glimpse of the daily operations of this extraordinary organization along with some feedback about how successful they’ve been since implementing the Everest software solution in 2007.

We spoke to both the Quality Manager and the IT Manager about how Everest has changed things in their respective departments.

Let’s be honest, IT Managers frequently have love/hate relationships with outside software vendors, which is why we were so pleased to hear Mark Koenig proudly describe how Everest makes his life easier. He expressed appreciation for the integrity and quality of the product, saying that the the fact that it is so low maintenance frees him up to take care of other things. Mark sums it up simply from the IT perspective, “Everest is bulletproof.”

Ram Chaturvedi, the Quality Manager, enthusiastically reported a 50% reduction in product returns, high employee engagement and increased communication between departments.

I’m sure Accutron’s success has a lot to do with the positive attitude of these two managers and their employees, yet the fact that their jobs have become easier while product quality continues to excel makes us proud of the work we do for you… our customers.

…Stay tuned for the upcoming Accutron video case study, coming soon!

How does customer complaint tracking relate to employee accountability?

Through recent communication with Everest customers, we have discovered a surprising benefit associated with tracking customer complaints. Because every notification about customer or product issues is recorded in the Everest database, managers are finding employee responsiveness and accountability levels soaring.

One enthusiastic customer shared, “No one can say, ‘I didn’t know about it’ because the notification is recorded in Everest.”

Employees from different departments are now able to complete their action items and record the completed status in Everest. As a result of this improved internal communication and accountability, organizations can work together like well-tuned machines.

Accountability is essential to employee engagement. What gets measured is what gets done. Ownership, due dates, automatic email reminders, action tracking and real-time reporting are a few of the specific software features that reinforce individual accountability in Everest. WIth little or no added effort required by management, those who use the Everest software tend to be passionate and engaged in their work.

The feelings of accomplishment that result encourage employees to look above routine tasks to make extra effort which directly improves the overall welfare of the business. Most importantly, the easiest way to cultivate passionate, engaged customers is with passionate, engaged employees.

We are pleasantly surprised at how much Everest is helping departments work together so seamlessly. This has always been the idea behind our complaint resolution software, but to hear it over and over again from customers is highly rewarding.

We want to share a simple short list of the top software features our customers love about the Everest software solution. The four favorite features of Everest are:

1. Automatic Email Reminders
Users automatically receive email messages to trigger a helpful reminder based on the due dates for a pending concern or action item.
There are 3 tiers of reminders available:

• Reminder = email message triggered before a due date, sent to Owner
• Past Due = email message triggered after a due date, sent to Owner
• Escalation = email message triggered after a due date, sent to Owner’s Manager

“Our turn-around time for customer response dropped from 20 days to two days.”
- Zetex Semiconductor

2. Built-in Configuration
One of the main reasons customers choose Everest is because of the extensive built-in configuration options all organized in point-and-click menus. This is how the same Everest software product transforms into a very unique solution for every customer. Button titles, data names, fields, drop-down classifications and templates are easily tailored for each installation.

“We have implemented the complaint management system across all of OneSteel Manufacturing units in a timetable that I did not imagine possible.”
- OneSteel

3. Notification Templates
Printed or emailed letters based on pre-defined templates ensure consistency in all formal customer communication. Automatic keyword insertion allows specific information from the database to be inserted into the text area of the message.

“For our consumers, Everest has probably made the biggest overall impact. The letters or emails that our consumers receive are so much easier to do now that Everest allows us to drop all the significant information into over 30 frame letters that contain some of our favorite language that we use to start a consumer letter.”
- Red Gold Tomatoes

4. Reports and Charts
Everest includes dozens of standard reports and charts with optional selection criteria for dates, status, locations or departments. Charts include a double-click drill-down feature to instantly explore how the data is related. See chart details with the totals for customers, concern types, products, product groups and reason codes.

“The Everest software provides our staff and clinicians with real-time, accurate and actionable information essential to quality patient care.”
- WellStar Health System

Add your own comment below and tell us what you like best about Everest. . .

Unique Device Identification, also known as UDI, is coming in 2010. All manufacturers of medical devices will be required to comply with the new UDI methodology. The Everest software solution for customer complaints and corrective action tracking includes several features to help medical device manufacturers track a UDI as it relates to all types of medical device problems or defects including: 

• customer complaints
• return authorizations
• product defects
• adverse event – MDR

The FDA UDI Rule will establish a single device identification system that is consistent, unambiguous, standardized, and globally harmonized.

At the device level, marking procedures may include bar code, radio frequency identification (RFID) and direct part marking (DPM). At the organization level, the new UDI methodology offers opportunities for improvement in traceability, recalls, electronic records, materials management, defect analysis and problem resolution.

For FDA regulated medical device manufacturers, the Everest software solution is highly configurable for customer complaints, non-conforming product and corrective action tracking. Here are a few key Everest software features related to UDI…

Product Fields
“Based on a specific UDI, what are the product details related to the customer or patient concern?”

Shipped and Defective Quantities along with Serial Number, Lot Number and user defined fields for any other product details, including the UDI.

Product List
“Based on a specific UDI, how many other problems have been reported for the same type of device or related products?”

Everest includes a master product list based on; Product Id, Description, Product Group and Manufacturing Location. The product list can be imported from a spreadsheet template or updated systematically from a source database with the software’s automatic import program (sold separately).

Defect Codes
“Based on a specific UDI, what types of defects or reasons were attributed to the problem?”For each UDI entered, track results from root cause analysis with up to three levels of defect codes based on configurable terminology to define each; Source, Type, Reason. Everest defect codes enable point-and-click selection of multiple reason codes as needed to identify manufacturing, supplier quality, material non-conformances or other sources.

 Reports & Charts
“What type and volume of concerns are associated with the device and how does that compare with related products, different products and the reason codes?”

Standard reports and charts by Product Id or Product Group, plus a chart drill down feature to explore highest frequencies with drill down details for defect source, type and reason codes.

UDI provides an opportunity to improve patient care, increase efficiency and reduce costs. For manufacturers, a configurable database for tracking the UDI will provide the visibility that is essential to maintain high quality standards and superior customer service. The UDI enables early detection of defective devices to ultimately enhance patient safety and reduce medical errors.

For more information about UDI…

Global GS1 Contact and Website
Ulrike Kreysa, Director Healthcare, GS1 Global Office
ulrike.kreysa@gs1.org
GS1 Healthcare website:
http://www.gs1.org/healthcare

FDA
The FDA is taking the lead in the United States for UDI and will shortly begin developing draft regulations to implement requirements. For additional information about the regulations, visit the FDA website
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/ocd/udi

UDI Conference – October 20-21, 2009 – Orlando, FL
Hilton Bonnet Creek, Orlando, FL
http://www.udiconference.com

Not that long ago customer complaints were viewed as, well, a nuisance. Then came the quality movement and we all realized that in order to improve we need to pay attention to what’s going wrong as well as what’s going right.  As we were adjusting our attitudes toward complaints and those who make them, A Complaint is a Gift came along. This refreshing book by Janelle Barlow and Claus Moller offered us a new way to look at complaints and serves as a reminder that feedback from customers, while sometimes hard to hear, is a growth opportunity.

The first edition of A Complaint is a Gift (1996) introduced the revolutionary notion that customer complaints are not annoyances to be dodged, denied or buried, but are instead valuable pieces of feedback that can be used to improve an organization’s products and services. The new edition (2008) has been thoroughly revised and updated. View the FREE excerpt here.

A Complaint is a Gift urges us to remember the following:

• Complaints are gold nuggets covered in dirt. Once you clean off the dirt (emotion and negativity) they can be used to strengthen the customer relationship and increase profit.
• Organizations receive the most honest and valuable feedback from complaints, which are way more valuable than costly market research.
• Customers either complain or go elsewhere. Those who complain are giving the organization another chance.
• Less is not more when it comes to complaints. Trying to lower the number of monthly complaints is missing the boat completely. It’s like telling a loved one to only communicate with you when their happy… No connection, no relationship.

Welcoming complaints and getting to the gold nugget with compassionate listening is a solid first step. Organizations that use this information to improve bring the complaint full circle by using a product like Everest to capture the information and use it to solve the root problem. Using customer feedback to drive improvement is the most effective way organizations can thrive. This approach not only provides the information needed to ensure quality products or services, it also provides an opportunity to build a lasting relationship with the customer. I think Barlow and Moller were on to something – a complaint truly is a gift.

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