We’ve just put the wrapper on our new 6.0.4 Release for 2010! The official announcement and other details will be out very soon. In the meantime, here is a preview of new features you may find of interest. Release Notes: http://www.lynksoftware.com/help/default.htm?release_notes.htm .
Reports | Action Reports
Extensive standard reporting options for Actions are now available.
http://www.lynksoftware.com/help/default.htm?action_reports.htm
Reports | Queries
Now you can copy or rename a Query.
http://www.lynksoftware.com/help/default.htm?queries.htm
Administration | Imports
Three new import formats are now available.
http://www.lynksoftware.com/help/default.htm?imports.htm
- Concern Type Import
- Defect Code Import
- Sales Activity Import
Administration | Notifications
A new list view format for QuickLink URLs in notification templates will display the list of Concerns by Owner or Actions by Owner for the User immediately upon login.
http://www.lynksoftware.com/help/default.htm?keywords.htm
Administration | Logged In Users
System Managers can now view a list of users who are currently logged into Everest in Administration | Logged In Users. http://www.lynksoftware.com/help/default.htm?logged_in_users.htm
Two separate state Department of Transportation agencies choose Everest by Lynk Software for constituent complaint tracking.
The State of New Mexico, Department of Transportation will utilize Everest to track and resolve constituent concerns across all divisions within the department. The State of Idaho Tranportation Department is now tracking car dealership complaints with Everest.
We are pleased to welcome both of these state DOT agencies as new Everest customers. It is certainly interesting that two separate state transportation departments have simultaneously chosen Everest. Could the Everest software become the citizen complaint tracking system of choice for other DOT agencies throughout the United States in 2010? It is certainly possible since our nation’s highways, bridges and roads are an important focus area for a large amount of federal stimulus funding.
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) into law on February 17, 2009. Since that time, nearly two-thirds of the $26.6 billion in Recovery Act funding available to the States for highway investment has been obligated and thousands of projects are underway. These projects create jobs for Americans and the transportation infrastructure improvements are very important for public safety and commerce. For further details see: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration.
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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!
Share on FacebookHow 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.
Share on FacebookWe 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. . .
Share on FacebookUnique 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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On April 15, 2009 CB Holding appointed Sam Borgese as CEO. Mr. Borgese was formerly the CEO of Catalina Restaurant Group, parent of the Coco’s and Carrows restaurant chains in California. Catalina Restaurant Group has been a long time Everest customer. The Everest software is used by customer relations to track guest feedback with assignment to regional managers and detailed managment reports. CB Holding is the parent of three restaurant brands:
Related Links:
Nation’s Restaurant News Story
The philosophy at Irwin Naturals is total body wellness as the key to overall health. Nutritional supplements are scientifically formulated and balanced for clinical effectiveness. Products are sold under brands such as Nature’s Secret, Rapid Nutrition and Irwin Naturals.
The Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence provide a systems perspective for understanding performance management. They reflect validated, leading-edge management practices against which an organization can measure itself. With their acceptance nationally and internationally as the model for performance excellence, the Criteria represent a common language for communication among organizations for sharing best practices. The Criteria are also the basis for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award process.
http://www.quality.nist.gov/Education_Criteria.htm
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