Established in 1985, Tesseract
develops, markets, sells and supports
specialised problem management
systems for the service industry. The
company has over 350 successful
installations worldwide and a strong
foothold in a number of market
sectors including security, medical,
air conditioning and catering, to
name a few.
Its core product Tesseract Service Centre
is a browser-independent, modular, end-
to-end solution that addresses all aspects
of service delivery and management;
from asset tracking and configuration
control, to meter readings and invoicing,
to scheduling engineer call-outs and a
complete workshop repair module that
controls the entire process.
Until recently, Tesseract was not actively
marketing its services within the UK
copier market. However, having identified
an opportunity, primarily within this
vertical, it now has added additional core
functionality to the product.
According to Sales Manager Kevin
McNally, this is a niche market for Tesseract
and one where the company is investing
heavily. “We’re evolving our solution to
meet the specific needs of vendors in this
space,” he said. “Service Centre was in fact
Tesseract puts you in control
Service management software solutions provider Tesseract
views the copier market as key for growth.
the first field service management system
to successfully introduce a meter billing
module specifically targeted at printer
vendors.”
The latest version, Service Centre 5.1,
has a number of enhancements including
integrated real-time GPS, which enables
customers to see where engineers are at
any given time for more efficient routing
and management. Like the previous model,
it can be used on its own or as part of a
complete service management offering.
“Service Centre 5.1 can be integrated
with other solutions,” said McNally.
“We’ve already partnered with Print Audit
and we’re in discussions with a number of
developers to further expand its value as
part of a totally integrated managed print
service.
“For customers, it’s about giving
them control of their business,” he said.
“Standard functionality includes a full
audit trail of machines on contract and
automated administration across billing,
warranty control and third party support;
meter reading and supplies replenishment;
call logging and engineer dispatch;
logistics control; a full workshop repair
module; and a sales tracking system with
remote access.”
The ROI is tangible and significant.
“For example after introducing PDAs and
empowering its 80 engineers to complete
their own calls and reports, one of our
customers reduced the number of phone
calls to its call centre by half, achieving
savings across both its mobile telephone
bills and in man-hours,” said McNally.
Tesseract
Print.IT Reseller
eseller
.co.uk
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As part of a £100,000 investment in
new technology to streamline its back-
office IT systems, Burnley-based Copifax
installed Tesseract’s Service Centre service
management software.
The result is a much more efficient and
effective service operation. The system has
streamlined Copifax’s call handling, field service
management and accounting procedures, freed
up valuable time for its people and improved
levels of customer service.
Managing Director Keith Collinge said:
“We’ve linked Service Centre into our Pegasus
Opera accounts package and created an
integrated database that embraces every
customer and every asset, currently totalling
3,500 units in the field.
“The benefits of the system to both
us and our customers begin with Service
Centre’s automated call handling and logging
functionality and will eventually culminate with
the use of palmtop computers by our field service
technicians who will be able to seamlessly
integrate with the system,” he added.
M2 Digital has also moved to Tesseract’s
Service Centre browser-based service
management system to help underpin its rapid
expansion.
Tesseract’s software is regarded as core to
the company's business, which provides multi-
vendor and best-of-breed technologies from a
range of manufacturers and software houses. The
browser-enabled system will play a key role in
supporting new initiatives within M2, which has
experienced massive growth in recent years. This
rapid expansion is expected to continue, with
new offices being opened at several locations.
M2 expects the three main benefits to be
improved meter reading – to correctly audit
customer usage and advise on the correct
solutions; a more efficient invoicing system; and
better communications for customers and service
engineers.
Denbigh-based Panasonic dealer Copyrite
Business Systems and its sister company,
Compurite Information Technology Solutions,
a major player in the provision of one-stop
IT solutions embracing, hardware, software,
networking and communication systems, have
been using Tesseract’s Service Centre service
management system for several years.
Copyrite implemented the software to
replace an older system. IT Manager Mike Harris
said: “The main reason for investing in the
software was to enable both our companies to
maintain high levels of service, and it is
doing that.”
Reaping the reward
We’ve
already
partnered
with Print
Audit and
we’re in
discussions
with a
number of
developers...
