Elroi MaromThe main reason I chose this gas station, even though it’s a busy one, was because the fuel company that operates it has an app that makes it easy to pay for the gas. It’s also convenient for me to get the gas invoices from one gas station.
On one occasion, when I wanted to start the refueling, I clicked on the app icon, as I usually did. The app screen opened, but the app did not load. I closed it and tried again and again, but the app did not finish loading. After a few attempts, I was very frustrated and disappointed and loudly used my credit card to pay for the gas.
As I continued on my way to the office, I was listening to the radio and tried to understand why I was so disappointed that the app did not load. I thought it might be related to the fact that my routine, as a customer, had been interrupted. The next issue that occupied my mind was whether or not the company was even aware of the problem, considering that it was early morning. Moreover, if the company was already aware, was the application support team aware of the problem, and had they started work on fixing the problem (according to the signature, the application was developed externally)?
I believe that most of the large companies that provide products or services to consumers will continue to adopt new digital technologies to streamline processes and manage communication with their customers. This transformation includes adopting new methods and recruiting new employees to build the company’s digital consciousness. I am sure that many of these companies will take the major digital step forward; these will soon be called technological companies. Companies that do not undergo the upgrade process will be seen as inferior, compared with their competitors who do so, and many will be merged with technology-oriented companies. It is enough to observe the processes that the largest banks in Israel are undergoing; developing applications with a modern user experience, an electronic wallet with payment options and ability to receive funds immediately, and on the other hand, closing branches and retrenching employees. Going back to the gas company, which launched an electronic wallet with a direct connection to the consumer, collecting information on consumer habits and offering deals via direct messages, all this is similar to Amazon (which started in retail). In 2017, Amazon spent $ 22.6 billion on technology development, which is about 13% of its turnover. When the mind changes, the organization also changes.
Faults occur. When adopting new systems that are updated frequently, we can expect malfunctions. The organization must prepare itself and be ready to quickly diagnose faults as they occur, and ensure that the problem is fixed as soon as possible. The first thing is the ongoing monitoring of the system to identify issues as close as possible to the moment of occurrence, and ongoing preventive maintenance to avoid potential misfunctions. Such a structure will maximize the user experience and, at the same time, provide “quiet” for the organization’s managers.
Most organizations have an IT manager that is responsible for ongoing system maintenance. However, in the current era when many digital systems have been adopted, with many applications based on open-source technology, responsibility alone is not enough and must be backed up with appropriate technical support.
These were the factors that led us to set up the HELPDESK department at Linnovate, which was established to provide responsible, technical support, and ongoing service around-the-clock — focusing on open technologies in the worlds of content management (WordPress and Drupal), internet, Big Data, databases, and cloud infrastructure. Our customers can focus primarily on their business, knowing there is “someone who is both responsible and capable”.