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Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution Turns on UniPress Software's FootPrints for Web-Based Service Desk Automation

Posted on: Tuesday, 19 July 2005, 09:00 CDT

FootPrints Helps Company Centralize IT Support for Nearly 1,000 Employees Located in Five Geographically-dispersed Regions and Recognize Significant Reduction in Costs

UniPress(R) Software, Inc., a leading mid-market provider of web-based service desk automation software, today announced that Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution, Inc., a global leader in electrical engineering and electronics, has selected its FootPrints(R) product to manage IT support for nearly 1,000 employees across five geographically-dispersed divisions. The company is using FootPrints as a multi-channel issue tracking system that includes built-in self-service online capabilities, knowledge management tools, and many other features to accelerate the problem resolution process.

Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution provides power transmission and distribution equipment, and energy service solutions to utility companies, municipalities and cooperatives, regional transmission organizations, independent system operators, and large power users. The company needed a system to centralize its IT support operations, including PC- and network-related technical issues received via the web, email, and phone.

Prior to selecting FootPrints, the IT group at Siemens had deployed the Remedy(R) IT Service Management Suite. Siemens opted out of its Remedy maintenance contract in 2001 and sought a new support automation solution. After an initial search, Siemens narrowed their choice down to FootPrints and Track-It!(R) by Intuit(R). They evaluated each solution by logging sample support tickets, scrutinizing reporting capabilities, and comparing features. After thoroughly evaluating both solutions, Siemens ultimately chose FootPrints because of its web-based design, ease-of-use, and affordable pricing model.

"After evaluating the IT infrastructure at Siemens, we determined that our previous solution was too expensive to maintain in-house, and we didn't have the manpower required to manage and input changes," explained David Inman, Manager of Information Technology at Siemens Power Transmission and Distribution. "We always envisioned our help desk to be on the web so users could go online from any location to fill out and submit their tickets. FootPrints gives us this capability, as well as the flexibility to do much more."

To further assist employees, the company has integrated the FootPrints Customer eService Portal with Siemens' web site, providing customers with self-service online capabilities to submit and check status of requests and search the knowledge base for solutions. If the knowledge base does not provide useful answers, employees can easily submit a trouble ticket which is automatically routed to the company's IT department. When accessing the online support site, employees do not have to fill out any of their personal information - FootPrints simply recognizes them based on their email address.

"Using the FootPrints Dynamic Address Book Link add-on module, we were able to easily map indices in FootPrints - making it a seamless process to import real-time contact data into our help desk tickets," explained Mr. Inman. "When a trouble ticket is received by an agent, it is pre-populated with key employee information required to manage and resolve the problem resolution process much faster."

According to Mr. Inman, FootPrints' built-in customizable flashboard and reporting features have helped his team dynamically monitor help desk activity and performance. "We have a whiteboard outside the help desk where we physically post weekly performance stats including the number of open versus closed tickets, total number of tickets by priority, and average close time," he said.

With FootPrints, the IT department at Siemens manages about 680 tickets per month, which is equivalent to nearly 23 per day. In the past, all tickets had to be manually entered by an agent, making the process slow and inefficient. Before FootPrints, Siemens averaged around 500 tickets submitted per month. The company is able to keep pace with the influx of IT support volume and ensure that issues do not "fall through the cracks."

About Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution (USA)

Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution, Inc., headquartered in Raleigh, NC, creates innovative product, system and service solutions for its customers - electric utilities, transmission organizations, Independent System Operators, and large energy consumers. It is a leading supplier of high and medium voltage power delivery equipment and energy management and information systems for regulated and deregulated generation, transmission, and distribution markets. The company's products and systems are used to increase power system capacity and improve the reliability, stability and flexibility of power delivery and network control systems. It has operations in Wendell, NC; Jackson, MS; Minneapolis, MN; San Jose, CA; Schenectady, NY and Atlanta, GA. For more information visit us at: www.usa.siemens.com/energy.

About UniPress Software, Inc.

Headquartered in Edison, New Jersey, UniPress Software, Inc. is a developer of web-based service desk automation software serving the mid-market, as well as large and small organizations. The company's FootPrints(R) product line, launched in 1996, provides a comprehensive range of capabilities to significantly improve help desk and customer support operations, and is used worldwide by over 2,000 corporate organizations, government offices, and educational institutions, including Prudential Financial(R), BHP Billiton(R) Petroleum, IBM(R), Kampgrounds of America, Hunter Fan Company(R), the IRS, and the University of Pennsylvania. For more information, contact UniPress at 1-800-222-0550, or via the web at http://www.unipress.com.

UniPress(R) Software and FootPrints(R) are Registered Trademarks of UniPress Software, Inc.

Source: Business Wire

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