Customer Quotes/Enhancement Requests Procedures

1.        Customer offers suggestion over phone, or faxes program change request to Perfection Software.  If discussing over the phone, it is important to get as much detail as possible as to what the customer exactly wants changed. Log the information into the support call, then fax them a request form if they do not have one.  Compare your notes in the support call to their completed form for consistency and call for more info if it is not clear.  This ensures that everyone is on the same page.

Important Note: Just because a customer would like to have a certain change, does not necessarily mean that we will make the change, even if they are willing to pay for it.  Always make the effort to provide alternative suggestions that are part of the existing package.  There will always be some requests that will be turned down based on the nature of the request, not on the customer’s willingness to pay.

2.        If via fax, make a photocopy of the fax and place in Support Manager’s hardcopy mailbox.  It is always preferable that a request form be filled out by the customer and faxed; since the request is then in the customer’s own words.  If the customer is looking for a new report or an enhancement to an existing one, have them sketch out exactly what they want where.  Fax this sketch along with a complete program request form.

3.        The Support Manager will review requests before giving it to the Programmer.  Those that do not require a quote will be filed in an Enhancement Request folder.  This folder will be reviewed on a monthly basis to determine if there are any requests worthy of consideration.  Those determined to not be advantageous to our customer base as a whole will be discarded, with a follow-up call or fax to the customer at the discretion of the Programmer.  The customer would be advised that the request had been considered and rejected as an enhancement request.  They will then have an opportunity to be quoted on the change if they are still interested.

4.        Requests that need quoting will be quoted by the Programmer.  If, for any reason, other personnel prepare any quotes for programming, those quotes must be reviewed and approved by SRS.  Quotes exceeding 2 hours will be subject to review and approval by SRS.

5.        The quote must have full detail in the bottom comment of the order as to the nature of the change.  Add to the bottom of the comment section a request to sign and return via fax to show approval of the quoted amount.  The signature is important as it also shows approval of the change itself as detailed in the comment section.

6.        The quote is then stapled to the faxed program request form, or to a hardcopy of the mail message that precipitated the quote.  This packet is then filed in the Quoted Request folder.

7.        Upon approval of the quote, the signed quote is then stapled to the quote and original request form.  This packet is then to be placed in SRS’s hardcopy mailbox.  SRS will review approved requests and assign programming.  If customer asks how long programming will take to complete, explain that there is usually a 30-day time period for design, programming and testing.  Mention that we work on programming projects in the order received.  The time period may be longer or shorter depending on the nature of the change request, and the current length of the programming queue.

8.        SRS will review the Quoted Request folder on a monthly basis, and assign out follow-up calls.  If the customer is still undecided, the packet will remain in the quoted request file for up to 6 months.  If the customer decides not to pay for the change, the packet will be placed in the Enhancement Request file, and undergo the process in step 3, above.

Important Note: Be sure to note the date/who called directly on the packet, and a brief note as to what was said during all telephone conversations regardless of where the packet is in the quoting process.

9.        Upon receiving the programming assignment, the programmer will copy all pertinent items that will require modification (SCREENs, PGMs, etc.) to the DP file in PM.M.  All work and testing will take place in the PM.M account.  After testing is complete, the programmer must then ‘install’ the new program into Production, and other pertinent accounts (PM.LOAD, PS, any pending install accounts, etc.).  Modified items need to be copied back from the DP file to their proper places, re-compiled and re-cataloged in the correct program file.  Be sure to delete the program from the DP file and decatalog from DP.  Keep in mind that all programs or menus not installed/cataloged in the PRODUCTION account will not go out on upgrade tapes, and probably will cause major problems.

10.        Upon completion of the programming project, the programmer is responsible for mailing PS with the details of the enhancement.  The message should be in the following format:

Subject:        Enhancement to xx  (where xx is the Program Name or general topic if several programs are involved.)

The xx Report has a new added feature: yy.  This feature will allow.... (list all options and  benefits of the change, as well as who requested it).

TECH:

In the tech section list all SCREENs, VARFILEs, PRESETs, and Programs that have been changed in alphabetical order such as:

INV.PGM INVENTORY.ENTRY

PRESET INVENTORY.ENTRY

SCREEN INVENTORY.ENTRY

VARFILE INVENTORY

Furthermore, the programmer is responsible for printing and finalizing the quote as a Debit Sales Order.  The programmer will send the program to the customer.  The packet containing original and signed quote should be initialed and dated, stating the program was billed and delivered to the customer.  File the packet in the back of the first AR folder in the customer files. 

Any significant alterations to the program that were not specified in the original request must be re-quoted.  If proper procedure was followed in Step 1 and Step 5, this should not be an issue.