Overview

HMSHost, formerly known as Host Marriott Services, creates and maintains innovative concession plans in travel venues, controlling retail shops and concessions stands in most of the airports and toll roads in the US.  Many of their locations require technical support for Point of Sale (POS) systems that go well beyond the hours of the traditional business day.

The Challenge

The company needed to expand their current Business Objects reporting system for customer service applications.  Their existing reporting was very limited and didn’t provide the level of real-time data necessary for managers who need to stay informed on critical information (inventory, transaction numbers, etc.) for running their business nearly 24 hours a day.

The organization also needed to engage an IT emergency service provider to help with critical 24/7 IT issues.  Given the nature of their business, it was important to be able to get help with technology issues that could hinder productivity or even shut down business at any given location.

The Approach

As a Business Objects Partner, Chateaux was uniquely positioned to provide HMSHost with expanded reporting capabilities.  With a long-term history of Business Object expertise, Chateaux had the depth and breadth to provide insight into how to create a level of reporting that would deliver high-level ‘need to know’ information real-time.

Chateaux could also provide the organization with a virtual 24 hour IT Help Desk to deal with anything from trouble-shooting to major IT breakdowns. They provided a Support Level Agreement (SLA) that outlined a web-based solution that could be accessed any time of day with real-time updated information.

The Result

Chateaux combined the existing Business Objects reporting structure with a web-based customer support portal from Parature, an on-demand customer service software company, to create a customer service portal to report on customer service needs and other critical information.

Through the portal, HMSHost could request immediate assistance for urgent IT issues with a virtual IT Help Desk from Chateaux.  Using a trouble ticketing system, a company manager at any remote location could log in at any time and create an online request.  Issues could be escalated to a Chateaux technologist on call via an email to their cell phone.  Within a vital window of a few hours, IT situations could be addressed and resolved.  Through the portal, the manager could get real-time updates on the status of their issue.

The portal also provided HMSHost with the expanded reporting capabilities they were looking for.  No longer resigned to an excel spreadsheet-based system, the new solution generated a more robust dashboard view of critical information, including statistical and graphical data customized to the level of involvement for the user.  Regularly scheduled delivered reports, as well as on-demand real-time reports could provide everything from drill downs to detailed information up to high-level summaries for management.

HMSHost was now able to track trend analysis, so they could see exactly where their issues were and act accordingly.  They were able use a web-enabled solution to escalate their IT issues and access real-time updates on when they would be resolved.  This increased productivity and had a major impact on their bottom line.

SO008