THE MANAGEMENT OF MAINTENANCE IN A TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICE TROUGH A CRM APPROACH. APPLICATION TO AN SME INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING SECTOR

Abstract

The objective of Technical Support Services (TSS) is to guarantee the best operation of equipment and allow a long useful life. This article describes the applied research developed with the objective of designing and implementing a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) strategy in the technical support and maintenance department in a company in the industrial refrigeration and air-conditioning sector through the Open Source solution approach. In this project two innovative contributions are emphasised. First, the CRM has been used to support the management of an area in which there is no previous experiences, such as the service area of Technical Assistance and the tele-management of the maintenance. Second, the bi-directional approach, with which the CRM system has been applied by the company, so that their customers can interact and perceive the added value provided by the system. Likewise, the possibilities of the Open Source solution have been demonstrated, as a valid and also reliable alternative in the development of management applications for companies. We emphasize the high level of integration achieved by the solution adopted with the Enterprise Management System of the company. Although initially the system was geared to the maintenance area, today it is immersed in the philosophy of the company and is also used in the commercial area. In this way, the new management model gives a great ability to access contracts for the maintenance of large scope, demanded by customers with a higher potential for growth, which is vital to the future success of the company.