How we do it – a dedicated system to handle service requests (RMA) for Elmark Automatyka

A leading distributor of automation systems needs professional web application

Elmark Automatyka is a leading distributor of components and systems of industrial automation on the Polish market. In addition they have been conducting trainings on Rockwell Automations hardware and software for last several years. Importantly, Elmark Automatyka has its own service department, thanks to what they can provide professional technical support after delivery of the equipment.

Aim of the project and expectations of the new version of the RMA

The aim of the project was to design and execute a dedicated web platform that allows comprehensive handling and management of service requests.
The company deals mainly with the sale of specialized electronic equipment (including industrial computers). Because of it, professional handling of requests of that type is a very important business process. High-quality after-sales service is an asset that allows to stand out from the competition and makes it easier to build lasting relationships with customer.
At the start of cooperation Elmark Automatyka has not had a professional RMA type tool that could comprehensively manage repairs of the equipment they sold. Instead of that they worked on their own program for managing repairs, but its functionality was limited and did not comply with all the (still growing) needs and expectations.

The most important assumptions of new service:

  • Accessibility through web browser,
  • Convenient usage through friendly interface,
  • Possibility of independent reporting of repairs for customers and keeping abreast of progress of work,
  • Tool for communication between clients (submitting repairs) and employees in service department,
  • The ability to manage current repairs (including changes of status or assigning employee)
  • Extensive statistics of repairs and works of service department.

Understanding the actual processes and internal procedures as the key to the effective implementation of the RMA system

We were responsible for comprehensive implementation of the project. At first we conducted workshops with Elmark Automatyka, thanks to what we could discuss all the important guidelines and establish the list of needed functionalities. Much time was spent on analyzing and understanding how the process of equipments’ maintenance looks like adn that helped us in adaption of the new tool to the real needs of users.

Based on the information we gathered, we have prepared 40 mock-ups for all major sections and pages of the service.

After acceptance of the mock-ups we designed the look of the entire system. Due to the specifics of target groups (service technicians, employees and clients mostly work on desktop computers or laptops), we chose not to use Responsive Web Design. We assumed, however, that the target width of the site is 1280 pixels.

While working on front-end of the service we used HTML5, CSS and JS. To visualize the statistics we decided to use Google Chart API, mainly because of to the lack of license fees, extensive data visualization capabilities and a well-documented API.

The biggest challenge was undoubtedly to work on back-end part of the platform. Due to the scale of the project and agreed deadlines for implementation, we assigned two developers to work on this part of the project. In addition, because of to the fairly adamant guidelines, the application has been developed with the usage of PHP Zend framework whereas to operate the database we used MySQL.

Key functionality that determine the success of the project:

  1. Serial numbers' search engine
    Basing on the serial number clients of the company can check the status of product warranty.
  2. Ordering the delivery
    When requesting the service, the customer can also order a DHL courier. This function comes down to specifying the parcels (amount and size) and defining recipient's address. Then the order is placed by contacting the delivery service via DHL API. At the time of filing the repair the system generates a bill of lading and sends a notification to Elmark Automatyka.
  3. Questions and pricing
    With the usage of the application technicians can ask questions and value the additional work (outside of warranty). The customer can answer questions and accept or reject additional costs. After logging in, Technicians see the information about the number of new, unread messages.
  4. E-mail notifications
    Any changes in the status of repairs (or other important situations) generate e-mail notifications that is send to the people concerned. These messages have dedicated template that matches the look of the platform.
  5. Statistics of the repair and the service department
    Advanced statistics' tracking for various types of analysis of submissions (for example regarding the manufacturers or punctuality of repairs). Additionally, statistics can be filtered by the specified periods.
  6. Managing users
    The system administrator can create, modify, and delete user accounts. There are a few possible varieties (including warehouse worker or technician), each with well-defined limitations.

A dedicated system means constant challenges

Execution/Realization of the project was a real challenge.

First of all, we had to deal with heavily specialized solution that required a good understanding of needs of many different user groups. Onsite workshops proved to be very helpful and allowed us to thoroughly get to know the company – how does the work of service department looks like and what the needs of future user of the system are. With the examples from daily activities and detailed explanations "why" something happens, it was easier for us to understand and correctly recreate the workflow in the operating system we created.
Regarding UI / UX, we had to combine a large amount of information with clear and convenient-to-use interface. We focused on simple form, limited the color scheme to a minimum and did not use any animated additives. In case of an extensive report of the repairs, we designed a dedicated template that’s free of any unnecessary elements (such as a header or navigation menu).
When it comes to backend work, most challenging was optimizing the operation of the service in a situation where - due to the nature of the hosting - there was no possibility of installing diagnostic tools. After a few months (and with the involvement of additional developer) we were able to detect all the places and the mechanisms that were generating the delay. With that knowledge we managed to complete the optimization and the application reached the speed of operation that fully satisfies both us and the client.

Still hungry for knowledge? On our blog we wrote few other articles about other projects we worked on - check out "How we do it" and discover the secrets of Merixstudio!

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