Texting solution a 'glass ' act for glaziers

AMN CEO Brent Hayden explains, “We need to be able to coordinate an army of glaziers scattered around the country. It’s our job to ensure that broken windows – thousands each year – are replaced as quickly as possible. Speed is everything because when you’ve got a broken window you don’t want to be kept waiting."

Hayden says text messages are key to achieving this. "It’s an indispensable, reliable business tool that enables us to brief glaziers on jobs quickly and efficiently," he says. "There’s no paperwork to lose, no missed calls and no confusion over addresses.”

As more and more people are using text messaging to communicate with friends and family. Hayden says AMN's challenge was to see if this popular form of communication could be developed into an effective business tool. To find a solution, AMN looked to Telecom Mobile and wireless solutions provider ECONZ.

Simple implementation

“Because of the disparate nature of independent contractors in the trade service area," says Hayden, "we wanted a system that would work for everyone without having to deploy a high-end solution."

The solution had to help the independent contractors achieve high productivity levels, while at the same time keeping customer costs to a minimum. It also had to suit the needs of AMN's internal team and clients. Growth potential was also an important consideration Hayden says. "It was essential that the solution not only meet our current needs, but also provide full scalability as our organisation grows.”

Error-free communications

Telecom Mobile and ECONZ provided AMN with a text message-based solution. as Hayden explains, “Our text messaging is fully integrated with our backroom technology. We generate text messages to glaziers’ 027 mobile phones from our dispatchers’ web-based program that processes job requests from IAG NZ and other customers. The message contains everything glaziers need to get the job done quickly. When the windows are fixed, the glaziers text us and let us know. It’s the ideal way for us to communicate because it’s fast and error free.”

The two way texting facility and server ensures that the dispatch and management of independent contractors’ jobs can now take place via text message, from the job allocation stage, right through to notification when a job has been completed.

The AMN text messaging system went live in February 2003 when the company was appointed national supplier of flat glass services to IAG NZ, New Zealand’s largest insurance company representing almost half of the local general insurance market.