Rossendales Delivers Self-Service Web Access to Their Debt Recovery System with PowerTerm® Host Publisher
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Industry
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Finance
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Customer
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Rossendales
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Host Connectivity Solution
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PowerTerm® Host Publisher
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Host Server
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SUN Solaris
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Users
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~ 150
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The Challenge
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To modernise and provide secure access to Rossendales’ in-house developed debt collection application, used by over 100 Local Authorities across the UK.
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The Solution
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PowerTerm Host Publisher provided the development tools to modernise a text based application, and to deliver the service to customers via an intuitive web-based interface, providing secure access in real time. Ericom consultants provided project support throughout implementation and deployment.
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"We needed to convert our business critical application into easy to navigate web pages that were intuitive to our customers. That’s what Host Publisher is all about. The crucial point for us was that PowerTerm Host Publisher was fast to implement without any impact on our existing system"
Mike Shang, Director Business Development, Rossendales
Background
Rossendales, an independently owned company founded in 1972, provides enforcement
services in partnership with Local Authorities, HM Customs & Excise, Private & Public
Landlords and Court Services throughout England and Wales. Services include
Enforcement of Liability Orders, Magistrates Court Fines, HM Customs and Excise
VAT, Road Traffic Debt, Commercial Rents, Sundry Debt, tracing and execution
of Warrants of Arrest and Commitment Tracing.
More than 100 Local Authorities need access to Rossendales’ proprietary
debt recovery system to verify case status and information such as the amount
of debt owed and how much has been paid off, and also too view and add notes
or instructions regarding the case.
Before implementing PowerTerm Host Publisher, Rossendales’ customers
requested the information they needed either by phone, or by accessing the
system via a modem-to-modem dial-up connection. Information was presented in
traditional ‘green-screen’ text based format via terminal emulation.
This situation presented Rossendales with three significant problems: 1) Rossendales’ staff
was inundated with phone calls from customers requesting information. 2) The
modem connection for those customers accessing the information via computer
was very unfriendly. 3) The information was presented across multiple screens,
which were difficult to navigate and, again, not user friendly.
Extending the Legacy System to the Web
Rossendales’ customers wanted a more efficient way to access the information.
They wanted an easy to use self-service system for obtaining the information
in real-time, via the Web, with a click of a mouse.
Mike Shang, Business Development Director at Rossendales, explains the background: “We
realised that if we did not provide our systems via the web, the ability to
grow our business and customer base would be under pressure. We had considered
creating a web-link for many years, but we were not comfortable with security
issues. After finding an adequate security option in the form of ‘RSA
Security’, we felt ready to commit to such a project.” Working
on behalf of more than 100 Local Authorities throughout the United Kingdom,
Rossendales understood the urgency of providing their existing clients with
real-time web access to critical data. “Our goal was to give our system
an up-to-date feel, and present the information in a form our users would find
easy and more efficient to use. However, we would not compromise on security,” reiterates
Mike.
Rossendales evaluated several software companies before choosing Ericom’s
PowerTerm Host Publisher. Other host integration products required Rossendales
to hand over the full table structure of their database. In the event of any
subsequent changes to the table structure, the third-party company would have
to be informed and the implications assessed. PowerTerm Host Publisher was
the only solution in which different combinations of host functionality were
selected independently. This simplified matters, as it did not require a third-party
vendor to be involved. PowerTerm Host Publisher is unique in its approach — transforming
selected portions of character-based (screen-based) applications into reusable
services without disrupting the legacy application.
According to Mike, implementation was very straightforward. “It was a
case of converting our application into easy-to-navigate, intuitive web pages.
That’s what Host Publisher is all about. The crucial point for us was
that PowerTerm Host Publisher fast to implement without having any impact on
our existing system. And while the other products we tested required a more
in-depth knowledge of programming, PowerTerm Host Publisher’s unique
visual programming interface was much simpler to work with, and required only
a basic knowledge of program development — the majority of the code is
generated by PowerTerm”. Another key benefit of PowerTerm Host Publisher
is that it can also be used in integration projects. Rossendales has identified
the potential for using it to further develop and integrate other applications
for internal and external use over the longer term.
Self-Service and Real-Time Data for Customer Satisfaction...
With PowerTerm Host Publisher, staff of the Local Authority can view a case
history from the date that it was passed over from the Local Authority to Rossendales.
They can gain updates on specific cases such as whether payments have been
collected, or see where the case stands with Rossendales’ bailiffs. Users
also have the ability to input notes into the system, including instructions
such as ‘please reduce the balance by…’, so that all users
can see the amendments in real-time.
...and No More Green Screens
PowerTerm Host Publisher provides users with an interface that presents the
data in an effective manner and has improved employee productivity significantly.
Green screens tend to be slow, and in a text-based screen, there is a limit
as to how much data can be displayed on the screen. By contrast, on a web page,
a lot more data can be displayed on a single screen and in a more logical manner,
saving users from having to click back and forth between screens.
PowerTerm Host Publisher has helped Rossendales streamline their existing system
from an outdated function-key application to a modern, easy to use point-and-click
application, making it intuitive for their employees and customers to navigate
through the system. “PowerTerm Host Publisher enabled us to put the content
of several screens onto one new screen, giving users more information in one
go, as opposed to terminal emulation, where you are restricted to a specific
number of characters on a screen,” explains Mike.
Another benefit of the new interface is the reduced amount of training required
for new users on the system. On Rossendales’ old system, time-consuming
training was required for all new users of the system. “From our customers’ point
of view, the old system was not easy or user friendly,” states Mike. “What’s
impressive now that we’ve implemented our new solution, with PowerTerm
Host Publisher, is the ease of use for the client. When it comes to training,
it literally takes half an hour to train them until they are familiar with
it. That’s a real saving”.
Moving to the Web without Compromising on Security
Rossendales are very security conscious so they included RSA secure ID into
their website using SSL encryption. Via a modem connection, security is less
of an issue. With users accessing sensitive information via the Internet, PowerTerm
Host Publisher has enabled Rossendales to integrate an extra tier of security
into their system. RSA security is at the front end of the system, with a second
level (SSL security) for user verification. PowerTerm Host Publisher supports
both levels of security.
Installation and Implementation in Record Time
Because Rossendales previously used a terminal emulation (TE) program, TE
software had to be installed on the client side. Now, with appropriate permissions,
users can access the system via a web browser, and no software needs to be
installed on the client computers. “Within government organisations,
security has emerged in recent years as a top priority for all involved. Our
customers do not like the idea of having third party supplied software installed
onto their systems,” says Mike. “The benefit of PowerTerm Host
Publisher’s approach is that no installation at the client end is required.
Everything is server based and access is via a standard browser. For us, that
was an excellent selling point.”
With PowerTerm Host Publisher, Rossendales was able to launch its web-based
solution in just four months. “Our deadline was for the end of March,
but we went live at the end of February. We made the deadline way ahead of
schedule — an unusual feat in the IT industry,” states Mike, “which
helps to reduce development and implementation costs.”
As a result of implementation, Rossendales customers access the case information
via a web browser, which is proving to be a major convenience for the Local
Authorities. According to Mike, the new system has been very well received. “Since
going live, each week the number of users has been increasing rapidly.”
Mike says that Rossendales have already seen results. “We work with over
100 Local Authorities. With more and more queries resolved through our web
interface, we’re seeing reduced traffic on the phones. Plus our clients
are also more satisfied because they are getting information in real time,
rather than second hand over the phone.”
Partnering with Ericom
Mike says that from the start he was impressed with the service provided by
Ericom. “What sold us on Ericom is that they didn’t send me a sales
person. Instead, they sent someone who would assist Rossendales in the project
management and ongoing support when implementing our system.”
Mike adds that Ericom’s responsiveness didn’t end when the sale
was made. “The support we’ve received from Ericom has been very
impressive. Any queries have been answered. Obviously with any new system there
are deployment issues that arise, some only after you go live, and Ericom have
been there within the hour and solved them. It was a joint effort the whole
time and I am glad we chose Ericom to partner with.”
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