Real Time Graphical Reporting for SMBs: Corda Technologies

One of the fundamental strengths of the SSPA is our benchmark metrics program, and I am continually impressed at the reports members create to help understand how they are performing, and to identify areas needing improvement.  I’ll mention one great example:  Juniper Networks and their work around quantifying the ROI for self-service.

When I ask members what they are using for reporting, the usual answer is Excel.  While enterprise applications now include more reports and dashboards, they only recognize data from their own application.  If you want to report on data from multiple sources, much customization is required, or a 3rd party data warehouse.  The cost and complexity of this approach makes it an unlikely choice for many cost-conscious support operations, and definitely out of bounds for most small and medium sized businesses (SMBs).

So it was with great interest that I received a briefing this morning from Corda Technologies, a leader in innovative, interactive data visualization software and solutions.  With multiple executives from enterprise software and CRM vendors, they understand the business problems of support and the limitations of existing technology.

Corda has been providing custom dashboards since 1996, but some work they are doing now is bringing ‘best of breed’ dashboards and reporting to a larger audience, including SMBs.  In process of becoming certified on Salesforce.com’s AppExchange, Corda offers a powerful dashboard that not only offers “1 stop shopping” for service managers using Salesforce, but also extends packaged Salesforce capabilities into areas like contract renewals and SLA adherence.

Why is this different from standard reporting packages?

• Best practices.  Corda execs worked with a well known research and advisory firm to develop some best practice reports and benchmark data sets focused on customer service and support.
• Real-time access.  Unlike traditional reporting modules that only access data from a single application, or a 3rd party data warehouse, Corda pulls data in real time from wherever it is stored–no data denormalization required.  With service performance changing dramatically from minute to minute as volume trends up and down, real time data retrieval is a requirement for accurate, actionable reporting.
• Deployment model.  As an OnDemand provider, Corda uses the hosted model for pricing, charging a monthly per-user fee.  No huge onsite installation and configuration project, no 5 or 6 figure project required, and a monthly charge that comes in below the ‘signature approval’ amount for even SMB support management.

Corda has built dashboards for other CRM and service apps, and their full J2EE platform lends itself to streamlined integration with 3rd party systems or home grown applications.  The customer service section of their website offers a demo and a free trial, so if leading-edge reporting is on your wish list, check it out.

What is missing in your current reporting solution?  Would your managers and agents use reporting more strategically if it were graphical and easier to use?  Please send along your thoughs via email, or add a comment to this post.

Thanks for reading!

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