Telephone sales system

Abstract

Telephone Sales is a system that enables Telephone Services Providers to offer their services to customers. The main objective of the system is to provide value to a customer. In this case, the ultimate value ordered to customer is not the telephone line but the freedom to communicate at any instant from the comfort of the office, house to another person in some distant location. The telephone line is therefore a launch pad for offering value to customers. Delaying the installation of a telephone is delaying an opportunity to offer value to customer. The other determining reasons about this project are increase in activities (services expansion) with reduced workforce, emphasis on result oriented workers, improved services, profit orientation, maximizing the use of good networks (Intranets, Extranets and Internet) and immediate response to customer needs. The problems encountered during the process of meeting the set objectives were: - Poor line plant - where there were not many properly maintained lines; Non-compatible equipment- the Telephone Service Provider considered for the survey had all sorts of Switching equipment which gave rise to compatibility problems; Cultural behaviours - the workers using the manual system had difficulties adjusting to the drastic changes occasioned by the use of the business process re-engineering and Prohibitive equipment cost - the equipment required to pre-test the line plant is very expensive. The approach taken to meet the desired objectives was by the implementation of the Business Process Re-engineering, Use of Geographic Information System and Database integration. The project is built around the form-based Telephone Sales System integrator. The system prototype can be utilized to create, manipulate and manage Telephone Sales Systems. It is crucial to note that the system relies on other.systems like Billing and Maintenance Control Centre Systems which provide key parameters for effective customer services provisions. Not many companies have complete Automated Telephone Sales Systems. This system, therefore, presents a good opportunity to have a system working for most developing countries. The project development has evolved around the Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology Tools. Telkom Kenya Limited, which is a telecommunications company, was chosen for thorough investigation and results got used to build a viable automated system. Finally, the most valuable commodities in business today are people, time and money. Telephone Sales System is a solution designed to help save these scarce resources which are the building blocks of businesses.