They deal with customs declarations, warehousing of goods and air, sea and land transport. They communicate with hundreds of companies every day and need reliable systems to do so. PST CLC wanted a new helpdesk to handle their IT requests better and faster. Our Smart FP solution appealed to them so much that in the second meeting they decided to use Smart Forms also in the core business or HR.
Starting points for cooperation
“We had an IT helpdesk to deal with technical requests in the company. But it was running on an older platform that was no longer relevant to the times,” Zbyněk Slezák, manager of the IT department at PST CLC, describes the situation before the cooperation with Gappex.
What exactly was the problem? “We wanted to extend the functionality of the system to more easily display detailed data about requirements, record the time intensity of tasks or facilitate work planning. Because of the number and type of requests, it didn’t make sense for us to pay for developing an old solution. It would have been too expensive.”
“We had an IT helpdesk to deal with technical requests in the company. But it was running on an older platform that was no longer relevant to the times,” Zbyněk Slezák, manager of the IT department at PST CLC, describes the situation before the cooperation with Gappex.
What exactly was the problem? “We wanted to extend the functionality of the system to more easily display detailed data about requirements, record the time intensity of tasks or facilitate work planning. Because of the number and type of requests, it didn’t make sense for us to pay for developing an old solution. It would have been too expensive.”
Briefly about PST CLC
They take over the goods from the manufacturer, store them, clear them and deliver them to the other side of the world – by plane, boat, truck or train. PST CLC is a Czech company founded in 1991, which belongs to the Japanese corporation Mitsui-Soko Group and deals with complex logistics.
With companies such as Continental, Valeo, Foxconn, Moravia Steel and Philip Morris. It has warehouses and customs declaration offices in 18 locations in the Czech Republic. They use interconnected IT systems (CRM, ERP, warehouse management system, IT helpdesk, TMS) that are accessed by employees and customers. Smart solutions that simplify not only the IT agenda
At the beginning, Zbyněk Slezák had a clear idea of what the new solution must meet:
- He wanted to have the ability to easily edit the IT helpdesk. To be able to quickly make changes without a lot of coding – e.g. rename a field, add a column or modify the approval process.
- He preferred a solution that would not limit the number of licenses.
- It required the software to meet today’s standards for proper display on computer, mobile and tablet.
- He needed to make the UI and the look and feel of the helpdesk easier for colleagues and customers. Ideally, all users should understand the functioning after the first training.
“We were not in a time crunch. We decided to change the IT helpdesk, but I didn’t have a hard deadline behind me. So I was looking around the market and looking at options.” summarizes the background of the IT manager and adds: “This is how I got to Mr. Nemec from Gappex.”
A smart solution that simplifies not only the IT agenda
At the meeting, we presented the IT helpdesk based on SmartFP forms to Zbyněk Slezák. We emphasized:
- Helpdesk setup tailored to company processes
- Possibility of editing almost everything without the involvement of a programmer
- Speed of system deployment into the company
- The versatility of the PST CLC solution can be applied to other agendas
“It was nice to find out that there is a flexible solution for the IT helpdesk. What’s more, I immediately saw the potential of the software presented. I imagined how smart forms would make customs declarations, input and output forms in HR and other agendas easier. That’s why I invited colleagues from other teams to the second meeting, so they could see for themselves how much email or paperwork it would save.” recalls Zbyněk Slezák.
For example, the customs declarations agenda, i.e. the core business of the company, was handled by PST CLC employees through emails or even paper forms. “We had clearance requests in various email inboxes, we had to share them in case of a holiday. Somehow it worked, but it wasn’t the same,” specifies Zbyněk Slezák.
Zbyněk Slezák had only one concern: “With young companies, you always wonder if they’re going to learn it on you. But I soon found out that fear was completely false.”
Quick deployment of the helpdesk into the company
Work on the IT helpdesk and customs declarations started almost simultaneously and at a brisk pace. “Gappex deployed our customs declaration system in 3 weeks, which is incredibly fast. In the case of the IT helpdesk, it took a bit longer, half a year. But it was up to us – we wanted to make the most of the flexibility of the system, so we played around with the setup a lot.” admits Zbyněk Slezák.
This is how our managing director Dalibor Němec describes the project: “The configuration of the smart forms system allows you to change fields, texts, workflow, just about everything. Together with the client we adjusted a lot of parameters. The debugging went quickly thanks to the fact that we deployed the full version of the helpdesk solution after the initial analysis. This allowed the client to comment on specific things they saw in front of them on the monitor, not just a virtual idea.”
Zbyněk Slezák evaluates the cooperation very positively: “What we agree on is what we agree on. Gappex responds quickly to our requests. It’s not a mall where you’re constantly waiting for approvals, and at the end you’re surprised by an invoice for extra costs. The solution allows us to configure almost anything, which is why working with Gappex works well even after the system is deployed.”
Practical benefits of Gappex solutions
Thanks to the helpdesk, IT administration works exactly as it should. “Everybody is comfortable with it, the specialists know exactly what to do and the management has a perfect overview. If we need to make any changes to the system, we can do it ourselves or Gappex can get it done for us,” Zbyněk Slezák describes the benefits.
“In the past we did not have a customs helpdesk at all. It’s great to have all the data in one place, and it’s also operated in the same way as the IT helpdesk, so employees don’t have to learn anything new. We and our clients know what stage of the process any ticket is at, we can trace back and we’ve got rid of a lot of paper and emails,” adds the IT manager.
A vision for the future: a digital evolution that makes work even easier
We have added other modules to the IT helpdesk and customs services – e.g. phone book or company documents. Our smart forms also help with communication with customers or the HR agenda. “The data we used to share in Excel or Sharepoint is in one system. If an HR person needs to edit something and has rights to do so, they can do it in a few clicks without assistance from the IT department and it gets written everywhere,” reveals Zbyněk Slezák.
We are currently talking with PST CLC about even more integration of corporate agendas. “We would like to use SmartFP to create something like an IT hub for the various needs of the company. We use CRM, ERP, warehouse management system and other web-based platforms. There is no system that can handle everything. With Gappex, we would like to create an IT signpost that will shorten everyone’s journey and make their work easier.” concludes Zbyněk Slezák.