EANS-News: USU Valuemation 4.1 for Knowledge-Based Service Management Now Available
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Möglingen (euro adhoc) - User-friendliness and individualized provision of information, process automation and transparency as well as proven best practices packages to get you up and running "live" fast - optimizing these core factors are at the heart of the new ergonomic software generation Valuemation 4. The new release 4.1 continues USU´s consistent focus on these issues. Furthermore, with the integration of license management technology from our subsidiary Aspera as well as USU KnowledgeCenter 5, the new release features important functional enhancements. In addition, Valuemation 4.1 offers comprehensive support for the business models of service providers: from the definition of the service model itself to monitoring service level agreements (SLAs) on to cost allocation for IT services.
Valuemation is a modular, ITIL®-compliant software suite for knowledge-based service management. It flexibly supports users in their complex and knowledge-intensive workflows - whether it involves technical support or IT operations or whether it concerns an IT service provider or internal IT service department. Companies will enjoy benefits including the following: lower process costs, such as through continuous, seamless, automated workflows, and increased service quality, such as through significant increases in first-call resolution rates at service desks, not to mention minimized risks achieved such as through authorized change processes and verified compliance with the terms of software licenses.
The new release, Valuemation 4.1, is now immediately available. Detailed information is available at: www.valuemation.de. The German trade union "ver.di" ("United Services Union") in Berlin is the first new customer to experience these enhanced functionalities. "We decided to go with Valuemation 4.1 primarily because of the well-integrated overall concept and the features added to the new version such as a portal-like, role-based and user-based user interface," said Stefan Degreif, the project manager at ver.di.
User-Friendly and Individualized Provision of Information The new Valuemation software generation offers a brand-new, individually customizable web-style graphical user interface. A role-based Welcome Page immediately provides users with the important information and applications that they need for their own specific workflows. For example, at a glance service center agents can see all the tickets and service requests assigned to them. This allows them to proceed immediately with activities such as assigning user rights, delivering a notebook, etc. For his part, the service desk manager can immediately detect any service level agreements that have been violated, see how many tickets remain open and how the amount of problems compares to the amount of incidents. Whether it´s actions, reports, tables, catalog data or charts - a helpful selection menu allows relevant information objects to be easily grouped together and placed as needed. URL objects allow integration of all kinds of applications or required web elements. The integration of ARIS MashZone provides information by means of helpful, concise dashboards. The flexible graphical preparation of detailed KPIs pulled from any data sources allows actions such as immediate root-cause analyses, enabling very fast responses to operational faults and malfunctions ("incidents"). What´s more, a new rich-text editor allows both texts and graphics to be easily saved. That´s an important support tool - especially at a service desk.
Process Automation and Transparency Continuous, seamless, automated processes are the backbone of optimized, comprehensive provision of business services. To achieve this, USU has developed a new intelligent process management system and integrated it into Valuemation. With it, all process workflows can be modeled and analyzed as needed, such as when procuring IT assets, managing rollouts, processing tickets and implementing changes. This graphically supported modeling is standardized within Valuemation in accordance with Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and also allows automated handling of very complex process chains including such steps as escalations. In addition, the tool permits comprehensive monitoring of processes. To aid this monitoring, there is also a progress bar that displays each process step individually and guides users step-by-step through their specific tasks. This means that users always know the exact status of their current tasks. The system supports users in processes such as relocating IT equipment as well as with IT procurement, ticket creation and contract creation. With the process control and monitoring tools in Valuemation, it´s always also possible to flexibly depict business workflows, such as sales and facility management processes. These functions are also supported by the new Enterprise Integration Manager, which seamlessly integrates processes outside of Valuemation itself.
Best Practices Packages During the software implementation process, expert consulting is a cornerstone of USU´s services. Over the past 20 years, we´ve accumulated vast experience gathered from hundreds of projects. Based on all this expertise, USU has developed new best practices packages for the following management areas: incident, problem, change, asset, configuration and service request. Our best practices packages link the lessons learned from providing expert consulting with the product itself. They are aimed at meeting the increasing need for more and better expert consulting in IT service management. By applying them, enterprises can use tested and proven structures and workflows right from the start. In project work, this minimizes initial objections to the effort required to deploy a system. Introducing each of the ITIL® disciplines, including related training courses, can thus be achieved within minimal time.
Integrating New Technologies In the new Valuemation 4.1, new technologies now enrich critical core areas. For instance, the market-leading SmartTrack system from the USU subsidiary Aspera has now replaced the previous Valuemation License Manager module. SmartTrack accesses the information from the Asset Management and Contract Management modules within Valuemation and then compares the technical and the business data to create a comprehensive licensing report. In addition, integration with the USU KnowledgeCenter 5 knowledge base enables users working in incident management to search easily and conveniently for appropriate solutions. The search starts right from within the application and offers different methods and paths, such as decision trees for complex problems or a direct search in a known-error database for more common ones. The inclusion of the successful solution also supports ticket documentation.
A Solution for the Entire Service Lifecycle The new solution for Service Economics in Valuemation 4.1 has enhanced the IT controlling components in the suite with strategic IT service management. The core element of this new approach is using the service model as the basis for shaping the business of a(n) (IT) service provider. The new Valuemation modules Service Portfolio Manager and Service Level Manager support the definition of appropriate standard services and service levels and offer numerous functions for applying them in business operations. The designing and shaping of the service model is done based on the included best practices methods for specification, classification and decomposition of services. The resulting service model can then be used as a basis for directly deriving cost planning models for IT controlling. The new Valuemation modules Service Portfolio Manager and Service Level Manager support the definition of service blueprints, appropriate standard services and service levels as well as their operational application through close integration with other Valuemation modules.
USU AG - The Knowledge Business Company. Founded in 1977, USU offers strategies, consulting, software solutions and services for achieving comprehensive integration of knowledge and experience into business workflows and applications within organizations. Market leaders from every sector of the international economy create transparency with USU applications, while also becoming more competitive, cutting costs and reducing their risks. With its three business areas, USU is Europe´s largest provider of IT and knowledge management solutions.
With its Valuemation® product line, USU offers a high-quality portfolio for supporting IT Management and Service Management, one whose merits have been recognized by leading market analysts around the world. The intelligent USU KnowledgeCenter knowledge base allows customers to activate and leverage all the knowledge resources within their organization, especially in call and service centers. Designing customized individual solutions, achieving process and system integration and implementing knowledge portals and employee portals are some of USU´s other well-established and proven core competencies.
USU AG is a subsidiary of USU Software AG (ISIN DE 000A0BVU28), which is listed in the Prime Segment of the German Stock Exchange (DAX) in Frankfurt. For further information, please go to: www.usu.de
end of announcement euro adhoc --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
Gerick Thomas
Branche: Software
ISIN: DE000A0BVU28
WKN: A0BVU2
Index: CDAX, Prime All Share, Technology All Share
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
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