TECHNICAL SERVICES
~ A comprehensive product and technical testing lab to reproduce your technical environment for acute issue troubleshooting
~ Comprehensive support case
documentation, including the customer’s point of contact, time of incident, detailed issue description, priority level, product version, name of the Global Support Services engineer, record of communication (including calls, e-mail, and web chats) and a complete resolution description
~ Notification of new releases, technical alerts and other updates
~ Access to download published, licensed software Utilities and documentation for patches, point releases and new version releases
~ Services available by the Upgrade Services team to assist with keeping your environment current on the latest Perceptive technology release, or to assist with the move of your environment to new hardware or operating system platform
~ Ability to interact with Product Management by submitting ideas for new functionality through the Customer Portal
The initial year of software maintenance and support is billed upon delivery of Perceptive Software product suite licenses. Annual renewal is available upon the anniversary date of the delivery of the licenses.
Perceptive Software’s Global Support Services (GSS) is dedicated to helping you maximize the return on Perceptive technology investment by offering a complete support system designed to meet your business needs. This document provides an overview of Global Support Services’ capabilities and how to use them, helping you to get the most from your Perceptive solution long after the initial sale and implementation.
Global Support Services focuses on compressing the time frame from issue inception to resolution while providing a remarkable service experience. The following benefits help you keep your technical environment operating at peak
performance and let you take full advantage of the newest features and technology:
~ Technical support for all published
Perceptive Software product functionality — provided with exceptional customer service
~ A comprehensive Global Support Services team equipped to handle all aspects of the support process
~ Secure, personalized access to the online Perceptive Customer Portal
~ Solutions to current issues, technical reference tools and support case status reports available 24x7 through the Customer Portal
~ Optimized access to Global Support Services engineers facilitated by GSS coordinators who answer all calls, web chats and technical e-mail
~ Access to the Perceptive Software subject matter experts needed to drive issues through resolution
~ Defined escalation gateways to ensure continual progress on issues to resolution
~ A Customer Service Advisor who serves as your advocate throughout the support process, providing ongoing and effective communications
Customer Responsibilities
Perceptive Software works most effectively when collaborating with a regular set of contacts from your organization for technical issues. We typically engage with a system administrator, but we will work with anyone you designate.System Administrator
~ Serves as the key contact for support and maintenance communications
~ Notifies Perceptive Software of any support or maintenance issue as soon as possible
~ Verifies new Customer Portal accounts for users
~ Leverages the Customer Portal self-service capabilities
~ Ensures that software users are trained adequately
~ Applies new releases and upgrades as available
~ Provides or acts as the point of coordination for the following IT/IS functions:
» Database administration
» Server administration
» Network administration
» Firewall administration
» Web application server administration
» Workstation administration
» Messaging administration (Exchange, Notes)
~ Assumes responsibility for all standard IT/ IS infrastructure requirements, including the purchase, maintenance and servicing of hardware
The effectiveness of any support interaction depends on the technical knowledge, problem-solving ability and communication skills of our team and your technology administrators. In addition, a good understanding by both parties of their roles and responsibilities is crucial to effective communication.
Roles and Responsibilities (continued)
Customer Service AdvisorActs as a customer’s advocate within Global Support Services by driving processes from initial engagement through follow-up, documentation and escalation. Also assists customers with product licensing needs and Perceptive Software policies.
Knowledge Engineer
Assists Global Support Services in building content and technology to support Perceptive Software’s knowledge management and customer self-service support initiatives.
Supervisor/Team Lead of Global Support Services
Manages sub-teams within Global Support Services to ensure quality delivery across all aspects of a customer’s support experience.
Manager of Global Support Services
Manages the end-to-end delivery of 24x7 global support and the supporting processes, systems and teams to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction.
Director of Global Support Services
Delivers strategies and initiatives to provide an exceptional customer service experience for our global customer base.
Database Services Project Manager
Assists customers with the planning and scheduling of services provided by the Database Services team, which includes upgrades, updates, conversions and migrations.
Database Services Consultant
Specializes in the technical delivery of upgrades, updates, conversions and migrations.
Global Support Services Roles and
Responsibilities
There are several types of support professionals working in Global Support Services. Understanding the various roles and responsibilities can minimize confusion.
Global Support Services Coordinator
Prioritizes inbound requests for assistance, opens new support cases, identifies the appropriate resource to best address a customer’s issue or request and intelligently routes support cases to the best resource.
Global Support Services Engineer
Handles entry-level technical issues, performing issue troubleshooting until a resolution is reached as well as ensuring thorough documentation of all aspects of the case.
Global Support Services Specialist
Handles entry- to mid-level issues through resolution. Provides escalation assistance to Global Support Services engineers.
Global Support Services Expert
Handles mid-level to advanced issues through resolution. Acts as the final point of technical issue escalation ownership within the Global Support Services engineering team.
Global Support Services Sector Professional
Provides technical oversight, direction and escalation assistance within the Global Support Services engineering team. Coordinates technical issue escalation to teams throughout Perceptive Software as necessary.
Global Support Services Development Support Professional
Specializes in handling advanced custom solution-related issues through resolution. Provides specialized assistance, technical direction and acts as the point of escalation to Research and Development.
Roles and Responsibilities (continued)
Perceptive Global Support Services is especially proud of the service we deliver to customers. To ensure customers receive exceptional customer service from all of our staff, we’ve created a team that is focused on being an advocate and facilitator between the customer and Perceptive Software. Additionally, we have established numerous methods for a customer to provide feedback to Global Support Services leadership to keep our service on target with our customers’ support needs.
Customer Service Advisor Role
The Customer Service Advisor monitors and drives all support processes to ensure the delivery of outstanding service. The following responsibilities detail the full scope of the role:Support Process
~ Ensures that all Global Support Services issues are handled appropriately through issue engagement, follow-up, documentation and escalation
~ Understands how the technology implemented fits into your business processes and effectively communicates the impact of product-related issues on those processes to Global Support Services and other Perceptive Software teams, as needed
~ Clearly understands and communicates all product information and Perceptive Software policies.
~ Provides status updates in regards to actions being taken to resolve critical issues
~ Engages you directly when feedback about the support process is provided
Licensing Needs
~ Facilitates requests for replacement licenses in instances of environment change (server failure, server upgrade, environment reconfiguration and so on)
Cross Team Coordination
~ Communicates non-technical requests received by Global Support Services to the appropriate Perceptive Software teams
~ Coordinates technical resources across teams to assist in the troubleshooting and resolution of technical issues in a customer’s previously implemented Perceptive technology enterprise environment
Customer Focus (continued)
Providing Direct Feedback to Global
Support Services Leadership
In addition to surveys, our customers always can reach out to us directly to provide feedback: Bob Oelschlager
Manager of Global Support Services - Front Edge (913) 667-3272
[email protected] Amanda Jordan
Manager of Global Support Services - Advanced Support and Upgrade Services
(913) 667-3267
[email protected] T.J. Ernsdorff
Manager of Global Support Services - EMEA (913) 667-3276
[email protected] Mike Welch
Manager of Global Support Services - APAC (913) 667-8939
[email protected] Paul Harris
Manager of Global Support Services - Programs (913) 667-8321
[email protected] Jennifer Kuckelman
Director of Global Support Services (913) 667-3145
[email protected] John Naughton
Director of Global Support Services (703) 948-5895
[email protected] Tyler Shryer
Director of Global Support Services (913) 667-3121
[email protected] Brent Flanders
Vice President, Technical Services (913) 667-3138
Providing Support Experience
Feedback
Services offered now and in the future are based largely on feedback from our customers. In addition, our customer’s satisfaction with the support services provided is the primary way we measure success. As such, we conduct transaction-level customer satisfaction surveys that give customers the opportunity to let us know how we are doing. In order to conduct these surveys, Global Support Services uses a third-party vendor to ensure unfiltered feedback. We send a survey via e-mail to the customer contact on a support case when it is closed. The short survey asks for feedback related to the case owner within Global Support Services in the following areas:
~Courtesy
~Technical skills and knowledge
~Timeliness of the service provided
~Quality of the service provided
~Overall service experience
~Additional feedback you want to provide When we receive a survey response, Global Support Services leadership reviews it and determines the appropriate next steps. This could consist of public recognition to the case owner, a coaching discussion or a proposal for a process or product change based upon the comments. If there are further questions about the comments or scores on the survey, the Customer Service Advisor may contact the customer. Additionally, the Customer Service Advisor will engage the customer for additional clarification if concerns or frustrations were expressed to determine if any additional assistance could of, or can be, provided. The customer satisfaction surveys are critical to our ability to provide exceptional customer service, and we hope you will continue to give us your valuable feedback.
Customer Focus (continued)
Perceptive Software empowers customers to find answers to questions about their technology through various self-service tools and information sources. However, if a customer wants to engage Global Support Services, full support is available through the Assisted Support model.
Customer Portal
The Customer Portal is where customers can access self-service resources and services, such as full product documentation, technical papers, Knowledgebase articles, community forums and Perceptive Software support policy documents. Global Support Services continually updates these resources with new technical information, corrections and workarounds, aiming to provide immediate answers to common customer questions.
The Customer Portal is a secure environment that requires a valid user ID and password. Customers can self-register on the Customer Portal or have their System Administrator add them as a contact. Customers can leverage the following services using the Customer Portal:
Knowledgebase
~ Search thousands of relevant articles, updated daily
~ Browse featured content libraries that provide in-depth information on specific product topic areas
Answers
~ Collaborate with other customers in the Perceptive Software community
Cases
~Create, check status and review cases
~ Collaborate live (chat and share your screen) with a Global Support Services engineer
Downloads
~ Download the latest versions of the Perceptive technology and supporting utilities
Product Documentation
~ Search product help, technical papers and other product documentation
Training
~ Review training course schedules, outlines and agendas
~ Enroll in Classroom, Live online and eLearning training programs
Ideas
~ Participate in the development process by sharing your ideas with Perceptive Product Managers
~ Discover how other companies use the product by viewing ideas from across industries, technologies and platforms
~ Help the Development team identify and prioritize enhancements by voting for your favorite ideas
~ Connect with peers and exchange best practices or suggest possible resolutions by leaving comments in the forum
Account Profile
~ Manage Customer Portal users, download technology licenses and ensure your account information is current
Upgrade Center
~ View interactive presentations and webinars regarding new product release functionality
~ Research the product update and upgrade process
Customer Support Experience
Self-Service Support customer.perceptivesoftware.com
Customer Inquiry
Assisted Support phone > e-mail > chat > web case submit
Customer Portal Downloads Product Documentation Knowledgebase Live Collaboration Community Forums News Interactive Webinars eLearning Case Management
Manage Customer Portal
Build Knowledgebase content
Tailor content to customers
Analyze data, build process roles to solve gaps
Assist in training of use of tools and actual knowledge
Advance Knowledgebase technology
Make international
Amplify one to many
Self-Service Knowledge Team Case Assignment Coordinator Cloud Services Global Support Services Upgrade Support How to
Assistance SupportiScript Technology Support Customer Service Advisor Customer Follow-Up
Global Support Services Engineering Path of Escalation
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Research &
Development Customer ServiceAdvisor Global SupportManagement VP of TechnicalServices
Technology and Solution
Escalation Issue Escalation Coordination
Support Case Opened Resolution
?
Hosted Platform Support Professional Services Remote AdministrationGlobal Support Services is available to customers covered by a current Software Maintenance and Support Agreement. We highly recommend that any critical issues, such as a system down, be reported via telephone to ensure rapid resource engagement.
Global Support Services
Access Channels
Around the clock support is available via four channels — phone, e-mail, web chat or by creating a support case using the Customer Portal.
Phone:
Location Telephone
United States +1 888 906 3565
United States +1 800 941 7460 option 2 United Kingdom +44 (0) 800 028 1904 United Kingdom +44 (0) 800 141 2022 option 3, 3 Brazil +55 (0) 800 047 4756 Canada +1 888 882 0480 France +33 (0) 805 540 839 Belgium +32 800 81357 Germany +49 (0) 800 101 1743 Italy +39 800 917 997 Mexico +52 (0) 1 800 083 4928 Netherlands +31 (0) 800 404 0004 Spain +34 800 900 505 Australia +61 (1) 800 607 991 South Africa +27 (0) 11 807 3025 International if not listed above +1 913 422 7525 option 2 E-Mail: [email protected] Web Chat: http://customer.perceptivesoftware.com
Online Support Case:
http://customer.perceptivesoftware.com
Follow-the-Sun Staffing
Perceptive Software Global Support Services has six primary Support Centers:
~ North America Support Centers: Corporate headquarters, Shawnee, Kansas; Ashburn, Virginia; Bloomington, Minnesota
~EMEA Support Centers: Budapest, Hungary; Apeldoorn, Netherlands
~APAC Support Center: Cebu, Philippines Additionally, we have satellite Support Centers located throughout North America (Denver, CO and Beverly, MA), EMEA (London, UK; Nottingham, UK), and APAC (North Sydney, AU) to ensure appropriate time zone coverage, language support and a highly effective ratio of Engineers and advocates to customer volume– over 130 team members.
Support Request Engagement
Process
A Global Support Services coordinator receives a request or issue and directs it to the appropriate GSS engineering resource, development support professional, Customer Service Advisor or Cloud Services consultant for assistance through support case assignment to a defined knowledge queue. This direct access to subject-matter experts ensures you are connected to the right resource right away.
Local Language Support
Perceptive Global Support Services provides support to customers in all time zones in English. During North America and Latin America business hours, Portuguese and Spanish language support is available upon request. During EMEA business hours, support in German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Spanish is available upon request.
Assisted Support (continued)
Technical Issue Escalation Process
To ensure timely resolution of all issues, Global Support Services leadership monitors cases to confirm that continual progress of issues toward resolution is taking place. Given the wide range of possible issues and variability of customer environments, the engagement of resources is a fluid process, as Customer Service Advisors and Global Support Services leadership work with customers to provide the quickest resolution possible. However, the following represents a general overview of the escalation process.Escalation by Case Review
Global Support Services leadership works with their respective teams on an ongoing basis to understand the current status of issue troubleshooting. Escalation takes place based on a number of review factors:
~ The progress being made toward resolution by the assigned Global Support Services engineering resource
~ The severity of the issue and its impact on a customer’s technical environment
~ The business impact communicated by a customer
~ The age of the case
~ The perceived satisfaction of the customer with the progress being made toward resolution
This process takes into consideration highly complex issues that may take additional time and escalation resources to resolve. However, it should be noted that over 80 percent of technical issues are resolved and support cases closed without escalation taking place.
Global Support Services strives to ensure that the appropriate resources and level of focus are assigned to every customer’s case in order to achieve a timely resolution of technical issues. However, if you are not satisfied with the progress of your issue, we encourage you to engage your Customer Service Advisor to discuss the efforts underway.
Technical Issue Support Process
When you contact Global Support Services, your issue or request is assigned to the appropriate resource and handled based on the impact to your organization’s business and the nature of the issue.~ Technical issue support cases are assigned to the appropriate level of Global Support Services engineering based on the technology and business impact of the issue.
~ Throughout the troubleshooting process, the Global Support Services engineering resource works directly with the customer, following up as often as needed based on the nature of the issue.
~ If the issue is not resolved by the initial Global Support Services engineering resource, the issue is escalated within the engineering team per defined escalation gateways (see next page).
~ If the issue is acute — for example, the system is unavailable to end users — the Global Support Services coordinator immediately assigns the support case to the Global Support Services expert team.
~ For solution-related issues, the engineering team works with the Development Support Professional team to troubleshoot and provide resolution.
~ If the issue is escalated, the customer’s assigned Customer Service Advisor is brought into the loop. The advisor monitors the progress of the issue, engages additional Perceptive Software resources and contacts the customer as needed until the issue is resolved.
~ The Global Support Services engineering team has direct access to Research and Development personnel if assistance with product-related issues is needed.
~ The Global Support Services management and the Technical Services vice president are notified of issues that have an acute business impact, to provide the additional resources necessary to resolve the issue.
Assisted Support (continued)
Remote Issue Troubleshooting
Global Support Services delivers all support services remotely, utilizing a number of remote engagement tools to aid with issue evaluation and troubleshooting when necessary. If on-site assistance is needed, customers have the option to engage Professional Services for consulting services.Support Case Documentation
A support case includes the customer contact, assigned engineer, customer issue description, engineer issue description, business impact, log of significant actions and a complete resolution description. All phone conversations, e-mail, chat sessions and internal discussions related to the support case are documented. Customers have the ability to create, and view the status of, a support case via the Customer Portal.Product Defect Patch Request
Review Process
Perceptive Software strives to resolve all product issues as quickly as possible. However, not all product issues will meet the product defect patch criteria. Determination for how and when to address a product issue involves several groups including the customer, Global Support Services and Research and Development.
The decision to address a product issue in a patch release is based on analysis of the product defect, which takes into account the following factors:
What is the severity of the product defect?
The following severity levels take top priority, but exceptions can be made based on the answers to other evaluation questions:
~1-Critical: Data loss or system crash
~ 2-High: System functionality is severely limited
What is the risk to a customer’s business process or the negative impact to users if a code change is not made right away?
What is the complexity and scope of making the needed change to the code?
The larger the scope and complexity of the product issue, the more difficult it will be to deliver a code change in a patch release versus a full release.
Will the code change impact other areas that increase the overall risk to application stability?
If a high level of risk to other areas of the code is identified, a product issue is likely to be deferred to the next release.
What is the timing for the next release?
If nearing a release date, all effort will be devoted to including a product correction in that release.
What is the probability that other customers are impacted?
If multiple customers could be impacted by an identified product issue, the issue’s priority is elevated as a patch release candidate.
Is there a viable workaround that provides the same result without any risk to the implemented solution, technology stability, integrity of a customer’s data, or security of the technology?
Once the analysis of a product issue is complete and the decision has been made either to make an immediate code fix, push the correction to the next release or defer the product issue, communication with a customer takes place. If the decision is to make a code change, a time line will be determined and development work will begin. In the event we will not provide an immediate code fix, the customer will be notified of the reason. Deferred items are reviewed at the onset of each new release cycle planning meeting for possible inclusion.
License Reissue Request Process
A customer may need to obtain new production licenses if they are performing major changes to the technical environment, such as newSupport Policies
Legacy Version Support Services
Perceptive Software Global Support Services delivers world class support for published Perceptive technologies to customers with an active Software Maintenance and Support Agreement (SMSA). However, we recognize that the process of upgrading to the most recent release can be a significant undertaking for a customer and that the timing may not always be ideal.For those customers that are operating on a version of a Perceptive technology that has reached its End-of-Life and is no longer published or supported under standard SMSA, Perceptive Software offers Legacy Version Support Services. This support services offering allows access to the technical resources customers need to troubleshoot issues that arise with their legacy version.
How Legacy Version Support Services Works
~ Software customers have the option to subscribe to Legacy Version Support Services by pre-purchasing five (5) Legacy Version Support Cases.
~ Customers may contact a Customer Service Advisor (CSA) to describe the support issue and schedule a technical resource in exchange for one (1) Legacy Version Support Case.
~ In response to the request, the customer will be provided a support case number for tracking purposes. The CSA will align the support case with the appropriate technical subject matter expert.
~ One Legacy Version Support Case provides access to the technical expert for a single technical issue.
The following outlines some of the most common support policies encountered by customers.
Remote Connection to Customer
Environments
To speed the troubleshooting process, Global Support Services may use a variety of tools to access a customer’s environment remotely. This enables the assigned technical resource to witness an issue firsthand. Remote engagement only takes place after obtaining approval from the customer. In all situations, we require a customer to be present and actively engaged during remote troubleshooting sessions as part of our data privacy compliance policy. Perceptive Software Global Support Services cannot, and does not, access a customer’s environment outside of the above outlined process.
End of Life
The Perceptive Software technology life cycle starts when a major technology version becomes generally available and ends when Perceptive Software stops publishing and providing support for that version. Updates that incorporate a set of tested, integrated corrections, along with new features and product enhancements, are made available several times during the course of a release. All minor, service pack and patch release versions follow the product life cycle of the major product version.
When a technology is no longer published by Perceptive Software, Global Support Services offers Legacy Version Support Services (see next section for additional information) that provide a customer the ability to pre-purchase a group of five support cases. Legacy Version Support Services requires that a customer’s Software Maintenance and Support Agreement be current, and is best effort only.
You can obtain the Release Strategy and End of Life Policy on the Customer Portal in the Online Help section.
Support Policies
~ Legacy Version Support Services for End-of-Life technologies are “best effort” only. That means:
» Support for published and released standard Software Perceptive technology functionality
» Full access to all three levels of GSS Engineering for root cause analysis
» Continuation of pre-issue solution functionality, with a goal of returning environment to “normal” production state
~ Customers will not be entitled to submit product defects. There are no product updates, feature enhancements or documentation additions for End-of-Life technologies.
The use of Legacy Version Support Services should not be interpreted as a substitute for the Software Maintenance & Support Agreement (SMSA). An active SMSA contract is required to purchase Legacy Version Support Services. This support service should be used as a temporary solution while you plan and scope your upgrade to a published and supported version of the Perceptive technology.
Technical resources for server hardware, operating system, and host application assistance are outside the scope of services provided by Legacy Version Support Services. Additionally, all database and network administration assistance is the responsibility of the customer and is also excluded from the scope of services provided by Legacy Version Support Services.
If you have questions, or are interested in learning more, please contact your Perceptive Software Account Executive to help you decide if Legacy Version Support Services is necessary for your organization.
Customer Environment Support
Responsibilities
Customers with on-premise implemented solutions are responsible for providing the following IT and IS functions:
~Database administration
~Server administration
~Network administration
~Firewall administration
~Web application server administration
~Workstation administration
~Messaging administration (Exchange, Notes) Customers also assume responsibility for all standard IT and IS infrastructure requirements, including the purchasing, maintenance and servicing of hardware.
Customers utilizing Perceptive Software’s Cloud Services are responsible for providing the following IT and IS functions:
~Network administration
~Firewall administration
~Web application server administration
~Workstation administration
~Messaging administration (Exchange, Notes)
Hardware Support
Global Support Services does not provide support for customer hardware. We will assist in troubleshooting and issue isolation as it relates to a Perceptive technology experiencing an issue, but once it is determined that the issue is hardware related, the customer will need to work with the hardware vendor for resolution. This includes scanner hardware.
Support Policies (continued)
Changes to the Database
The database entity relationship structure is proprietary to Perceptive Software’s technologies. Any manipulation of data within the database or the structure of the database itself could compromise the integrity or stability of your environment, and jeopardize our ability to support it. We strongly discourage and do not recommend any action be taken without Perceptive Software review and assistance.
New Product or Functionality Training
The Customer Portal has an expansive library of training material on a variety of product functionality subjects. Global Support Services is focused on troubleshooting and resolving product issues and is not available to provide over-the-phone training. If dedicated training is needed by a customer, Perceptive Global Education Services course schedules, outlines and agendas are available for your review on the Customer Portal.Implementation and Configuration
Global Support Services offers technical issue assistance for implemented technologies and solutions, and can provide relevant documentation and direction (up to two hours) to customers expanding their solution in a self-service manner. We are unable to engage a customer’s environment directly to assist in deployment, implementation or configuration processes, as Global Support Services does not provide implementation services. This includes installation and configuration of web application servers, the learning of new host applications and deploying new technologies. For assistance of this type, implementation services are available from Professional Services at standard consulting rates.Certification of Third-Party Service
Packs, Hotfixes and Security Patches
The Perceptive Software Technical Specifications guide provides recommendations for minimum hardware and software configurations for Perceptive’s technologies. This document is not inclusive of all third-party applications, but should be reviewed for identification of any known issues. Perceptive Software supports most third-party service packs, hotfixes and security patches; however, we are not always able to perform full regression testing against all versions of the Perceptive technology due to the frequency of their release. If an issue does arise, Global Support Services will perform root cause analysis and provide direction.Data Privacy, Integrity and Protection
How Global Support Services protects your data:~ We do not reveal customer names to other customers, no matter the situation or issue.
~ We do not reveal information about one customer’s environment to another customer.
~ We do not share any data we receive from a customer with another customer. Data is shared internally in a limited manner only as it relates to the troubleshooting and resolution of a customer issue.
~ We follow the requirements of HIPAA, FERPA, Sarbanes-Oxley and Service Organizational Controls (SOC) certification.
~ Perceptive Software has established policies for data privacy regulation compliance that applies to all employees, with agreement kept on file with Perceptive Software Human Resources.
~ Perceptive Software securely destroys all customer proprietary data that might be collected during the course of troubleshooting an issue upon issue resolution and support case closure.
Support Policies (continued)
Working with Third-Party Vendors
and Consultants on a Customer’s
Behalf
Global Support Services will work with your vendors — hardware or software — to assist in the troubleshooting and diagnosis of issues impacting the implemented Perceptive technology. In situations when third-party vendor engagement is necessary, the participation of the customer in all communications is required When a consultant contacts Global Support Services on behalf of a customer, we are required to obtain a signed written agreement from the customer to work with the consultant. We do this to protect our customers’ interests. Please work with your Customer Service Advisor to execute this agreement. Once the customer has granted Global Support Services permission to work with the third-party consultant, we will engage the consultant and resume troubleshooting.
Solution Assistance Due to Host
Application Upgrade
When a customer upgrades an application that is integrated with Perceptive technology, Global Support Services will assist with learning one screen in the upgraded application while training the customer’s application administrator to do so for all subsequent screens. If integration assistance is required, consulting services are available from Professional Services at standard consulting rates.
Assistance with Custom Developed
Solutions
Product Help files provide detailed information regarding the creation of custom solutions. If a customer needs assistance with the design and functionality of a custom solution beyond the content found on the Customer Portal, services are available from Professional Services at standard consulting rates. If you are interested in obtaining a quote for a custom solution, please contact your Customer Service Advisor who will document your request and ensure that the appropriate Perceptive Software resource is engaged to assist.
On-Site Support Requests
If Perceptive Software and a customer agree that on-site services are necessary to remedy any technology support or performance issue, Perceptive Software will invoice the customer for reimbursable expenses incurred in providing such services.
If the request is solely at the customer’s preference, all on-site services are fully billable and provided by Professional Services at standard consulting rates.
Renewing Your Software Maintenance
and Support Agreement (SMSA)
Customers wishing to renew their SMSA should contact the Perceptive Software Finance team for assistance at [email protected].
Professional Conduct
We expect all Perceptive Software staff to act professionally in their interactions with customers. We hold that same expectation for our customers when engaged with any Perceptive Software employee. An inability to maintain professional interactions could result in our denying an individual access to assisted support.
Support Policies (continued)
Upgrading, whether by way of self-service or Perceptive delivered services, advances your current solution to the newest version. If you are interested in implementing new Perceptive technology components or altering your associated business solution, you should consult with Professional Services for appropriate planning, design and deployment.
For additional understanding of what is involved in a service pack update or upgrade, please visit the Upgrade Center on the Customer Portal. For discussion related to upgrade assistance, expansion or alteration of your technology solution, please contact your Customer Service Advisor who will document your request and ensure that the appropriate Perceptive Software resource is engaged to assist.
Self-Service Upgrade Support and
Perceptive Delivered Support Services
Global Support Services is available to direct you to the most up-to-date upgrade documentation, assist in determining whether upgrade difficulties are process- or technology-related and provide guidance on how to overcome any obstacles to a successful upgrade. Additionally, Global Support Services provides clarification regarding Perceptive technologies or the associated documentation if needed.Prior to proceeding with a self-service upgrade, Global Support Services recommends that customers thoroughly read all documentation related to performing an upgrade as well as all information about the latest technology release. For those customers who wish to receive assistance with the planning and technical execution of an upgrade, services are available from Perceptive’s Database Services team.
Support Policies (continued)
The following provide guidance to customers in areas that are frequently brought up to Global Support Services staff and are considered challenging when administering a Perceptive Software technology.
Backup and Contingency Planning for
Disaster Recovery
It is important for customers to back up the implemented Perceptive technology on a routine basis to ensure that a catastrophic failure of the technology or technology environment does not compromise business continuity. Backup information and recommendations are available in the Product Documentation located on the Customer Portal. To obtain additional recommendations, please reference the Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery document also available on the Customer Portal.
Antivirus Protection
Perceptive technology can be adversely affected by certain real-time virus scanning applications. Many of these products are designed as file system scanners and are not designed to handle application server functions. Enabling virus scanning for each of application server operations can cause a significant slowdown in system performance. For this reason, we recommend protecting Perceptive technology from virus infections through means other than real-time file scanning.
The following recommendations should be considered instead:
~ Perimeter Protection: The implemented Perceptive technology should be protected at all possible entry points, such as removable media drives, internet downloads and so on.
~ File-Level Security: Users do not need, and should not have, file-level permission to a Perceptive technology server. “Sharing” directories on the server is not required and should be avoided. By limiting the ability for other machines and users to access the file system, virus exposure is greatly limited.
~ Scheduled Scan: If the implemented production environment is not accessed 24x7, enable a scheduled scan of the entire server at off-production hours, ensuring the scan is complete prior to the start of the production day.
With these precautions, the Perceptive technology server should be able to be safely removed from real-time virus scanning. We suggest working with the appropriate antivirus application vendor to create a solution that works best in your business environment.
Data Encryption
The encryption of Perceptive technology data components — the database, the transmission over the network and so on — is at the discretion of the customer. There should be no impact on the operation of the Perceptive technology if encryption takes place at the appropriate layer of the application stack. However, the overhead of performing encryption could impact performance and should be taken into account prior to implementing an encryption solution.
Virtual Environments
Perceptive Software produces a wide range of technologies that have varying technical requirements to ensure compatibility and achieve maximum performance in each customer’s unique environment. For the most accurate information regarding a specific platform, including the use of virtual environments, refer to the Technical Specifications document that matches your Perceptive technology and version. The current version of the Technical Specifications document is available on the customer portal. For older versions, please contact your Customer Service Advisor.
Scanner Recommendations
Perceptive Software technologies are compatible with a wide variety of scanners. The one you choose depends on your volume and
Best Practices
Assign Appropriate Resources
Customer staff assigned to deploy Perceptive Software technology should be experienced in the installation, operation and maintenance of the hardware, desktop, server, network operating systems and applications in your environment. If assistance is needed, Perceptive Professional Services is available to identify, develop and implement the best solution to meet a customer’s business needs.Take Advantage of Self-Service
Resources
Organizations have access to a wide range of self-service tools available on the Customer Portal. A customer can find links to technical documentation and Knowledgebase solutions, discuss issues with other administrators in the discussion forum and reference white papers, past support cases and online training.
Provide Complete and Accurate
Information
As with any troubleshooting process, accurate and timely resolution depends on accurate and timely information. During troubleshooting, Global Support Services staff may request log files and system information. Additionally, information on recent changes to the implemented technical environment can be very helpful in determining the root cause of an issue.
Based on our experiences in supporting customers with diverse environments, we would like to share some recommendations and best practices for a highly effective relationship with Global Support Services.
Educate Your Administrators
Customers who invest in Perceptive Software technology training are much more effective in defining the symptoms of problems and working with Global Support Services technical resources to resolve the underlying root cause of an issue. The return on this investment is almost immediate when you compare the education cost to the downtime cost. A variety of training options are available, including classroom training, eLearning modules and on-site courses at a customer’s location.Plan Ahead
Before deploying a Perceptive Software
technology, it is beneficial to review release notes and other related technical documentation. We also recommend that you carefully define your project plans, complete any needed backups of your system and include adequate test time for both the system and your business processes. For more complex infrastructure changes, Perceptive Software offers a variety of consulting services available through Professional Services to help you assess your existing systems and applications, and then use that knowledge to plan, build, expand and manage your Perceptive technology environment.
Best Practices
Maintain the Latest Version of Your
Implemented Technology
Perceptive Software recommends using the latest versions of Perceptive technologies to stay in step with the latest tools and functionality that the technology offers.
Keep Your System Profile Updated
We encourage customers to create and maintain their profile information on the Customer Portal. Customers should confirm their system profile immediately after the Perceptive technology implementation, and update it after anyenvironment changes (database, operating system and so on). This ensures Global Support Services has the most up-to-date information on your environment in order to respond to and resolve support requests quickly and effectively.
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