Finding new ways to engage your users is not easy. But it is worthwhile to pursue <out of the box> approaches. It takes a lot of hard work and stamina to successfully implement these new solutions. After all, innovation is not the invention of a new idea, it is its successful commercialization.
To provide excellent service, it is essential to respond precisely to customer wishes and needs. To know your customers well enough to do this, it is essential to listen to them carefully and gather feedback regularly. But even then, it takes a lot of know-how, special skills and sometimes thinking «around the corner» to use this customer knowledge to develop exactly the right innovative product that can raise the user experience to a new level. Many solutions that seem obvious at first glance are not innovative and innovative solutions do not automatically lead to the desired positive customer experience or are very complex to use. All factors must interact optimally so that an innovative solution approach can prevail.
Ford, a good example of an <out of the box> approach.
A famous example of creative thinking is Ford's first automobile. The customer need at the time was to get from A to B as quickly as possible. At the time, it was clear to people that horses were the best solution for this. It was only through «out of the box» thinking that Ford was able to come up with the groundbreaking invention of the automobile, an innovation that completely revolutionized the experience of getting from point A to point B. Still, it took a long time for the automobile to be accepted by a broader public as the revolutionary innovation that it was. In the beginning, the automobile was even ridiculed as a crank.
Even today, innovative products and solutions often have a hard time at the beginning to prevail against old and traditional solutions, although they have great potential. A good example of this is the innovative IT automat cora.
cora, the award-winning IT automation system prevails
The first generation of the cora IT automat from pidas, a patented solution and winner of several awards, was launched in 2017 and installed at the first customers in Switzerland. Several times, the IT automat was recognized as a «true innovation» by IT experts and customers. Nevertheless, it took almost five years for this solution to establish itself on the market. Today, cora is in use in more than nine countries. cora has revolutionized and significantly simplified IT support, and onsite support in particular. cora users are enthusiastic. The fan community is growing rapidly and, as was the case with Ford's automobile, the success story is unstoppable. So what makes cora stand out?
The strengths of CORA - Smart Locker and Digital Vending in one product
cora can be used simultaneously as both a smart locker and a digital vending machine. This means that the automat can cover a wide range of use cases. The powerful software platform from the cloud enables seamless integration of cora into existing systems, quickly and easily. This allows processes to be automated end-to-end while creating completely new and exciting service experiences for users.
cora enables self-service retrieval of IT equipment (e.g. headphones, mice, keyboards, cables, etc.) via badge authentication, around the clock, without the involvement of IT support staff. Since each of the compartments of the IT automat has power and lan connection, notebooks can also be stored and remotely equipped and prepared for individual users with the necessary software and the right set-up. The days of long work stoppages because a notebook went down are over.
The smart IT automat controls the storage and retrieval of IT accessories, because the built-in, high-precision industrial scales record exactly how many items are retrieved for each user. In this way, accounting and stock accounting work automatically and the cora can be replenished by the IT support staff in good time. Even the borrowing of equipment, such as a beamer, can be easily handled via cora.
In this way, cora relieves the IT support staff in various ways, saves time and money, and also makes it possible to offer users services 24/7. One of cora's greatest assets, however, is its ability to optimize the user experience of end users and to inspire them with new types of service experiences.
The big pluses on both sides
cora is available around the clock to provide customer services. Services are scalable, efficient and fast. cora is never overworked or in a bad mood. If a device fails, there is no need to wait until the next day, or until the next IT support office hours; users can obtain the missing product directly, without having to create a ticket or fill out an order first. The purchased product is directly charged to the corresponding user account, which is linked to the badge. In the background, a ticket is automatically created and immediately closed for completeness and traceability. Wow!
Many employees are reluctant to contact IT because they know that the supporters are often overburdened. With the neutral automat, on the other hand, there is no fear of contact. At the same time, the IT supporters save a lot of time because they don't have to bring desired devices or accessories to the employees and charge them. They can use the time saved to deal with more complex concerns and thus further reduce waiting times for users, because simpler standard concerns are now solved by cora.
Would you also like to deploy one or more coras at your company and thus create a win-win situation for IT employees and memorable customer experiences for your end users? Our cora experts will be happy to advise you.