CCC Information Services Reduces Support Inquiries by 30 Percent with MadCap Software

CCC Information Services Inc. (CCC) understands the importance of clear communications and easy access to information. It is a leading provider of technology solutions for managing automotive claims and repair–facilitating communication among some 21,000 auto body collision repair facilities, 350 insurance companies, and a range of other industry participants.

For its technical communications, CCC relies on MadCap Flare and the hosted MadCap Feedback Service. The company uses Flare to deliver its Web-based Help systems. The company then enlists Feedback Service to analyze how customers are using the Flare-based online Help for two of its leading products, so it can make these resources more intuitive and easier to navigate.

"Since using MadCap Feedback Service to improve our Flare-based Help systems, our support team is seeing anywhere from a 10 percent to 30 percent drop in 'how-to' calls, which suggests that customers are finding it easier to follow the Help instructions," said Riyaz Adamjee, CCC manager of communications services.

Based on its initial success, CCC plans to migrate to the on-premise MadCap Feedback Server in order to support additional product Help systems based on Flare.

More Help Systems Demand More Insight

Since 2006, CCC has relied on MadCap Flare to author and publish its Web-based Help and documentation. As the company expanded from one Help system to more than a dozen, it began seeking a way to verify how effectively the Help systems were addressing customers' needs.

"Our research led us to the MadCap Feedback Service," Adamjee recalled. "We liked that it was integrated with MadCap Flare, and because it's a hosted service, we could just buy a six-month license to get started. We didn't have to invest in a new server." He added, "We implemented the Feedback Service 18 months ago, and it's been great."

Shining a Spotlight on Help System Usage

To date, CCC has focused on using the analysis features in the MadCap Feedback Service. This functionality has allowed the company to see what people are looking for in the Help systems, what search terms they are using, and when those searches are not coming up with results. The service also helps identify if there is a keyword issue or missing topic.

"I really like how MadCap Feedback Service and Flare work together; they're built for each other," Adamjee says. "For example if I'm working on a topic within a given Help system in Flare, with the click of a button, I can go to Feedback Service to get trending, reports, and search results that guide you on what to do to update the topic. It may require updating the keywords to increase the rate that the topic is found in a search, and all I need to do is get back into Flare with a simple click, to adjust accordingly."

MadCap Feedback Service also allows users to conduct a time analysis to compare the number of people using a Help system from one month to the next. For CCC, it has demonstrated a clear increase in people using the Help systems assisted by the Feedback Service.

"The usage analysis has demonstrated the value of the Feedback Service," Adamjee notes. "We can now justify purchasing MadCap Feedback Server, which will run on-premise, and expanding our use across our other Help systems."

As a next step, CCC plans to take advantage of MadCap Feedback Server's Web 2.0 functionality for letting customers rate and add comments to the Help content in real time. "We're excited about the opportunities for getting direct customer feedback and interaction, but we want to make sure we have the processes in place to process the Web 2.0 feedback before we implement it," Adamjee says.

Extending Use of Flare

CCC also continues to take advantage of newer features in MadCap Flare. Most notable are the new PDF engine, mobile Help output, and higher system performance to support multiple users accessing projects.

"The new PDF engine has worked out really well," Adamjee says. "We develop a lot of content in Flare, and it's much easier to publish it as a PDF file whenever the sales team or customer requires one–and the output is a lot cleaner."

"The latest release of Flare also lets us publish mobile Help systems, which we'll soon be rolling out to our sales team and account team," Adamjee notes. "With mobile Help, if they get a customer call when they're offsite, they'll be able to say, 'Hold on, let me look that up'."

"With MadCap Flare and the Feedback Service, Adamjee concludes, "We're continuing to enhance the customer experience while improving the cost-management and efficiency of our sales and support teams. It's a win for everyone."