CASE STUDY: INTERNATIONAL COMPUTER COMPANY $($ICC$)$

Background:

The international Computer Companys Head Office is based in the USA. This company has been in business since $1982$ and decided to open a branch in South Africa $($The South African Computer Company $($SACC$)$ in $1995).$

This companys main business is manufacturing and selling of:

Desktops

Laptops

Electronic Diaries $($Palm Top$-$a handheld device that has the basic outlook and internet functions: can send basic emails, create a task list, book meetings, do research etc.$)$

Their call centre is situated in South Africa, with the main functions being:

Software & Hardware Helpdesk

Telephone sales of computers and software packages

The computers are also being assembled in South Africa with a manufacturing plant in Johannesburg. The call centre is situated in Cape Town. The call centre provides a service to the clients of both SACC and ICC branches in Namibia and Botswana.

The manufacturing plant spends a large amount of money on training and development of their technical staff and the quality of goods delivered is meeting the set standards.

The concern is lying with the call centre personnel who are responsible for IT Support and telephone marketing. Customers are not served quick enough, operators do not have enough technical knowledge to assist clients in a satisfactory manner and consultants responsible for telephone marketing do not forward customer leads to the sales and marketing departments, documents get lost and misplaced, they also lack selling skills.

This Companys Turnover:

R $53$ million per year

Profit: $($R $11\mathrm{.}58$ million$)$

Salaries and Wages amount to R $8,6$ million

Skills levy paid to ISET SETA: R $86000\mathrm{.}00$

Staff Total of $55$ people

$1$ Managing Director

$1$ Financial Manager

$1$ Sales and Marketing Manager

$1$ Operations Manager

$7$ Team leaders and Supervisors.

$3$ Secretaries

$1$ Business Development Specialist

$20$ Call Centre Operations and Telephone Marketing Consultants

$2$ Credit Controllers

$13$ Technical Operators

$5$ General Assistants

Overall Employment Equity:

Male split:

$68\%$ Black Males

$32\%$ White Males

Female split:

$65\%$ Black Females

$35\%$ White Females

Disability split:

$1\%$ People with disability

Business Objectives

To improve profits to reach the R$12\mathrm{.}5$ million mark in the year

Expand the business and open outlets in Zambia and Nigeria in two years' time

Expand business offerings to include affordable software that young people and children can use

To improve the turnaround time for goods and services on offer

To reduce customer complaints to less than $3\%$

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