Fiat Finansiering the full story

IT manager Peter Harboe
"The use of intelligent word processing results in more time for our customers."

It is a well-known and well-documented fact that office work productivity has not changed for many years although businesses have made huge investments in personal computers and software for office automation.

Everybody now has a PC including word processing, with the effect that more letters are written than before. Final productivity, however, has not risen.

But Fiat Finansiering at Glostrup near Copenhagen is implementing a tool so that its employees will get more time for the most important competitive parameter: customer service.

The new tool is called 'Intelligent Text Processing'. It is based on the software package ITP, Intelligent Text Processing, and IT manager Peter Harboe expects great things of this project:

"Using ITP we can mass-produce individualised letters and documents at an efficiency rate which by far surpasses conventional word processing.
In so-called ITP models text, lay-out and merged data are combined.
ITP models can be run by our users just by keying in a code, eg an account number, and ITP will finish the document, including the insertion of all data and selection of text sections and tables.
Necessary data are retrieved based on a direct connection between the ITP software on each PC and the company's AS/400 DB2 database.
Then all of it will be printed in one operation - ready to be put into envelopes.
So the entire letter or document is automatically produced and tailor-made for each individual recipient.
One type of customer for instance gets certain text sections or certain schedules in a contract - while other types of customer get other texts and schedules."

It is the making of each document that is changed fundamentally, Mr Harboe explains:

"We were used to the fact that all our employees spent a lot of time moving data into the letters by entering the data once more or by copying it from another program.
Now we can avoid doing this. All the tedious cutting and pasting disappeared, so that our employees are now able to devote their time to customer service.
So this system really boosts productivity."

Another important reason for Fiat Finansiering's choice of ITP are the many new possibilities with regard to lay-out, fonts and graphics, adds Mr Harboe:

"Our IT platform is IBM's AS/400 system, which runs to our complete satisfaction. But its output function is not powerful enough to comply with our requirements.
ITP gives Fiat Finasiering a free choice in relation to layout, fonts, etc.
Our long time wish is fulfilled: give our letters and documents a far more elaborate look than before."

Consequently, Fiat Finansiering's first ITP project was a complete re-edit of the company's most important and complex document: the loan document, which - along with several schedules - is issued together with each new contract.
It must look more elegant and the possibilities to handle insertion of data and individualised formatting and selection of schedules should improve.
The project is well under way, and Mr Harboe has confirmed that the ITP solution lives up to his expectations:

"The finished loan document has become much more elegant, and an entire loan can now be tailor-made to each customer, also with regard to schedules."

"By the way, the solution was developed by our super user, instead of hiring a freelance programmer. So, we have saved money during the development stage, and we have obtained a substantial quality boost in relation to the finished documents.
We have also realised that ITP is easy to learn and easy to use, so in the future we can modify standard documents in a few minutes"

"We have chosen ITP as there are no other products on the market which could solve the task set by us.
And we are very pleased with the solution.
The product lives up to the prospects that ADFO Denmark held out, and when we needed assistance ADFO has been there for us."

Facts about Fiat Finansiering A/S

• Fiat Finansiering is a company of Italian FIAT group and lies at Glostrup very close to FIAT's Danish importer.
• The company offers low-priced loans for buyers of new and used cars - irrespective of make and brand.
• Fiat Finansiering employs 22 staff.