INDIANAPOLIS, USA: Single Source Systems, Inc. has announced its research-driven partnership with the Aberdeen Group on a 2009 benchmark report entitled: “Service Management For Small-To-Midsized Businesses (SMBs): Employing a Strategic Approach”.

As a privately-owned provider of service management solutions for almost 25 years, the Single Source organization has watched with anticipation and excitement as service operations of businesses of all sizes evolve from cost centers to profit centers. Specifically, this profit-centric mantra has permeated downstream to small and mid-sized businesses that are looking to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty while driving profitability in the face of uncertain economic times.

Aberdeen’s research indicates that the number of SMBs operating as profit centers increased over the last few years—growing from 55 percent in 2007 to 60 percent in 2008. A projected 18 percent additional SMBs plan to manage as profit centers with financial and operational goals within the next 18 months.

Best-in-class SMBs and those aspiring to become leaders with regards to service excellence continue to research and embrace service business software to improve the way they run their day-to-day service operations. They look specifically for service solutions that help them keep pace with customer requirements and demands: fast, efficient, accurate service on repairs, scheduling, tracking, recording and reporting, mobile capabilities for field technician communication, real-time critical number metrics, post-sales service automation and a host of other service-oriented functionality. The ultimate objective is increasing customer satisfaction, maintaining customer retention, while also driving down costs in the face of the economy.

Single Source has continually tracked, researched and taken notice of the service needs of all service-focused organizations in the U.S. and abroad: always with a specific eye on best-in-class SMBs. Single Source has developed and created a unique and comprehensive service management solution—Service Management Plus (SM-Plus)—deliverable to the service-centric business community worldwide.

SM-Plus is an integrated information system that manages and maintains both company-owned and customer-owned assets. SM-Plus provides highly functional service business process support, including incident tracking, scheduling and dispatch, wireless mobile field service, work order management and service contracts. All functions seamlessly integrate to the inherent back-office financials, inventory, purchasing and management reporting functionality of SM-Plus-meeting the needs of an entire service organization.

“Building a leading service organization requires a holistic approach, combining a host of strategic actions, organizational capabilities, and enabling technologies that encompass the various aspects of service management,” said Zack Westenhoefer, Research Associate at Aberdeen. “For small and midsize service organizations, the Best-in-Class share a wide range of characteristics, but the theme common to them is the focus on integration. Those technology solutions that encompass and integrate the various functions of service management serve to increase operational visibility, drive productivity, reduce costs, and ultimately enhance customer satisfaction.”

“In the current economy, it is critical that small-to-midsized businesses continue to better profit performance in every aspect of their business operation,” said Tony Petrucciani, CEO of Single Source. “As a service solution provider, we continue to see more and more SMBs focusing on improving and increasing bottom line profits in their service operations. They realize there’s a way to do it and know it can be done. They’re just in search of the right service management system to jump start the process and get it going. This is our niche. This is where we excel. We are excited by the number of companies like this who are moving toward the service-centric view and how it will make a positive impact on their total business organization as well as create positive impact on their customers”.