There is a growing trend for companies to provide certain services for other companies, either in conjunction with a specific product that they manufacture, or simply as a main line of business. Consequently, customer expectations of improved after-sales service have risen.

When a machine installed at a customer site breaks down or requires servicing, the customer contact person can either log a call directly in the R/3 System, or contact the customer service department of the equipment supplier or manufacturer by phone, fax or mail, who in turn logs the call in the system.

In this scenario, a call has been received reporting a malfunctioning hard drive on a PC. The PC manufacturer receives the call and resolves the customer’s problem through its hotline service.