As Cogetech is a concessionaire of the Italian gaming regulator AAMS, all gaming machines are supervised and connected. Messages are sent not only between the devices, but also as information to the regulatory organization. “If problems or issues arise that affect the smooth operation of our systems we have to solve them as soon as possible. Otherwise, we run the risk of breaching regulatory requirements which could result in fines and recertification processes.” explains Chris Bates, Information Systems and Infrastructure Manager at Cogetech. Before OTRS, it was difficult to maintain a clear view of issues or requests and this invariably lead to operational inefficiency and duplication. In addition, integrating our legacy ticketing system with other applications was not viable which made it difficult to optimize crucial processes.

The call center now supports all channels and subsidiaries of Cogetech for technical faults and requests by using OTRS Tickets. We have integrated OTRS with core systems to allow agents to quickly insert relevant information into tickets, increasing accuracy and efficiency among teams throughout the workflow chain. Now, all issues are completely traceable. “So far we have integrated three internal systems and two partner systems into OTRS. We are now in the testing phase of integrating our asset management system. This will be a big advantage as it will streamline the process for issues that are routed to our field support teams, who will be able to update asset locations in real time when in the field.” reports Bates. Thus, the call center operator only has to choose the faulty machine in a drop-down menu and field support teams have clearer visibility and are able to plan shop visits efficiently. “OTRS helped to significantly optimize the workflows of our call center employees,” concludes Bates with satisfaction.

When Cogetech started using OTRS in May 2013, they first implemented the tool in the “Betting and Gaming” channel and planned to gradually integrate further areas, such as the video lottery, slots and online payment businesses. All channels have separate customer databases, so it was up to OTRS as a single help desk system to enable all areas to communicate. “The OTRS standard also provides us with very important functions like SLA-handling, escalation notifications and automatic responses,” states Chris Bates when asked why OTRS was chosen. “Its flexibility is extensive and it offers the best ITIL®-compliant functionality for responding to the requirements of our fast moving business. I felt that other solutions were extremely rigid and any customization would have led to development investments on top of a cost prohibitive licensing structure for our medium-sized company.”

OTRS has a solution for every Cogetech department, that’s why they can’t wait to map out more and more scenarios with the ticket system. In the near future, Cogetech would like to implement the widespread mobile use of the web-based tool on tablets for improving customer service. Chris Bates is extremely pleased about the positive effects of OTRS: “We often get positive feedback from our call center employees. They especially appreciate OTRS because it facilitates their daily work, both with the integrated chat service and the ability to use it as a single solution for coping with suppliers and internal support groups.”