Introduction
Welcome to the Professional Advantage Support Team. At Professional Advantage (“PA”), we understand the value of delivering quality support to our clients, and we know the importance of being there when you need us. Our Support Team is here to help you. We are committed to the PA Values:
Please review this Guide to familiarise yourself with our Support Team operations and procedures. This Guide is subject to revision, and the latest version may be requested from our Support Team. If there are any inconsistencies between the provisions of this Guide and the License and Maintenance Agreement, the provisions of the License and Maintenance Agreement prevail. We welcome your feedback regarding anything in this document, and especially how you feel we are performing.
Overview of the Support Team
Our Support Team is permanently staffed with dedicated service professionals who use the latest technology to log and answer your queries, research solutions and provide resolutions. The Support Team is supported internally by our Professional Services and Development teams. We also have a direct line of support communication with all our partner software vendors. This combination of skilled resources, leading technology and partner relationships ensures we provide the best possible support service and fastest possible resolution to issues at all times.
Our Responsibilities
The Support Team provides a support service for all software applications and components, business solutions and infrastructure provided by PA, which is covered by a current support plan. To help resolve your issue, we may need to liaise with other software vendors, where applicable and required.
Our primary responsibilities include:
We will:
Client Responsibilities
We recommend our clients implement the following best practices within your organisation to optimise a stable working environment:
Before Contacting the Support Team
Logging the Support Case
Please refer to “How to Contact Us” to correctly log your support case. When your support case is logged with the Support Team, it is assigned to a product specialist (the “case owner”). Clarification of the case details may be necessary before in-depth analysis can be performed and before the product specialist can begin to resolve the case. There will always be a case owner assigned to each case, however, this person may change during the resolution process. As part of managing the case details, the status and commit times of every case will be agreed with you. In instances where a software defect is identified, the case owner will escalate your issue to the appropriate software vendor. Cases escalated to software vendors are subject to the escalation and response times of that organisation.
How to Contact Us
Email:
support@pa.com.au
Client Portal
https://my.pa.com.au
myPA Portal https://my.pa.com.au
You can initiate a support case directly via myPA. When a new case is entered via myPA, it automatically updates our support database and is automatically routed to the relevant product Support Team for assignment to the next available Support Team member.
We encourage you to log your support cases online, a very efficient method that assists in enabling our Support Team to quickly begin analysing your case and researching the resolution. In addition to logging a new case through myPA, you can also access other services and capabilities including:
Support Hours
Case Management
The general definition of a support case is any instance of a request for assistance, or a question fully and accurately logged within the PA Support Database that is related to software operation, to software keys, or to information requests about existing software functionality. All Cases are managed by the Support Team using our client management system. This same system is published to the web as myPA Portal providing you with a seamless interface to your support cases.
Initial Response Time
PA will make commercially reasonable efforts to respond within one (1) hour during Normal Support Hours to confirm status and next actions.
Assigning a Severity Level
When assigning a severity level to your support case, please consider the severity of the problem, the business impact to your organisation, and whether there is a suitable workaround available. The severity level may change during the life of the support case. Please use the following as a guideline:
Each active case will be assigned an agreed severity level. You can change the severity level of a case and therefore the priority by liaising with the Support Team.
Resolution Times
Case resolution is often an investigative process with many variables, and often requires collaboration and troubleshooting by various teams to determine the root cause to bring your case to resolution. Thus, providing target resolution times is difficult. We do commit to providing regular updates as we progress through the troubleshooting process, and we will continue to work the issue until it is resolved.
Closing a Case
Confidentiality of Client Data
To investigate a support case, a client may be requested to disclose to PA certain confidential information regarding their business.
In consideration of such disclosure, PA undertakes and agrees to keep the client’s Information confidential and to maintain that confidentiality on the terms set out below.
“Confidential Information” means all information passing from the client to PA including but not limited to databases, trade secrets, confidential business information, client information, profit and loss statements, management reports, financial data, and related documentation and/or information. PA agrees to:
PA shall assume responsibility of the actions of its employees, agents and contractors who have access to the Confidential Information of the client and shall ensure that those employees, agents and contractors shall be made aware of and shall be similarly bound by the obligations created under this Guide in respect of the Confidential Information of the client.
Subject to any further agreement between the parties, and upon resolution of the support case, PA shall destroy all the Confidential Information and all copies of the Confidential Information in whatever form they may be embodied or recorded.
Interactive or Remote Access
The support consultant may suggest an interactive web based support session, or request remote access to your system, where further clarification of an issue is required, may request to record any session to provide to vendors if required to clearly discuss the issue or to facilitate case resolution. Clients will be asked to give permission to our Support Team member prior to us making a connection to your system. In the case of remote access, clients are responsible for the protection and security of company data during such access.
Support Team Engagement
As part of our ongoing management of your account, PA will review your overall engagement with the Support Team. The objective of the review is to ensure that you are utilising our services effectively and efficiently. Part of this review will relate to the volume of cases managed in line with your annual maintenance value. If it is determined that your volume is above the threshold of reasonable use, we will work with you to rectify this imbalance.
Escalation Process
If you believe that an issue is not being investigated properly, or has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you can escalate the case in the following way:
Client Support Exclusions
Client Management Team
At PA, the successful management of your account is a critical element in the delivery of our mission to help your organisation achieve more. This collaborative engagement is delivered by your dedicated Client Management Team. Your Client Management Team includes an Inside Account Manager and Client Success Manager;
To manage our relationship, a program of regular meetings will be maintained with you that will cover both usual operational issues as well as relevant strategic issues. This will enable PA to contribute ideas that may enhance the achievement of your objectives. Your Inside Account Manager and Client Success Manager will work together to ensure your overall satisfaction with your existing system and plan for continued future success.