Support database provides answers online

SupportNet KnowledgeBase is a powerful support database that gives instant online access to the most up-to-date information on Mentor's products and solutions to common design problems.

SupportNet KnowledgeBase is a powerful support database that gives customers instant online access to the most up-to-date information on Mentor's products and solutions to commonly encountered design problems.

The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system provides a list of relevant solutions to a customer's question within an average response time of 15s - less time than it takes to dial the telephone.

Now Mentor Graphics customers have around-the-clock access to the combined expertise of Mentor's global team of 300 corporate applications engineers (CAEs) in a sophisticated database.

The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system provides an alternate channel to existing telephone or online customer support, by giving customers the flexibility to search independently online for the information they need and offering immediate, qualified responses to the problem at hand.

To ensure that users can quickly locate the most relevant information, the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system includes advanced searching capabilities, such as natural language search and refine search functions.

The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system is part of Mentor Graphics award-winning customer support services and expands the capabilities of the company's innovative SupportNet website.

"Our customers around the world rely on the expertise of our CAEs to help them maintain the productivity of their design teams using Mentor's tools", said Tom Floodeen, Vice President and General Manager, Customer Support Division, Mentor Graphics.

"By adding this online knowledge reuse database, we have effectively given our customers instant access to the collective experience of Mentor's entire support staff".

Customers access KnowledgeBase through Mentor's SupportNet website with a password login and simply type in their question as they would ask it.

The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system then brings up the related TechNotes topics, sorted by relevancy.

Powered by technology from Primus Knowledge Solutions, a leading provider of knowledge management and natural language search software, the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system features rapid response times and an intuitive interface.

It allows users to refine their criteria to search further within the results for more specific information.

In addition to the question-based search, users can find information by selecting from a list of symptoms and product names.

As they find the answers to their questions, users can print, e-mail or bookmark the appropriate TechNotes.

If the customer does not find an appropriate solution in the search results, they can open a Service Request, prepopulated with their customer information and question, from within the TechNote with a single click.

To help customers identify the information that is most relevant to them, each TechNote is organized in three sections - symptoms, solution and environment - and the TechNotes fall into six categories: patch, release, defect, solution, enhancement and business.

"Access to accurate, reliable customer support is essential to meeting our internal project schedules", said David Gradin, Engineering Manager, LSI Logic.

"Mentor Graphics SupportNet KnowledgeBase system allows me to find immediate answers to my specific questions - from anywhere at any time".

The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system provides an effective way for Mentor's CAEs to capture and share knowledge with customers and each other.

Since establishing the system in December 2002, Mentor has compiled more than 11,000 TechNotes in the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system.

As part of their workflow, each Mentor CAE creates a knowledge record each time they answer a customer's support request.

By capturing each solution, this process limits duplicate defect and problem reporting, and allows other customers to benefit from rapid and consistent expert responses to questions that have been answered for others.

Before being added to the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system, each knowledge record is reviewed and verified internally and then incorporated into the database.

The new knowledge capture workflow has become a well-integrated part of Mentor's CAEs processes, with new TechNotes being added at a rate of more than 600 a month.

Mentor has several maintenance mechanisms in place to ensure the accuracy of the information in the SupportNet KnowledgeBase system, including a feedback loop in which users are asked to rate each TechNote after accessing it.

The SupportNet KnowledgeBase system is available immediately at no cost to Mentor Graphics customers with service contracts in place.

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