CCC Information Services Uses Hosted MadCap Feedback Service to Optimize Online Help and Reduce "How-To" Inquiries by Up to 30 Percent

    LA JOLLA, CA, February 02, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- MadCap Software, Inc. (http://www.madcapsoftware.com), the leader in multi-channel content authoring and a showcase company for Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Visual Studio and Microsoft XPS, today announced that CCC Information Services Inc. (CCC) is optimizing its online Help systems and reducing customer support calls with MadCap Flare and the hosted MadCap Feedback Service.

CCC uses MadCap Flare single-source, multichannel publishing software to deliver its Web-based Help systems and print documentation. The company then relies on the MadCap Feedback Service to analyze how customers are using the Flare-based online Help for two of its leading products, so it can make these resources more intuitive and easier to navigate. Based on its initial success, CCC plans to migrate to the on-premise MadCap Feedback Server in order to support additional product Help systems based on Flare.

"Since using MadCap Feedback Service to improve our Flare-based Help systems, our support team is seeing anywhere from a 10 percent to 30 percent drop in 'how-to' calls, which suggests that customers are finding it easier to follow the Help instructions," said Riyaz S. Adamjee, CCC manager of communications services.

CCC Information Services, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading provider of technology solutions for managing automotive claims and repair. Today, it facilitates communication among some 21,000 auto body collision repair facilities, 350 insurance companies, and a range of other industry participants. Since 2006, CCC has relied on MadCap Flare to author and publish its Web-based Help and documentation. As the company expanded from one Help system to more than a dozen, it began seeking a way to verify how effectively the Help systems were addressing customers' needs.

"Our research led us to the MadCap Feedback Service," Adamjee recalled. "We liked that it was integrated with MadCap Flare, and because it's a hosted service, we could just buy a six-month license to get started. We didn't have to invest in a new server." He added, "We implemented the Feedback Service 18 months ago, and it's been great."

Gaining Help Usage Insights
To date, CCC has focused on using the analysis features in the MadCap Feedback Service. This functionality has allowed the company to see what people are looking for in the Help systems, what search terms they are using, and when those searches are not coming up with results. The service also helps identify if there is a keyword issue or missing topic.

"I really like how MadCap Feedback Service and Flare work together; they're built for each other," Adamjee says. "For example if I'm working on a topic within a given Help system in Flare, with the click of a button, I can go to Feedback Service to get trending, reports, and search results that guide you on what to do to update the topic. It may require updating the keywords to increase the rate that the topic is found in a search, and all I need to do is get back into Flare with a simple click, to adjust accordingly."

MadCap Feedback Service also allows users to conduct a time analysis to compare the number of people using a Help system from one month to the next. For CCC, it has demonstrated a clear increase in people using the Help systems assisted by the Feedback Service.

"The usage analysis has demonstrated the value of the Feedback Service," Adamjee notes. "We can now justify purchasing MadCap Feedback Server, which will run on-premise, and expanding our use across our other Help systems."

As a next step, CCC plans to take advantage of MadCap Feedback Server's Web 2.0 functionality for letting customers rate and add comments to the Help content in real time. "We're excited about the opportunities for getting direct customer feedback and interaction, but we want to make sure we have the processes in place to process the Web 2.0 feedback before we implement it," Adamjee says.

Extending Use of Flare
CCC also continues to take advantage of newer features in MadCap Flare. Most notable are the new PDF engine, mobile Help output, and higher system performance to support multiple users accessing projects.

"The new PDF engine has worked out really well," Adamjee says. "We develop a lot of content in Flare, and it's much easier to publish it as a PDF file whenever the sales team or customer requires one--and the output is a lot cleaner."

"The latest release of Flare also lets us publish mobile Help systems, which we'll soon be rolling out to our sales team and account team," Adamjee notes. "With mobile Help, if they get a customer call when they're offsite, they'll be able to say, 'Hold on, let me look that up'."

"With MadCap Flare and the Feedback Service, Adamjee concludes, "We're continuing to enhance the customer experience while improving the cost-management and efficiency of our sales and support teams. It's a win for everyone."

"As a premier solution provider for the auto insurance and repair industries, CCC Information Services understands the importance of delivering documentation that lets users quickly and easily access the information they need. By using MadCap Feedback Server--and its vast number of reports, analytics and Web 2.0 functionality--CCC is gaining important input from customers about how to maximize the usefulness of their documentation while reaping the benefits of reduced support calls," said Anthony Olivier, MadCap co-founder and CEO. "We are excited to see CCC's success in using our Feedback Service to deliver world-class technical communications based on Flare. We look forward to supporting the company as they extend the benefits of Flare and Feedback across all of their Help systems."

Olivier added, "As more customers like CCC adopt MadCap Feedback Server and Feedback Service with their Web 2.0 functionality, customers are now able to create a community around their documentation."

About CCC Information Services Inc.
CCC Information Services Inc. provides leading automotive claims and repair solutions that drive efficiencies and enable its clients to make smarter decisions in every step of the process. CCC delivers integrated products and deep industry insight to clients through its network of insurers, repair facilities and information providers. CCC's network includes 350 insurance carriers, in excess of 22,000 repair facilities and information from more than 30 data providers that has resulted in the industry's most comprehensive data warehouse of claims file information. For more information about CCC Information Services Inc., visit the Web site at www.cccis.com.

About MadCap Software
MadCap Software, Inc. is a leading technical communication software firm specializing in integrated applications for end-to-end content development, delivery and management. MadCap's software products provide state-of-the-art content workflow solutions for multi-channel publishing, including the Web, print, desktop and mobile. Through its strategic partner Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT), MadCap delivers solutions optimized for Microsoft Windows, Visual Studio, and the .NET environment. Headquartered in La Jolla, CA, MadCap is home to some of the most experienced software architects and product experts in the documentation industry. Learn more about MadCap Software at www.madcapsoftware.com.

MadCap Software, the MadCap Software logo, MadCap Flare, MadCap Feedback Service, and MadCap Feedback Server are trademarks or registered trademarks of MadCap Software, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries.

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