Helpdesk Client Communications Strategy

The Cubik CMS

Cubik’s commitment to its clients is that its CMS software will continually evolve, ensuring that the solution remains contemporary and that Cubik’s clients can create content for their website visitors in a manner that is consistent with evolving web trends.

Cubik’s clients utilise Cubik’s software in one of two environments:

• As a service, deployed upon Cubik’s hosting infrastructure.
• As a licensed product, deployed upon the client’s own hosting infrastructure.

Software Versions

Cubik undertakes software releases to its hosted server environment at 6 a.m. every Monday, assuming that the Monday is a business day.

There are typically five reasons why Cubik may need to release a new version of its software:

1. A client has contacted Cubik to notify us of a problem or error in the operation of the software as implemented for their specific requirement (a bug), requiring a bug-fix release.
2. A client has contacted Cubik to notify us of a problem or error in the generic operation of the software, requiring a bug-fix release.
3. Cubik has undertaken a minor development in response to a client request for enhanced functionality that is specific to that client’s use of the Cubik software.
4. Cubik has undertaken a minor development in response to a client request for enhanced functionality and that development is of generic value to Cubik’s entire user community.
5. Cubik has undertaken a major development in accordance with its commitment to the ongoing evolution of its software.
   

A software release created for one or a combination of these reasons requires an appropriate method of client communication, and these methods are defined in Client Communication below.

Hosted Service Upgrade/Problem

There may be instances where Cubik needs to make planned hardware or software changes to its hosted infrastructure. There may also be instances where there is an unplanned problem with the infrastructure. Where planned changes are assessed by the Delivery Director as having the potential to cause service disruption, or where real issues are causing a service disruption, an appropriate method of client communication is also required, which is again defined in Client Communication below.

Client Communication

Users of the Cubik Hosted Service

For clients who are using the Cubik hosted service, a number of different communications mediums are to be employed:

Reason 1 – Cubik will receive the support request from the client, log it as a Case and communicate directly with the client to resolve the case. Though the problem is client specific, information relating to its resolution will be included within the “Release Notes” area of Cubik’s website.

Reason 2 – Cubik will receive the support request from the client, log it as a Case and communicate directly with the client to resolve the case. Upon its resolution, Cubik will add information about the problem and its resolution to the “Release Notes” area of the Cubik website.

Reason 3 – Cubik will liaise directly with the client that has requested the enhancement; its implementation will be noted in the release notes.

Reason 4 – Cubik will create an “Announcement” within each client’s website that can be viewed by users of the CMS with administrator rights and will add details to the software release notes.

Reason 5 – This is potentially equivalent to the Hosted Service Upgrade referenced above. In these instances, Cubik will advise nominated client contacts in advance of the planned upgrade/software release via a broadcast email. Details of any significant CMS software changes/enhancements available as a result of the upgrade will be notified via the “Announcements” system and recorded in the release notes.

• Sign up for email announcements

The Helpdesk area of the Cubik website will list each Case that has been resolved in the release. To give clients an indication as to the type of release being performed, releases will be classified overall in order of scale as:

• Minor – addressing one or more minor bugs and/or adding some minor functional enhancements.
• Routine – addressing a more substantial bug or bugs and/or adding more expansive functionality in specific areas, but unlikely to have a significant impact on overall system operation.
• Major – a significant bug-fix release and/or the addition of significant enhanced functionality.

Where the release is classified as major, an initial paragraph will highlight the significant elements of the release that have caused it to be classified as such.

Infrastructure Problems

Cubik will communicate with nominated client contacts via a broadcast email, advising them of the nature of the problems, the steps that are being taken to achieve their resolution and (where possible) an estimate of the likely timescale over which any disruption will persist.

• Sign up for email announcements

Users of Cubik’s Licensed Product

Infrastructure Problems will be the client’s responsibility where the client hosts themselves. As regards all other issues, Cubik will liaise directly with clients when addressing client-specific bugs and will refer clients to the software release notes whenever a new release of software is made available to the client.