OOPS! HOW TO CLEAN UP QUICKLY
AND PAINLESSLY AFTER A MISTAKE

When Palm needed to replace a batch of faulty products, BCP stepped in and made the replacement process simple for the customers, while ensuring security and accuracy for Palm. The system took and completed 12 380 exchanges without a hitch.

Client Need

Palm Australasia had delivered a large batch of handheld cradles that had an enhanced ESD buffering issue and consequently had to be replaced. They needed to verify that people who ordered a replacement cradle actually had one of the faulty devices. In cases where an organisation required multiple replacements the system needed to allow for them to easily request several at once. However, it also needed to prevent entry of duplicate and invalid serial numbers. The system was to be used by the entire Asia Pacific region so it needed to be able to cope with high volume.

The Solution

BCP devised an online system whereby customers could enter the serial number of their Palm handheld device. The system ran on powerful servers, taking many thousands of hits and performing complex calculations for each transaction over a short period of time.

The system determined the uniqueness and validity of the serial number and verified that the serial number belonged to a device requiring replacement. If the serial number was accepted, the customer was asked to enter their shipping details so that a replacement could be sent to them. An unacceptable serial number resulted in a message and the opportunity to re-enter the serial number.

Conclusion

The client was extremely happy with this system. It was very simple for users, while performing complex tasks behind the scenes and easily coping with the high volume of transactions. The system took and completed 12,380 cradle exchanges over the course of the campaign, operating without a hitch.