Fluent Europe conducted a customer survey in mid-1998, requesting feedback from all industry-based software users served by the Fluent Europe office. The purpose of the survey was to gain insight into technical and non-technical aspects of Fluent's service and products. By listening to our customers, we hope to determine whether we are meeting your business needs, what we are doing right, and what we could improve on. The results will also go towards shaping future business directions, communications, and product development.

Thirty percent of those surveyed sent in a response, a very high return that was driven, no doubt, by the prize drawing offered to all respondents. The feedback was largely positive. Encouragingly, most users regarded Fluent as offering good quality services and products. In the words of one customer, Fluent provides a "can-do corporate culture."

In the words of one customer, Fluent provides a "can-do corporate culture."

Most Important Features

Respondents were asked to rank the importance of various product features and services. Interestingly, a good set of user manuals was ranked highest, closely followed by leading edge technology, ease of use, and good hot line support. Over one third of users listed Fluent's leading edge technology as a primary reason for choosing Fluent software. This included technical capability, accuracy of prediction, unstructured capability, flexible mesh types, and the range of physical models. User interface, ease of meshing, and preprocessing were the second most commonly cited reasons that customers chose Fluent. Good technical support was also noted as a critical buying factor.

Quality Service

Overall, customers indicated satisfaction with the level of service from the technical support group and account managers. Asked to respond on a variety of technical and non-technical categories, users rated Fluent highly on providing good technical advice, courtesy, attitude, and promptness in dealing with queries.

User Feedback

Customers were asked to list new functions and capabilities they would like to see in Fluent's software. The most common requests were improved geometry modeling and quicker/easier mesh generation. More software updates, better bug reporting, and more advanced training were also common requests. Many of the requested items came as no surprise, and confirmed the importance of current initiatives that will address them. The new preprocessor, GAMBIT, tackles many of the geometry modeling and mesh generation issues. Advanced training is now available worldwide, while bug reporting and maintenance updates will be addressed via upcoming internet tools for users.

Thanks go out to all of the customers in Europe who provided us with this valuable feedback. Congratulations to Jacob Anker from Kockums AB, who won a laptop in the prize drawing. Surveys of users in other regions are planned for early 1999.

FluentNEWS