Technology Innovation Agency

Bridging the innovation chasm for a better South Africa

The CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is TIA’s formal channel for logging, tracking, and resolving all stakeholder enquiries, complaints, requests, and compliments. Its aims are:
  • To ensure transparency, accountability, and consistency in handling issues
  • To give you (the Applicant) a clear, visible way to follow your case from start to finish
  • To standardise response times and escalation routes, so no enquiry is forgotten
  • This guides you (step by step) through how to register, submit, follow up, escalate, and understand the roles and timelines in our CRM process
STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS.
Below is the end-to-end flow of how your enquiry or case will be handled in the CRM system:
Step 1
1. Register on the CRM Portal
  • Fill in all required fields.
  • You will immediately receive an email with a one-time pin for authentication and verification.
  • Profile registered
Step 2aStep 2b

2. Log Your Case
  • Choose the correct case type (e.g., enquiry, complaint, funding support, compliment).
  • Provide a clear description and attach supporting documents if needed.
  • The CRM system auto-acknowledges receipt and sends you reference number for confirmation.
  • If no reference number is generated, your case is not registered. This might be due to incompleteness of compulsory fields.
Step 3
3. Customer Service Centre (CSC) Review
  • The CSC reviews your case.
  • They validate that all mandatory fields are filled correctly.
  • They assign a severity level (Low / Medium / High).
  • They forward your case to the appropriate Business Unit (BU) according to the sector chosen/relevant sector.
Step 4
4. Response & Feedback
  • The BU is responsible will investigate and respond within the allowed time frames as per severity levels below.
  • You will receive status updates on the portal.
  • If more information is required, the BU or CSC will contact you.
  • They forward your case to the appropriate Business Unit (BU) according to the sector chosen/relevant sector.
Step 4 Timings
TIMELINES
5. Tracking Your Case
  • You may log into the CRM portal at any time to view the current status, updates, and any actions.
6. Escalation
  • If your case is not acknowledged or resolved within the designated timeframe, the system automatically escalates it to the next management level for attention.
  • Escalation ensures management oversight when a case is not attended to timeously.
  • If more information is required, the BU or CSC will contact you.
7. Case Status
  • Once resolved, the respective BU will update the status of the case accordingly
Step 8
8. Response Timelines & Severity Levels
The speed at which your case is handled depends on the severity level assigned by CSC.
  • The automated acknowledgement is instantaneous (upon submission of a case).
  • The response provided will indicate process to be followed and timelines.
  • If no response or acknowledgement is given in these timeframes, escalation kicks in automatically.
Step 9
9. What Applicants Need to Do
  • Always keep your reference number for tracking purposes.
  • Always check the status of your case on the portal to see any updates.
  • Respond promptly to requests for information.
  • Use the portal for all correspondence related to your case.
10. Complaints and Investment Appeals
Complaints: If you believe your case was mishandled, submit a written complaint with your reference number and details to customercomplaints@tia.org.za. Your complaint will be investigated and feedback provided on the portal within the acceptable timelines given the merits of the case.
Investment Appeals: You may appeal an investment decision by explaining why you believe it was incorrect. The appeals process (attach link) will be followed for handling the case.