Synthesis3 – Managing Retail Facilities Processes
In this new blog post concerning the retail sector we look at the contribution that our partner Synthesis3 has made through implementing Archibus in the Italian market.
Our previous post looked at how Reminet has been successful at engineering business processes and matching these to technology in the Baltic region. In Italy the story is slightly different. The retail sector has well defined processes and it is the job of Synthesis3 to use the best technology to enable those processes.
Turin-based Synthesis3, under their brand Openplan, has earned an enviable reputation for solution provision and software integration. This applies to markets such as Telecommunications, Utilities and Financial Services, in addition to FM. The Italian FM marketplace is well developed, and Integrated Facilities Management is a well-established concept.
Synthesis3 has taken the lessons that they have learned and applied them to the Retail sector. They have applied their knowledge of managing supply chains in FM and the roles undertaken by the various players. In addition, the control of costs through effective authorisation of spending runs parallel to management of the relationships between client and supplier.
The management of these processes was traditionally carried out in spreadsheets or rudimentary databases. Using Archibus as the platform Synthesis3 has helped clients preserve their business process but cut the cost of management. They have also brought many efficiencies to the purchasing process.
For one particular client, Synthesis3 introduced Archibus in order to match the physical maintenance processes to the financial oversight. Archibus allows for multiple levels of authorisation and integration with ERP in order to support time to cash. The roles-based nature of the software allows for the routing of instructions and responses throughout the supply chain. As a result, the client can manage the procurement and delivery of all FM goods and services.
The core functionality and platform characteristics allowed Synthesis3 to cover a wide range of functional areas in the first phase:
- Budget allocation
- Fund allocation and management
- Supplier management
- Request and authorisation for offers and quotations
- Purchasing management
- Goods revenue management
- Invoicing and integration with ERP.
As with other examples in this sector, the number of buildings, and the breadth of the client’s supply chain created challenges for the solution. It also had to comprise the platform to add future applications and functions.
Archibus is now used to manage internal and external compliance audits, utilities management and benchmarking. In addition, the native capabilities around document management and business intelligence offered by Archibus allows greater granularity in reporting and a wider audience for the data. It is important to note that the client saw the digitalisation and improvement of processes as a path and Synthesis3 are partners in that journey. The modular and scalable nature of Archibus as a suite of applications is a key factor in this growth.
In summary Synthesis3 has introduced a whole range of efficiencies to existing process in the retail environment. The main benefits are cost savings gained through replacing manual activities and enhancing monitoring and control over a host of functions. They have also accelerated existing processes and managed risks around the whole bidding and procurement process that underpins their client’s maintenance and real estate management.
This is the third in a series of blog posts concerning Archibus in the Retail sector. Look out for our next instalment!
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