Union Square's Workspace has tamed the mass of information that is created and used by leading design company, Benoy.
The achievement
Information overload was making it difficult for staff at Benoy to find the documents and images they needed. Too much time was wasted searching and so the company turned to Union Square for a software solution to tackle this and other issues.
Workspace has now been rolled out globally, providing centralised storage with easy retrieval. The system's web-based interface provides Benoy with an intranet that gives seamless access to business and project information - everything from contact details to timesheets, project correspondence to photographs.
All this was achieved in just six months from agreeing the project's scope to going live.
About Benoy
Benoy provides architecture, masterplanning, interior design and graphic design services. The practice was founded in 1947 and today has a turnover of £12 million with some 200 staff in three offices: Newark, London and Hong Kong. Retail is the largest sector for the company - particularly major centres. The Hong Kong office opened in 2001 and today Benoy operates around the world, including China, Egypt, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain and the Ukraine.
The need for change
"We have a large amount of documentation and information for projects and for the business generally," says director Mike Hassnip. Two of the prime reasons for introducing Workspace were to cut the time spent searching for information, and to boost communication between the offices - particularly as Benoy has been growing rapidly. "We wanted a single pool of information that everybody could refer to and use."
Projects can last four or five years, generating a huge amount of documentation. The project might be used as a reference in demonstrating the company's expertise in a sector, or architects might want to reuse successful design details on subsequent schemes. "We were continually searching and archiving," recalls Hassnip. Staff in the three offices also wanted to be able to draw more easily on one another's experience - but it could take several days to track down the right person.
Different databases and working methods were in use. "The quality of information differed from project to project, office to office and person to person," says Hassnip.
The aims
Benoy's vision was for a wide-ranging intranet to provide a single source of information that would be accessible from all three offices, bringing shared knowledge and greater efficiency.
The key was to introduce a central store for Benoy's knowledge, providing "the backbone of the business". Benoy was attracted to Workspace's ability to centralise project information, images and contact databases. The new system also gave the opportunity to ensure that everyone would operate in the same way. Another essential was for Workspace to interface with Benoy's finance system. The intention was also to move towards a "near-paperless" office.
Above all the system had to be easy for everybody to use and to understand.
The solution
Workspace includes document management, centralised contact details, marketing and administration information, image libraries and financial aspects such as timesheets and reports. The system can also be searched to find the right file or piece of data. Sections and links have been structured to suit Benoy's way of working and the overall design has been developed to reflect the company's style.
Details are entered into Workspace right from the enquiry stage, then converted into live projects when appropriate. Relevant information, including emails are linked to the project. "We can now click on a person's name and find a compete history of where they've been and what projects we've done with them," says Hassnip.
Images are important to Benoy and they are now stored in several "pools" clearly segregated to indicate which have been approved for external uses such as marketing.
Implementation
Executive director David Coyne chaired a five-strong steering group to guide the six month lead in and Mike Hassnip adopted an overall coordinating role.
Working groups dealt with the details of a dozen specific issues such as system's interface, the image database, contacts, project information and how to manage drawings.
Internal trainers were appointed to teach others in similar jobs. "For example, I trained all the directors in Newark, admin staff trained other admin staff, and juniors trained other juniors," says Hassnip.
The benefits
"There have been so many advantages," he says. Document management is working well and people are familiar with filing and finding information. "Contacts and organisations has been a godsend," he adds. "I think clients have been impressed, particularly during phone calls when we have been able to come up with information very quickly. And it has certainly been a selling point when we are putting ourselves across as the best people to use."
The benefits are felt across the company. For instance, receptionists can instantly put callers through to people working on particular projects. The system also saves bandwidth - there is no need to email information to everyone in the company as they can simply access it through their personal interface.
The financial aspects of Workspace have been "brilliant", says Hassnip. "We produce monthly sheets reporting the latest on the finances of a project. These used to be done more or less by hand - it was very time consuming. We've now got an electronic financial reporting system linked with our main finance system. It saves us hours - it's fantastic."
The future
With familiarity comes the recognition of yet more ways in which the system could be expanded to bring further benefits. Regular meetings are held both with Union Square and internally to review progress, make plans and learn about new developments. "The problem we have amongst the steering group is deciding what new initiative to tackle next" says Hassnip.
