Timely, Actionable Data Makes This Retailer Nimble and Competitive.

The Problem

A 50-location auto parts retailer lacked the timely, actionable data needed to make informed decisions about inventory allocation and purchasing. Every week, two home office employees manually extracted data from each location’s database, then aggregated it in Microsoft Excel for analysis by various departments. By the time this labor-intensive process was done, the data was 7+ days old and in a format that didn’t support nimble, data-based decision-making.

With no visibility into purchasing needs on an enterprise level, each location was buying from suppliers independently—so the company missed out on volume discounts. With no visibility into enterprise-wide inventory levels, there was no opportunity to reallocate products to other locations—so the company lost sales. And with no common set of key performance metrics (KPIs), it was nearly impossible to assess store performance consistently across the enterprise.

The Solution

• Efficient
• Timely
• Insightful

Compello Partners transformed this retailer’s data aggregation and analysis process by developing a data warehouse solution that leverages Microsoft Azure and Power BI. Instead of spending $300,000 a year in salaried resources requesting and merging data from multiple systems, the data warehouse uses scripts and algorithms to automatically collect it, normalize it, and turn it into data dashboards that provide actionable information.

Now the management team and other decision-makers can access real-time, dynamic, easy-to-understand data visualizations from their desktop or mobile device. The data warehouse provides them with access to 35+ data views, including financial reports like (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, P&L, GL Transaction Report) and operational reports like (Inventory by Stores, Sales by Stores). They’re able to look at data at the enterprise level or drill down to the location or individual transaction level, gaining insights on sales, inventory, and customer behavior. And they can easily create their ad hoc reports, thanks to the training provided by Compello Partners.

The Results

With timely financial and operational data and insights at its fingertips, this retail chain’s management team can make faster decisions that drive better results.

• Identify on-hand inventory and reallocate it to capture more sales
• Coordinate purchasing across the enterprise to earn volume discounts
• Evaluate store performance based on consistent KPIs
• Free up considerable FTE salary to focus on more productive work

“For 10 years, I thought I knew my business. The insights I’ve gotten from our data project in just a short time have uncovered operations and costs efficiencies that I had no visibility into before.”  CFO, Auto parts retailer

Summary

There is no compromising when it comes to Information security—especially when dealing with sensitive customer data. So, when one finserv company’s decentralized IT infrastructure made it increasingly difficult to implement cross-organization information security governance, leadership knew something had to change. They turned to Compello Partners to bring dedicated expertise in information security, optimize processes and controls, and implement enterprise-wide SOC-2-compliant security measures to facilitate growth.

The Inefficiency Problem

Disparate IT systems made it difficult to establish a uniform, effective information security system to prevent cyberattacks. These security systems were also becoming quite costly to implement and maintain. What’s more, the company was spending an inordinate amount of time and effort responding to customer audit requests. Stuck in the past, the organization was unable to identify inefficiencies or modernize its security. To spark growth and achieve efficiency, the organization needed cloud-based solutions that could support the entire enterprise and its path forward.

Right-Sizing a Unified Solution

To find its way toward sustainable growth, increased revenue, and a higher valuation, the organization needed to meet aspirational security standards and ensure it could prevent security breaches. Compello Partners started by establishing a roadmap and providing the requisite tools to implement an enterprise-wide security governance.

The approach to tightening the organization’s security was collaborative: Compello’s in-house experts learned every facet of the organization’s operations and its corporate culture to ensure a seamless fit. We identified solutions, developed operational playbooks, and defined success metrics that would be sustainable for the long-term.

An Industry-Leading Transformation

Right away, eliminating redundancies and implementing a unified solution reduced the time and effort spent on monitoring the organization’s information security procedures. Employees no longer pore over customer audits for hours, and the costs and risks tied to enterprise security measures are significantly reduced—putting money back into the company’s bottom line.

The success of the organization’s information security transformation lies in the customer’s involvement. Every decision was made with the organization’s input—especially when it came to defining the standards and roles to govern processes. Compello’s solutions opened the lines of communication among the various business units and increased information availability throughout the company. The result is a stronger organization with cutting-edge information security measures that position the company for competitive success in an industry where minimizing risk is paramount.

Summary

Finding the right talent from day one is an important piece of long-term employee retention. So when one technology-enabled services organization had ongoing turnover problems due to performance issues, it was clear the hiring process needed to change. HR was underutilizing human capital management (HCM) systems and lacked standard recruitment and financial management procedures, making it difficult to source hires with the skills to carry out job duties effectively. The company called upon Compello Partners to improve its HCM systems and define HR standard operating procedures—leading to higher retention and a better corporate culture.

Inconsistencies Causing Inefficiencies

One of the main causes of inefficiency in HR was a lack of documentation. Different teams were using different processes to manage their people, and the overall recruitment process wasn’t set up to properly measure candidates’ skills. With HR employees manually sifting through 250+ resumes per day, the process led to wasted time with little reward. Disparate applicant tracking systems (ATS) and HCM systems meant that employee information and financial records—detailing important information like compensation, bonuses, benefits, days off, and more—was largely inaccessible when needed.

Stepping Into Automation

The problem was twofold: the company had no uniform HR processes, and the array of processes it did use were time-consuming and inefficient. The solution? Building strong workflows and incorporating automation. Compello Partners provided the team with critical knowledge about HCM workflows and assessed, streamlined, and enhanced processes and systems across the organization. Our expertise also helped the company avoid nearly $60,000 of added costs by teaching HR how to better utilize the existing HCM system rather than totally replace it.

Stronger Processes and Culture

The knowledge the client gained from Compello has tightened HR processes and led to a stronger, people-first organization. All HR representatives received comprehensive training to ensure procedures are uniform and aligned. Now, the organization can quantify its hiring metrics and hire the right talent from the start. By properly utilizing compensation systems, the organization is ableto process payroll and benefits quickly and accurately.

With automation implementation and technology optimization, the organization’s HCM and financial systems save significant time. What’s more, the transformation increased security by keeping data centralized within one system. These improvements are paving the way for the organization to become a more competitive employer and build a technically skilled team that exceeds client expectations.

Summary

How well companies leverage enterprise resource planning (ERP) software can either make or break growth. For one tech-enabled services company, the ERP was causing more harm than good. The organization had several disjointed systems serving 800 employees across five departments. The resulting high costs, poor data integrity, and lack of control over the ERP systems were burdensome and perpetuating inefficiency across the organization. The client looked to Compello Partners for our 25 years of experience and success with ERP systems to usher in a new era of efficiency and robust growth.

Sizing Up the Problem

The organization’s overarching problem—the inability to leverage one central ERP—led to a cascade of other deep issues that affected both the company and its clients. System upgrades and data integration were often unavailable because of differing software. Without any centralized processes, each of the five departments lacked the inter-departmental workflows needed to collaborate. In searching for a solution, the organization did not have the proper experience working with vendors to select the right ERP system and see deployment through. Compello evaluated the client’s needs and supplemented the knowledge gaps that were preventing the organization from adopting a unified system.

Simplification and Collaboration

The organization needed strategic guidance to ensure the ERP selection process and subsequent implementation would go off without a hitch. Compello provided a customized roadmap to accelerate the evaluation, selection, negotiation, and implementation of a new ERP system. In just three and a half weeks, the organization signed a contract with NetSuite, the leading cloud-based ERP system—and with an internal project charter, governance, and value stream team prepared by Compello, was thoroughly prepared to deploy the ERP system throughout the organization.

Efficiency Fosters Growth

Under Compello’s guidance, the organization was well on its way to transitioning to a new era of organization and efficiency. Defined roles and responsibilities instilled a sense of confidence across teams and accelerated the ERP system implementation. With this new system in place, disparities across departments have disappeared. Accounting systems, databases, and resources are all in a central location, enabling efficient collaboration across the company and eliminating the need to increase headcount. All of the improvements allowed transparent data sharing, seamless integrations, and a streamlined planning process for the organization’s growth.

Challenge

• What was the challenge your client faced? – How to manage the series of IT, Security and Operational projects needed to integrate six disparate divisions that were formed due to multiple acquisitions, into an integrated organization.   Not just multiple divisions who did not work harmoniously, but distinct legacy ERP Systems, operational processes, distinct domains and email/collaboration systems, and outdated on-premise infrastructure that lacked adequate security. As a result, significant manual processes and systems were cobbled together while multiple acquisitions occurred.
• What was their pain? – Lacked talent/experience to manage the integration and transformation efforts and lead them to successful outcomes.
• What did it cost them—or prevent them from doing? – An enterprise project management and program management combined with a governance framework increased the probability of success for the strategy and execution and help the company scale for growth.
• What was their vision of what the solution could provide? Integrated systems,processes and resources with a formal governance approach that would align with the company’s strategies and goals for growth.
• Why did they seek an outside solution? – Lack of experience managing large scale transformations, understanding change management complexities and formalizing enterprise governance. Change is challenging for organizations…the local team needed coaching to pull off the transition to a new, streamlined operational and technical services.

Work / Collaboration

• What did you provide for them? – Compello’s governance approach and framework aligned the company Value Stream teams for easier management; the team established project Governance groups (Steering Committee/Center of Excellence teams) and provided best practices in technical and operational project management to guide (coach) the teams to successful delivery of services; the team right-sized the management approaches to meet the needs of the individual project goals.
• How did this fit their criteria? – Assisted and accelerated the results (deliveries) by applying previous lessons-learned/best practices in technical and operational project management; accelerated ROI to meet the goals of for the Sr. Management and PE teams.
• What did the work entail (with a little bit of detail)? Created a dashboard to measure the multiple projects, (program equals the collection of project which grew to 20+ (projects)); created an internal resources dashboard to identify resource allocation ; created numerous communication and visual presentations to convey timing, status, sequence, and approached for technical services delivery.
• What made your experience, your offering, your approach, your value, your team members, and anything else you offered an effective solution? – Experience, 100’s of technical projects, technical background and experience, continued education on best practices, designed an effective and adaptive project approach that aligns the efforts with the team’s capabilities and right-sized the discipline necessary for successful delivery.  Compello’s visual digital process mapping software to outline the company’s current and future processes, identify gaps and opportunities for streamlined efficiencies and costs.

Results

• Can they quantify results in some way? – The client can point to successful delivery of services in record time(s). The client can quantify cost/time savings from the business process re-designs that meet the needs of the future organizational structure.
• Can you (or they) describe their reaction? – The rapid process mapping workshops yielded VERY fast results across the Value Streams; the client was happy with the approach and grateful for the Sr. level coaching of the onsite PM teams.
• How did it make their lives or work better? – The approaches have sped up the results; the approaches have eliminated the ‘log jams’ (in stalled projects) and positioned them in such a way to accelerate the Value Streams.
• How did it make their work more effective? – Process Mapping technique assisted rapid requirements gathering, deliverables definition, brainstorming solutions, and converted meetings … to working meetings; project/program planning; general visualizations
• How did it open opportunities, speed revenue, reduce expenses, solidify teamwork, facilitate business, or other result? Process mapping software and best practices revealed ‘know what you are doing (visually)’ and we embedded organizational change management inside of the requirements/process improvement activities; the projects fostered team cohesion and we coached champions for the change management efforts;
• Can you add anything anecdotal or quote-based? MS Teams provided coAuthoring/coEditing capabilities that turned out to be the ‘secret sauce’ for collaboration!!!