Clients - Case Studies
Corporate
Express Inc.
Hosted data solution
a resounding success
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“An
important factor in our
buying decision was that OmniRIM
offered an ASP hosted option
for their
web-based software. Other
key factors were their flexible
price
structure, and client
testimonials to the company's
outstanding
customer response and
focus.”
-
Bill Morey,
Director of Records,
Corporate Express
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Corporate Express Inc. is one of the
world's largest business-to-business
suppliers of essential office and computer
products
and services. Corporate Express has been
undertaking a comprehensive plan to manage
its inactive records throughout its corporate
headquarters and 33 divisions in North
America.
THE SITUATION:
The company had expanded through more
than 500 mergers and acquisitions. Corporate
Express' Senior Vice President of Distribution
and Logistics recognized the critical
need for a records management function
to consolidate and standardize record keeping
practices company-wide.
After obtaining executive approval in 2001, a Records Management Department was established. A Director of Records and two Records Managers were hired to establish and implement a company-wide records management program from the ground up. The new Records Management team found itself confronting an estimated 100,000 boxes of records in various stages of disorganization across all locations.
THE
SOLUTION:
Corporate Express chose to implement
OmniRIM's hosted records management approach
with its web-based access as a key component
of its records management initiative.
After creating the Corporate Records Retention Schedule, the task of implementing the Records Centers (RC) began. The team decided to leverage existing internal warehouse space for the creation of a Corporate Records Center and Division Records Centers instead of utilizing off-site archive vendors. To date, the team has established a Corporate Records Center and 17 division Records Centers.
After establishing the Records Centers, the firm undertook an ambitious organization of their records located at the headquarters and at 33 North American divisions. Next, they reviewed the records and eliminated unneeded material. Finally, rather than deal with the expense and effort of hosting the software and hardware to manage the records, they contracted OmniRIM Solutions to install and provide this service in each of its divisions and at the corporate office.
Corporate Express selected OmniRIM to host and manage their data because OmniRIM offers a complete hosted services package, including:
- Providing state-of-the-art web-based records management software.
- Hosting the client's data on their
ultra-secure and redundant-protected
servers.
- Monitoring the client's data and
providing a dedicated contact, available
24/7/365 to provide assistance.
- Upgrading the software automatically, as new features become available.
- Eliminating the need to allocate costly IT staff to records management functions.
- Providing customized training for employees in the use of the software, if requested.
Other sound business reasons for using the hosted approach included enhanced data reliability, the preservation of operating capital, and fast implementation.
The solution implemented for Corporate Express included OmniRIM's web-based system, hosted by Fusepoint Managed Services, a certified OmniRIM Solutions' partner. For Bill Morey, Director of Records at Corporate Express, OmniRIM was a sound business decision. "An important factor in our buying decision was that OmniRIM offered an ASP hosted option for their web-based software. Other key factors were their flexible price structure, and client testimonials to the company's outstanding customer response and focus."
THE RESULT:
After a year of using OmniRIM's hosted
records management services, Corporate
Express has high praise for the service,
because it has saved money, increased
efficiency, and made its vital records
accessible. According to Donna Harrison,
CRM of Corporate Express, physically
organizing their records and using OmniRIM's
hosted web-based software to access the
information has been overwhelmingly positive,
and it has resulted in the following benefits:
- A dramatic reduction in the time required to locate and maintain records. The turn-around time to get information to the requestor has gone from approximately two weeks to less than four hours, creating a remarkable increase in productivity in the accounting departments, as well as a large savings to the corporation in box handling labor and transportation costs.
- Easy and consistent access to documents needed to manage the normal day-to-day operations.
- The ability to search for required records from remote locations, such as from the newly centralized Accounts Payable department in Broomfield, Colorado.
- The mitigation of potential penalties from government agencies, due to the inability to produce required documents in a timely manner.
- The ability to defend corporate assets from litigation.
- The ability to meet regulatory requirements for inactive records retention, within a reasonable timeframe.
- Reduction in overall warehouse space devoted to records storage. By implementing records management protocols and eliminating unneeded records, Corporate Express has freed up approximately 19,400 cubic feet of warehouse and office space for other functions.
- Improved morale, due to highly organized and aesthetically pleasing records layouts.
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