CASE STUDY
Simultaneous introduction of multiple business applications in real estate group
Ekan's consultants acted as strategic support to the client's project manager when introducing municipal services for finance and operational purchasing.
The client: The customer is a public utility group in one of Sweden's largest municipalities. Within the group are several individual companies, 10,000 homes and many utility properties.
The client's challenge: In the City, a project was underway to introduce common municipal services, which are based on the business systems Unit4 Business World, Visma Proceedo and Hypergene, for finance, purchasing and follow-up to all municipal companies. Introducing the service meant a major impact on the housing companies' system environment and a major change for their finance and purchasing function, as well as for clients and invoice recipients (the majority of the business).
Each company within the group is self-governing to a high degree and at the time they had their own financial models, system environments and working methods. The group mother saw an opportunity for common or aligned solutions.
Our solution: A joint project between Ekan and the housing companies was established. During all phases of the project, change management and anchoring were an important part and there was a close collaboration between the housing companies in order to feel ownership and reach consensus around developed solutions. The work in the project took place on two levels – the group-wide and the individual company. Focus varied depending on phase.
Ekan's consultants acted as strategic support to the client's project manager throughout the project. This was, for example, about creating structure and communicating, carrying out analyses, producing solution proposals and decision bases, ensuring documentation, etc. The consulting team took on different roles in the different phases of the project, e.g. main project manager support, sub-project manager, test manager and quality assurance.
The result: All group companies have introduced municipal services for finances and operational purchasing. Within the framework of the City's service, the housing companies have a common financial model, efficient and aligned processes/working methods for the companies, and a aligned system environment.
In addition to the City's service, a joint Hypergene was introduced, with a joint information model regarding property information, to ensure the housing companies' complete needs for budget & forecast and financial & operational follow-up.