Year

2022

Type of Project

Business Analysis & Project Management

Savings

Costs & Customer Satisfaction Enhancement

Directed by

Charles Mbadinga
Franck Paulet

Overview

Customer Presentation

Our client, a North American leader in renovation, offers comprehensive solutions. With a network of over a hundred stores, our client provides unique renovation services sourced from its factory in Quebec.

Mandate

Talsom and Conseil 2.0 have been primarily tasked with two aspects: upgrading the existing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software and omnichannel transformation, particularly through integrating the CRM with the new omnichannel platform, RingCentral.

RingCentral is a unified communication platform that centralizes the management of customer calls and messages for businesses. By consolidating these interactions within a single interface, it enables companies to provide more efficient and consistent customer service while optimizing their communication processes.

Client's goal

For the company, the majority of customer acquisition is through inbound telephone calls. In recent years, new generations of customers have expressed the desire to converse via SMS and chat as well.

Previously, the company used traditional physical telephony and contracted its menus and phone lines through 4 different telephony operators.

Therefore, the company wanted to transition to virtual telephony by implementing a leading market solution: RingCentral.

By transitioning to RingCentral, the company also aimed to offer and/or improve the customer experience through SMS and chat channels.

Finally, the company took advantage of this transition to streamline its telephony contracts and reduce costs by migrating its phone lines to RingCentral.

Execution of the project

The delivery occurred in 3 phases: upgrading the Microsoft CRM, implementing a RingCentral pilot in 2 stores, and finally deploying the omnichannel solution in 45 stores across North America.

Here is the four-step methodology to achieve the client’s desired results:

Prior to these 3 phases, the project began with a comprehensive review of the impacted processes proposed by Conseil 2.0 and Talsom.

An analysis of stakeholders was also conducted to understand the project’s business priorities. Beyond the modernization of systems and the improvement of customer and sales processes, the digital/telephonic marketing aspect was identified as the primary value generator by the project.

Key point:

Upon the arrival of Talsom and Conseil 2.0, a kickoff meeting for the RingCentral implementation was scheduled within 3 weeks to start integration work. Under the guidance of Talsom and Conseil 2.0, the integration kickoff was delayed by a few weeks to complete the necessary framing work. This demonstrates that sometimes it is necessary to postpone to ensure better integration/delivery work thereafter.

The CRM upgrade was necessary to fully utilize the integration features with RingCentral. This phase did not involve process evolution or new system requirements. Therefore, we organized a comprehensive non-regression campaign and proceeded with the execution of the upgrade recipe developed in collaboration with Microsoft.

The project was delivered in waterfall mode following the traditional phases of analysis, design, development, and testing.

Some key highlights:

For many employees involved in the project, they had to learn to work in project/waterfall mode and take on roles such as business analyst, testing lead, transition lead, and change management lead. Talsom and Conseil 2.0 identified, trained, and guided these individuals, with a sense of pride in providing new career perspectives to these participants!
In parallel with this project, a PMO (Project Management Office) manager was recruited. This new PMO manager worked closely with Talsom and Conseil 2.0 to implement new practices and sustainable transformation standards for future large-scale technology transformations.

The client decided to deploy the RingCentral telephony solution in waves, within less than 4 months. As mentioned earlier, a transition manager was identified and supported by Talsom and Conseil 2.0. The initial work involved structuring the transition plan, store sequencing, and the transition recipe for each store (change management actions, physical interventions, on-site training, etc.).

Subsequently, 7 trainers were identified and traveled across North America to train stores in geographical clusters, supported by a 3-person full-time transition team.

Given this success, senior management decided to make this deployment approach a standard for large-scale transformations.

Results

The project results include the operational CRM since March 2022 and the successful deployment of the omnichannel solution in 45 stores, driving new projects focused on omnichannel and digital marketing. This modernization has not only enhanced the customer experience and profitability through improved accessibility and cost savings but has also strengthened the company’s competitive position in the bathroom modernization sector.

Year

2023

Type of Project

business analysis

Savings

Time (25-30%) and Costs (5-10%)

Directed by

Michael Muro
Driss Chabi

Laurence Krajewski
Annie De Grace

Overview

Customer Presentation

Our client, a North American leader in frozen and canned food products, is globally renowned for delivering high-quality products and services.

Mandate

Conseil 2.0 and Talsom were commissioned to support the implementation of a Transportation Management System (TMS) at various levels. This included revising and optimizing business processes, configuring the system, managing change, supporting client teams, and overseeing the project as a whole.

Client's goal

Operating with a highly manual process (consolidation of shipments, emails with carriers, paper invoicing, etc.), teams dedicated a significant amount of time to low-value tasks, making it challenging to enhance overall transportation management.

Following the implementation of a TMS, the client sought to optimize its transportation management processes. Our experts in transportation, change management, and project management made this possible, notably through:

  • Time savings for the impacted teams (up to a 30% gain), centralizing efforts on high-value tasks ;
  • Improved management and governance of transportation processes ;
  • Digitization and centralization of transportation data in a single tool, enabling in-depth analyses and quick decision-making through key indicators ;
  • Enhanced visibility of transactions and deliveries ;
  • Streamlined and efficient invoicing processes.
 

Execution of the project

Talsom and Conseil 2.0 conducted numerous interviews with various stakeholders to:

  • Understand processes and pain points at different stages of transportation management.
  • Grasp the overall implementation context.
  • Identify different populations involved and develop a change management strategy.

Here is the five-step methodology to achieve the client’s desired results:

We initially gained an understanding of existing processes by conducting around ten interviews with various impacted departments (logistics, purchasing, warehousing, customer service, and finance). We mapped the current processes (approximately 15 processes) and identified data available in the ERP, which was crucial for determining which processes could be automated with the TMS and which ones should remain manual. Subsequently, we defined the target processes once the TMS was in place, along with transition processes to anticipate impacts on the teams, assess training needs, and anticipate integration requirements between the ERP and the TMS.

We met with 40 users over 4 weeks, combining these interviews as much as possible with those aimed at targeting processes. These interviews allowed us to identify key success factors, including swift decision-making by the steering committee, adherence to project scope, timelines, and costs, as well as the designation of ‘super users’ responsible for the adoption of the TMS. Workshops facilitated a more detailed understanding of the expectations, concerns, training preferences, and preferred communication channels of each population.

These results informed a change management strategy, including a user support structure, a communication plan tailored to each project phase, a training plan, and an engagement plan specific to each group, utilizing the ADKAR model to ensure project buy-in at every stage.

We conducted sandbox tests for each warehouse, evaluating the systems developed in Microsoft 365 Business Central. Subsequently, we gathered user feedback during working sessions and made necessary adjustments in response to their comments.

We actively collaborated with the client’s teams for the configuration of the TMS and its integration with their ERP. After defining the target processes, we participated in configuring various modules and parameters of the TMS. This included the routing guide, rates, product groups, loading groups, equipment, carriers, docks, locations, and users. Once the configuration of the test environment was completed, we conducted tests before duplicating the configuration into the production environment.

The results of the population study guided training towards interactive sessions tailored to each group, utilizing a ‘train the trainer’ approach. Videos were created for the key features of the TMS, accompanied by a detailed user guide. Super users were empowered to train all users. Satisfaction and confidence rates of different populations were measured after these training sessions.

A testing schedule based on a proven methodology was established, including unit integration tests, functional tests, and end-to-end tests. Super users played a key role in executing nearly 300 functional tests. Acceptance of these tests was a prerequisite for Go-Live, ensuring that the configuration of the TMS was adequate.

During the actual deployment, we supervised the teams in transportation, purchasing, warehousing, finance, and customer service at various sites. We revalidated their understanding and mastery of the tool, remaining available for four weeks after the Go-Live to provide support to the teams, validate the correct usage of super users, and address any minor issues.

Results

Go-Live occurred on the initially planned date, and the budget was not exceeded. This was possible due to swift decision-making by the executive committee, a dedicated IT team, engaged users, rigorous project management, effective and accepted change management, and experienced consultants.

With this implementation, Talsom and Conseil 2.0 enabled their client to achieve significant savings in terms of time and resources while improving customer satisfaction. Enhanced communication and increased meeting efficiency fostered a better understanding of internal processes, resulting in long-term cost reductions.

Client visibility was strengthened with dashboards measuring carrier performance, and real-time access to notifications and alerts significantly increased customer satisfaction.

Furthermore, each resource estimates saving an average of 25% to 30% of time for transportation teams. Additionally, the implementation of a TMS typically results in transportation savings ranging from 5% to 10%, notably through automated invoice verification and correct application of a routing guide. Finally, the digitization and centralization of data enable improved management of transportation bids, which can also lead to direct cost savings on transportation expenses.

Year

2023

Type of Project

Business analysis

Savings

Time, Costs
and Resources

Directed by

Carolyne Lapierre
Michael muro

Overview

Customer Presentation

Our client is a North American leader in the field of food and beverage products. It is globally recognized for providing quality services that are beneficial to the health of its consumers within the scientific community.

Mandate

Conseil 2.0 has been commissioned to reassess goals and needs with the aim of optimizing their logistical processes through the implementation of a new transport system. The client sought to evaluate various solutions with a view to implementing an innovative technological system.

Client's goal

The client wanted to reduce costs and increase operational efficiency.

 

Execution of the project

Conseil 2.0 conducted a total of 9 interviews with various stakeholders to analyze processes and identify friction points within the client’s transportation management at different stages.

Here is the 5-step methodology used to achieve the client’s defined objectives:

First and foremost, gaining a deep understanding of the client’s specific needs is essential, involving the analysis of current processes and the identification of improvement opportunities.

Nine interviews were conducted with stakeholders from transportation, warehousing, customer service, and billing. The aim was to understand their current operations, manual tasks, ERP data, and challenges, establishing a list of over fifty criteria (RTM) to assess TMS.

Targeted processes were mapped and validated with the client to anticipate future gaps. An initial financial assessment (monetary and temporal) was conducted to evaluate potential savings associated with the integration of a TMS.

A crucial step involves selecting a system that meets the client’s needs, whether from market solutions or a customized option tailored to the size and requirements of the business.

We contacted several TMS vendors, conducted demos to educate the client, and assessed each solution against the previously established criteria. After consolidating the results, we selected the best solution.

Once selected, workshops with the vendor were organized to validate use cases and define contractual terms. A RASCI matrix was established between Conseil 2.0, the client, and the integrator to clarify roles, responsibilities, and investments. This helped finalize the ROI and obtain approval from the client’s executive committee.

After choosing the TMS, it is crucial to clearly define the objectives, timelines, and responsibilities of the stakeholders.

Within the project scope, we played an active role in the configuration, design, and integration of the system. We participated in all meetings to ensure alignment between the client’s internal processes and the system’s capabilities. By identifying gaps, we proposed solutions, whether they involved adjustments to processes or the system itself.

Once all issues were resolved and development needs documented, the configuration, design, and integration phase was concluded.

To ensure the proper functioning of the system we configured, testing is essential. We guided our client through all testing cycles: unit, functional, integration, and UAT (User Acceptance Testing). We defined test cases and scripts, documented all bugs, and maintained regular communication with the development team to address issues.

Once UAT tests were complete, encompassing the entire order cycle with all stakeholders, we concluded that the system was ready for production.

Before deployment, training programs were scheduled for staff on the new TMS. We identified individuals requiring interaction with the TMS, categorized them based on their information needs, formed user groups, determined their system access, and provided live training on TMS functionality. Additionally, we supplied documentation in the form of S&OP (Sales and Operations Planning) to guide them through the system.

During real-time deployment, we provided continuous system supervision and support to users. We were available around the clock to monitor system operations and address user questions. Follow-ups were conducted to identify improvement opportunities.

Results

Conseil 2.0 enabled our client to achieve significant savings in terms of time and resources while enhancing customer satisfaction. The improved communication and increased efficiency of meetings fostered a better understanding of their internal processes, leading to long-term cost reductions.

Furthermore, we successfully minimized delays through proactive corrective measures. Our client’s visibility was strengthened with dashboards measuring carrier performance, and real-time access to notifications and alerts significantly enhanced their customers’ satisfaction, reinforcing their tracking and visibility in the maritime freight sector.

In addition, each resource gained between 25% and 30% of free time, and our client achieved savings of 5% to 10% in terms of transportation costs.

Charles Mbadinga

Charles Mbadinga

Business analyst

Needs Analysis 

The first crucial step in implementing a Warehouse Management System (WMS) is to thoroughly understand the specific needs of the warehouse. This is where the business analyst comes into play. They are responsible for analyzing existing processes, identifying improvement opportunities, and understanding the unique requirements of the company regarding inventory management, order tracking, space management, and much more. To illustrate this, let’s take an example of an e-commerce company that sells shoes online. Their rapid success has led to exponential growth in orders, and they are now overwhelmed by manual warehouse management. The business analyst begins by analyzing these specific needs, including the need to automate the processes of receiving, storing, and preparing orders to meet the growing demand. 

WMS Selection 

 

Once the needs have been clearly defined, the business analyst helps select the warehouse management system that best fits those needs. This could be an off-the-shelf system or a customized solution, depending on the size and specific requirements of the company. After analyzing the needs of the e-commerce company, the business analyst reviews the various WMS systems available on the market to determine which one offers the necessary features. They ensure that the chosen WMS can effectively handle automated order processing, real-time inventory, and warehouse space optimization. 

Planning 

Planning is a crucial step in WMS implementation. The business analyst plays a key role in developing a detailed plan that defines the goals, timelines, and responsibilities of each stakeholder. This plan serves as a roadmap for the entire project. The business analyst plans the gradual implementation of the new WMS by determining the steps to follow, deadlines, and required resources. 

Testing and Validation 

Once the planning is in place, the WMS system must undergo rigorous testing. The business analyst coordinates these tests to ensure that the system functions correctly and meets all organizational requirements. The company simulates different scenarios, such as delivery delays or unexpected route changes, to ensure that the new system responds appropriately. The business analyst oversees these tests to ensure their success. 

Training 

After conducting tests and obtaining validation, employee training can begin. An effective WMS relies on employees’ ability to use it correctly. The business analyst is responsible for planning and implementing training programs for the staff. This ensures effective and uniform adoption of the new system. The business analyst organizes training sessions for warehouse staff, teaching them how to use the new system to process orders, manage inventory, and monitor warehouse performance. It is also essential to assess the level of knowledge of various stakeholders (IT, field personnel, etc.) to whom business analysts provide training. 

Data Migration 

Once the staff is trained, migrating data from the old system to the new WMS is a delicate operation. The business analyst ensures that this process goes smoothly and that all essential data is transferred accurately. The business analyst supervises the migration of historical data on orders, customers, and products from the old system to the new WMS, ensuring the continuity of operations. 

Implementation / Go Live 

After completing training and data migration, the WMS system is deployed in real-time in the warehouse. The business analyst plays a central role in supervising this implementation to ensure a smooth launch. During the deployment of the new system, the business analyst works closely with operational teams to ensure a seamless transition, monitoring system performance, and promptly resolving any issues that may arise. 

Dashboards

Dashboards are crucial tools for companies who are willing to efficiently keep track of their performance and to ensure that they are taking informed decisions. In fact, they allow organizations to follow their key performance indicators and to identify problems as soon as they appear in order to apply the necessary corrective measures. This enables companies to be proactive and to mitigate the negative effects of the problems that arise. For example, because of data visualization, a company could observe a decrease in the sales of a specific product. They could then enable the thinking process aimed at understanding the causes of this phenomenon and at brainstorming what actions could be put in place to resolve the problem and increase the sales again.

Dashboards can be used to illustrate very specific data in certain departments of a company, but they also allow a global insight of an organization’s performance. Company leaders can consult these dashboards when making their executive decisions that will affect the current or future state of the company. After all, it is not certain that a decision made without consulting the organizational data will be beneficial. It could be positive, but it is like taking a blind decision.

Benefits of dashboards

There are numerous benefits to using dashboards since they enable companies to perform well in all their fields of activity. The major advantages of the tool are presented below.

Customizable

Dashboards are customizable and adaptable to each organization and their departments’ specific needs, which can differ greatly from one to another. The key data to display and the visualization mode can be very different depending on what is most adapted to the specific needs. It is perfectly normal for all dashboards to be completely different, even within the same company. For example, the dashboard used by the production team will certainly differ from the demand planning team’s dashboard since their key performance indicators vary. The production department would want to visualize data such as production rate, quality standards, production volume, etc. whereas the demand planning department would see value in displaying the sales trends, the historical data, the inventory levels, etc.

Minimize data manipulation

Most companies require a frequent creation of different reports in the majority of their departments. This often requires manual data manipulation to adapt the appropriate layout needed to present the data visually, which requires a lot of precious time. Dashboard creation tools such as “PowerBI” enable reports to be generated automatically, thus meaning that recurrent data manipulation is not necessary. Employees can therefore spend more time on activities that bring added value to the organization.

Easy to use and to understand

The variety and the volume of data present in a company can be overwhelming. A dashboard therefore allows data to be well organized to represent the data in the best way possible. The goal is to identify the information that must be displayed in the dashboard and to illustrate it in a concise manner. It is also very easy to use the tool and to draw relevant conclusions when they are well constructed. Different users can also apply different filters to visualize only the data that is pertinent to them.

Allow the follow-up of key performance indicators

Dashboards greatly increase the visibility of a company on its performance in all of its fields of activity and ease decision-making. In fact, in absence of a dashboard, some important measures could be left out of an analysis and therefore not considered. This could result in the wrong decisions being made by employees or business leaders who could have long-term consequences on the organizations. When dashboards are created, they are thought through by experts who identify the key performance indicators that should be followed to ensure the success of the company. In addition, experts also determine the best way to illustrate the data so that it is representative of the reality and so that it provides insight.

Key performance indicators that are followed on a regular basis enable companies to adapt to their current situations and to be more agile. Each department should have their own measures that support them in decision-making and in the identification of problems. Appropriate actions can therefore be made quickly in order to increase the success of the key performance indicators, thus increasing the success of the company or the department.

For example, the procurement team could use a dashboard to flag when certain orders must be placed for certain parts and in what quantity. Their dashboard should contain different aspects such as the current inventory level, the production forecast, the delivery delays, the delivery costs according to volume and much more. The data presented in the tool thus allow employees to make informed decisions that minimize storage and transport costs and that avoid back orders.

On another note, business leaders can use dashboards to target problems and opportunities easily. For example, they can identify what products are most popular and can use some of their characteristics to design new products that will also be appreciated by customers. This is done in the goal of increasing sales and profits. On the contrary, they can also target what products are performing poorly and decide to modify or to discontinue them. These are only two of the numerous examples of how dashboards can be used in a company.

Shareable

Data sharing and communication is crucial for the success of a business. It is therefore important that all the people involved have access to the dashboards in “real-time”. This is in fact one of the major advantages of the tool: they can be consulted by many different people simultaneously and they greatly ease data sharing. Dashboards can also be visited from web services, from a cellphone, a tablet, a computer, etc. This therefore minimizes excessive communications between people on other platforms such as e-mail.

Conseil 2.0’s Expertise

The consultants working at Conseil 2.0 have a lot of experience with dashboard creation and will certainly be qualified to help you elaborate a solution that best suits your needs. Power BI is one of the most popular tools used to create dashboards on the market, but many other options such as Domo, Dundas BI, Toucan etc. also exist. No matter what tool you wish to use, Conseil 2.0 can certainly help you. Choosing them as a partner will enable you to :

Target your needs

The first step in all projects with a business is to understand its needs in order to create a final solution that will meet those specific needs. Conseil 2.0 listens to their clients attentively in order to understand their reality, which varies greatly from one organization to another. Having worked with many clients in the past, the business has a good knowledge of the best practices to apply in a company to optimize results.

Target key performance indicators

The specific needs of each organization determine what key performance indicators should be used in dashboards. Conseil 2.0 will be able to accompany you well by analyzing your processes and by making recommendations regarding what data should be illustrated in your reports, as well as how to illustrate them. The relationship between Conseil 2.0 and its clients is based on collaboration, allowing them to maximize the performance and the relevancy of dashboards created.

Construct the dashboards

Conseil 2.0’s consultants will be able to help you construct dashboards that are adapted to your needs based on the analyses and recommendations made prior. The dashboards will allow you to quickly visualize the data that is most important to the success of your business.

Update existing dashboards

Some organizations already have dashboards, but they are not always up to date or maintained for different reasons. For example, the employee that created the dashboard could have left the company, the dashboards could have been created externally, the company could lack the resources needed to keep them updated, etc. Conseil 2.0 can therefore take these existing dashboards, update them, and adapt them to your current needs.

Finally, data visualization has numerous benefits for a company since it allows it to follow their key performance indicators quickly and easily. Business leaders can therefore have insight on the health of their organization in only a couple “clicks”. Do not hesitate to contact us if data visualization and dashboard creation interests you.

The business world is always evolving. For instance, we can think about e-mails taking over the fax machine, or about online shopping (e-commerce) taking away sales from brick-and-mortar businesses. All these changes in the business environment affect companies in various ways. In this article, we will dive deeper into business processes. What exactly is it? Why is it important to understand them and review them from time to time?

A simple definition

In its 2015 update of the ISO 9000 norm, the international organization defines a process as a set of activities correlated, or interacting with each other, using inputs to produce a desire result. In other words, a business performs a set of activities, using various inputs (resources, data, etc.) to create an output. One can understand that for an activity to be considered efficient, said activity needs to be reaching the final desired output while requiring the least number of manual interactions to do so. Basically, do more with less. Otherwise, it is nothing less than a waste of resources, money and time.

“Basically, do more with less”

What brings companies to review their processes

There are several reasons why companies review their processes. The first type of reasons is from an internal perspective. On one hand, it can be due to the rapid growth of the company. Indeed, growing rapidly can force businesses to review their processes in order to standardize their working method, for numerous factors. For example, it is common for a company to face some challenges following a certain point in their growth. Due to his success, the company simply does not have the capacity necessary to fulfill the demand level. In this case, automating some processes may prove to be a must, if not essential. Some examples of processes include ordering, accounting, billing, etc. On the other hand, reviewing processes can be an exercise performed on a periodic basis by a business to identify and take care of less efficient processes. That way, we aim to increase the competitiveness of the company compared to the competition.

Also, there are other reasons, this time from an external perspective, that force businesses to review their processes. It can come from various sources. In the current situation, we can easily think about the Covid-19. Indeed, the pandemic forced many restaurants to review their operations. For example, online orders replaced the dining experience. Moreover, recently, the talent shortage is giving a hard time to companies. Again, to address this shortage of workers, some industries have had to revise and automate their processes in order to be able to meet demand, simply not having the required capacity in terms of staff to cope with this level of demand.

A simplified example to better understand the scope of review processing

To better understand the issue, let’s take the fictional case of Andrew, CEO of an outdoor store chain counting a dozen stores in the province of Quebec. Before the pandemic, in 2019, Andrew operated as follow to ensure that articles were available in its stores:

However, due to the lockdowns and the reluctance of his customers more at risk of catching the virus to set foot in his stores, André had to adapt and start selling his products online. Thus, since then, its process flow of goods in inventory is as follows:

Looking at the inventory management process, we can see that it changes completely. Indeed, before, the operational activities were focused on a centralized warehouse shipping products to stores based on their inventory level and needs. When an item was going to be out of stock, a request was sent to the centralized warehouse and a truck was responsible to deliver those items at the store needing them to replenish the shelves.

In the case of the e-commerce, there is only a distribution center responsible to keep the products in inventory as well as fulfill the client’s orders. Thus, the products are not delivered to the different stores, but directly at the client’s desired address. Observation: the last-mile delivery is completely changed. Instead of delivering at the different stores, we need to be able to provide a delivery service to all the area we are deserving. And we have not mentioned a word about reverse logistics…

Therefore, after review of the inventory and logistic processes, where a diagnosis of the current situation was done prior, we can offer some solutions. In this case, the implementation of a warehouse management system (WMS) and/or a transportation management system (TMS) could prove to be a good initiative, cost reduction wise. Indeed, these systems would reduce inventory losses and provide the best routes for last-mile delivery.

”These systems would reduce inventory losses and provide the best routes for last-mile delivery.”

Conseil 2.0, a great ally!

In short, business processes need to be reviewed and updated due to the changing environment of the business world. This can be due to internal or external factors, such as the rapid growth of a company or the labour shortage. Review processes can be complex, and it is better to be well accompanied by a team of expert to carry out a project of this kind. This is where all the know-how of Conseil 2.0 comes in handy. We have completed dozens of process review projects. For any additional information, feel free to get in touch with us!

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