Officeworks Shifts from ECI TeamDesign & CORE to CFI Suite™
Company
Key Wins
1. Disparate to Unified Platform eliminating the challenges of managing multiple systems
2. Scalability & Flexibility to adjust preferences, workflows and business processes among others
3. Integration Capabilities with a Marketplace of more than 500 plug-and-play apps
4. Real-time business visibility, enhancing collaboration & decision-making
5. Advanced Reporting capabilities with valuable insights into sales performance, project profitability, and other key metrics
Officeworks’ Journey to Success
In the dynamic landscape of office space consulting, Officeworks has emerged as a pioneer adapting to industry shifts, and scaling new heights. Founded in 1995, the Massachusetts-based firm quickly solidified its position as the #1 Teknion Dealer in the country under the leadership of CEO Mark Loughlin. In 2010, Loughlin’s arrival marked a pivotal moment, propelling Officeworks into a new era of innovation and growth.
The Officeworks Landscape
With 150 employees across ten office locations in eight markets, Officeworks is more than an office furniture provider – it’s an experienced consultancy firm dedicated to reshaping office, education, and healthcare interiors. The company’s expansion into New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville showcased its commitment to meeting the diverse needs of clients in evolving markets.
Challenges and Strategic Shifts
Officeworks confronted a significant challenge: the remote work trend. The surge in telecommuting altered the demand for traditional office furniture, necessitating a strategic pivot. To address this, Officeworks diversified its sales initiatives, targeting education, public sector, healthcare, and hospitality. Simultaneously, the company intensified its focus on Architectural Interiors products and services.
Introduction to ERP Success Partners
Officeworks was introduced to ERP Success Partners at a Solomon Coyle Thought- Leader session in October 2020. The Teknion Peer group had the opportunity to get a CFI Suite™ overview. “It wasn’t till the spring of 2021 did we get a first real demo and look into the system and were exposed to the benefits of how CFI Suite™ could improve and simplify our processes for more efficiencies.” From there, Officeworks was introduced to Roberto Irizarry, currently VP of Sales at ERP Success Partners.
Business System Switch from ECI TeamDesign & CORE to CFI Suite™
When considering Officeworks’ options, Rebecca Morris, EVP of Operations, mentions it was not a challenge for the company because the list of available industry-specific business systems is a small number, and Officeworks was already working in two of them. They knew what was not going to work for them. If Officeworks wanted to be on the forefront of technology for their industry, they needed to make the leap to a more comprehensive business system. Officeworks went back to the basics of reviewing what their current systems did or did not do for their employees and customers.
CFI Suite™: The Tipping Point
Morris claims it was easy for Officeworks to recognize their systems’ limitations and then just focus on expanding their review of “only” systems that could check all the boxes of their needs. That is ultimately how Officeworks made their decision of choosing CFI Suite™, powered by NetSuite. Officeworks discovered a unified platform capable of seamless integration tailored to their specific needs. They opted for a cloud-based solution, providing accessibility from anywhere with just internet connectivity, scalability, and real-time visibility for employees in various roles to access accurate and up-to-date information. After additional exposure and conversation about other app integrations and reference interviews, Officeworks signed with ERP Success Partners for this major implementation. The chosen system, CFI Suite™, showcased versatility through customization, cost efficiencies, and a commitment to continuous innovation, ensuring that Officeworks remains well-positioned to benefit from the latest technologies and best practices in business management.
Our #1 reason for moving to CFI Suite™ was to get our whole organization onto one platform. We have grown from a single location and market to ten physical brick and mortar offices in eight markets in six years through acquisitions and a partnership. It was critical for everyone to be working on one business system and a system designed to scale with the growth of our business. As our business continues to grow, we needed to be better prepared for an easier way of adding new users, modules and functionalities without the need for significant IT infrastructure investments or disruptions to our existing processes
The cloud-based ERP solution offered not just functionality, customization, and scalability, but also crucial integration capabilities that were lacking in the legacy systems:
Selecting a system like CFI Suite™ powered by Oracle NetSuite for Officeworks was like a strategic move. Its versatility, with a broad client base across various industries, suggests it can accommodate Officeworks’ current requirements while also offering scalability for future strategies. The fact that it caters to over 40,000 clients indicates a robust and well-established platform, likely capable of handling diverse business needs. This adaptability bodes well for Officeworks as they navigate potential changes and expansions in their operations
Morris mentions that the other major reason for their move to CFI Suite ™ was that they were working on outdated, Industry-specific business systems for the Contract Furniture industry and were limited, if not restricted, on the ability for integrating with other applications, non-cloud-based solutions and managed by companies who had zero commitment to innovation of the latest technologies allowing them to stay competitive and efficient in their workflows.
Implementation Journey
The implementation journey, though not without challenges, was a testament to Officeworks’ commitment to innovation. The transition to CFI Suite™ began in January 2023, with a focus on overcoming hurdles and ensuring a seamless integration. As a company in the Contract furniture industry, Officeworks has specific needs related to contract furniture sales, project management and customer relationship management. “It is not a ‘one size fits all’ industry so CFI Suite™ is tailored for all contract furniture dealerships with the ability to customize for the industry and your company specific needs,” Morris mentions. “We have mastered many customizations just due to how Officeworks is set up. We are five subsidiaries, have the designation of a WBE and GSA Packaged Office contract out of one of those subsidiaries and need to produce individual and combined reporting. We also have multiple internal divisions that need to be properly identified and applied to all transactions.” Despite these complexities, Officeworks successfully transitioned out of TeamDesign and CORE, its previous legacy systems by the end of 2023.
Results & Benefits
The business system shift from legacy (TeamDesign & CORE) to unified (CFI Suite™) brought a panoply of measurable success that would enable Officeworks to grow indefinitely and operate on a platform that is scalable with no limits:
We were able to transition out of both of Officeworks’ legacy systems by year end 2023. All the information and reporting that is now available for reports and transparency is providing much needed clarity to managing project-based sales and financials. Oh! Did we mention the ease in “exporting” data to excel or any other application? Financial reporting and analytics to review sales performance, project profitability and other key metrics as needed is giving leadership the advanced reporting that is so valuable for strategic decision-making and continuous improvement
Taking a concise look at the cloud-based business system, this is how CFI Suite™ impacted Officeworks:
1. Unified Platform
2. Scalability & Flexibility
3. Integration Capabilities
4. Real-Time Visibility
5. Advanced Reporting
Not one day was Officeworks not able to transact business. Officeworks proved their ability to see the good in everyday and reiterated consistently the “Why” this was not only the necessary move, but the right move to be on the forefront of technology adaptation for our industry.
Future Endeavors with CFI Suite™
Looking ahead, Officeworks plans to leverage CFI Suite™ for continuous improvement. The consultancy firm is in the process of preparing the roles of Sales Manager, Sales Reps, Designers and Project Managers to access and start benefiting from the platform. Additionally, Morris mentions focus on:
Workflow Automation: Initiatives are underway to create automations that enhance internal workflows and streamline operations.
DocuSign Integration: The implementation of DocuSign integration for Sales Order signatures is set to enhance document management processes.
Direct Ordering: CFI Suite™ will be utilized to facilitate direct ordering from furniture manufacturers, optimizing supply chain efficiency.
Vendor Integration: Officeworks will also look into integrating with key vendors to streamline their order entry and acknowledgement processing.
The Officeworks team has shown unwavering dedication from the outset in embracing this technological transition and, importantly, collaborating with our team to facilitate this change. Both teams worked seamlessly together to ensure the success of the project. It’s noteworthy that the Officeworks team achieved a revenue growth while transitioning to a new Business System. We eagerly anticipate continuing our collaboration in the next phase of their technological evolution and supporting them on their digital transformation path.
Looking Ahead
Officeworks’ successful CFI Suite™ implementation stands as a testament to its commitment to innovation, adaptability, and providing cutting-edge solutions in the contract furniture industry. The partnership with ERP Success Partners played a crucial role in navigating the complexities of the transition. As Officeworks continues to embrace technology and evolve, it is well-positioned to lead the way in redefining workspace solutions for the future.
ERP Success Partners is our partner and an extension of our team now. Working with them we were able to engage with consultants, vendors and implementation specialist throughout the process to customize, configure, train and manage critical aspects of our implementation. The biggest benefit would be that they were able to listen and take our lead at how we needed things to be done for sharing of communications and managing cases.
Transform Your Contract Furniture Business Like Officeworks Inc.
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