Sparrows Group on their transition to HxGN EAM Cloud
Sparrows Group recently worked with Progressive to transition its existing on-premises HxGN EAM (formerly Infor EAM) asset management system to a cloud platform. The new SaaS offering delivers clear benefits, with automatic software updates and cybersecurity compliance being just a few of the many advantages.”
Michael Reid, Finance Systems Manager, Sparrows Group
Sparrows Group is a global provider of specialist equipment and integrated engineering services to the energy industry. Working throughout the asset life cycle, they deliver optimised performance, reliability and safety of critical equipment and people to their customers.
Background
Sparrows Group were looking for a best of breed Purchase to Pay (P2P) solution, including Inventory, Contracts Management, Tender Management and Workflow, to optimise their efficiency.
Previously, they managed these processes through excel spreadsheets, lacking any workflow automation. With low oil prices impacting their operations, gaining visibility and control over spending, alongside demonstrating efficiency savings, became crucial. The new solution needed to support multiple languages and currencies while seamlessly integrating with their existing financial management system, SunSystems.
The Challenge
Sparrows faced several challenges in their purchasing activities, primarily due to reliance on manual processes and spreadsheets. The inability to quickly access information, such as stock availability, hindered efficiency. Additionally, the absence of workflow mechanisms led to inconsistencies in the approval and checking of purchasing requests. Given the market conditions, specifically low oil prices, meant that cost control, spend visibility and demonstrable efficiency savings were becoming increasingly important.
To address these challenges, Sparrows planned to implement the project in phases, starting with functionality and regional deployments. A successful rollout in the UK would pave the way for global expansion and scalable enhancements to their EAM functionality. The new solution had to be adaptable for international use and fully integrate with their existing financial management system to ensure automated end-to-end processing.
“Progressive have helped Sparrows Group to deliver a number of tangible cost savings through their Purchase to Pay solution. Many of our manual processes have now been automated, and the mobile solution provides approval access wherever people are working from. We look forward to the next phase of our global roll-out with Progressive.”
Brian Docherty, Head of IT & Facilities, Sparrows
The Solution
Following a competitive procurement process, Sparrows chose HxGN EAM (formerly Infor EAM) with Progressive’s framework, as it offered superior functionality to the other systems considered – it was the only system to demonstrate all requested scenarios out of the box.
Progressive’s best practice EAM framework meant that many of Sparrow’s detailed requirements were met without the need for extensive configuration and customisation. In addition, Progressive’s eInvoicing solution was chosen to reduce the amount of manual work required for invoice entry.
Sparrows worked closely with Progressive during the design and testing phases. A number of design workshops took place at Sparrows’ offices in Aberdeen, where there was good user representation across the full P2P process. During this process, the emphasis was on utilising as much of the Progressive framework as possible – only areas such as hiring, where Sparrows have a unique process, were identified as needing additional configuration.
Users were also involved in testing, particularly in User Acceptance Testing (UAT), where these sessions also acted as training for those who would go on and train the Sparrows end users prior to Go Live. Sparrows elected to write their own user guides, based on Progressive templates from our standard framework.
Go Live proved uneventful. 700 transactions were processed in the first week, no major incidents were reported, and users appeared to be up and running with the system quickly. Progressive’s mobile solution has been implemented, allowing all users to view data from the system, view scanned images and make approvals from their mobile devices.
Outcomes and Benefits for Sparrows
- A fully operational Purchase to Pay solution, integrated with the existing financial management solution
- Efficiency savings through automating manual processes
- Visibility of the end to end Purchase to Pay process, with auditable workflow and a single version of the truth
- Improved data security
- Better purchasing decisions
- Mobile access to the system via any device
- Reduced approval cycles for operational and financial approvals
- Proven solution that is now being rolled out across the Sparrows Group globally and possibly scaled up to include additional functionality
Sparrows now have a fully operational Purchase to Pay solution.
The solution has enabled Sparrows to automate a series of previously manual processes, increasing efficiencies. For the first time, they have full visibility of the procurement process, with fully auditable workflow, access to information based on approval levels and better data security. Integration with their existing SunSystems financial solution has ensured a seamless process.
Sparrows are now able to make better purchasing decisions. The solution provides accurate information of inventory that is easy to understand, so a user can see if an item is already in store before raising a purchasing request.
The combination of automating workflow and deploying mobile access to the system has significantly reduced the time spent on the approvals process. Our easy to understand dashboards enable senior management to view a snapshot and analysis of purchasing spend, for example, how much is being spent by supplier or by region.
Read the full Sparrows case study
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