Improved cash flow at ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems
ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems is a world-leading supplier of industrial doors and logistics systems, garage doors, wastewater treatment systems, and process equipment for the pulp and paper industry. With sales of SEK 8 billion and approximately 5,400 employees worldwide, ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems delivers solutions that help solve some the toughest challenges of our time in the fields of water, transportation and energy.
Make the systems communicate
ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems manufactures and provides maintenance services for industrial doors and wastewater treatment systems. The service technicians needed a new solution that would enable them to receive work orders when out in the field. The integration solution from iCore Solutions made it possible for the inhouse developed business system at ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems to communicate with the mobile tool from Lawson.
– We had two different systems that had to be able to understand and “talk” to each other. A piece of information may be called one thing in one system and another thing in the other system. So basically, it was about translation, says Anders Borgström, Project Manager at ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems.
Better cash flow
ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems has more than 1 000 service technicians in fifteen countries, all over Europe. When they are out in the field, they use a mobile system to receive work orders. The solution from iCore makes it possible for the technicians to receive an order, visit the customer and then report that the job is done. The report, which specifies time and material spent, is received by ASSA ABLOY Entrance System's business system and the job is then invoiced.
- What this solution primarily does is giving us a better cash flow. As soon as a job is done, it can be invoiced directly. Previously, a report made by a service technician risked being left in the car for two weeks before it was handed in for invoicing, says Anders Borgström.
Everything in real time
Today, ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems technicians all over Europe are using the solution, which makes them more efficient and, consequently, makes ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems more profitable. The solution manages more than 3 000 orders per day, plus all the reporting sent back from the technicians. Everything is done in real time and there are no time delays.
Experts in integration
During all the integration work in the new solution, iCore provided support. They were positioned right between the two existing solutions and had an understanding of the requirements in both.
– We wanted to work with people that were experts in integration. We chose to work with iCore as they had carried out some minor projects for us earlier and we had positive experiences from that. iCore was the driving force behind the whole process and they were always available. We still see iCore as our primary partner and we continue to develop together with them, says Anders Borgström.
In addition to the smart solution for the mobile order administration, software from ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems is also being used to integrate other parts of the business system at ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems. These integrations cover everything from e-business flows to transfers between ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems, banks and suppliers.