Vana helps Global Bicycle Manufacturer reduce process time by over 70%
Digital solution helps free Global Bicycle Manufacturer from legacy constraints
There is a group within the product development/engineering team that is responsible for the concepts, designs and lifecycle of accessories for the organizations core products. This process is both heavy in detail and approval driven. The challenge was to find a digital solution that would streamline the entire process from initiating a new accessory to moving it through the approval chain and ultimately into production. A combination of spreadsheets, old/re-purposed technology, and email were used to manage all of these activities. This was inefficient for the product managers who owned the lifecycle but also for the executive teams responsible for approvals. Ultimately, this impacted transparency of production timelines and impacted customer, as well as employee, satisfaction.
Determining the biggest opportunity for the Client
The organization contacted Vana to evaluate the current tools and systems in place with the anticipation of having a custom solution developed using SharePoint Online and their complement of Office 365 tools. Through relationship building and thoroughly understanding the process and business drivers, Vana developed a SharePoint Online based tool that eliminated the need for the form systems/tools and replaced it with a modern interface focused on transparency, agility, and user experience.
The result of Vana's integration
Vana’s solution has been in product for over 18 months and not only have there been efficiency gains in the lifecycle process itself; leadership is also recognizing benefits. The data dispersed in various locations of the previous system could require over two weeks of effort to find and aggregate for the company’s annual planning cycle. With the use of the additional data management tools that Vana developed, the required time for this activity has been reduce by greater than 70%.
About the Client
Our client is a globally recognized consumer-focused organization. With seven separate brands, over one hundred retail customers who sell their products, and manufacturing facilities in numerous offshore locations, they are a leader in the market. They have been in business for over 125 years with its corporate headquarters in the Midwest.
