Integrify > Case Studies > Streamlining IT Operations: A Case Study of Acklands-Grainger

Streamlining IT Operations: A Case Study of Acklands-Grainger

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Security Compliance

Applicable Industries

Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Maintenance
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Inventory Management
Leasing Finance Automation

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

Acklands-Grainger (AGI) is Canada’s largest distributor of MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Operating) products. Founded in 1889, the company has grown through numerous acquisitions and now has more than 160 branches across Canada. In 1996, AGI was purchased by W.W. Grainger, the largest industrial distributor in the United States. Today, AGI has annual sales of more than $600 million, distributing over 60,000 in-stock items annually through five regional warehouses to more than 70,000 customers. The company employs 2,000 people and is headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

The Challenge

Acklands-Grainger (AGI), Canada’s largest distributor of MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Operating) products, was facing a significant challenge with its IT request form system. As a company with 2,000 employees, distributing over 60,000 in-stock items annually to more than 70,000 customers, AGI had outgrown its e-mail driven IT request form system. The system, which was housed in public folders on a network server, was proving to be unmanageable and lacked a traceable method of processing and fulfilling equipment requests, account set-ups, and service requests. The company needed to replace its email-driven request management and change management systems in the IT department with an automated system that provided electronic approvals and a real-time tracking system with built-in workflow. Additionally, AGI needed a way to track and archive data necessary for compliance under the Sarbanes-Oxley regulations.

The Solution

After evaluating several systems, AGI's IT team found that Integrify, an Enterprise Request Management (ERM) system, offered the best solution to their challenges. Integrify allows companies to automate requests and streamline processes, providing form creation, routing definition, and tracking tools to those responsible for processing requests. This minimizes data entry and simplifies requests for approval and fulfillment. Being web-based, Integrify allows for easy user accessibility and management of business processes. It eliminates problems related to labor-intensive processes such as manual paper handling and email requests, and can reduce costs per transaction by 60 to 90 percent as compared to paper-based processes. The Integrify system also allows companies to implement, monitor, and control processes and policies that require authorizations as part of the internal control compliance requirements in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. More than 200 employees at the company’s 160 branches are designated users of the system, handling eight different request types and processing up to 150 individual requests each month.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Integrify has significantly improved the efficiency of AGI's IT department. While the number of requests has remained more or less the same post-Integrify as compared to before the implementation, AGI’s IT team is finding it much easier to fulfill and track the progress of each request. Requests are being processed much faster because their progress is so visible to all users of the system. The original request management system was designed to be used only by managers within the organization. Now, anyone in the company can submit and route it to a manager for approval. A key criterion in choosing the request management system was finding a solution that directly addressed compliance issues. Integrify has a built-in capability that offers reporting and analytics that simplify SOX compliance. The greatest return AGI has recognized is the increased speed with which requests are processed, as well as increased efficiency and accuracy, which has allowed its employees to focus more time on serving the company’s customer base rather than worrying about technical glitches.

Quantitative Benefit

The Integrify system reduced costs per transaction by 60 to 90 percent as compared to paper-based processes.
More than 200 employees at the company’s 160 branches are designated users of the system.
Eight different request types are currently handled with Integrify and up to 150 individual requests are processed each month.