Berry Bros. and Rudd
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Business Challenge
Berry Bros. & Rudd (BBR) is Britain's oldest wine and spirit merchant and one of the oldest in the world, trading from the same shop for over 300 years. Today the present generation of Berrys and Rudds continues to manage the family-owned wine merchant business, renowned for its standard of service and quality of care, storage and provenance.
In 1995 BBR launched bbr.com, extending the market for its range of fine wines and spirits by providing a complete high quality service online. BBR’s online service has grown steadily since the web site was launched and is now an integral part of its UK and worldwide business.
However, with shops around the UK, Ireland, Hong Kong and Shanghai as well as an expanding global workforce and extensive list of products and services, the company was experiencing some internal problems. There was no intranet, file sharing was becoming increasingly difficult as existing network drives were becoming slower and harder to navigate, and documents were regularly duplicated. Communication between each office was poor and staff were heading towards a breakdown in teamwork and understanding of company aims and objectives. The company had hit a crossroads, not only with its communications systems but also with a workforce that had a poor sense of community and corporate identity.
It was agreed that a content and knowledge management system was required to build an Intranet, Extranet from the ground up and manage the web site.
Knowledge Management Requirements
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Key considerations were the flexible but solid infrastructure offered by Claromentis™, as well as its extensive range of functionality, tried and tested modules and affordable price. BBR required very little customisation, apart from the visual interface. More importantly the company needed a system that would unite its fragmented workforce through effective communications, knowledge sharing and teamwork.
Starting the Project
One of BBR’s key considerations at the start was speed of installation and ease of maintenance. BBR’s team wanted a system that gave them the freedom to implement ongoing enhancements with little or no consultancy.
"The intuitive nature of the software and the willingness of the support team to respond to ongoing enhancement requests has resulted in strong usage of the intranet. The follow-up and training provided has meant we are able to move forward quickly in seeing the benefits of improved internal communication."
Alex Murray, Intranet Project Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Overcoming the Problems
The Claromentis™ team worked with the BBR team at every stage of the build to assess the needs and idiosyncrasies of the business. By working together, BBR and Claromentis™ were able to plan and implement a productive model within a very short time frame. However, BBR had another problem to overcome – the initial skepticism of its people that an Intranet would make any difference to their sense of corporate identity, or help them communicate with other divisions of the company situated around the UK and across the Globe. BBR focused on the ease of communication provided by Claromentis™, particularly the forums functionality, to encourage contact across the company.
The Results
BBR was able to implement the software easily under the guidance of the Claromentis™ team, with the project taking just 8 weeks from start to finish. The compatibility of the software and responsive support from the Claromentis™ team to ongoing enhancement requests has resulted in strong usage of the Intranet. The follow-up and training provided has enabled the company to move forward quickly and maximise the benefits of improved internal communication.
Since the implementation of Claromentis™, Berry Bros. & Rudd has achieved the following:
- A fully functional Extranet and Intranet site.
- A single source for documentation with permission based access widely used.
- Improved communication and idea sharing across the business through wide use of the forum facility.
- Fragmented geographical locations united through staff identification.
- Improved ad hoc internal contact, reducing inbox clutter.
- Individual departments now actively sharing useful information at a glance.
- Improved staff management through the new administration facility.
"Feedback has been excellent from both management and staff. Since implementing Claromentis we have seen a clear increase in efficiency and quality of internal communication."
Alex Murray
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