About Smartphoto
Smartphoto group is a listed company active in B2C e-commerce in twelve European countries, focusing mainly on consumers. The company produces over 500 types of affordable high-quality photographic products, such as photo books, photo cards, photo calendars, photos on canvas and photo gifts. Turnover totals over 50 million a year. The company employs 250 FTEs.
The challenge at Smartphoto
Analog photographs on reels of film are virtually a thing of the past. The arrival of digital cameras and mobile phones drastically changed the photographic landscape. Smartphoto group seized this transformation of the industry with both hands to change its business model. The organization used to have Spector photo shops in every village in Belgium. Now, Smartphoto has become a successful e-commerce company selling over 500 different photographic products. So it was high time to also address the IT systems, including the CPM system (corporate performance management). The configuration of the outdated SAP BPC software was no longer aligned with the changed reporting requirements of the new business model, asking for a different set of reports and analysis. Digitization had also left Smartphoto with a surplus of user licenses. But downsizing was not possible. Moreover, internal and external stakeholders without a direct SAP BPC access were not able to browse the BPC report contents. So Smartphoto and their Business Analytics consultancy partner element61 started looking for a new CPM solution that would support the business processes more effectively.
The objectives of this project
The key objective of this project was the replacement of the existing CPM solution. The current digital era demands - and supplies - a different kind of information. The shift to online, for example, has produced a lot more different data, both internal and external data as well as big data. This offers finance the opportunity to make more comprehensive and detailed analyses and reporting models. In addition, Smartphoto was looking for a system that they could easily adjust themselves, so that it would not need the IT department for maintenance and modifications. The new system did not necessarily have to be a SAP solution, as the employees had to learn a new way of working anyway. However, it had to be possible to integrate it seamlessly in Smartphoto's SAP environment. Moreover, the new CPM solution had to run in the cloud, for reasons of flexibility and accessibility.
The solution: CCH Tagetik
Smartphoto asked CCH Tagetik’s partner element61 for help in their search for a new CPM solution. Both parties already had a longstanding history of collaboration enabling element61 to provide effective advice in Smartphoto’s solution search. Three possible solution alternatives were investigated more closely. CCH Tagetik's cloud solution proved to be the best choice because of its flexibility and ease of use. For the implementation project, element61 made a realistic estimate of the required hours and the associated budget. The project proposal provided assistance in the setup of data structures and reports, training and more specifically coaching of the future key users during the subsequent implementation steps. element61 trained users and shared knowledge, allowing Smartphoto to be responsible and in control of the majority of the implementation tasks as well as the subsequent administration and maintenance. This was one of the key requirements and was made possible, because CCH Tagetik is a modular and flexible system, aimed at ease of use.
The results and benefits
The new CPM environment has several benefits for Smartphoto. The main benefit is that key users can easily make modifications to the CPM environment, as a result of which Smartphoto is much less dependent on the IT department and external consultants for modifications to the CPM solution. The new CCH Tagetik solution is also quicker, more user-friendly, much more aligned with the evolved business and reporting requirements. It is also possible to compose all reports and report models needed for the current business, while all stakeholders can access and share reports.
Read here the full and original case study of Wolters Kluwer.
