How does Decent Group software
save DKA Architects £50K per year?
Decent Group, Swindon, UK, again shows its business
systems expertise by providing DKA Architects (DKA), a
highly respected ISO 9001 accredited architects in Bath,
UK, with an improved FileMaker software platform and
centralised email system.
DKA approached Decent Group in 2009 to take over the
maintenance of their Information Management System
(IMS), which was in daily use but undocumented and
unsupported. Since then Decent Group has documented
the IMS, improved several of its functions and overhauled
the user interface.
DKA then asked Decent Group to develop improved
software for handling email communications. DKA design
a broad range of property types including hospitals,
schools and commercial buildings. Each project involves
extensive email correspondence circulating between DKA’s
architects, their clients, building contractors and other
parties. Maintaining ISO 9001 accreditation and good
practice require each piece of correspondence to be filed
and retained for up to 15 years. With DKA’s continuing
expansion the office filing cabinets were stuffed beyond
bursting.
£10K
one-off
investment
£50K
annual
saving
HOW IT WORKS
! Staff can use familiar Outlook, MacMail or smartphone
! They drag a project-related message to the ‘IMS folder’
! A few moments later the message appears in the IMS
! They quickly and easily assign it to the correct project
! Reply or forward from mail client or IMS, as preferred
! Anyone in the organisation can search all mail by any
field, within one project or across multiple projects
transformed the way DKA works, providing assured
compliance with ISO 9001 alongside improved access to
information. In just two months, the new email system had
paid for itself in saved time and better customer service.
Decent Group engineered a bespoke business email
solution, designed entirely around DKA’s processes with
the objective of providing a searchable, secure email archive
that guides users quickly through filing and retrieval.
Since Decent Group built us the email management
system, overheads are down by £50-£60K each year.
Efficiency and compelling ROI
Powerful, secure and fast
The result was an enhanced IMS that increased efficiency
and effectiveness in the organisation. The improved email
and document archiving system showed an immediate
positive impact on business performance and quickly led
to business savings of between £50,000 to £60,000 per year.
Over a short time the performance of the email system
With the new powerful email system, Decent Group has
made the filing and retrieval of email information virtually
automatic. There is an easily accessible single point where
all information and correspondence history relating to
each project is securely stored and archived. Manual
printing and filing are things of the past, and finding
project correspondence is no longer a complicated and
lengthy task.
Nick Charlton
Associate, DKA
DKA Associate Nick Charlton can’t speak highly enough
of the work Decent Group has carried out: “Since Decent
Group built us the email management system, our
overheads are down by £50–£60K each year.”
Case study
Saving on staff hours, storage, time and
printer consumables
Since the new email management system has been in place,
DKA has embraced its greener side, reducing its carbon
emissions and printing costs, as printing all correspondence
is no longer necessary. Other overheads have tumbled too:
storage space isn’t cheap in Bath. Devolving responsibility
for the upkeep of filed emails and attachments to architects
has saved the company countless staff hours.
We have an email management system that’s cut
our costs dramatically, and met our business needs
perfectly.
Nick Charlton
Associate, DKA
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
! Different privilege levels allow only authorised access
! Automatic checks ensure contact details of message
senders and recipients are correct throughout the IMS
! If multiple staff are copied in on a message, the IMS
automatically prevents it being filed more than once.
! Industry-leading security and backup regime
BENEFITS
! Enforces the unique operating practices that give DKA
its competitive advantage
! Assures ISO 9001 quality management compliance
! Less searching, more finding = increased productivity
! Fast information retrieval = better customer service
! Reduced costs of filing space and printing consumables
as DKA’s case illustrates, the ROI can be breathtaking.”
Nick Charlton at DKA agrees: “We have an email
management system that’s cut our costs dramatically, and
met our business needs perfectly.”
Bespoke software made perfectly for you
Any business whose manual processes are draining
Decent Group’s expertise in bespoke solutions allows them staff time should think seriously about improving its
to eliminate pretty much any inefficiency through intuitive systems. Bespoke software isn’t as expensive as you’d
software that supports well-designed business processes. imagine and, as DKA’s case illustrates, the ROI can
James Ducker, Director of Decent Group, sums it up: be breathtaking.
“Any business whose manual processes are draining staff
time should think seriously about improving its systems.
Bespoke software isn’t as expensive as you’d imagine and,
James Ducker
Director, Decent Group
About DKA
About Decent Group
DKA is a successful, independent
architectural practice established in 1993.
DKA is a design-conscious commercially
minded practice able to deliver quality buildings to
clients’ cost and programme requirements throughout
the United Kingdom. DKA’s philosophy has enabled it to
grow successfully and it now employs around 25 architects,
technicians and administrators. At this size DKA has the
flexibility to respond quickly to clients’ requirements and
programme demands.
Decent Group makes ‘business systems that work’: software
that’s a perfect fit for the processes it’s designed to support.
Decent Group is recognised by FileMaker as Platinum
developers and engineers powerful but straightforward
software systems to solve businesses problems in all
industry sectors. PC, Mac, Mobile and Cloud solutions are
all designed to give the ‘perfect fit’ at sensible prices.
phone 01225 465701
email info@dka.co.uk
web
www.dka.co.uk
phone 01793 250198
email info@decentgroup.co.uk
web
decentgroup.co.uk
Contact Decent Group
info@decentgroup.co.uk
Contact Decent Group to find out how your business
could reap the benefits being enjoyed by DKA.
01793 250198
decentgroup.co.uk
6509