Company:

O'Connor Sutton Cronin

Sector:

Engineering Consultancy

Location:

Uk, Ireland, Europe, Africa

Rapport3 modules used:

Job Costing

CRM

Human Resources

Rapport3 was Initially implemented into O'Connor Sutton Cronin 14 years ago, when it was decided that a robust project database was required, that was reliable and could provide them with the live data they needed for their projects and reporting.

“Before finding Rapport3 we were using a system that was not fit for purpose, it wasn’t giving us the information we thought we needed going forward, it was slowing us down and the customer service was poor. We needed a system that that would be futureproofed as the business continues to grow, with an easy user interface alongside functions and features we could use as required" explains James Barrett, Director.

 A decision was made to put a project database in place, one that could not only gather all information in one central location but also allow connections to be made between projects and people and support the organisation with its data and project reporting. With 10 years of data in their previous system, which was their redline item when deciding to move to Rapport3. Our cautious approach helped the team take on Rapport3 quickly and effectively, showing them what they wanted and the capabilities of the system every step along the way.

 "We have been a client with Cubic Interactive for almost 20 years, and have had a long and happy journey with Rapport3.”

The client

OCSC (O'Connor Sutton Cronin) is an International multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, comprised of chartered engineers alongside staff with staff with Project Management, Arbitration and Construction Contract Law qualifications. This mix of design, project management and contract administration skills enable our client to provide an integrated and holistic service.

OCSC are founded on a reputation for providing award winning design creativity, excellence, and cost-effective solutions without compromise. Our client's passion for excellence in engineering design for their clients is on a global stage, whilst integrating local knowledge. 

Over the years O'Connor Sutton Cronin found that Rapport3 had a number of advantages to the way they work:

“One of the biggest advantages to using Rapport3 is that it is cloud based. Before Rapport3 we were on an in house server which limited us a fair amount, taking us a lot longer to get upgrades and bugs fixed. Rapport3 is much more intuitive than what we have worked with before."

With the nature of their work, the team naturally had concerns about security when moving over to a new system. To ensure that they felt comfortable with the implementation our team were on hand every step of the way. 

"The Cubic team made us feel comfortable with the security features of going to the cloud and the advantages of having our information backed up on the cloud."

Rapport3 helped give OCSC, the flexibility they needed being an International multidisciplinary engineering consultancy.

"Rapport3 means we can work from anywhere in the world as opposed to logging into a server in the Dublin office. Rapport3 has given us 24/7 access to our projects and information.”

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The client

 The team looked at a various project management systems when making their decision, and found that Rapport3 had a number of advantages.

“The usability of the user interface especially stood out as being intuitive and well thought out” remembers Darren, “but there were a number of other benefits that made Rapport3 the right choice for us, one of which was the ease with which we could get our data into the system”.

To ensure that the migration happened as smoothly and quickly as possible Cubic Interactive managed the process of cleansing and importing the data and as a result were able to deliver a database that users could get their teeth into almost straight away.

“We could hit the ground running, and that was a quick win for us” says Darren. “Another plus associated with Rapport3 was the OpenAsset integration module which allowed us to integrate our existing OpenAsset digital asset management system with Rapport3”. 
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The client

 The team looked at a various project management systems when making their decision, and found that Rapport3 had a number of advantages.

“The usability of the user interface especially stood out as being intuitive and well thought out” remembers Darren, “but there were a number of other benefits that made Rapport3 the right choice for us, one of which was the ease with which we could get our data into the system”.

Jestico + Whiles’ existing contact and project information was very varied and held in a number of different ways and locations across the business. To ensure that the migration happened as smoothly and quickly as possible Cubic Interactive managed the process of cleansing and importing the data and as a result were able to deliver a database that users could get their teeth into almost straight away.

“We could hit the ground running, and that was a quick win for us” says Darren. “Another plus associated with Rapport3 was the OpenAsset integration module which allowed us to integrate our existing OpenAsset digital asset management system with Rapport3”.
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Business Benefit

Rapport3 integrates seamlessly with a number of 3rd party systems, saving your business time and reducing the chance of errors. When asked about how OCSC have used the reporting capabilities, James commented:

O'Connor Sutton Cronin have taken advantage of our integration with Microsoft Power BI. Using the Rapport3 ODATA feed, allows easy access to all Rapport3 data from with Microsoft PowerBI. Providing you with the tools to produce graphically rich dashboards and reports.

“Rapport3s integration with Power BI has been one the biggest changes for us. We used to spend a lot of time producing the formatting for the reports that we require. It is very interactive and intuitive giving us what we are looking for. From a board level, it used to take us 2 days to produce the information we needed for meetings. With the Power BI integration with Rapport3 it takes us an hour. Rapport3 and PowerBI has taken a huge amount of strain off our reporting saving us time.”

The implementation of these integration modules creates a ‘best of breed’ solution, allowing organisations to use the best software on the market for their various business requirements – whether that’s accounting, digital asset management or document management – whilst managing them all through one powerful, intuitive practice management system.

"Our decision making has become more accurate, now our forecasting is based on scientific data empowering us to make informed decisions quickly.”

Requirements

OpenAsset was already in use across the business and so any project management system chosen would need to work alongside it. Through the implementation of Rapport3’s OpenAsset integration module, Jestico + Whiles were able to go one step further and integrate the two, allowing all project information to be managed centrally in Rapport3, which would then automatically generate and update information in OpenAsset.

More recently Jestico + Whiles have introduced Newforma as their information and document control system and have added the Newforma integration module to their Rapport3 system. As with the OpenAsset integration module, the Newforma integration module provides a direct link between Rapport3 and Newforma, allowing users to enter data into a single interface within Rapport3. The module then passes key project information through to Newforma.

The implementation of these integration modules creates a ‘best of breed’ solution, allowing organisations to use the best software on the market for their various business requirements – whether that’s accounting, digital asset management or document management – whilst managing them all through one powerful, intuitive practice management system.

“The integration modules mean that all of our project and contact information resides and is managed in Rapport3, and is then synchronised with OpenAsset and Newforma” explains Darren. “This is of huge benefit to us. It gives us seamless integration, eradicates the traditional issues around data duplication and provides us with really consistent information"

Requirements

OpenAsset was already in use across the business and so any project management system chosen would need to work alongside it. Through the implementation of Rapport3’s OpenAsset integration module, Jestico + Whiles were able to go one step further and integrate the two, allowing all project information to be managed centrally in Rapport3, which would then automatically generate and update information in OpenAsset.

More recently Jestico + Whiles have introduced Newforma as their information and document control system and have added the Newforma integration module to their Rapport3 system. As with the OpenAsset integration module, the Newforma integration module provides a direct link between Rapport3 and Newforma, allowing users to enter data into a single interface within Rapport3. The module then passes key project information through to Newforma.

The implementation of these integration modules creates a ‘best of breed’ solution, allowing organisations to use the best software on the market for their various business requirements – whether that’s accounting, digital asset management or document management – whilst managing them all through one powerful, intuitive practice management system.

“The integration modules mean that all of our project and contact information resides and is managed in Rapport3, and is then synchronised with OpenAsset and Newforma” explains Darren. “This is of huge benefit to us. It gives us seamless integration, eradicates the traditional issues around data duplication and provides us with really consistent information"

The solution

O'Connor Sutton Cronin have been using Rapport for around 14 years now and the product has changed a lot since they first rolled it out. New functionality, new modules and countless updates have been implemented, something the team find to be a very valuable attribute.

"Rapport3 has a lot of functionality, and with that comes the potential for customisation. Each practice can choose to display only the information they find beneficial. James commented on their chosen modules: “Rapport3’s HR function is great, we are now capturing data to produce reports we wouldn’t have been able to before." 

James commented on the HR functionality, "By using the new skills matrix, we can have balance with, project engineers and cad technicians across offices. All this data is there ready each month for us to report on with ease. We can see trends in people joining and leaving by month and discipline. We are also getting good information on our clients by company groups and sector, that we would not have had before. This has helped us keep on track internally.”

The team have also found the service provided by Cubic Interactive over the years to be very good, not just in terms of day to day support, but also in terms of developing the product and responding to future requests.

Our team is at the core of everything we do. Drawing on broad industry experience to help our clients deliver more profitable projects. James commented on our customer service:

“I think the main selling point was the customer service that cubic offer. Whenever there Is a question we know that the cubic response time is going to be prompt, with everything answered in full. Cubic has better customer service than anyone else I have dealt with in the past.”

Our Rapport3 team ensure all clients are supported throughout their journey.

When asked what their secret to Rapport3 success was, James answered:

“Companies new to Rapport3 need to have a plan in place. Take a step by step approach with the software to not get overwhelmed with all the capabilities Rapport3 offers. List the top priorities of what you want to get out of the software. Build the foundations up from there, ask yourself ‘what’s my most important requirement and criteria that I need out of the software?.’ It will take a while to build up the data in the system when you start something new with software so take it slowly. Data integrity is the absolute key so you can analyse to get insights you need, which Rapport3 provides.”

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The solution

Jestico + Whiles have been using Rapport for around eight years now and the product has changed a lot since they first rolled it out. New functionality, new modules and countless updates have been implemented, something the team find to be a very valuable attribute.

“There’s a huge amount of functionality in the product now that wasn’t in place when we took it on board. It’s constantly addressing problems as they crop up and is still excellent at managing all of our project and contact information. The project financials feature they’ve added is particularly good – it integrates with our accounting systems and we can get some very good cost reporting on our business” enthuses Darren.

The team have also found the service provided by Cubic Interactive over the years to be very good, not just in terms of day to day support, but also in terms of developing the product and responding to future requests.

“They are very good at taking on board the development requests we throw at them, do improve the product and consider user needs” says Darren. “We’ve found them to be an organisation we can work with and that support their product well, and I’ve recommended Rapport3 quite a few times since it was implemented. After all, we’ve stuck with them for eight years – they must be doing something right!”
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The solution

Jestico + Whiles have been using Rapport for around eight years now and the product has changed a lot since they first rolled it out. New functionality, new modules and countless updates have been implemented, something the team find to be a very valuable attribute.

“There’s a huge amount of functionality in the product now that wasn’t in place when we took it on board. It’s constantly addressing problems as they crop up and is still excellent at managing all of our project and contact information. The project financials feature they’ve added is particularly good – it integrates with our accounting systems and we can get some very good cost reporting on our business” enthuses Darren.

The team have also found the service provided by Cubic Interactive over the years to be very good, not just in terms of day to day support, but also in terms of developing the product and responding to future requests.

“They are very good at taking on board the development requests we throw at them, do improve the product and consider user needs” says Darren. “We’ve found them to be an organisation we can work with and that support their product well, and I’ve recommended Rapport3 quite a few times since it was implemented. After all, we’ve stuck with them for eight years – they must be doing something right!”
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