Case Study - SMMP
Case Study - Enterprise implementation of Cvent for a global meetings and events agency as their internal SMMP platform
Client:
A global meetings and events agency with a presence in 35 EMEA countries and a further 18 in the rest of the world
Problem:
Disparate systems and processes across different departments, offices, countries and regions - no common standards
High reliance on emails and spreadsheets with no version control
Duplication of data within and across offices
The incumbent meetings management system was slow and difficult to use but had been in-situ for nearly a decade, so all staff were familiar with it
The lack of standardisation meant reporting was very time-consuming and difficult to verify
Objective:
To implement a global meetings and events management platform with centralised data management and standardised processes across all global offices
Solution:
The agency selected Cvent as the platform and needed assistance in implementing it to its EMEA offices as part of a global strategic meetings management program
The implementation had to be coordinated with an initial rollout in North America and configured for future deployment to a global workforce of 600+ users
After an in-depth analysis of the incumbent meetings management system (Ungerboek), and all associated processes, Smartec project managed the full business process re-engineering and change management for the agency in EMEA, while working closely with the North American project team.
After firstly implementing Cvent to the UK and Ireland office, deployment strategies were replicated to offices in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary, while respecting local nuances, localisation and internationalisation requirements
Nominated departmental 'champions' were identified during training sessions, who were given further training and mentored to provide 'first line' support to their colleagues
At the same time, a 'centre of excellence' team was built in Poland to provide Cvent support globally
SOPs (standard operating procedures) were created and distributed to all staff, as well as incorporated into staff induction programs
Website and registration builds for events were identified as areas that required specialised skills, so a separate team was created to perform this function. Processes were put in place for using this team
Sharepoint was implemented as new document management system
Challenges:
Cvent does not support an internal CRM module, so the configuration had to allow the agency to be able to manage its hundreds of clients, most with different reporting needs
The agency, a subsidiary of a global TMC, had to use a back-office system that was not fit for the purpose of a meetings and events agency - this had an impact on the configuration of the system
Although the Cvent budget module is feature-rich, it is challenged when it comes to handling commissions and markups for an agency. Further, each country office had its own commercial nuances which had to be accommodated
To create client-facing proposals from the budget report, an Excel macro solution had to be designed and developed
Transfer of Value reporting for pharmaceutical clients required some engineering to generate efficiently
Benefits
Centralised global data management
Standard processes across departments, offices, countries and regions
Centralised reporting, data insights and ROI analysis
Common standards - lookup fields, naming conventions, message templates
Common workflows - approval processes, automated notifications, status updates
Centralised document management and collaborative working through Sharepoint
Cross-regional business growth opportunities, as centralised data allows the agency to offer a global SMM offering to its clients
Agency Sharepoint Site
Features of the implementation
Required global design and configuration of Cvent from the outset, respecting regional differences
Data migration from the incumbent system into the new one
A single instance of Cvent for all global offices, leading to global standards, such as status', delegate types and service types
Different workflows for each department - Venue Sourcing, Group Travel, Live Events and Attendee Management
Multiple meeting request forms (MRFs), including client-specific MRFs
Full deployment of Cvent Budget Module
End to end venue sourcing (RFP module) using Cvent Supplier Network
Supplier management and multi-tiered preferred supplier lists (including client preferred lists)
End to end delegate management, including PNR integration
Specialised event website and registration build team
Event marketing and automated emails strategy
Workflow automation with automated notifications to designated staff
An automated approval workflow, based on the projected values of a new meeting or event
Client SMM implementations, including Requester sites
Cross event and cross-module reporting, including Parked reports
Single Sign-On via API integration
Post-event surveys
Deployment of the event app, Crowd Compass, for selected events
Cvent Features
Call Smartec on +44 (0)7917 451677 or email info@smartecbs.com for more information