Pricer

Founded in Sweden in 1991, Pricer AB is the global leader in in-store digital shelf-edge solutions, helping over 18,000 stores in more than 70 countries enhance store performance and shopping experience. At the end of 2019, the company embarked on a transformative journey to build a project and program management solution that would modernize its workflows, foster team alignment, and reduce content sprawl.

Simplifying the document flow

Prior to its digital transformation, Pricer's various departments were bogged down in sprawling spreadsheets and mired in tangled email conversations. The lack of a unified collaboration system caused disruptions in communication and information sharing, resulting in delayed projects and disjointed teamwork.

Giacomo Crucinio, Head of Professional Services at Pricer, recognised the problem: "We were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emails and documents scattered across multiple platforms," he remarks. "A document management system was essential for us, especially as our installation processes require customer verification. With multiple documents associated with each project segment, managing them by hand was not sustainable." To overcome these challenges, Pricer decided to adopt Smartsheet and work with Platinum Partner AMX.

"Everyone was using spreadsheets, so we were looking for a way to bring all the spreadsheets together and roll up all the information at country level, account level and executive level. This third level would give us a programme management view with a list of all the projects, highlighting the ones that are being worked on or delayed," explains Crucinio. "So that's what we did, using Smartsheet as the basis for building a proprietary project management platform called ProMETEOS.

The platform provides dynamic dashboards with insights based on a user's role and permissions. Each employee and subcontractor can access only the information they need to do their job, helping to ensure data security. In addition, keeping everyone up to date with the dashboards results in significant time savings.

"What we have achieved with ProMETEOS is a project management solution that is linked to the process, so that messages are sent when a task should be carried out and the system keeps track of the status of the project. There is no need to keep track of the latest status in your head, because from now on you will always find it in Smartsheet," says AMX Consulting Manager Victor Broberg.

Working smarter with automation

The chosen solution uses open APIs to synchronise with external platforms such as Salesforce and Microsoft Teams, streamlining processes and increasing productivity. Crucinio explains the impact of this integration. "Our goal was to scrutinise the customer data in our Salesforce to identify and correct any discrepancies that may have crept in over time. By importing data into Smartsheet, our order team was able to resolve inconsistencies in a single day, a task that previously could have taken up to a month."

The ordering team also benefits from Smartsheet's automated workflows, which not only standardise repetitive tasks, but also minimise the margin for error. The result is a more expedient and accurate order fulfilment process. "The system is linked to our order management system to retrieve order details. When our field staff carry out stock counts in the stores, we compare the store's product requirements with the order list. Any discrepancies are immediately flagged to the ordering team," says Crucinio.

In addition, Smartsheet's flexibility has enabled Pricer to undertake smaller, bespoke projects to meet the needs of specific departments. One example is the recent launch of the HR tool 'Pricer People', which streamlines the management of interactions with employees, whether they are new hires, current employees or those moving within the company.

Smartsheet also supports the Professional Services department. "Previously, all requests came in via email or phone call," describes Crucinio. "With Smartsheet, we built a solution that collects all requests through an internal portal. We have eliminated all email activity requests and keep all the details in one place. The solution uses conditional logic to show or hide certain fields based on the person's selection of previous fields. This ensures that they're only asked to answer the questions relevant to their submission. In addition, some values can be pre-loaded from simple HTML. All of this makes the form easier to complete and saves even more time.

Joining the quest to achieve more

Pricer continues to pursue his productivity goals with Smartsheet: getting everyone on the same page, working efficiently and eliminating communication friction. The journey continues, with new projects popping up all the time.

The company is currently working on DocuSign integration to streamline document approval with digital signatures.

“The great thing about Smartsheet is that you can find common ground with anyone using the workflows, formulas, and forms to build enterprise solutions,” sums up Crucinio. And Pricer is using that potential to the fullest to elevate the work experience for their people.