Case study: Smartecarte

Smartecarte, a global leader in unattended vending services, faced the need for an integrated solution to manage its widespread operations. From airports to amusement parks, Smartecarte provides convenience with luggage carts, lockers, massage chairs, and other guest services. Transitioning from an outdated ERP to NetSuite was a crucial step, but the real game-changer came with the adoption of Shepherd CMMS, a robust field service and asset management tool that streamlined their operations, improved financial processes, and ensured long-term scalability.

Founded in 1970, Smartecarte provides unattended vending services for luggage carts, lockers, massage chairs, strollers, and other convenience products. With operations across the globe, Smartecarte serves airports, amusement parks, and retail locations, making travel and leisure experiences more convenient for millions of people. Smartecarte operates in over 10 countries, including the US, Australia, and the UK, with a workforce of approximately 1,900 employees.

Smartecarte’s unique business model involves leasing equipment like luggage carts and lockers to institutions, providing both equipment and on-site staff to assist in operations. Their mission is to enhance customer experiences by offering solutions that make everyday inconveniences easier to handle while traveling or visiting entertainment venues.

The challenge: an outdated system hindering growth

As a company with global operations, Smartecarte’s needs were expanding rapidly, but their legacy ERP system was no longer able to support their business goals. “It was becoming a security concern,” says Trisha Richards, Senior Director of Tech and Engineering at Smartecarte, highlighting the urgency of the issue. The system was not scalable, lacked the necessary support, and posed operational risks.

Moving to NetSuite was the first step, but Trisha and her team also recognized the need for a comprehensive tool to streamline field service management, track assets, and improve financial processes. Enter Shepherd CMMS, a NetSuite-native solution designed to meet the specific needs of companies like Smartecarte.

Choosing Shepherd CMMS: flexibility and NetSuite-native integration

The team considered multiple field service solutions before selecting Shepherd CMMS. Initially, Smartecarte had chosen a different tool, but when that provider admitted they couldn’t meet Smartecarte’s unique financial processing needs, they had to look elsewhere.

Shepherd CMMS stood out for its flexibility and willingness to adapt to Smartecarte’s requirements. “Shepherd was the only group interested in actually figuring out our unique business problem and solving it,” Richards explains. The decision to move forward with Shepherd was driven by their ability to integrate seamlessly with NetSuite while also accommodating Smartecarte’s complex financial processes.

Financial integration: the secret sauce

A key driver for adopting Shepherd was Smartecarte’s need for a system that could manage financial processes related to their field operations. Shepherd CMMS enabled the company to integrate real-time data from field service teams into NetSuite, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors.

According to Kerri Cain, Manager, Tech & Engineering at Smartecarte and in charge of training staff on the new solution, the implementation of Shepherd’s financial integration took nearly eight months of development. “The Shepherd team was wonderful, constantly testing and making adjustments,” she says. “The ability to have service information and financial data all in one place has been a game-changer.”

The integration was challenging, given the need to convert what resided “in a team member’s head” into a programmable solution but the Shepherd team worked closely with Smartecarte to ensure it met their specific needs. The result was a custom financial processing solution that automates tasks previously done manually, saving time and increasing accuracy.

Field Service Management: improved efficiency

Smartecarte was already using a tool to collect data from their field teams. This system allowed employees to log service information, which was then manually entered into the ERP. While this arrangement got the job done, it was found that the process could be made considerably more efficient by integrating it into NetSuite.

With Shepherd CMMS, Smartecarte’s field teams can now input data directly into the system, which is automatically synced with NetSuite. This eliminates the need for manual data entry, ensuring that data is accurate and up to date.

“Consolidation and efficiency have been huge benefits for us,” says Trisha. “Shepherd gave us an efficiency that we didn’t have before. Everything is connected now, and that saves us time and effort.”

Scaling for the future: a phased approach

Although Smartecarte is still in the process of fully leveraging Shepherd’s capabilities, the company has already seen significant improvements. The company has taken a phased approach, first focusing on transitioning to Shepherd and recreating existing processes. “We knew the transition would be painful, but we saw the future potential,” says Richards.

Now that the team has achieved parity with their previous system, they are beginning to explore new possibilities with Shepherd CMMS. “The more we use it, the more possibilities we see,” Kerri notes.

Overcoming challenges: timeline and implementation

One of the primary challenges Smartecarte faced during the implementation of Shepherd CMMS was an underestimation of the time and effort required. Despite this, Shepherd’s team remained committed to the project, working diligently to ensure that Smartecarte’s needs were met.

“The patience and effort Shepherd showed throughout the process made a big difference,” Richards adds. “They didn’t give up, even when the project became more complicated than expected.”

Results: streamlined operations and future potential

Since adopting Shepherd CMMS, Smartecarte has seen significant improvements in their operations. Financial processes that once took hours of manual effort are now automated, and field service data is more accurate and accessible. “Having everything in one place has been amazing,” says Cain.

Looking forward, Smartecarte plans to continue exploring the full potential of Shepherd CMMS. With the foundation now in place, the company is poised to scale its operations further, leveraging the system’s capabilities to meet new challenges as they arise.

Conclusion: Shepherd CMMS delivers flexibility and integration

Smartecarte’s partnership with Shepherd CMMS highlights the importance of flexibility and collaboration in finding the right solution for unique business challenges. By working closely with Shepherd, Smartecarte was able to integrate their field service management with their financial processes, streamline operations, and position themselves for long-term success.

For companies looking for a field service and asset management solution that can adapt to their specific needs, Shepherd CMMS offers a powerful and flexible option that goes beyond standard out-of-the-box capabilities.