Zale Corporation Improves Internal Control with Client Server Access Request Solution

Background

Ultimus Client: Zale Corporation
Industry: Manufacturing / Retail
Solution: Client Server Access Request

Zale Corporation is a leading specialty retailer of diamonds and other jewelry products in North America, operating more than 2,050 retail locations throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as online. The corporation employs over 15,000 people worldwide and is a Fortune 1000 company with annual sales near $2 billion.  

Goal: Automate process, reduce processing time, and improve internal controls

The Client Server Access Request is utilized by all employees of Zale Corporation to request access to one or more systems, make changes in system permissions and rights, gain access to internal servers, and resolve any general systems issues.  Prior to automation, each user manually completed a paper form which was then passed between groups in the IT department as they each performed their portion of the request.  The process was slow, paper intensive, primed for bottlenecks, and a burden to all. Challenges with the process included:

• Paper forms were time consuming and antiquated-  Each of the 15,000 employees needed to fill out a paper form by hand every time new access or a change in status was needed, flooding the IT department with thousands of requests per year.
• Long processing time- The paper forms would be passed from group to group within the IT department as each individual completed their portion of the request. If someone was on vacation or out of the office, the request would sit for days.
• Bottlenecks throughout process- With such a manual process, requests were delayed for a variety of reasons and users could be waiting weeks to gain access to a system needed to complete their daily tasks efficiently.
• Unable to track status of requests- There was no mechanism in place to track requests as they were received or to report on their status. This coupled with long processing times created an overflow of inquiries into the IT Department and no concrete answers.

Ultimus' Approach

With Ultimus’ process optimization, request forms are now electronic and accessible by all 15,000 employees worldwide.  Information flows seamlessly to the appropriate IT personnel during each step of the process without any manual intervention.  Bottlenecks are identified immediately and work is re-routed as needed.  In addition, each request can be tracked in real time with the user linking to an IT status portal to find out where the request is in the process and who it is assigned to.

Implementation

The implementation of Ultimus’ BPM Suite was smooth and efficient with Zale Corporation seeing results almost immediately. This cumbersome process was completely automated and deployed in less than five months, allowing Zale to focus on their core business and provide their employees with the tools they need to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively every day.   

About Ultimus

Ultimus has automated more business processes than any other Business Process Management (BPM) vendor worldwide. Ultimus Adaptive BPM Suite has enabled companies to accelerate their performance goals at every stage of corporate growth. Ultimus’ award-winning technology seamlessly adapts to people, systems and change.

Utilized by more than 2,000 customers worldwide, Ultimus provides solutions to organizations such as Pfizer, ProHealth, Bausch & Lomb, Northrup Grumman, DHL, Microsoft, Daimler, Perdue Farms, Chevron, and Tulane University. Ultimus is headquartered in North America, and has additional offices in Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.