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Krause Gentle Corp. The Client
Krause Gentle Corp. owns the 17th largest convenience store chain in the United States with more than 310 "Kum and Go" convenience stores. The fast-growing company, which started in 1959 with one store in Hampton Iowa, now employs more than 2,000 associates throughout 13 states in the Midwest and the northwest United States. The Challenge
Krause Gentle needed a better way to manage its expansive convenience store operation without increasing the corporate staff. They wanted better overall communications with their stores, a better way of monitoring and understanding store transaction data, and were looking to minimize both the education and technology learning-curve for new employees. Their existing integrated technology infrastructure consisted largely of a pre-packaged convenience store application that ran over a slow dial-up connection to the corporate office. The pre-packaged software did not allow for the customization requirements to accomplish their goals. The Solution
We engaged our Integrated Technology Solutions group to help Kraus Gentle develop strategies for solving its communications, training, and data management problems. Two of our consultants held a series of meetings to educate executives and seniors managers about intranets and brainstorm ideas on how an intranet could benefit Krause Gentle. After the meetings, the consultants devised an intranet strategic plan that included a prioritized list of potential applications, return-on-investment, and an implementation plan. We then performed a system selection process that resulted in Lotus Notes/Domino being rolled out within the Krause Gentle organization. We chose Lotus Notes/Domino based on their powerful intranet portal-building capabilities and ability to efficiently synchronize data and applications out to remote workstations over a dial-up connection. As part of the intranet portal project, we designed, developed, and implemented the following applications: Bulletin Board
We centralized and augmented the communication channel between the corporate office and their individual stores. Features include targeted store communications, Bulletin Board monitoring, and auto-archiving/deletion capabilities. Online Training Manual
We streamlined the education process by implementing an electronic training manual. The Online Training Manual is integrated into Krause Gentle's employee training programs. Update notifications occur through the Bulletin Board. Employee Self-Service
We re-engineered the new-hire process to electronically capture new-hire information. The system uses decision-tree logic and validates user input when entering personnel, tax, employment verification, and benefits information. Journal Transaction Upload and Monitoring
We provided on-demand access to store accounting data from the corporate office. We added customized reporting and extended query capabilities to the core accounting package. E-mail "Lite"
We overhauled the e-mail interface to include only the basic messaging features required of the store employees. The Benefits
Krause Gentle's intranet portal has proven to be instrumental in streamlining the company's comm
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