ORPINGTON, England, June 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The Rick Stein Group has selected Real Asset Management's (RAM) comprehensive system to track and improve maintenance processes for an asset base that currently spreads across more than 20 sites. RAM's solution will provide a centralised database of crucial asset information and a detailed log of all work planned and completed.

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Founded in 1975, the business has grown over the years to now encompass 10 restaurants, 4 luxury cottages, a cookery school, fisheries, a gift shop, a patisserie, a deli and 40 guest bedrooms. Whilst the heart of the business is in Cornwall, it continues to grow its presence nationwide, establishing bases in locations that include Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire.

RAM's system will be used to record and track information related to the maintenance and running costs of the company's 800+ asset base. This will mainly consist of large and often expensive industrial kitchen equipment such as ovens, fryers, fridges and freezers. Whilst currently in the preliminary stage of importing asset data, the company plans to utilise RAM's mobile maintenance app to ensure the central database is kept up-to-date, using the latest in portable, handheld technology.

Before selecting RAM, maintenance information was stored on spreadsheets and communicated through internal emails. Moving over to a specialist system will allow this information to be accessed by any authorised employee that requires it. Ian Fitzgerald, Operations Director at the Rick Stein Group comments, "Collating all of our asset information within one location will give us greater cost visibility between all departments and monitor expenditure.  

"We initially thought that the company was not of a size to warrant dedicated software. However, after evaluating the functionality on offer, we were confident that using RAM's system would help us to reduce costs and provide a good Return-on-Investment."

One of the key objectives of adopting RAM's solution was to improve work scheduling processes and move from a largely reactive maintenance environment to one that predominantly consists of planned works. Ian comments, "Due to the fast-paced nature of the business, we have traditionally carried out most of our asset maintenance as problems occur. With the new system, we will now be aiming to shift the current ratio of planned and reactive maintenance from a 40:60 split to 70:30, significantly reducing expensive break-downs."

To help optimise work scheduling, the company will have access to a comprehensive maintenance plan calendar. This will allow the business to create work orders quickly for routine tasks and schedule them into the desired cycle, i.e. weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. Jobs can be created on a drag-and-drop basis and colour-coded by priority, giving the business good visibility on which tasks need to be completed in which order.

In addition to contractor management, the software will provide the company with the ability to log information about work orders that are carried out by its own maintenance team, enabling the company to manage its internal resources more effectively and keep a record of where work has been carried out and by whom. This information has not been tracked in such detail in the past and the company will be analysing it to expose hidden costs.  

In-depth reporting tools and graphical dashboards will assist the company in making decisions on whether to replace an asset or have it repaired. Ian adds, "Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will provide valuable information regarding what is being spent on maintenance and how often work is being carried out. With data automatically collated and readily available, we will now be able to identify trends in equipment performance, maximising unit efficiency."

The integrated health and safety certificate functionality will provide a useful service to the business. With the software in place, the company will be able to ensure that all of its essential documents are adequately managed. Having information instantly accessible will also provide more of a grasp on when certificates are due for renewal and when deadlines are approaching.

The Rick Stein Group has opted to have the system hosted on RAM's cloud platform. A driving factor in this decision was the flexibility and capacity it offers, while also giving senior managers more control over access. Utilising the hosted platform will save the business and its internal IT resources time. The company will have all of its database backups stored for them and when upgrades are required, they will be carried out by RAM.

When discussing why the company selected RAM, Ian commented, "Our Account Manager at RAM was always readily available, whether it was for a face-to-face meeting, a demonstration or a phone call. This gave the process a personal touch, which was refreshing. So far, the working relationship with RAM has been very open and positive."

Real Asset Management (RAM) is a leading provider of fixed asset management and logistics software & services.   Over the last 30 years, its products have been implemented by more than 3,000 organisations in over 70 countries.

RAM, the leading supplier to the UK public sector, has successfully implemented software across 1000 Commercial companies, 180 Housing Associations, 100 Local Authorities, 150 Central Government sites, 200 NHS Trusts, 90 Educational Establishments and over 250 MoD sites worldwide. 

The company has developed a powerful range of software modules around a central data repository that enables organisations of any size to manage every aspect of the asset lifecycle.   Its Series4000 solution offers fixed asset accounting, capital project control, lease accounting, asset budgeting, asset tracking (utilising barcode/RFID/NFC technology) and computerised maintenance management.

For further information, please contact:
Miki Wardell                    
Real Asset Management                
Tel: +44 (0)1689 892137                
Email: mwardell@ramplc.com            
@RealAssetMgt                        

SOURCE Real Asset Management