Lodge Cottrell empowers employees with unfettered access to information and robust collaboration tools using an IBM Lotus software suite.

“Not only did IBM Lotus software supply us with great collaboration capabilities, but it also solved our information accessibility problem by integrating our operational software with our financial system.”

— John Westbury, IT manager, Lodge Cottrell

Lodge Cottrell Ltd. (www.lodgecottrell.com) is a leading designer, supplier and installer of large-scale, industrial air pollution control equipment. The company operates internationally through a network of associates, partners, agents and licensees. Requiring a robust collaborative environment, Lodge Cottrell wanted to migrate to a single yet comprehensive integrated platform. Simultaneously, it sought a new accounting system that would enable back-office employees to monitor financial information. Lodge Cottrell needed an easy-to-deploy collaboration platform and a cost-effective way to make accounting data transparent, thus eliminating the need to purchase an accounting system license for every employee.

Enterprise solutions for enhanced collaboration and transparency
To improve its communications, collaboration and integration capabilities, Lodge Cottrell upgraded its software environment with a suite of IBM Lotus® solutions. IBM Lotus Notes® V8 and IBM Lotus Domino® Express™ V8 software were initially installed in a test and training environment. Subsequently, the working environment was upgraded to IBM Lotus Domino V7 software to provide enhanced e-mail functionality. Training and testing evaluation programs were initiated to help make sure that IBM Lotus Domino V8 software would be rolled out successfully to the client base early in 2009. In addition, IBM Lotus Sametime® V8 software was installed, delivering robust enterprise instant messaging (IM), presence awareness and internal conferencing capabilities to Lodge Cottrell’s employees immediately. To provide its employees with access to the company’s financial data, Lodge Cottrell implemented IBM Lotus Enterprise Integrator V7 software. The solution provides a data integration path between the new financial accounting software and the Lotus Notes business-support applications.

In addition, Lodge Cottrell deployed:
• IBM Lotus Quickr™ V8.1 document management software
• IBM EasySync® Pro tool.
• IBM Lotus Domino Designer V8 software.

IBM Business Partner Kelros Ltd. Provided kelros.sales and kelros.intranet software, easily integrating the applications into the IBM solution. Kelros Ltd also developed—in cooperation with Lodge Cottrell—customized proposal, project and procurement modules to provide a totally integrated system based on IBM software.

Empowering end users with improved communication and accessibility tools
By implementing the Lotus applications, Lodge Cottrell improved its communications and collaboration capabilities and cost-effectively provided its employees with access to financial information. In turn, the IBM software yields improved efficiency and greater customer satisfaction. The total solution provides a flexible and highly configurable system that will meet the current and future business needs of Lodge Cottrell in a challenging marketplace. Specifically, Lotus Sametime software helps the client reduce travel costs by using its Web conferencing feature in place of onsite meetings. The Lotus Sametime software also benefits employees by facilitating the ability to work remotely.

For more information
To learn more about IBM Lotus software, please contact your local IBM sales representative or visit: ibm.com/lotus