T Realty, the real estate arm of conglomerate United Technologies, is in the midst of a program aimed at centralizing real estate operations with a goal of realizing $50 million in occupancy cost savings. Headquartered in Hartford, Conn., United Technologies is a $31-billion company and ranks as the 22nd largest U.S. manufacturer according to Industry Week. Efficiently managing the company's massive real estate portfolio presents a major challenge.
      To help accomplish its goal, UT Realty selected Sequentra software from Sequentra Solutions LLC (www.sequentra.com), a subsidiary of United Systems Integrators. UT Realty has been using the software for nearly two years and gives it positive reviews for helping manage about 4,100

United Technologies' property portfolio, spanning 66 countries, is ripe for centralized management.

properties in 66 countries across seven business units.
      "We use it on a global basis to manage all of our real estate projects and maintain all information about our real estate portfolio," says Taylor Henderson, global finance and operations manager for UT Realty.
      So, for example, if Henderson wants to see how much monthly rent UT subsidiary Sikorsky Helicopter is paying at a particular location, he just goes to the specific location on the Web created for that site and pulls up the rent tab. He also uses it to find information internationally, such as the total square footage and number of sites in a given country.
      "We use it to ID different projects in a country or business unit," Henderson says. "We can determine how many lease renewals are happening in the U.K. and we can pull all the information right out of the system. It's truly changed the way we work here at UT Realty. We've gone from a position of relying on individuals outside of our organization and outside of our control. It's an extremely powerful tool and it allows us to understand what our real estate portfolio is and how to manage it."
      That kind of centralization is in line with the strategy implemented under UT Realty President Ron Zappile (profiled in the May 2003 issue of Site Selection), whose "Project Landlord" and "Project Intrinsic Value" have had savings and value discovery as their chief goals.

Sequentra's capabilities have enabled customers like United Technologies to better understand and better manage their real estate portfolios.

      "When you have as many facilities and as much real estate as we have," Zappile told Site Selection, "there are opportunities that present themselves all across the globe."
      What's more, using the right tools and processes gives corporate real estate the opportunity to maximize value.
      "We wanted to make sure we had the right data, because as you look at co-locations and consolidations and opportunities, if you don't have the right data, you don't make the right decisions," Zappile said.
      Henderson says there's constant communication between his company and Sequentra regarding the product's use.
      "Every two weeks, I manage a global conference call where we have on average about 15 players, one of whom is a Sequentra consultant. Also, we as a company talk about how it's doing and how we would like it to improve and we ask for advice if we need it."
      Henderson hopes to eventually organize a users' group to discuss issues with other companies using Sequentra.
      Sequentra Solutions is continually enhancing its Sequentra real estate technology software. Developed about six years ago, the software has gone through several versions and upgrades and is now gaining a sizeable client base of major corporations.
      Garrett Cannon, senior vice president and CIO of Sequentra Solutions, describes Sequentra as a single interface for all corporate real estate activities, available through the Web and allowing collaboration by all types of people.
      "Sequentra drives the efficiency of the whole real estate department, leveraging technology to make them more efficient," Cannon says.
      Because Sequentra is entirely Web-based, users do not need anything installed on their machines. Sequentra officials cite this as a key benefit as it allows access from any PC connected to the Internet. The software offers two modules: project tracking and lease administration.
      "Anything with a process behind it can be tracked," says Brian Schan, Sequentra product development manager. Schan says a central focus of Sequentra is its Milestones section, which associates tasks and responsibilities with individuals.

      Sequentra offers flexibility and can be tailored to companies with portfolios containing a couple dozen sites or several thousand. Users range from standard offices to large manufacturers to technology companies. Sequentra clients license the software through an agreement that allows them use of the system. The agreement is generally for a 3- to 5-year term with options to extend.
      "It's easily configurable for different types of clients," Cannon says. "They can add as many custom fields and custom reports as they want just by being a normal user."
      Cannon says the Sequentra product was built specifically with corporate real estate departments in mind.
      "Since it's geared for corporate real estate executives, it has a savings module that's unique and can be used to track savings on each individual project," Cannon says. "It's pretty innovative today with companies trying to squeeze savings out of every area. "
      Plans call for new modules to be added for space management that will allow users to integrate CAD drawings to track assets such as furniture and equipment at individual sites. Also in the works is a GIS mapping interface.
      Sequentra issues new releases about every two months and clients have the option of adding the new features, Cannon says.