CRE Manager was developed by Intuit Real Estate Solutions, formerly MRI Real Estate Solutions, a Cleveland-based developer of commercial real estate software. A long-time developer of commercial real estate software, Intuit’s new division has retooled one of its products, targeting corporations seeking to trim operating costs.
After beginning to work with Intuit in late 2003 to develop the product, Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear is the first corporate user of CRE Manager.
CRE Manager’s features include:
- An end-to-end workflow engine enabling organizations to automate and standardize all processes involved in managing real estate assets.
- An event management tool alerting users to important pre-set triggers such as rent increases or when a maintenance expense exceeds a threshold.
- Real estate administration providing access to critical information.
“We’re working with Goodyear’s implementation team and we’re happy with the rate at which it’s progressing,” says Sue Whitman, product development manager for CRE Manager, adding that no issues have been identified thus far.
Goodyear selected Intuit’s new product after deciding it needed more capabilities than offered by its previous provider. Goodyear wanted the ability to customize the software for its requirements without having to go back to the provider. The tire giant also wanted to preserve its customizations for future upgrades of the software.
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“We’re looking at it as a product that will help us integrate what we are doing from a multiple system environment into a single solution to effectively manage our real estate,” says Keith Price of Goodyear. “The thought is that this product will integrate the real estate life cycle from site selection all the way through disposing of the site, and in the process help us reduce costs.”
Price says CRE Manager fits in with Goodyear’s plan to shed $1.5 billion in costs by the end of 2005. “As a company, we are moving diligently toward removing unnecessary manufacturing and administrative costs that don’t add value.”
Intuit is an international company and its real estate division is able to provide clients with products that meet the needs of a global economy by incorporating country-specific features, Whitman says.
“Companies are not looking for products that just meet U.S. requirements,” Whitman says. “They are looking for something that incorporates VAT [value added tax] requirements in England and other international requirements.”
More corporate clients are on the way for CRE Manager. Whitman says a major retailer and a major financial institution are in negotiations to deploy the product. She notes that users have the option of self-hosting CRE Manager or using an outsourced service.
Next on the horizon is the debut of the first upgrade, CRE Manager 2.0, set for the end of 2004.