Simon, inducted into the 2010 Hall of Fame program, held at the Meridian Systems User Conference in Washington DC on May 25, uses Construction Project Management Software to standardize workflow, centralize data and cut construction costs. The Hall of Fame program recognizes project-based organizations that are best in class when it comes to managing infrastructure-intensive capital building programs and construction projects.

Simon currently owns or has an interest in 379 properties comprising 258 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 4,500 people worldwide. Simon is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG.

When a real estate company's portfolio produces $60B in annual U.S. sales, like the retail properties owned and managed by Simon Property Group, workflow challenges are to be expected. But Simon's paper-based workflow system created significant struggles around construction management. The company's quick growth, much by acquisition, resulted in a process that was cumbersome and problematic. A single document, for example, was often manually routed to multiple individuals. Not because their approvals were required, but rather to give them insight into the project.

Simon underwent a fairly complex implementation process to ensure that all objectives were met by its software solution. These objectives included:

	The standardization of applications, data, management processes and reporting (workflow)
	The establishment of a centralized, real-time data repository for projecting resource allocations and creating historical data
	Integration with the company's existing JD Edwards financial accounting tool to minimize redundant data entry, reduce errors and provide data consistency
	A strategy to minimize the amount of training needed to get staff up-to-speed

According to Kevin Frankland, Vice President of Construction Administration, "With Proliance^®, we have detailed insight into projected costs, which is something we didn't have before. Quick analysis of pending costs and how they relate to the budget, the ability to anticipate what our estimate at completion is going to be and the ability to identify where we need to request more budget allows us to develop consistent cost cutting measures. This is a key, long-term benefit from our Proliance software."

To download the complete Simon Property Group Case Study,
visit the Meridian Systems Information Library.

* 2010 inductees included: AECOM, Baptist Health South Florida, Harris Construction Company, HDR, Inc., and Simon Property Group. For more information on the Hall of Fame, or to be considered for the 2011 program, visit our Hall of Fame Page.