News
CB Richard Ellis Investors Brings Accounting and Finance Back In-House With Touchstone Group
By Teredo Limited
5. Jan 2006 - 10:31:14 PM

Global real estate investment management firm CB Richard Ellis Investors, an independently operated affiliate of CB Richard Ellis Group Inc, has chosen to implement the SunSystems eXFM and time@work expenses module from Touchstone Group across its European businesses. The new finance and accounting software will allow CBRE Investors to bring its European finance function under centralised control in-house, achieve better management information and visibility and bring increased flexibility to the business.

Andy Colman, European Finance Director, CBRE Investors, comments, “CBRE Investors European business operated from offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan, and Luxembourg. The Group, which is headquartered in Los Angeles, also has a number of offices across Asia. In centralising and bringing our finances back in-house we have given ourselves the ability to oversee the whole European business, and we aim to bring Asia and the US onto the system at a later date.. Across the group there are numerous business units, legal entities and product lines; SunSystems allows us to prepare very flexible reporting across all of these.”

CBRE Investors selected Touchstone Group following a competitive pitch process, as its consultative approach, combined with the SunSystems product offering, provided CBRE Investors with the assurance that the solution offered was the best equipped to meet the flexible business needs of the ever-expanding company. Colman explains, “It is very important that we can oversee all finance data across our international business as and when it is needed; Touchstone Group recognised this amidst the consultation period and, as a result, have implemented a system which will allow us all the benefits we are looking for without having to employ any new staff.”

Adrian McNay, Divisional Managing Director, Touchstone Group, adds, “The decision to take back in-house a process that was previously outsourced is not one to be taken lightly. It was very clear to us, right from the outset, that getting the technology implemented and the in-house processes right as quickly as possible, would be key for CBRE Investors to recognise the benefits they require on an international level. Our years of working with organisations in this sector and SunSystems technology have ensured that Touchstone Group has the skills necessary to meet CBRE Investors expectations.”

Colman concludes, “We discussed our business objectives for the new solution, and felt that Touchstone Group was talking back to us on the same level. Working with them has been very positive and we eagerly anticipate the benefits we will receive once we have rolled out the entire solution in spring 2007.”

About Touchstone Group
Incorporated in 1982, Touchstone Group plc is quoted on the London Stock Exchange AIM market (LSE:TSE).

Touchstone Group provides integrated business software solutions and consultancy services to mid-market & enterprise level organisations to harness the power of technology for business improvement.

Touchstone Group combines an intimate knowledge of its clients’ vertical markets with a strong partner portfolio. Coupled with teams of experts to support the entire integration process, the Group is able to provide a highly professional service, helping each client to find the right technology solution to support its business needs through addressing a broad range of business activities; such as ERP & CRM, corporate performance management, procurement, document and records management, and enterprise resource management (ERM). 

From business analysis, solution definition, programme & project management, technology & infrastructure, to development, solution implementation and client support, Touchstone is able to integrate and deliver exactly the right combination of technology components to streamline its clients’ complex business processes and deliver ongoing, incremental change.

Primarily working with companies in the UK, but also supporting many international organisations, Touchstone has over 1,000 customers of which about 300 are this year involved in fee-based project developments. The organisation is focused upon nine key industry sectors, including Not-for-Profit, Hire & Rental, Wealth Management/Financial Services, Hospitality & Leisure, Manufacturing, High Tech, Media & Publishing, Wholesale and Professional Services. Key customer names include: Speedy Hire, PwC, Isle of Man Government, MessageLabs, J. D. Wetherspoons, Toshiba, and West Yorkshire Police.

For further information, please contact:

Natalie Easson  
Touchstone Group     
+44 (0)207 121 4700   
www.touchstone.co.uk   
natalie.easson@touchstone.co.uk

Celia Dixon / Jo Timmins
The itpr Partnership     
+44 (0)1932 578800
www.itpr.co.uk
celiad@itpr.co.uk