Peel Holdings p.l.c’s. unique portfolio not only includes over 12,000 acres of land and high quality office and retail properties located throughout the U.K. and the world, but also one of Europe’s premier shopping centres, The Trafford Centre.

Peel also owns and operates the Manchester Ship Canal, a major regional port and Liverpool Airport, among numerous other holdings. It is an understatement to say that the flexibility of the system was a major issue when Peel selected Intuit Real Estate Solutions (IRES, formerly MRI) as an inclusive software solution to its diverse portfolio.

A flexible system is crucial to Peel

Philip Doyle, Applications Manager, explains, “Because of the nature of The Trafford Centre with its retail units, restaurants and various leisure activities, we have a complex arrangement of recovery schedules and turnover rents. This, together with the leases we have on the Ship Canal land, some of which were granted prior to the canal opening in 1894 and extend for hundreds of years, meant we needed a flexible and comprehensive property system. Not all suppliers could handle our demands.”

Other satisfied clients help Peel decide

As part of the appraisal process, three of Peel’s directors visited IRES. A larger team conducted a number of reference site visits and telephone interviews with current IRES users in the UK. As a result of this extensive research, Peel Holdings selected IRES and began implementation of the system in 1997.

The initial system implemented was the original DOS-based MRI product. Then Peel migrated to MRI for Windows. MRI for Windows is the client/server-based real estate and asset management software suite developed by IRES. “The great advantage,” explains Philip Doyle, “was that we could employ a straight upgrade path to MRI for Windows. We didn’t have to re-enter any of the data. We managed to make the transition from DOS to Windows in the space of three days, which we thought was excellent.”

Peel achieved the flexibility they desired; their creativity earned them recognition

Once installed, MRI for Windows quickly became the flexible information system Peel Holdings had envisioned.

Philip Doyle explains, “Because of some of the unique requirements we have, we wanted a system that was flexible in itself, that we could add fields to, that we could build tables onto, and add data that we specifically required. MRI for Windows gives us that flexibility. We’re also able to report more clearly our earnings to the shareholders. With the tools we now have in place, the process of information gathering and auditing of the accounts is easier than it was before.”

Peel Holdings was concerned, for instance, that their property managers were having trouble extracting current and historical data. To address the issue, the firm implemented a system that streamlined recovery/service charge data and included an invoice reference number for each new invoice created. New screen views and reports were added to make viewing the data more user-friendly.

“We now have easy access to recovery/service charge data,” explained Philip Doyle, information technology manager at the company. “One of the best results is that we now have all accounts payable invoices scanned and accessible from within the MRI Commercial application.”

Their innovation earned them recognition as a finalist in the “2002 Right for My Business Application” award that recognizes innovation and excellence in the development of customized business management solutions using the Application Tool Kit.

Meaningful analysis is another essential feature

Doyle continues, “We do a lot of analytical work across the data base. We’re constantly tracking movement in rents, analyzing the performance of the property portfolio and monitoring our income spread. One of the system’s strengths is its ability to produce reports that are meaningful both to the individuals who actually look after the properties themselves, the managers, and to the level above that, the directors.”

Philip Doyle concludes, “One of the hardest things to ascertain about a prospective vendor is how well they live up to their reputation when it comes to implementation. We talked with a lot of companies before we went with IRES, and we weren’t disappointed. The implementation process went well, and we continue to receive excellent support from IRES, both in the UK and from their headquarters in America.”

About Peel Holdings p.l.c.

As a leading international property investments and development company, the objective of Peel Holdings is to maximize returns to shareholders by investing in, developing and managing high quality shopping centers, retail developments and office properties throughout the world. Peel also owns and operates the Manchester Ship Canal, a major regional port and operates the Liverpool John Lennon Airport. For more information, please visit their website at www.peelholdings.co.uk.