Connecting the Dots Quickly... Let's say that you manage 550 shopping centers with 6,000 tenants totaling 67 million square feet located in 42 states. What's the best way to manage tenant transactions? And how can you maximize the value of your public web site? Those were two questions facing Mitch Margolis, CIO, and Lisa Carmichael, Director of Internet Services, at Kimco Realty Corporation about a year ago as they reassessed their information strategy.

After a virtual tour of Kimco's solutions, I was impressed with their answers. First, Kimco has deployed Siebel's robust CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software. In essence, each potential lease or signed lease becomes a "customer" surrounded by data that can be accessed by Kimco staff and outside professionals like attorneys. It looked to me like Kimco had effectively created a powerful transaction management system.

Second, Kimco's public web site offers a range of useful features, including an information page on each shopping center complete with demographics and space available, a Submit Property form for new acquisitions, and Property Seach for space available. My Kimco enables prospective tenants to continuously monitor Kimco's database for space available and allows existing tenants to submit repair requests online.

Finally, Kimco ties all these systems together -- CTI for property management, Siebel's CRM software and Excel spreadsheets -- using REquest for executive reporting. (See REsolve Technology: We'll Marry Your Data, Oct 4, 2001.) Margolis claims that Kimco has significantly shortened the leasing cycle, "We have achieved a real ROI (Return on Investment) by reducing the time from inception to execution."

--Peter Pike