Sydney headquartered Gelato Messina is not a fast-growth company in terms of store locations; in fact, the artisan gelato company’s decision to go with a slow-growth approach was made easier because the company has zero debt and does not operate under a franchise model.

But the company is growing fast. It recently moved its headquarters into a bigger factory, a 1000 square foot converted warehouse where it now also hosts gelato making classes for the public.

Gelato Messina now counts 14 locations across various cities and countries, and one of the key focuses of 2015 has been to streamline processes digitally so that the entire business can operate more efficiently.

One of the systems that has been rolled out is Dropbox Business, which is providing the company with centralised, unlimited storage space and streamlined collaboration capabilities, just in time for the company’s first international store opening in Las Vegas.

“Having Dropbox Business has made us realise just how much we needed a system like it in place,” says Gelato Messina owner, Declan Lee.

“It’s made us more collaborative and organised, and we needed that to continue growing Gelato Messina.”

Keeping employees in the creative loop became a challenge as the company expanded beyond the flagship store in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Creativity is paramount at Gelato Messina, where around 40 innovative flavour choices are added to the gelato cabinets each week.

“We struggled to collaborate with store managers as we were growing,” says Content and Brand Manager, Sian Bishop. “They all needed the same information, but we didn’t have our files in one place, it was a bit of a logistical nightmare.”

The head office saves all event details and photos in Dropbox Business, and the marketing team stores every piece of promotional material there. The kitchen uses the platform to keep track of all the flavours and recipes.

“The kitchen uses Dropbox Business to store recipes and keep track of flavours and batches,” says Bishop. “Instead of writing everything down, they fill out forms in a shared folder. It really helps in everything staying orderly and keeping everyone accountable.”

By using Dropbox Business, Gelato Messina has been able to ensure brand consistency and a cohesive customer experience across its growing number of shops.

Productivity has also improved as employees can access the files they need to on any device, fast.

Find out more about how Gelato Messina and Dropbox are working together. Download the full case study here.

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