AlliedSignal to Use MicroStrategy's Decision Support Technology
17 August 1998
MicroStrategy's Decision Support Technology Helps AlliedSignal Increase Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction
VIENNA, Va.--Aug. 17, 1998--AlliedSignal Credits MicroStrategy's Functionality, Ease of
Implementation, and Wide Range of Interfaces
MicroStrategy Incorporated , a leading worldwide provider of mission-critical decision support systems, today announced that its customer, AlliedSignal Automotive Products Group (APG), a business unit of AlliedSignal Inc. , is using MicroStrategy's decision support technology to increase productivity and business performance, and better serve its customers in the automotive retail, wholesale, and service industries. AlliedSignal, an advanced technology and manufacturing company with 1997 sales of $14.5 billion, is one of the 30 companies comprising the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and is ranked among the top 100 companies in the Fortune 500.
"This system is all about using the latest technology available to streamline costs and enhance the value AlliedSignal can add for its customers," said Rob Halsall, Data Warehousing Product Manager for AlliedSignal. "We have been pleased with how MicroStrategy's data warehousing solution has provided the flexibility to accommodate the Automotive Product Group's goals and improve our customers' bottom line."
Back in 1996, there was no easy way for a customer service representative, mid-level manager or senior executive in the Automotive Aftermarket-Americas Unit (a part of APG) to share information across departments and perform advanced reporting and analysis of business information. To gain a better understanding of the levels of efficiency and profitability, it was determined that many employees needed to gain access to unattainable customer information stored in thousands of files and multiple transaction systems. Automotive Aftermarket-Americas financial analysts, marketing analysts, and directors, for instance, needed to examine daily sales data, compare sales figures to forecasts and budget, identify the top customers in a given channel, and determine how many orders were pending and what the cycle time was for filling orders. After reviewing other vendors and considering the diverse needs of its employees, Automotive Aftermarket-Americas selected MicroStrategy's decision support solution based on functionality, rapid implementation, flexibility, and the Windows, web, and custom-built interfaces.
Today, APG managers are using DSS Agent(TM) and custom-built DSS Executive(TM) interfaces to determine how successful the company has been in fulfilling its customer orders for automotive products. Mid-level managers are analyzing sales trends by region or by sales executive, and efficiently managing the number of orders customers have placed and the number and type of products a customer has requested with each order. Customer service representatives with access to the Internet are using DSS Web(TM), MicroStrategy's web-based decision support tool, to access order information and create, save, and customize reports within minutes. The Monthly Fill report, for instance, can be sent to a customer like Pennzoil who may want to know more about supply-chain performance within their order.
DSS Broadcaster, MicroStrategy's latest product -- designed to send highly personalized messages to thousands of recipients via e-mail, fax, pager, and mobile phone -- is being utilized for the purpose of enabling fully automated, dynamic export of detailed customer information to directly benefit the AlliedSignal sales force. By receiving and being able to respond to customized information about key customers at critical times during the business cycle, the sales force will be far more effective in identifying new sales opportunities and increasing profitability.
According to Halsall, data collected in day-to-day business operations is now being used to maximize revenues, while minimizing information technology costs. "This is an important project for AlliedSignal and we absolutely needed the right solution for success -- and that means giving folks tools they'll want to use. We looked at other decision support tools, but found them unable to beat MicroStrategy's flexibility and functionality. Our end users have really taken to MicroStrategy's easy-to-use interfaces. And from a business perspective, using MicroStrategy has helped us make better business decisions, resulting in a solid return on investment."
Within a matter of minutes, employees can identify any problems with customer orders and resolve them immediately. With the amount of time needed to run reports being reduced from 4.5 days to 2 minutes, MicroStrategy has dramatically increased the company's productivity. As a result, the Automotive Aftermarket-Americas Unit is providing better service to its customers and field sales force, and increasing profitability for all of its sales channels.
AlliedSignal is already reaping benefits at the corporate level as well, driving the strategic planning process by sharing data across functional areas and business units. Recently completed is a financial data-mart combining sales and cost data from four related business units. Now, senior executives and strategic planning teams can analyze powerful customer and product profitability information, charting a course for growth for both the Automotive Products Group and its customers.
About AlliedSignal
AlliedSignal is an advanced technology and manufacturing company serving customers worldwide with aerospace and automotive products, chemicals, fibers, plastics and advanced materials. The company is organized into eleven strategic business units. With $14.5 billion in 1997 sales, AlliedSignal ranks among the top 100 of the Fortune 500, and is one of the 30 companies comprising the Dow Jones Industrial Average. AlliedSignal's Automotive Aftermarket-Americas -- based in Rumford, RI -- sells, markets, and provides customer support for products sold under the FRAM(R), Autolite(R), and Bendix(R) brand names. AlliedSignal was recently included in Fortune magazine's list of "The 100 Best Companies To Work For In America."
About MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy is a leading worldwide provider of enterprise decision support system ("DSS") software and related services. MicroStrategy's suite of products ("DSS Suite") enables both active and passive delivery of information from large-scale databases, providing Global 2000 enterprise user communities with timely answers to mission-critical questions.
MicroStrategy's decision support platform enables users to query and analyze the most detailed, transaction-level databases, turning data into business intelligence. In addition to supporting internal enterprise users, MicroStrategy's products extend DSS beyond corporate boundaries to customers, partners and supply chain constituencies through a broad range of pull and push technology such as the Internet, e-mail, telephones, pagers and other wireless communications devices. MicroStrategy also offers a comprehensive set of consulting, training and support services for its customers and partners.
MicroStrategy has over 500 customers across such diverse industries as retail, telecommunications, finance, insurance, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and consumer packaged goods. MicroStrategy's customers use DSS Suite to perform mission-critical activities such as: customer segmentation and profitability analysis; supply chain management; one-to-one customer marketing; financial analysis; customer acquisition, retention, and churn analysis; merchandising and inventory analysis; product category management; and customer risk profiling. Representative MicroStrategy customers include American Express Travel Services, CVS Pharmacy, Harris Teeter, IMS America, Kmart, MCI, Merck-Medco, Nike, Ralston Purina, and WorldCom. MicroStrategy has also entered into relationships with more than 80 system integration, application development and platform partners, including Acxiom, Andersen Consulting, IBM, Intrepid Systems, NCR, and Oracle.
For more information, please visit MicroStrategy's web-site: www.strategy.com.
MicroStrategy, DSS Agent, DSS Executive, DSS Web, and DSS Broadcaster are either trademarks or registered trademarks of MicroStrategy Incorporated in the United States and certain other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe", "estimate", "project", "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include continued acceptance of the Company's products in the marketplace, the timing of significant orders, delays in the Company's ability to develop or ship new products, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, general economic conditions, currency fluctuations, and other risks detailed in the Company's registration statements and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release.