Ford Chooses Captura Software's Global Expense Management Solution
30 September 1998
Ford Motor Co. Selects Captura Software's Global Expense Management Solution; Captura Extends Its Reach with Ford Travelers Worldwide
BOTHELL, Wash.--Sept. 30, 1998--Captura Software, a leading provider of global expense management solutions, today announced it has entered into an agreement with Ford Motor Co. to provide an online travel and entertainment (T&E) expense management system for Ford's worldwide operations.
The system, using Captura's flagship product Employee Payables(TM), will provide a global Intranet-based expense management system that integrates with Ford's corporate card provider, Citibank (South Dakota), N.A., a subsidiary of Citicorp .
Under the terms of the agreement, Ford plans to deploy Employee Payables at its worldwide locations. Captura's proprietary Intelligent Decision Processing (IDP) architecture -- at the heart of Employee Payables -- and advanced integration to Citibank's corporate card, will be localized to Ford's operations in each country, providing an expense management solution capable of automatic credit card downloads, accounting systems integration, and "business critical" data import, warehousing, and reporting requirements. This type of system is widely held as an operational "best practice."
Captura is the first company to support multinational expense reporting requirements, including various currencies and the euro, local per diem regulations, tax and mileage reimbursement rules, multiple languages, location-specific policies and practices, and localized reports.
Employee Payables incorporates a sophisticated rules engine, enabling the product to be localized to accommodate various nations' regulations and policies, with minimal code changes.
"Captura and Citibank teamed up to provide a best-of-breed solution to Ford's credit card and T&E needs," said Dana Bruttig, president and CEO of Captura.
"For many global companies, automating T&E is 'business critical' since it's the third largest controllable cost and yet not automated. For example, using a corporate credit card from Citibank and automated T&E reporting from Captura, we have seen clients cut processing costs from almost $40 per expense report to under $2. In addition, a lengthy processing turn-around period can be cut down to days.
"Savvy companies like Ford can realize multiple benefits by adopting these technologies: a simple user interface for the traveler that streamlines expense reporting; a greatly improved electronic system for collecting credit card transactions and speeding expense reports through accounting offices; and, importantly, the capture of valuable business data and expenditure trends to help senior management make smarter business decisions that affect the bottom line," said Bruttig.
"Citibank's relationship with Captura blends the premium multinational corporate card solution with the global expense management capabilities required to deliver a world-class, worldwide solution to one of the leading multinationals," said Cathleen Raffaeli, executive director of commercial cards, Citibank, N.A.
"The ability to integrate and customize key information electronically through the Web gives Ford maximum control and flexibility in managing day-to-day operations. This element of customized information and choice is a fundamental aspect of e-Citi commerce solutions," she added.
Captura is a solutions provider within Citibank's e-Citi commerce solutions, a suite of electronic products and services designed to meet customer needs in the evolving global economy. These solutions are designed to support the new electronic way of doing business, and they offer content, access, and choices as Citibank continues to create a distinctive, global, customer-driven, multi-purposed electronic experience.
Employee Payables Delivers Best Approach for International
Markets
Employee Payables is a comprehensive solution allowing large global, multi-divisional enterprise companies with complex travel policies to automate the T&E expense process, resulting in significant cost savings.
Employee Payables delivers the most advanced approach to issues such as complex government regulations and multiple currencies (critical as adoption of the euro takes place), Year 2000 compliance, automatic integration of data from outside sources, and capture of additional information to make intelligent choices about that data.
In addition, Captura utilizes a proprietary implementation methodology that ensures a short implementation cycle and ensures that changes in policy can be easily managed in-house by the client.
About Ford
Ford Motor Co. is the world's second largest automotive company. It employs more than 360,000 people and serves customers in more than 200 countries.
About Citibank
Citibank, N.A., a global provider of financial services, serves consumer, business, governmental and institutional customers from locations in 100 countries and territories. Its Global Consumer business has been a leader in applying advanced technology to bring individuals in 57 countries credit, payment, and investment services through branches, electronic access, and charge and credit cards.
In the U.S., Citibank's Consumer business serves consumers and small businesses through a network of 375 branches in nine states and the District of Columbia. Its Global Corporate Banking business today serves major international corporations and local growth companies in emerging markets. Citibank can be reached on the Web at http://www.citibank.com.
About Captura Software
Captura, with worldwide headquarters in the greater Seattle area, delivers comprehensive expense management products and world-class services to help companies worldwide control costs, increase profitability, and make better decisions.
The company's flagship product, Employee Payables, helps global organizations align more closely with T&E Best Practices, enforce expense policy uniformly across the corporation, and reduce the costs associated with the processing of expense reports. Captura has offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Newark, Raleigh, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., with European headquarters in London.
Captura has built a strong infrastructure of customers, partners, and strategic alliances with more than 250,000 seats sold. Customers include: Merrill Lynch; Compaq Computer Corporation; Commercial Union Insurance Companies; EG&G Sealol, recently acquired by John Crane; Lockheed-Martin; Pfizer Inc.; SSDS; and Unify.
For more information about Captura and its products, in the U.S. call 425/487-9484, in Europe call +44 181 263 2914; or visit the company's Web site at http://www.captura.com.