Haskell Maximizes the Value of Its ERP Investments With Information Builders' BI and Integration Technology

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - May 4, 2009) - In the construction business, an economic downturn can hit with the impact of a sledgehammer. For Haskell, one of the foremost design-build organizations in the U.S., using business intelligence (BI) and integration technology from Information Builders, an independent leader in BI solutions, helps employees track costs and improve performance at a time when every dollar counts. Haskell has discovered many advantages to using WebFOCUS and technology from iWay Software, an Information Builders company and an innovator of enterprise integration solutions, to augment its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. By creating a self-service reporting environment that delivers 80 to 90 percent of the information most business users need, the mid-sized company is making workers more capable while minimizing IT support issues.

"WebFOCUS and iWay have brought about a dramatic shift in our ability to extend operational information into day-to-day activities," said David Ibach, manager of application development at Haskell. "In an era of economic uncertainty, having precise and accurate data makes us more credible with our clients."

WebFOCUS enables human resources and finance professionals to easily access ERP information and transform it into richly formatted reports on items such as payroll, workers compensation, and budget reports. Users can specify runtime parameters such as sorting options, subtotals, and groupings and also specify a variety of output options. These colorful reports -- many of them accessible with one or two clicks -- are more visually appealing and easier to comprehend than the standard reports from Haskell's ERP system, enabling Haskell to better manage its workforce and minimize overhead costs. For example, by organizing information in its total compensation reports in a more intuitive fashion, the payroll department identified potential payment discrepancies and reduced its workers' compensation premiums by $80,000.

Integration technology from iWay Software is helping Haskell streamline the report-development process and improve data quality. iWay automatically enforces the security in the ERP system so the WebFOCUS reports uphold existing access restrictions. Additionally, because iWay integrates ERP business events with virtually any type of information system, Haskell's developers don't have to develop custom interfaces as their IT infrastructure evolves.

"ERP systems help companies compete more effectively, but only if users can leverage the data to enhance decision-making," said Gerald Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders. "Like many midsize firms looking for an edge from technology, Haskell has discovered the power of giving business users direct access to analytical information."

Currently Haskell has more than 50 regular WebFOCUS users in the HR and finance departments. Another 50 or 60 people use the BI software periodically. That number is expected to grow as developers open up new reporting domains. For example, Haskell plans to use WebFOCUS ReportCaster to distribute budget and planning reports by e-mail, replacing processes that are now highly manual. Additionally, Haskell plans to replace a variety of Microsoft Excel reporting applications with WebFOCUS applications to enforce consistent data management. The company also plans to use WebFOCUS to help people access and analyze information in the company's document imaging system.

"Our philosophy is simple: get data out to the masses first," said Mr. Ibach. "If you adopt a BI environment that makes it easy for people to create their own reports, you can provide 80 to 90 percent of what most business people need to do their jobs."

About Haskell

Haskell is America's leading integrated design-build firm practicing in the general building and civil infrastructure markets. The company has annual revenues of more than $750 million with offices in the United States and Mexico. More information can be found at www.haskell.com.

About iWay Software

iWay Software's integration methodology is simple: it uses a single, integrated set of graphical design tools to assemble powerful pre-built components for enterprise-class business-to-business (B2B) integration, business process automation (BPA), or enterprise information management (EIM) integration scenarios -- without the use of custom code. Integration configurations can be deployed in a stand-alone manner to any environment supporting a JVM -- or to Web application servers from any vendor. iWay delivers the fastest, most cost-effective, and simplest way to integrate and streamline critical business processes. iWay Software's vendor-, platform-, and protocol-neutral solutions achieve the promise of SOA: true reusability. For more information visit: iwaysoftware.com.

About Information Builders

Information Builders' award-winning combination of business intelligence and enterprise integration software has been providing innovative solutions to more than 12,000 customers for the past 30 years. WebFOCUS is the world's most widely utilized business intelligence platform. It provides the security, scalability and flexibility needed at every level of global extended enterprises. Its simplicity helps create executive, analytical, and operational applications that reach dozens to millions of users. Information Builders' iWay Software suite provides state of the art, multi-purpose, pre-built integration components that address all SOA, application, data and information management requirements. Its integration adapters have been adopted by the leading software platform providers. Together, these products give Information Builders' customers the ability to grow and innovate according to their needs.

Information Builders' customers include most of the Fortune 100 and U.S. federal government agencies. Headquartered in New York City with 90 offices worldwide, the company employs 1,450 people and has more than 350 business partners. More information is available at informationbuilders.com.

Contact Information: Press Contacts: Kathleen Moran Information Builders (917) 339-6313 Karyn Martin Emerge PR (617) 729-3173