Information Management Honors Northwood Advisors With 2012 Innovative Solution Award

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwire - Dec 19, 2012) - Northwood Advisors, a business intelligence (BI) and decision systems advisory firm, along with its partner, Chickasaw Nation Division of Commerce (CDNC), has been awarded the Information Management 2012 Innovative Solution Award. The award recognizes organizations that have developed innovative information technology solutions that resulted in constructive organizational changes and quantifiable business benefits. Winners were selected from six categories, and Northwood Advisors and the CDNC took top honors in the Performance Management category.

The Innovative Solution Award, presented by Information Management, honors organizations that have deployed innovative and groundbreaking information technology solutions that resulted in constructive organizational changes and quantifiable business benefits. Information Management vetted more than 45 entries and selected winners based on the degree of complexity of their project, level of innovation, project breadth, and qualitative and quantitative results. Winners represent the "movers and shakers" who are considered the best examples of leadership and names to watch in information management in the coming year.

The award-winning BI firm, Northwood Advisors, and the CDNC took home the prize for successfully implementing a comprehensive BI system that immediately resulted in dramatic labor savings across a number of business functions, revenue enhancement and powerful cultural change within the CNDC. The CDNC is responsible for operating all the commercial enterprises to support the Chickasaw people through a diverse range of enterprises, including banks, retail stores, hotels, casinos and radio stations; and the organization's Performance Solution Center -- an internal competency center developed through Northwood Advisors -- was recognized for establishing business analytics and data-governance best practices that have helped the organization operate more efficiently and deliver greater value to the Chickasaw Nation.

"Northwood Advisors has played an instrumental role in the strategy, roadmap and successful implementation of BI at the CDNC and was involved right from the start in the launch of our Performance Solution Center," says Patrick Neely, CFO of CDNC. "We are extremely grateful to have Northwood as a partner, and we are honored to share this award with them."

The Northwood Advisors team offers more than 15 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, assembling programs that allow clients to reap the benefits of solid BI processes. Companies learn to close the gaps between IT and finance/operations and to apply technology that supports decision-making with improved information-sharing plans that deliver the reporting, analysis, planning and forecasting necessary to run their businesses as efficiently and successfully as possible.

ABOUT NORTHWOOD ADVISORS: Based in Irvine, Calif., Northwood Advisors is a business intelligence and decision systems advisory firm that helps companies design and implement BI strategy, roadmap, governance and best practices for increased efficiency and greater ROI. Northwood Advisors' powerful on-site training and consulting program allows clients to create departmental alignment and mutual buy-in with key stakeholders of any business intelligence initiative to build a path of least resistance and most profitability. Northwood Advisors' training is unique, focused and implementable and will equip any team with the practical knowledge and tools for effective and sustainable business intelligence strategy, governance and roadmap. For more information, visit www.northwoodadvisors.com.