Since introducing a global reseller agreement over a year ago to help customers meet the challenge of optimizing the mobile service workforces, SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) and ClickSoftware Technologies Ltd. (Nasdaq: CKSW) today announced widespread adoption of its offering. Resold by SAP as the SAP Workforce Scheduling and Optimization application by ClickSoftware, the solution has helped businesses around the world in various industries, such as CEZ Group, FirstEnergy, National Grid and Johnson Diversey, maximize mobile workforce performance and drive operational excellence through decision support and optimization technology. The success can be attributed to SAP’s commitment to its ecosystem strategy and has helped make ClickSoftware, the leading provider of workforce management and service optimization solutions, one of SAP’s most valued partners.
Best practices and tools that support resource optimization are in demand given the critical need for service organizations to effectively balance ever increasing customer demands with economically-mandated cost control initiatives, states Sumair Dutta, senior research analyst, Aberdeen Group. Our recent research reveals that best-in-class companies, who are nearly two times as likely as all others to leverage dynamic scheduling and planning solutions, are experiencing double-digit improvements in workforce utilization and customer satisfaction with the use of these optimization solutions.
With SAP Workforce Scheduling and Optimization, customers can reduce the complexities in service delivery driven by huge variability in customer and service demands, limited visibility into field operations and the rising costs of delivering better service. The solution means that service teams can promise on-time, effective delivery - with the right technicians, parts, equipments and vehicles dispatched every time.
All too often, there’s a lot of hype around the announcement of new partnerships, which often don’t translate into significant customer benefit, said Dr. Moshe BenBassat, chairman and chief executive officer of ClickSoftware. Our partnership with SAP is an exception to that norm, as customers continue to find value and make the ultimate endorsement by investing in our solution. The synergy between the two companies served to increase the number of new wins, the size of the pipeline, as well as shortening the sales cycle.
As a valued SAP partner, ClickSoftware reinforces SAP’s strategy of establishing deep, long-term revenue-focused alliances with proven best-of-breed software vendors. Milestones in 2009 included major customer wins in utilities, telecommunications, hi-tech, capital equipment and consumer goods industries. The solution is planned to be rolled-out to additional asset and service intensive industries in 2010.
Service delivery is fast-becoming a competitive differentiator for businesses, said Kevin Ichhpurani, senior vice president, Business Development and Strategic Alliances, SAP AG. Our agreement with ClickSoftware extends our SAP solution offerings through our ecosystem by delivering software and best practices to help our clients avoid missed, late or inefficient service calls. This translates into increased customer retention and reduced cost within the service operation - two key differentiators in the current economic climate.
SAP Workforce Scheduling and Optimization triggers real-time decision-making across all parts of the service cycle to increase productivity - from customer demand forecasting and capacity planning to shift/roster planning, scheduling, mobility and business analytics. SAP Workforce Scheduling and Optimization complements core business suite functionality across enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer service, enterprise asset management, human capital management and customer relationship management. For more information, visit the SAP Workforce Scheduling and Optimization area of the SAP EcoHub site.
About ClickSoftware
ClickSoftware is the leading provider of workforce management and service optimization solutions that create business value for service operations through higher levels of productivity, customer satisfaction and cost effectiveness. Combining educational, implementation and support services with best practices and its industry-leading solutions, ClickSoftware drives service decision making across all levels of the organization. From proactive customer demand forecasting and capacity planning to real-time decision making, incorporating scheduling, mobility and location-based services, ClickSoftware helps service organizations get the most out of their resources. With over 150 customers across a variety of industries and geographies, and strong partnerships with leading platform and system integration partners - ClickSoftware is uniquely positioned to deliver superb business performance to any organization. The company is headquartered in Burlington, Mass. and Israel, with offices in Europe, and Asia Pacific. For more information about ClickSoftware, please call (781) 272-5903 or (888) 438-3308, or visit www.clicksoftware.com.
About SAP
SAP is the world’s leading provider of business software(*), offering applications and services that enable companies of all sizes and in more than 25 industries to become best-run businesses. With more than 92,000 customers in over 120 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE, under the symbol “SAP.” For more information, visit www.sap.com.
(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning, business intelligence, and related applications.
