Business Software

Cloud-based business software provider NetSuite (News - Alert) has announced that Software AG, a vendor of Business Process Excellence products, has achieved productivity gains by implementing the NetSuite OpenAir professional services automation tool.

By moving its PSA system to the cloud, NetSuite officials say, Software AG "has been able to merge all of its Global Consulting Services division resources and budgetary data and standardize on a single product, reducing administrative overhead by eight percent."

NetSuite OpenAir has given Software AG "real-time global visibility into its entire professional services organization," according to Software AG officials, and is "also used in other areas like R&D, covering more than 2,000 employees in 59 countries."

Software AG integrated NetSuite OpenAir using its own webMethods Integration Server, according to Software AG officials, connecting with ERP systems, including SAP (News - Alert) and other financial systems used by various subsidiaries within Software AG.

One advantage of the NetSuite OpenAir product, according to company officials, is that it "directly generates professional services-related invoices and processes timesheets and expenses, eliminating the need for manual re-keying of data."

Before the NetSuite OpenAir PSA deployment, Software AG used an ad hoc collection of spreadsheets and various point products to manage its international services organization. Many of the systems were of a "black box" nature giving the global managers little data visibility in or out of a particular office or country.

Earlier this year NetSuite was named a winner in Technology Marketing Corporation’s Tenth Annual CRM Excellence Awards. The awards are presented annually by TMC’s (News - Alert) flagship publication, Customer Interaction Solutions.

Winners are selected based on a range of criteria, but most importantly the product or service must have a proven track record of helping companies improve customer relationships and business operations.