Quest budgets using Applix`s TM1

Issued by Global Research Partners for MCI
Johannesburg, 15 Oct 2007

MCI Consultants, the leading distributor for Applix`s TM1 product in South Africa, today announced that Quest Flexible Staffing Solutions (QFSS), part of the Adcorp group of companies and a leading provider of flexible staffing solutions in South Africa, migrated its budgeting process to TM1 back in 2005 and has been reaping the benefits of that decision since then.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to manage our business more efficiently," commented Julie Boshoff, Finance General Manager at QFSS, "we had set up a broad-based bottom-up budgeting process using Excel templates and manual consolidation."

"This process, conducted in the last quarter of each fiscal year, involved forecasting for the remainder of the year and budgeting for the following fiscal year," continued Boshoff, "and was an unwieldy process that could not support further enhancements to the budgeting process, including driver-based budgeting at a client level."

"By migrating the budgeting process to TM1, we were able to budget more accurately and with more detail, while still shortening the overall process and eliminating errors in the manual consolidation," concluded Boshoff.

"Historical headcount, hours, margin and billing information are dynamically provided by client, enabling the user to easily predict performance through to the end of the following year by client. TM1`s calculation rules automatically extrapolated billings, salaries, benefits and other cost information from the input of headcount and margin. Other income and cost lines on the template also displayed key actual results-to-date, facilitating more accurate forecasting. Additional calculation rules enabled the automated calculation of certain cost and income line items based on cost drivers determined centrally, reducing the amount of manual input each contributor to the process would need to do."

"The above is one of a number of clients that are experiencing increases in business effectiveness and efficiencies through the exploitation of the capabilities of Applix`s TM1," added Aliki Droussiotis, Director of MCI Consultants. "The ease of use of TM1, a characteristic that has been highlighted by several independent surveys over several years, once again played an important role in the implementation at QFSS."

For further information, please contact Aliki Droussiotis, MCI: tel 011 454-3420, fax 011 454-3417, e-mail aliki@mci.co.za

Applix

Applix is a global provider of business intelligence and business performance management solutions. These solutions enable the continuous management and monitoring of performance across the financial, operational, customer and organisational functions within the enterprise. More than 2 000 customers worldwide use Applix`s adaptable, scalable and real-time solutions, delivered by Applix and by a global network of partners, to manage their business performance and respond to the marketplace in real-time. Headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, USA, Applix maintains offices in four countries in Europe, North America and the Pacific Rim. For more information about Applix, please visit www.applix.com.

MCI Consultants

MCI Consultants is a South African-based business information systems consulting firm specialising in providing software solutions to the business community, specifically to the financial services and personnel recruitment industries.

It offers complete solutions, including accounting systems (ACCPAC), business intelligence solutions (Applix) and recruitment solutions (AdaptRecruitment), as well as bespoke developments, including software for the JSE Stock Brokers, including Trading and Portfolio systems that also incorporate e-commerce and mobile technologies.

Its approach is to continuously provide solutions to meet its clients` changing requirements. It prides itself in delivering excellent customer service and building long-lasting partnerships with its clients.

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