American Meter Company Selects IDS Scheer, Inc. for Business Process Improvement and Enterprise Software Selection

Business Wire, May 14, 2002

Business/Technology Editors

BERWYN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 14, 2002

IDS Scheer, Inc., the leading provider of business process excellence services and tools, today announced that it has been selected by American Meter Company, a global leader in measurement and control products for the natural gas industry, to manage and execute a key business process analysis, design, and improvement project.

IDS Scheer will work with American Meter Company to evaluate the company's technology requirements, and optimize its internal business processes to support a planned enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation. The designed business processes will serve as the basis for a process-oriented software selection.

IDS Scheer provides organizations with world-class business process improvement consulting and tools to streamline intra- and inter-enterprise business processes and enable business change. IDS Scheer will conduct a process improvement initiative for American Meter Company, and make recommendations for an ERP software deployment that will best support the company's business needs. Based on this analysis, American Meter Company will drive the vendor selection process, and choose and implement the appropriate ERP solution that will leverage the business process framework.

"Having provided services for many years to our parent company Elster, IDS Scheer has demonstrated the value of its extensive industry knowledge, and proven ARIS toolset and methodologies," commented Richard Boutilier, Chief Financial Officer at American Meter Company. "We are excited to leverage IDS Scheer's expertise to streamline our business operations, and look forward to a long-lasting business relationship."

"Today more than ever, companies must use a process-oriented approach to maximize technology investments, and ensure the success of new business initiatives," said Dr. Mathias Kirchmer, President and CEO of IDS Scheer, Inc. "IDS Scheer will help the American Meter Company put business processes in place that can be supported by an ERP solution that will deliver real business benefits and ROI."

"This is a great opportunity for American Meter Company to leverage business process improvement to ensure its market leadership position, and achieve long-lasting profitability," added Ed Brady, Director of IT at American Meter Company.

About American Meter Company

American Meter Company has been a leader in the natural gas measurement and control industry for more than 165 years. As a member of the global organization ELSTER-AMCO, the company brings the latest technology and practices from leading European and American manufacturers of gas measurement and control equipment to markets around the world. For more information about American Meter Company, go to http://www.americanmeter.com .

About IDS Scheer, Inc.

IDS Scheer, Inc. is the global leader in providing consulting and software solutions to organizations to enable business process excellence. With more than 1,500 employees worldwide, IDS Scheer combines leading edge technology with a range of vertical market expertise to help organizations streamline enterprise resource planning, supply-chain management, customer relationship management, and e-business initiatives. The company's ARIS product suite is the market leader in business process management, including the award-winning ARIS Toolset and ARIS Process Performance Manager which are used by more than 3,000 organizations worldwide, and consistently recognized by the industry's leading analyst groups. For more information, visit http://www.ids-scheer.com .