South Dakota DOT Saves Millions Using SAS® for Performance Management

Business Wire, March 17, 2008

SASActivity-Based Management and SAS Strategic Performance Management Software Maximize Resources

SAN ANTONIO -- SAS, the leader in business intelligence, delivers business improvement, process measures, performance measures and activity-based management solutions to the South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT). Already, the department has saved approximately $3 million by implementing SAS for Performance Management.

"In our 2008 BPM (Business Performance Management) Pulse Survey Satisfaction Ratings, SAS clients once again gave their vendor high marks," said Craig Schiff, president and CEO of BPM Partners. "Those implementing performance management initiatives will appreciate SAS' primary focus on performance management, its comprehensive BPM offering and field validation of its product set."

Before SAS, the agency's multiple accounting systems tracking spending were not integrated. SAS([R]) Activity-Based Management is now used to allocate overhead costs, allowing apples-to-apples comparisons with private industry. Also, SAS Strategic Performance Management allows decision makers to evaluate and compare programs to promote best practices. SAS helps SDDOT managers and executives focus on and monitor key activities, apply sophisticated analytics and respond proactively to pressures and changes.

"Support has been awesome," said Johna Leidholt, cost analyst at SDDOT. "We chose SAS for its good reputation and because it produces the end products we need for performance improvement."

"South Dakota Department of Transportation contracted Cost Technology to optimize its performance management system," said Dr. Peter Turney, president and CEO of Cost Technology Inc. "SAS for Performance Management creates alignment across organizations by combining measurements and collaborative techniques to build focus, ownership and participation at every level. Based on SAS' cost analytics model and performance scorecard system, the system integrates information and surfaces it in customized portals for key decision makers."

SAS solutions are integrated. SAS Activity-Based Management supports all activity-based costing (ABC) methodologies, including bottom-up, consumption-driven ABC. Its multidimensional modeling environment features a point-and-click interface. SAS Strategic Performance Management exchanges information with other business solutions across the organization. Its format is easily understandable.

"SAS lets South Dakota DOT go beyond managing performance to improving it," said Jonathan Hornby, Global Marketing Manager at SAS. "Without SAS' broad capabilities, it's difficult to pinpoint causes of performance issues or make agile decisions."

Using the SAS Enterprise Intelligence Platform as a foundation, SAS' targeted business solutions support enterprise intelligence, customer intelligence, financial intelligence, supply chain intelligence and more - including turnkey solutions for vertical markets, such as financial services, healthcare, transportation, manufacturing and others.

Today's announcement came at SAS Global Forum, the largest annual SAS users group conference, attended by more than 3,000 business and IT users of SAS software and solutions.

About SAS

SAS is the leader in business intelligence and analytical software and services. Customers at more than 44,000 sites use SAS software to improve performance through insight from data, resulting in faster, more accurate business decisions; more profitable relationships with customers and suppliers; compliance with governmental regulations; research breakthroughs; and better products and processes. Only SAS offers leading data integration, storage, analytics and business intelligence applications within a comprehensive enterprise intelligence platform. Since 1976, SAS has been giving customers around the world THE POWER TO KNOW([R]). www.sas.com

SAS and all other SAS Institute Inc. product or service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of SAS Institute Inc. in the USA and other countries. [R] indicates USA registration. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright (c) 2008 SAS Institute Inc. All rights reserved.