Background

Reuters, the leading international news and information services company, is known for its intrepid style. It engaged in another exercise of daring when its UK and Ireland (UKI) accounting operations switched to Applix TM1 during its peak busy period, the run up to the year-end close.

The Applix Solution

The new analytical tool was introduced in the UKI operations by Geoff Swettenham, Manager Financial Reporting, UKI, who became convinced of Applix TM1's power and flexibility. As the date for completion of Reuters' 1992 budget process loomed, Swettenham quickly became proficient in working with the multidimensional database, and found he could perform new forms of analysis that had not been possible under the previous system.

Working against an end of December deadline, Swettenham had input all Reuters UKI budget data into Applix TM1 and was ready to go by 22 November. No extra staff was needed, no consultants were used, and no internal IS resources were called upon. In fact, everything was implemented by the end users, the accounting staff.

With Applix TM1 officially in place at Reuters, re-keying has been eliminated, divisional accountants can quickly locate information to support a head office analysis, and consolidated realties are available within a few seconds of an update.

Performance Under Pressure

Now, with all data available in real time and in an accurate, consistent form, complex analyses that previously took several people long hours or even days can be performed by one person in a matter of minutes.

Applix TM1 has provided Reuters with the ability to be more informed about is operational expenditures and more productive in the way it allocates its global resources. In a business where deadlines are a way of life, Applix TM1 demonstrated from the start that it could perform under pressure.