Managing Spreadsheets Risks in the Enterprise

As government laws are mandating significant regulatory controls, corporations, auditors and regulators are discovering that spreadsheet reliance represents a serious operational risk.

In fact, corporate audits have indicated that 94% of spreadsheets contain errors. How do organizations ensure spreadsheets are compliant and can be trusted in their financial operations?

In this webinar we will explore the key issues surrounding spreadsheet risks and compliance in today’s business environment. Learn how organizations can drive down the cost of compliance by managing and automating spreadsheet controls that include:

• Creating spreadsheet integrity and inventory with remediation controls
• Employing Business Process Management (BPM) controls to mitigate spreadsheet risk
• Improving workflow productivity and executive visibility
• Ensuring IT governance with spreadsheet optimization and control

Date: March 21, 2007 10:00-11:00am PST 1:00-2:00pm EST

Register at https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/443002362

Gartner BPM Conference: Nike and Symetra Financial Case Studies

At the recent Gartner BPM conference in San Diego, CA. Two Fillmore Technology Group customers were featured case studies having successfully implemented and executed with the Global360 BPM Suite. This includes both Nike Inc. & Symetra Financial discussing the need to automate complex manual paper-based processes and then integrating them into legacy-based mainframe and ERP applications.

Nike, Inc. is the world’s leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Nike’s BPM need grew out of running a $15B company on $500M IT infrastructure and how SAP was not able to meet the business process needs of the finance credit claims team. The net-net was an immediate competitive advantage, a six-month payback, reduction in claims and claims resolution going from 180 days to just 1-14 days. An incredible payback and story from the Just Do It Company! To hear the presentation go to an archived webinar at https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/929873847

Symetra Financial reports increased business growth, without the need for additional staff, since the implementation of Global 360’s BPM Solution. Fillmore professional services delivered a single unified view that provides key functionality, performance, intelligence and flexibility in their new account application process.

Symetra Financial is a family of companies providing retirement plans, employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through independent advisors and agents nationwide. Its insurance company subsidiaries have nearly $20 billion in assets. Typically, Symetra’s application process was a paper-based system that required staff to manually move paper throughout the organization by filing it, tracking its location, and retrieving it when requested.

With Fillmore’s implementation of Global 360’s BPM Suite, Symetra’s processes have been streamlined by eliminating the paper and automatically routing electronic documents to their staff and outside vendors. Symetra’s internal processing time has been reduced by four days, which allows the company to handle 67% more applications, as well as engage a new sales channel, both without increasing staff. Symetra also reports increased customer satisfaction because they are able to respond to customer questions in a matter of seconds.

 

Fillmore solutions provide enterprise-class software to F1000 companies that integrates business process management into legacy based applications, providing customers a single unified view that improves productivity, compliance and operational efficiencies. To learn more how Fillmore can assist your organization contact us at info@fillmoretech.com and Tel: (510) 864-0740 www.fillmoretech.com

Controlling Spreadsheet Risks in the Financial Close Process

As government laws are mandating significant regulatory controls, corporations, auditors and regulators are discovering that spreadsheet reliance in the financial closing process represents a serious operational risk.  In fact, corporate audits have indicated that 94% of spreadsheets contain errors.

How do organizations ensure spreadsheet data is in compliance and can be trusted in the financial close process?   In this webinar, learn the following best practices to include:

• Creating spreadsheet integrity and inventory with remediation controls
• Employing Business Process Management (BPM) controls to mitigate spreadsheet risk
• Improving workflow productivity and reducing audit costs
• Ensuring IT governance with spreadsheet compliance and control

Date: February 22, 2007 10:00AM PST-11:00AM PST 1:00PM-2:00PM EST

Space limited. Click to register https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/400399259

Improving a Global Brand with People, Process & Technology- Just Do IT

Nike implemented a Business Process Management Solution (BPMS) for their Credit Finance Team from Fillmore & Global 360. They were careful to ensure that the right people and the right policies were in place prior to investing in a core technology to improve their credit claims workflow process. Broken processes at any step in the supply chain management has a material impact on the bottom line.

With executive support and a cross-functional team of experts, Nike was able realize a 6-month payback on the investment, engage customers as strategic partners in the supply chain and resolve outstanding claims from 180 days to 1-15 days. Other key best practices from Nike include:

• Consider Policy First
  • Then Process
  • Then People
  • Then Tools
• Senior Management buy-in crucial
• Eat the elephant one bite at a time
• Rent Business Process Management Experts
• Leave the Rocket Scientists at home
• Build a team you trust and have confidence in
  • Provide direction and support
  • Listen
  • Stay out of the way

To hear directly from Nike on how they improved their Finance Credit Claims with BPM view the webinar archive at https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/929873847

In addition, Sandy Kemsley from eBizQ covered the webinar in detail at http://www.ebizq.net/blogs/column2/archives/2006/10/nike_bpm_webina.php

Nike Credit Claims BPM Success Story

Save $$$: Nike Credit Claims BPM Success Story

Join us for a Webinar on October 24, 2006

Nike is the world’s leading athletic footwear, apparel and equipment provider. Every year, organizations write off millions of dollars in outstanding customer payments.

Learn how Nike automated its claims process with Business Process Management while enhancing visibility and accountability that:

• Increases their recovery payments
• Reduces claims resolution times
• Increases the processing of more claims
• Prioritizes claims more effectively
• Reduces customer account manipulation

Date: October 24, 2006
Time: 10:00AM – 11:00 PDT
View the recorded archive at
https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/929873847

Fillmore partners with Lombardi BPM Software

FILMORE TECHNOLOGY GROUP JOINS LOMBARDI’S CERTIFIED BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT PARTNER PROGRAM

Business Process Management Suites Leader Announces Fillmore Technology Group as Newest Certified Partner

Austin, TX and Alameda, CA, – September 21, 2006 – Lombardi®, the leader in Business Process Management (BPM) suite software for Global 2000 companies, and Fillmore Technology Group , a leading consultancy with in-depth expertise in technologies that support the creation and management of critical business processes, today announced that Fillmore has joined Lombardi’s Certified Partner Program to deliver and support customers with complete BPM solutions. The strategic alliance allows both companies to jointly market and sell the advisory and consulting services from Fillmore, combined with the award-winning TeamWorks BPM platform.

Fillmore’s managerial, technical, and strategic capabilities help create flexible business process solutions that allow companies to adapt to change quickly and easily. The partnership will initially focus on Fillmore’s core clients in industries including financial services, transportation, retail, and energy.

Fillmore has elected to join Lombardi’s Premier Certified Partner program to build out its full business process and transformation offerings. Lombardi’s Certified Partner Program assists partners in developing their BPM skills and revenue opportunities.

“Ease of use, reliability and scalability are critical to any technology we offer our customers,” said David Duignan, Partner at Fillmore Technology Group. “We selected Lombardi as our BPM technology due to the openness of its product architecture, for its vision for the future, and its strong customer and analyst acceptance.”

Fillmore Technology Group is the latest company to join Lombardi’s rapidly growing portfolio of Certified Partners who are experts in both vertical and horizontal solutions. As the leader in a high-growth software category, Lombardi is experiencing increased demand for skilled business process experts and BPM specialists. The financial services segment of Lombardi’s Certified Partner Program has evolved into one of the top partnering opportunities available in today’s BPM marketplace.

“We are pleased to be working with Fillmore Technology Group,” said Rod Favaron, President and CEO of Lombardi. “Like Lombardi, they are dedicated to helping their customers succeed in becoming more Process-Driven.”

Lombardi TeamWorks is the leading BPM software platform for designing, executing, and improving business processes. The product is built on open standards and provides ongoing process visibility and control, increasing the speed and flexibility with which organisations can manage process activity and decision-making. TeamWorks includes a rich, cohesive Eclipse-based modelling environment for building all aspects of a business process, a highly collaborative web-based work portal for process participants, and provides industry-leading optimization technologies for analysing and improving business processes.

About Fillmore Technology Group
Fillmore Technology Group is a leading professional technology consulting firm that partners with organizations to develop and manage key business processes by delivering enterprise-class software solutions. Fillmore Technology Group automates and integrates workflow process and digital content into scalable, easy to use applications. Fillmore’s trusted solutions enable customers to become agile, process-centric organizations by streamlining operations, reducing costs, improving productivity and addressing governance, risk and compliance. More information about Fillmore Technology Group is available at www.fillmoretech.com or by calling (510) 864-0740.

About Lombardi
Lombardi is a leader in business process management (BPM) software for Global 2000 companies as recognized by both Gartner and Forrester Research, in the Magic Quadrant for Business Process Management Suites, 2006, and Human-Centric Business Process Management Suites, Q1 2006 research reports respectively. Lombardi offers award-winning technology, know-how and services to help its customers become Process-Driven. Lombardi’s TeamWorks® is built on open standards and provides ongoing visibility and control of business processes, increasing the speed and flexibility with which organizations can manage their process activity and decision-making. Lombardi customers include Allianz Life, Applied Materials, Dell, Hasbro, Renault F1 Team, Sprint, T-Mobile, Universal Music Group and the U.S. Government. For more information, visit www.lombardisoftware.com.

Top 5 Spreadsheets Risks

Hear Fillmore & Prodiance discuss spreadsheet risks in organizations and how to mitigate the risk of uncontrolled spreadsheets. Key benefits include:

• 5 Key Risks with Spreadsheets in organizations
• A comprehensive overview of BPM spreadsheet compliance
• Best Practices in Spreadsheet Management

Title: “Top 5 Risk Indicators with Spreadsheets”
Date: On-Demand Archive
To View the recorded presentation go to:

https://www.gotomeeting.com/register/240097436

Prodiance and Fillmore Technology Group Partner to Offer Industry-Leading Spreadsheet Compliance Solutions

San Ramon , Calif. and Alameda, Calif. – August 23, 2006 – Prodiance Corporation, a world leader in delivering comprehensive business solutions for improving compliance with today’s corporate, regulatory and legal mandates, and Fillmore Technology Group, a leading consultancy with in-depth expertise in technologies that support the creation and management of critical business processes, today announced a strategic partnership agreement that will offer industry-leading compliance solutions to help organizations improve control and visibility over critical spreadsheets used in the financial reporting process. Under the terms of this agreement, Fillmore Technology Group will distribute the Prodiance Spreadsheet Compliance Edition solution along with value-added technology consulting services, expanding Prodiance’s sales, services and support presence in the US.This partnership comes at a time when spreadsheets impacting the financial reporting process are being heavily scrutinized by leading tax and audit firms under SOX 404 compliance mandates. Spreadsheets provide finance and accounting users with flexibility and ease of use, and many organizations leverage them to extend and support general ledger (GL) applications. However, spreadsheets are often absent key controls needed to reduce financial reporting errors, including change control, version control, access control, input control, security, documentation, archival and backups.

“Organizations seeking to sustain compliance with SOX 404 mandates need to inventory, analyze, remediate, manage, and track changes to critical spreadsheets to ensure they are trusted sources of financial data,” said Kevin Farrell, president at Fillmore Technology Group. “The Prodiance Spreadsheet Compliance Edition delivers on these requirements by providing a controlled environment with strong change management and process automation capabilities to help organizations improve existing spreadsheet controls while accelerating the financial close process.”

“The combination of Prodiance technology and Fillmore Technology Group’s deep domain expertise in IT consulting provides organizations with a best-in-class solution to automate compliance-driven business processes involving critical spreadsheets,” said Dr. Soheil Saadat, president and CEO of Prodiance Corporation. “We’re very pleased to have them on board as a trusted partner to expand our presence in the US market.”
About Prodiance
Prodiance Corporation is a world leader in delivering comprehensive business solutions and best practices for improving compliance with today’s corporate, regulatory and legal mandates, and boosting productivity for knowledge workers. With proven technologies and solutions for financial spreadsheet control and remediation, management of electronic evidence, automation of key business processes, and federated search for eDiscovery, Prodiance leverages a 15-year history in delivering solutions for highly-regulated markets. Organizations across the financial, legal, real estate, telecommunications, entertainment, aerospace and defense, health care, educational, manufacturing, and engineering & construction markets have trusted Prodiance as a strategic partner to achieve their goals – driving down the cost of compliance, automating key business processes, and better leveraging corporate knowledge assets. Prodiance Corporation is an independent, privately held corporation based in San Ramon, California. Additional news and information about Prodiance solutions, products and services is available at www.prodiance.com or by calling 1-866-569-5678.

About Fillmore Technology Group
Fillmore Technology Group is a leading professional technology consulting firm that partners with organizations to develop and manage key business processes by delivering enterprise-class software solutions. Fillmore Technology Group automates and integrates workflow process and digital content into scalable, easy to use applications. Fillmore’s trusted solutions enable customers to become agile, process-centric organizations by streamlining operations, reducing costs, improving productivity and addressing governance, risk and compliance. More information about Fillmore Technology Group is available at www.fillmoretech.com or by calling (510) 864-0740.

Business Process Management Improves Governance Risk & Compliance

From full financial disclosure to individual privacy issues, Governance Risk and Compliance (GRC) require organizations of all sizes to safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of information to ensure the public trust. Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Federal Information Security Act (FISMA) & CA SB1386 all requre financial services organizations, healthcare providers, federal government agencies and other affected entities to safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of personal information.

It’s no surprise companies, customers and shareholders are fearful of the potential disasters as a high risk remains with uncontrolled data. Breaches of private information are regular headlines and companies are finding themselves on the defensive. The California State law SB1386 requires that any business or agency that uses a computer to store certain types of unencrypted personal information about a California resident, must immediately notify that individual, upon discovering any breach to the computer system on which this information is stored. To see the latest breaches go to http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/ChronDataBreaches.htm#CP

Process automation technologies with effective policy governance and enforcement can go a long way in mitigating risk for organizations. It is critical for organizations to safeguard their data both internally and publicly as most breaches of information occur internally either through human negligence or fraudulent activities.

Key Risk Indicators (KRI) gather and track information across internal and external sources looking at compliance, performance, risk, and operations factors and then map these against benchmark values like targets, tolerance and or variance. Analyzing and monitoring key risk indicators allows executive management to proactively manage risks and mitigate incidents before they occur. As organizational culture can trump process and can lead to mishandling of information, effective policy and business process automation can alleviate risk exposure and ensure a commitment of trust and integrity to employees, customers and shareholders.

California State Automobile Association (CSAA) Process@Work in Records Management

The AIIM Golden Gate Chapter is hosting Improving Records Management – Process @ Work on August 09, 2006; which will be presented jointly by the California State Automobile Association (CSAA) and Fillmore Technology. This discussion will describe how CSAA came to determine the need for automating their Enterprise Records Management and initiating a phased solution approach for all their product lines and corporate records needs from workflow, audit control and change management.

More information @ http://www.aiim.org/chapters/goldengate.asp?ID=26302