1. The Microsoft story
Summary Seeking to replace their homegrown personnel planning solution, Microsoft used Corporate Performance Management software from Prophix to align their global personnel teams with project requirements for their 8,000-employee Global Business Group (GBG), which operates call centers around the world. Prophix helps the GBG’s business leaders track and utilize individual variables such as the spoken languages of each employee, their locations, shift availability, and historical support requirements for new product rollouts—all so that each global support center has the capacity to meet their demands for customer service without being over- or under-staffed at any time in any region.

2. The Microsoft story Situation CAB members
Global Business Group (GBG), with
8,000 employees
Business-to-business subdivision of 15,000-employee Client Services Group
Global services and support to customers and partners for hardware and software

3. The Microsoft story Business problem
Personnel planning: 5 financial controllers
50-tab formula-heavy Excel spreadsheet
Then used PerformancePoint Server …which Microsoft discontinued
Left them to choose: buy or build?
Prophix vs. Tagetik, Host Analytics, SAP, deFacto

4. The Microsoft story Benefits Management capacity planning
-- Millions of interactions
Business modeling: Prophix to determine…
What people do we need?
Where geographically do we need them?
What are their credentials / prof. designations?
What languages do they speak?
How do we need them to use their time?
Managers/support personnel tied to their roles?

5. The Microsoft story Benefits
Collaboration model: which personnel can work
together based on shared attributes?
Project planning: asking/answering impt. questions…
Keep projects in house or outsource to vendors?
Can we drive more production from our workforce?
How can we work with our customers and partners in different ways?
Role-based security: sensitive personnel + drivers
Data integration: info from 200 source systems!

6. The Microsoft story Benefits
Time savings: 2+ months of budget preparation  1 month with Prophix (for user base of 60+)
Automation: Future plans for their forecasts, and for outputs to their financial systems for monetization
“We really feel like Prophix is on a journey with us, and we’re very confident and comfortable with that.”
Moral of the story
Larger broader stories hold possibilities for everyone
Stories exist, but can’t just live in someone’s head
Stake them out. Get them in front of us