PeopleSoft Enterprise Service Automation earns accolades from customers, partners, industry analysts

Activ8, a member of the JSE-listed ERP.com Group, and the Southern African distributor for PeopleSoft, today announced that there has been strong customer demand and industry endorsement of PeopleSoft`s industry-leading Enterprise Service Automation (ESA) suite in Europe.

PeopleSoft 8 ESA is the industry`s only solution for end-to-end service automation, optimising the entire service process from services procurement, through project and resource management, to service delivery. PeopleSoft 8 ESA includes the following applications: Services Procurement, Resource Management, Contracts, Projects, Expenses, Mobile Time and Expense--Palm, Travel, Staffing Front Office, Pay/Bill Management, Workforce Analytics, and Financial Insight Analytics.

"Companies spend more than twice as much on services than they spend on any other category, including raw materials and operating goods - yet this spending is one of the largest uncontrolled costs in business. Controlling service spend requires a unique combination of human capital and financial management, and procurement expertise. PeopleSoft has leveraged our knowledge and strong heritage as leaders in these application areas to deliver the only end-to-end solution to control service spend," explained Paul Mather, MD of activ8. "Thus, many companies, including the Auditor General here in SA, are embracing PeopleSoft 8 ESA at a rapid pace.

Andrew Ball, research analyst at the independent analyst firm Frost & Sullivan, concurred: "Among enterprise software vendors, PeopleSoft ESA is the most advanced in the development of its software."

Securitas, a global security company, has invested in PeopleSoft`s ESA solution to manage its Security Services. Securitas will use PeopleSoft ESA modules to support services management for customers, suppliers and employees.

Business At Work, a France-based application service provider (ASP), selected PeopleSoft 8 ESA to provide a hosted solution to its customers for improving visibility and control over their professional services spending.

When selecting PeopleSoft early this year, Business At Work Chairman Frederic Garnier said: "Our main concerns focused on finding an application developed for the Web, functional coverage adapted to the sector of Professional Services, and a real presence at the European level. PeopleSoft met these three criteria."

Strategic consulting partners are also showing a strong commitment to PeopleSoft 8 ESA. For example, PricewaterhouseCoopers and CAP Gemini Ernst & Young have already begun implementing PeopleSoft 8 ESA solutions for their customers.

Jean Paul Schmidt, European Director EEA-ERP PeopleSoft, CAP Gemini Ernst & Young said: "We are working to help companies maximise the value from services, the largest uncontrolled cost most organisations face. We are working with PeopleSoft on the ESA implementation at Business at Work, and we are looking forward to enabling more companies to gain visibility into and control over their services spend to maximise revenues."

Mary-Sue Rogers, EMEA PeopleSoft Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers commented: "PeopleSoft ESA appeals to all organisations. Particularly in today`s market conditions, companies must maximise workforce utilisation and productivity. We will help deliver such business benefits through the implementation of PeopleSoft ESA.

"Already, PeopleSoft has signed more than 80 customers worldwide for PeopleSoft 8 ESA, including Banco Santander, BEA Systems, Business at Work, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Carreker, Central Hispano SA, Dynegy, Federal Express, HDR, KPMG Consulting Inc, Rapidigm, Randstad, Remy, Securitas, Siemens Medical Systems, Sybase, US Nursing and Wells Fargo.