SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 2003--Siebel Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SEBL - News) (Company
Profile, Past
Stories, Case
Studies)
WilTel Reports 50 to 80 Percent Drop in Order-Entry Time; $10K per
Month Savings in Account Maintenance, Security, and Queries
Siebel Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SEBL - News), a leading provider of multichannel eBusiness applications software, today announced that WilTel Communications, a leading
provider of network and broadband media services, is achieving substantial productivity improvements and cost reductions as a result of its Siebel Communications
deployment. After implementing Siebel Communications in less than six months, WilTel was able to shorten the average order-entry time for direct access lines from eight
hours to 45 minutes, reduce overall order-entry time by 50 to 80 percent, and save $10,000 each month through a reduction in time spent on account maintenance, security,
queries, and the elimination of paper files.
Excess capacity in the telecommunications industry has driven prices down over the past few years, making it extremely difficult for communications providers such as
WilTel to maintain profitability. "The only way we can succeed in such a competitive environment is to differentiate ourselves by delivering service quickly and
accurately," said Jane Porter, Vice President, Service Delivery, WilTel Communications. "With Siebel Communications, we saw an almost immediate increase in
customer satisfaction from 56 percent to 89 percent, helping us retain customers and minimize customer acquisition costs. And the efficiency and productivity gains are
translating directly into dollar savings."
WilTel differentiates itself through a concerted effort to beat industry-standard intervals for service delivery. Typical intervals in the industry include 30 days to turn up Digital
Signal service (DSn) and 60 days for Optical Carrier service (OCn). WilTel has significantly shortened these order intervals and focuses on meeting the customer's requested
due date. Before deploying Siebel Communications, however, substantial effort and human resources were required to meet these dates, driving up business costs
substantially.
Siebel Communications replaced a legacy system that had limited growth capabilities, poor integration with other systems, and inadequate data integrity. Siebel
Communications' embedded error-free service negotiation within the order-entry and validation process now allows WilTel to meet customer-requested due dates faster and
with fewer people. As a result of decreased order-entry time, the company has been able to reduce headcount in its dedicated order-entry staff from 22 to 10 people, saving
nearly $500,000. Additionally, because the order-entry process is much simpler, project managers who deal with customers directly can enter orders while talking to them--
increasing order accuracy and leading to higher customer satisfaction.
WilTel was particularly impressed by the rules-based product configuration capability that automates the creation of quotes for complex services bundles and submits
accurate order information to back-office billing and provisioning systems. The configurator module is enabling the marketing staff to develop and bring competitive offerings
to market much more quickly than was possible with the old system.
The company has created a highly efficient environment that is now delivering benefits such as:
Faster and less costly addition of new products and services
Intelligent, product-specific order-entry processes that reduce labor costs
The ability to manage customers more effectively and at a lower cost through automated processes
Reduction in administrative costs by minimizing the number of invalid or inaccurate orders
Improved customer service through streamlined support activities
WilTel leveraged proven, out-of-the-box processes within Siebel Communications to completely reengineer its existing business processes and realign job roles and
responsibilities to more effectively serve customers. Out of the box, Siebel eBusiness Applications delivered 80 percent of the functionality WilTel needed.
"Our existing systems did not support our goals for automated provisioning and customer self-service," said Brent Harris, Project Manager for Siebel
Applications, WilTel Communications. "With Siebel Communications, we now have a platform to enter orders, break them down, and process them automatically.
Phase 4 of our Siebel deployment will interface with a new provisioning system, providing us a framework for flow-through provisioning and Web self-service capabilities in the
future." WilTel has completed the first three phases of its Siebel deployment and expects to complete Phase 4 in late 2003.
About WilTel Communications
WilTel Communications Group Inc. (Nasdaq:WTEL - News), through its operating subsidiary WilTel Communications, LLC, provides data, voice, and media transport
solutions to a growing carrier-class customer base with complex communications needs. Such customers include leading global telecommunications and media and
entertainment companies for which bandwidth is either their primary business or a core component of the products and services they deliver. WilTel's advanced network
infrastructure reaches border-to-border and coast-to-coast with international connectivity to accommodate global traffic. For more detailed information, visit
www.wiltelcommunications.com.
About Siebel Systems
Siebel Systems, Inc. is a leading provider of eBusiness applications software, enabling corporations to sell to, market to, and serve customers across multiple channels and
lines of business. With more than 3,500 customers worldwide, Siebel Systems provides organizations with a proven set of industry-specific best practices, CRM
applications, and business processes, empowering them to consistently deliver superior customer experiences and establish more profitable customer relationships. Siebel
Systems' sales and service facilities are located in more than 28 countries.
Siebel is a trademark of Siebel Systems, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other product and company names mentioned are the property of their
respective owners and are mentioned for identification purposes only.
Except for the historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The success of the
agreements and products described above and the future operating results of Siebel Systems may differ from the results discussed or forecasted in the forward-looking
statements due to factors that include, but are not limited to, risks associated with new versions and new products, the availability of Siebel Systems' products and services,
implementation of products and services, existence of errors or defects in products, rapid technological change, dependence on the Internet, significant current and expected
additional competition and the need to continue to expand product distribution and services offerings. Further information on potential factors that could affect the financial
results of Siebel Systems are included in Siebel Systems' Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its other filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov. Siebel Systems assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release.
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