Monarch "is just the tool we need. (Monarch) was like switching a light on as the potential benefits were realized…With the aid of Monarch, we have been able to reduce the number of days reporting at the end of the month by four days."

"With Monarch, we are no longer wading through [paper report] data, but at last are able to use it."

 

Datawatch's Monarch report mining software and British-based Robert Horne Group prove that you can perfect your business process management without investing in expensive new technology, by combining and mining reports from totally separate systems to produce seamless, actionable data.

Robert Horne is the UK's leading paper manufacturer, part of the Australian-based PaperlinX group, the world's leading multicontinent fine paper merchant. Robert Horne has utilized Monarch software for years to dramatically expedite financial reporting, and save plenty of paper in the process.

Robert Horne implemented Monarch software as part of a business process re-engineering. With two mainframe information systems already installed, the company needed to extract data from both systems, combine it and deliver the information to managers around the organization. In the past, hardcopy reports had been generated from the mainframe systems, which had to be manually re-keyed for analysis, or read through very carefully by managers to find the needed data buried within these printed reports.

Duncan Borland, Computer Services Manager at the Robert Horne Group, had used Monarch in a previous role to extract billing report data from an IBM AS/400 system, and demonstrated the product to colleagues when he joined Robert Horne.

Monarch, Duncan says, "is just the tool we need. I demonstrated Monarch as part of a project to improve data analysis and it was like switching a light on as the potential benefits were realized. We set about building [Monarch] templates to handle the reports we needed to analyze, and now, the whole process runs almost automatically."

As in every finance department, monthly reports are critically important. The quicker these can be produced, the faster management can respond. Duncan says, "With the aid of Monarch, we have been able to reduce the number of days reporting at the end of the month by four days. Without Monarch in our toolbox, this would have been extremely difficult to achieve within normal working hours. Our finance team would have to work 24 hours a day to achieve the same result!"

Fast, programming-free generation of management information is only one benefit that Monarch delivers. Duncan notes that wasteful re-keying of data is a thing of the past, and that Monarch's ability to transform report data into Excel spreadsheets has been enthusiastically received by managers who need the data.

The data that used to take programmers days to extract from the mainframe and transform into Excel-readable files, Monarch now provides in minutes. For example, says Duncan, "improved information on [accounts receivable] debtors has enabled more efficient cash management, which is a definite benefit...[Also,] we are printing less of the huge traditional reports that may have ended up in the [recycle] bin."

Datawatch's Monarch software enables managers to mine report data and transform it into actionable information. With Monarch, business processes can be improved and compliance issues dealt with, without additional recourse to the new hardware or programming resources. As Duncan says, "With Monarch, we are no longer wading through [paper report] data, but at last are able to use it."

Datawatch's Monarch report mining software As in every finance department, monthly and British-based Robert Horne Group prove reports are critically important. The quicker that you can perfect your business process these can be produced, the faster manage-management without investing in expensive ment can respond. Duncan says, "With the new technology, by combining and mining aid of Monarch, we have been able to reduce reports from totally separate systems to the number of days reporting at the end of produce seamless, actionable data."

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