FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CLS Selects the KorTerra Product Suite as a Comprehensive Utility Workforce Management System
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn., November 12, 2001 - KorTerra, a premier developer of software solutions for the utility industry, today announced that Central Locating Service, Ltd. (CLS) has selected the KorTerra product suite as their platform for automated utility workforce management, which will be used to provide centralized ticket management for their operations. CLS chose the KorTerra platform as part of a strategic initiative to automate their existing ticket management systems, providing improved production, billing accuracy, and increased customer satisfaction.
"We identified improvements to our ticket management system as a strategic initiative for 2001," said Dick Steeg, CLS President and COO. An outside IT consultant worked with CLS to analyze their business requirements and explore a variety of options, including commercial applications and proprietary solutions. After drawing up a short list of possibilities and conducting additional cost and advantage studies, CLS selected the KorTerra product suite, including KorTerra Mobile for their field operations.
CLS has implemented KorTerra at two Florida divisions, and already sees a variety of benefits.
"KorTerra provides dispatchers with a great deal of visibility,” said Andy Molina, Operations Manager for the CLS Broward County Division. "We can monitor what everyone is working on and see what work is pending. If a locator is unavailable for work, we can transfer those pending tickets to others and transmit them via wireless communications directly to their laptops." KorTerra eliminates the need to "physically drive around and retrieve paper tickets and get them to others."
For workers in the field, KorTerra's real-time mobile communications capabilities provide improved productivity and time management. "If I am finishing a job on Street A and another ticket arrives for Street B, I can go take care of it," explained Lee McDaniels, Field Supervisor for the CLS Broward County Division. "If there is a problem with a ticket, it can be updated in real time, while I am on the job site finishing the work." Eliminating paper tickets and manual updates reduces the potential for field logging errors and improves the quality and quantity of timely information available to support customer inquiries.
"In an industry where there is often a 48 hour window to complete a ticket, improving time management provides a bottom-line benefit to CLS. KorTerra's advanced query and tracking capabilities assure that information is accurate, available and up to date. The end result is improved customer satisfaction," explained Jeff Law, KorTerra Product Manager. “We are pleased CLS has chosen KorTerra as their workforce management platform,” said Chris Stendal, Vice President, “and we look forward to working together to assure a smooth transition to the new system.”
CLS anticipates a company roll-out over the next 12 to 18 months. "We look forward to a productive partnership with KorTerra going forward," said Steeg.
About Central Locating System, Ltd.
CLS has over 2,200 employees nationwide, operating in 23 states. CLS is
a full-spectrum locator with a diversified mix of customers. For more
information about CLS, contact Richard Steeg, President and COO at
215-659-2276.
About KorTerra, Inc.
Since 1990, KorTerra, Inc. has developed mobile computing and workforce
management solutions for the utility industry. They have worked with
major utilities, contract locators and municipalities to develop a
variety of Utility Workforce Management systems. The software
effectively manages on-time response, management reporting, positive
response, and keeps track of locating team performance in a real-time,
mobile and paperless environment. KorTerra also provides ASP services;
capabilities that allow KorTerra to host the software on their servers
with customer access to the application via the Internet. KorTerra
software interfaces with every One Call Center and is used by Utilities,
Municipalities and Contract Locators across North America. Today, over
20,000,000 tickets are managed by the KorTerra application annually. To
learn more about KorTerra and see what their customers are saying about
the KorTerra product suite, go to
www.korterra.com, or contact via telephone at 952.368.1911.
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For additional information contact:
Press Contact(s):
Chris Stendal, President
KorTerra, Inc.
18882 Lake Drive East
Chanhassen, MN 55317
Tel: 952.368.1911
Fax: 952.697.3141
Email: sales@korterra.com
