Content area
FINANCIAL-PLANNING INFORMATION CAN BE THE KEY IN PRODUCING ON-GOING PROFITS FOR A LARGE, MULTINATIONAL COMPANY IN A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE BUSINESS. VARIAN ASSOCIATES, PALO ALTO, CA., PRESENTLY USE AUTOTAB PRODUCED BY CAPEX CORP., PHOENIX, AZ., IN-HOUSE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TIME-SHARED FINANCIAL PLANNING ON AN IBM 370/155. THE PACKAGE REDUCED EXTERNAL TIMESHARING COSTS TO ONE-TENTH OF THE ORIGINAL FIGURE AND TOTAL COSTS TO ONE-FIFTH. MANPOWER COSTS ARE ABOUT THE SAME OR EVEN LESS, SINCE AUTOTAB IS A MUCH EASIER LANGUAGE THAN BASIC AND NON-PROGRAMMERS ARE ABLE TO USE IT. THE TURNAROUND TIME FOR FINALIZING QUARTERLY BUDGETS HAS DROPPED FROM 4 DAYS TO A SINGLE DAY. THE PACKAGE'S SIMPLICITY OF USE HAS ALSO ENCOURAGED NEW APPLICATIONS. THE COMPANY INTENDS TO USE IT TO GENERATE MANAGEMENT REPORTS PREVIOUSLY DONE BY MANUAL METHODS. A CONTINUOUS CYCLE OF REPORTS IS PROVIDED, INTERLINKING BUDGETED, ACTUAL, AND FORECAST DATA.