VISUALIZATION

IBM and Callidus Software today announced that the California State Automobile Association (CSAA) has implemented their joint open standards-based Enterprise Incentive Management (EIM) solution to automate the design, administration, reporting and analysis of sales incentive and variable compensation for the organization's sales force. As a result, CSAA can bring new insurance products to market faster and its field agents are able to access critical sales information on demand. CSAA can also better analyze and track transactional information, which is vital towards improving customer retention, boosting sales productivity and aligning incentive compensation to corporate growth objectives. CSAA is using incentive compensation as a foundation to address some of its business challenges, including shifting customer demographics that require the need for more segmented and customized products. The implementation is part of CSAA's STAR (Strategic Transformation for Accelerating Results) project -- a multi-phased business and technology initiative led by IBM to help CSAA transform its systems, operations and business processes to better serve members and support other AAA partnerships. "Implementing the joint Callidus Software and IBM solution allows us to design, manage and administer sales compensation more efficiently," said Michael Kahns, manager, sales and incentive compensation for CSAA. "The new system is an asset that will help the company reach its next level of growth." The integrated Callidus and IBM solution -- which includes Callidus Software's TrueComp and TrueInformation products running on IBM's WebSphere Internet infrastructure software, IBM DB2* Universal Database, and eServer pSeries system -- replaced a mix of legacy IT systems, spreadsheets and paper reports that CSAA previously mailed or couriered to over 600 field agents scattered throughout 60-plus locations. CSAA field agents can now access important sales information online, and the organization can more effectively use incentive compensation data for dynamic decision-making to better meet customer needs. Easier Plan Changes, Faster Rollout of New Products Administering sales force compensation is key for optimizing sales on existing products or rolling out new products. As a result of the implementation, CSAA has reduced by over 50% the amount of time required to make strategic changes to compensation plans. Even more important, the organization can introduce new and highly relevant insurance offerings to customers within three to six months. "Effective management of a company's incentive compensation process is critical to compete in today's marketplace," said Bill Busby, Partner, BCS Insurance Operations Group, IBM. "Our consulting services and deep expertise, combined with Callidus' EIM applications, provide a comprehensive solution for customers like CSAA who want to turn incentive compensation into a core business asset." "IBM was instrumental in helping CSAA realize the benefits of our TrueComp solution," said Bert Rankin, senior vice president of worldwide marketing for Callidus Software. "The strength of our partnership enables us to bring tremendous benefit to our joint customers. We value IBM's commitment and continued trust in our solution." Callidus Software is an IBM strategic alliance partner. Utilizing technical expertise and testing labs at IBM's Innovation Center in San Mateo, CA, Callidus performed sizing, scalability and performance benchmarking on the latest eServer pSeries system and IBM middleware to ensure its solution would meet customer expectations at CSAA.