Investing in Strategic Workforce and Expense Management Technologies Helps Streamline Operations and Reduce Compliance Risk for Utility and Energy Providers

PARSIPPANY, NJ--(Marketwire - January 27, 2010) - CyberShift, a global provider of workforce management and expense management software and services, today released its latest white paper titled "Energy and Utility Providers Plug into Workforce and Expense Management Technology." This white paper has been designed to give companies that provide electricity, natural gas, oil, water or nuclear power more information about the business benefits of automating the workforce and expense management functions.

Energy and utility providers are challenged to deliver reliable services and service levels to their customers. As a result, many look to technology solutions to increase operational efficiencies and drive down the costs associated with the scheduling and deployment of labor. Fully integrated and scalable Web-based robust workforce and expense management solutions that provide best-in-class time and attendance, absence management, employee scheduling and optimization and expense management can help energy and utility providers focus on their core business of consistently providing reliable services to their customers.

"An automated workforce management solution that includes time and attendance, self service, scheduling optimization and absence management can address the business challenges that will enable energy and utility providers to efficiently and effectively align their workforce with business demands and reduce compliance risk," commented Morné Swart, vice president of Product Management, CyberShift, Inc. "Combined with expense management, the second largest controllable cost after labor, organizations can further increase process efficiencies and reduce operating expenses."

The CyberShift white paper explores how automating workforce management can help organizations with staffing decisions -- from allocating resources during peak times to handling unscheduled maintenance or deploying crews for widespread emergencies, as seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans or an offshore oil spill -- and eliminate inefficiencies inherent in traditional scheduling methodologies. Effective workforce management practices and solutions can also assist in meeting government regulations such as helping nuclear energy providers comply with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Fitness for Duty requirements (NRC 10 CFR Part 26) that address the issue of fatigue management in the nuclear power industry.

The white paper also examines the automation of expense management. Employee expenses are no longer just limited to travel and entertainment costs incurred by the employee; they now include expenses such as mobile phones, office supplies, payment cards and more, and may include expenses incurred by field crews sent out of the area to work on power recovery after a storm or other unscheduled shutdowns or outages. Comprehensive solutions enable companies to automate the entire process from pre-trip authorization to post payment reporting and analysis. Expense Management Automation is not only more efficient and helps companies save on processing time and costs, it helps employees remain compliant with expense procedures, preferred vendor utilization and other company guidelines, especially in emergency situations where these policies may easily be overlooked if no automatic system is in place.

The complimentary white paper "Energy and Utility Providers Plug into Workforce and Expense Management Technology" is available for download at www.cybershift.com/energy_and_utilities.

About CyberShift

CyberShift, Inc. is a global leader in providing secure enterprise solutions that automate and optimize workforce operations. CyberShift's Workforce Management and Expense Management solutions help organizations proactively plan, manage and control their workforce operations, resulting in lower labor costs, reduced compliance risk, higher productivity and decreased employee expenses. CyberShift's comprehensive product suite provides for employee scheduling, time-and-attendance, contingent labor management, absence management, expense management and related solutions for the mobile workforce. CyberShift's global solutions are available through our industry leading Software-as-a-Service (CyberShift On Demand™) delivery model, or as an On Premise license, putting the power of choice in the hands of the customer. For more information, please call (877) 274-4381 or visit www.cybershift.com.