Sales Performance Management Solutions, Incentive Compensation Software | Enterprise Incentive Software

ADJUSTMENTS AND AUDIT FUNCTIONS

Does your system provide the ability to update report sorts & execution frequencies without programming changes?
Is the report writer intended for use by non-technical end users?
Which query language does the report writer use?
Can the reporting or query language call routines written in a different programming language (e.g. VB, C++, SQL Server Stored Procedure)
Can the data structure of your system be accessed by external report writing tools?
Can reports be queued to run unattended in batch mode at night, and be able to be dependent on an event such as the existence of a file and not just a time of day?
Does the system warn the user of the number of records selected or the approximate time needed to run the report before processing?
Does CATS meet all Sarbanes Oxley requirements?
Does CATS offer automation of complaint tracking and dispute resolution?
Can overrides to incentive compensation be applied at the group or multiple levels?
Does CATS offer multiple levels of security (Read, Write, Update) based on user ID or user group? Are audit trail reports customizable by levels of security?
Are comprehensive audit trails available system-wide?
Does CATS track history online for the compensation plan changes with dates (minimum 12 month view) and user identification.
Does CATS allow adjustments to the incentive earning calculation by varying parameters, either on an individual level or global level, with proper system control?
Does CATS have the ability to support the separation of earnings and payments (i.e. keep a constant record of payments despite recalculation of prior period incentive earnings)?
Can CATS query the audit log?
Does CATS provide an audit log of all changes made to the system?
Can CATS adjust incentive-related financial results?

Does your system provide the ability to update report sorts and execution frequencies without the need for programming changes?
WebFOCUS reports can be constructed with variables coded for the sort field(s), and default values specified for standard execution. These variables can then be overridden at report creation time if the user wants to change the sort field, without requiring programming changes. Because execution frequencies can be automated using a rules-based scheduling component of WebFOCUS, execution frequencies also do not require programming changes.

Is the report writer intended for use by non-technical end users?
WebFOCUS was in fact originally designed to be used by non-technical end users.

Which query language does the report writer use?
SQL. In addition, WebFOCUS itself, which enables syntax, which performs queries on relational and non-relational data, sources (over 85 in total) with no knowledge of the native data structure required. Either WebFOCUS’ own query capability, or SQL can be used to query data.

Can the reporting or query language call routines written in a different programming language
(e.g. VB, C++, SQL Server Stored Procedure)?
WebFOCUS can call routines written in different programming languages, such as VB, C++, SQL Server Stored Procedures, etc.

Can the data structure of your system be accessed by external report writing tools?
There are no limitations to the accessing the data structure of the system by external writing tools.

Can reports be queued to run unattended in batch mode at night, and be able to be dependent on an event such as the existence of a file and not just a time of day?
These capabilities are provided by WebFOCUS Report Caster. Report Caster is a powerful and flexible solution for scheduling and distributing reports generated with WebFOCUS. It gives incentive compensation administrators exceptional control over when reports are run and how they are distributed. Control over scheduling can be concentrated in the hands of a single administrator, or spread among any number of pre -authorized end users. The content, timing, frequency, format, and even the method of distributing reports can all be easily managed and customized to meet individual needs. WebFOCUS Report Caster has been newly architected for optimum performance, scalability, and end-user functionality.

Does the system warn the user of the number of records selected or the approximate time needed to run the report before processing?
WebFOCUS Resource Governor lets you optimize control over critical areas of your business intelligence system by acting as an intelligent agent for performance management rules. You define the parameters and WebFOCUS Resource Governor will determine which WebFOCUS reports can pass through its preemptive governor – even before the reports run. And, unlike conventional reactive governors that stop requests only after they exceed a certain limit, WebFOCUS Resource Governor stops queries before they reach the database. The bottom line? Problem queries are stopped before they ever start, resulting in better control over resource consumption, prevention of Web browser time-outs, and exceptional system performance and availability.

Does CATS meet all Sarbanes Oxley requirements?
Yes. CATS 2007 EIM meets all Sarbanes Oxley audit requirements.

Does CATS offer automation of complaint tracking and dispute resolution?
This is accomplished via the 'Workflow' functionality between CATS and the CATS Portal where any processing activity may be scheduled and exported to the Portal, announced to the intended recipient via e-mail, and recorded back into the processing cycle automatically…without any physical exchange of documents, e-mails, files, or faxes. All activity is recorded in the CATS Activity and Audit Logs. E-mail traffic between CATS administrators and CATS Portal viewers is also managed, recorded and stored internally.

Can overrides to incentive compensation be applied at the group or multiple levels?
All permitted interactions are captured in a continuous Audit Log that permits total reconstruction of any payment amount. The Audit Log captures time, date, individual and 'from-to-amounts' plus the ability to record a text explanation or approval within the individual data or calculation record. The robust Role Base Security features of CATS may restrict a user's ability to access items down to the row and column level of any table.

Does CATS offer multiple levels of security (Read, Write, Update) based on user ID or user group? Are audit trail reports customizable by levels of security?
Yes, there can be an unlimited number of defined levels of security based on ID or user group. Furthermore, the CATS 'super administrator' can dynamically view any/all activities of any individual or user group by class.

Are comprehensive audit trails available system-wide?
Yes, complete audit logging is provided for in CATS and will track any/all authorized manual interventions with either data or incentive calculations.

Does CATS track history online for the compensation plan changes with dates (minimum 12 month view) and user identification.
The integrated Audit Log tracks all adjustments and changes made to plan definitions, all data used by CATS and all calculated values performed by CATS. This information resides with the metadata for as long as it's stored and there are no time limits or expiration dates to this information.

Does CATS allow adjustments to the incentive earning calculation by varying parameters, either on an individual level or global level, with proper system control?
If authorized, any parameter in any calculation rule for any position or any individual can be changed. These changes are always recorded in the Audit Log to provide for a reconstruction of any payment to any individual either in the current period or historically.

Does CATS have the ability to support the separation of earnings and payments (i.e. keep a constant record of payments despite recalculation of prior period incentive earnings)?
CATS provides the ability to make year-to-date adjustments to prior period payments. CATS permits the incentive compensation administrator to create unique payment events outside of specific rules and force them through the application as a manual change. This of course would be captured and identified by the Audit Log. From a philosophical point of view, we firmly believe that any payment directed by CATS should be 100% aligned with any calculated value in CATS. The ability to change history such that the calculated values would not reconcile with a specific payment made to an individual is inconsistent with GAAP accounting standards.

Can CATS query the audit log?
Yes, the ad-hoc reporting tool built into every table in CATS permits the incentive compensation administrator to build an expression using any field in that specific table to identify and/or isolate records that meet the criteria.

Does CATS provide an audit log of all changes made to the system?
When changes are made to data, a continuous audit log captures all of the relevant information regarding who made the change, when the change was made, and the 'from and to' values. In addition, a notation can be appended in a separate text field providing back-up information regarding why the change was made and/or who authorized the change. All of this information remains with the specific record for its life and permits any reconstruction of any transaction on a current or historical basis.

Can CATS adjust incentive-related financial results?
CATS recognizes that no set of incentive compensation rules can ever encompass or predict all incentive compensation payout scenarios. Thus, CATS 2007 permits authorized Administrators to interact with calculated values and modify or override them when appropriate. The Audit function in CATS automatically records any manual changes. It also permits the Administrator to record a text-based explanation for the change. These events are visually displayed within CATS, using unique data fields permitting both queries and reporting and are permanent markers to the associated incentive compensation record. This allows for a complete audit trail to historic payment events.