American Management Association and Comshare Launch E-budgeting Course; Participants Gain In-Depth Knowledge About Best Practices in Management Planning and Control.

Business Editors and High Tech Writers

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 15, 2001

Comshare Inc. (Nasdaq:CSRE), the leader in software solutions for management planning and control, announced today that it and the management training leader, American Management Association (AMA) are offering a new three-day course on "eBudgeting, Planning and Management Reporting." The course, which was developed jointly by Comshare and the AMA, will be offered publicly in the AMA's training centers and be made available to corporate customers for on-site customized training.

"Given the current economic and business climate, now's the time to ensure that companies have the right system in place to connect business goals, actual performance, and future expectations," said Jim Hudick, Ph.D., AMA practice leader for financial management programs. "The Web plays a major role in making this happen. This course explains the processes and technologies that are the foundation of that evaluation and selection system and how to put it in place -- all to add real value to the organization. We're proud to offer this new course to AMA's members and customers, because it provides them with a powerful way to implement their corporate strategies and manage their businesses more effectively."

"Influential and objective organizations, like the AMA, are recognizing that Comshare is a leading authority on Web-based planning, budgeting and reporting," said Stan Starkey, senior vice president of operations. "This course draws on Comshare's 35 years of experience designing and implementing applications for planning, budgeting, forecasting, financial consolidation, management reporting and analysis in leading organizations worldwide. Attendees will learn about best practices and keys to successful design and implementation of a management planning and control system that integrates these applications into one solution."

Course Content

This three-day, hands-on course challenges the traditional methods of planning, budgeting and reporting. Using a workshop approach and individual experiences, participants will work through a case study and learn how to implement `best practices' within their own organizations. The course will also show how newer technologies such as the Web, can transform the way they plan, budget and report. The major content of the course includes:

-- A case study performed in groups that will reveal the major problems of the
traditional budgeting process and how they can be overcome.

-- Discussions on "best practices" in management planning and control and how
technology can be used to bring them to reality.

-- Overview of available technologies and the latest solutions for the
planning/reporting process. This will also include how to conduct software
evaluations.

-- Tips on how to overcome organization politics with case studies on how other
organizations have achieved success.

Schedule and Registration

The course is geared for senior and midlevel financial executives, professional consultants and administrators involved in the definition and running of an organizations' planning, budgeting and reporting processes. The regular registration fee for the course is $1995. Sessions for the course are scheduled to take place at AMA Conference Centers in the following cities:

-- April 30 - May 2, 2001 in San Francisco

-- June 27-29, 2001 in Chicago

-- September 17-19, 2001 in Atlanta

-- October 22-24, 2001 in Washington DC

-- November 12-14, 2001 in Chicago

Anyone interested in signing up for the course or learning more about it and the AMA can contact the AMA at 1-800-262-9699 (7 am - 9 pm eastern time, Monday through Friday). Registration information is also available on the AMA's website at www.amanet.org or by e-mailed request at [e-mail].

About the American Management Association

The American Management Association is the world's leading membership-based management development organization. AMA offers a full range of business education and management development programs for individuals and organization in Europe, the Americas and Asia. Through a variety of seminars and conferences, assessments and customized learning solutions, books and online resources, more than 70,000 AMA members and customers a year learn superior business skills and best management practices from a faculty of top practitioners.

About Comshare

Comshare Inc. is the leading provider of e-business software applications for management planning and control (MPC), which comprises planning, budgeting, financial consolidation, management reporting and analysis. Comshare's MPC applications deliver business-critical information over the Web that can be used to make sound planning and management decisions. In business for 35 years, Comshare is one of the top independent software companies, with customers around the world, many of which are Fortune 500 and Financial Times Top 1000 companies. Comshare is a Microsoft Data Warehousing Alliance Platinum Partner, an Oracle Business Alliance Partner, an IBM Business Partner, and an Hyperion Alliance Partner. For more information on Comshare, call 1-800-922-7979, send e-mail to [e-mail] or visit Comshare's Web site at www.comshare.com.

Comshare(R) is a registered trademark of Comshare Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.