Arlington Software launches unique new decision-making product; Canadian software firm introduces Which & Why for Windows.

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 1995--Canadian software developer Arlington Software Corp. Tuesday announced the release of Which & Why for Windows, a tool designed to accelerate and improve the decision-making process for professional management.

"Whether it is a corporation considering relocating or a human resources department choosing the best candidate for an executive position, making a decision based on `gut feeling' alone often just isn't good enough," said Don Lobley, president and founder of Arlington Software. "However, the notion of gut feeling must be incorporated into the decision-making process. Any software that fails to recognize this has less chance of acceptance by users."

Which & Why guides the user through a series of steps, resulting in a carefully thought-out decision that can be easily justified if necessary. It is a valuable tool for anyone faced with difficult choices: business managers slashing costs, government officials setting policies, suppliers trying to get an edge on the competition, and the list goes on.

"Which & Why picks up where spreadsheets should leave off," said Lobley. "Too often, spreadsheets are used to perform analyses that could, and should, be better handled using a different approach." While spreadsheets work well with hard numerical data, Which & Why also looks at qualitative "soft" information when it recommends a decision.

It works like this: in a Which & Why template model, the user lists all possible factors to be considered in making the decision. Each factor is given a "weight" according to its importance, and then the user scores each option against the factors listed in the model. Any cost elements are also entered. Which & Why then uses its unique matching index to work out the optimum balance between value and price and recommend the best choice.

Which & Why comes with more than 100 ready-to-use templates for everything from corporate stability evaluation to sales force training. In case there is more than one decision-maker involved, Which & Why also has a groupware function. It allows group members to work on the same central model, or allows diverse models to be combined into one, with each member's contributions considered in the final analysis.

The User Perspective

Peter Strum, senior partner with Deloitte & Touche's National Centre for Government Re-engineering in Ottawa, Canada, used Which & Why to help a Canadian federal government make a decision about selecting an important contractor. Strum said it allowed 15 people with various goals to reach a clear, rational decision.

"Using Which & Why reduced the time to complete the project from four months to one month," Strum said. "The rigour that the software applies to the process helps participants make more accurate decisions and this translates into a cost saving with a potential for increased savings in the future."

Gerard O'Connor, director of human resources with Casco Inc. in Toronto, uses Which & Why as part of the company's recruitment process. Which & Why helps him check that employment candidates meet basic criteria and it acts as a guideline to ensure an appropriate hiring choice is made. But it goes further than that. "Beyond using Which & Why as a quantitative tool in the complex recruitment process, we also see an expanded role for Which & Why as our company implements Total Quality Management," O'Connor said. "It will be used to allow groups to evaluate facts and data -- an essential element of TQM."

Rick Cobello, information management leader in the Global Parts Co. of General Electric Power Corp. in Schenectady, N.Y., said, "Which & Why will be used by our sales force to assist customers to evaluate various suppliers -- and hopefully this will demonstrate the real value of staying with genuine GE parts."

Pricing and Availability

Which & Why for Windows is available immediately at a suggested list price of $349 (U.S.). Which & Why is available directly from Arlington Software Corp. by calling the toll-free number, 800/496-1303, and will soon be available through the major resellers in North America and Europe. It runs on Windows 3.1 or higher, Windows NT or Windows 95, and requires 13 MB of hard disk space and 4 MB RAM.

Company Background

Arlington Software Corp. is a Canadian software development firm with branches in Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver, and offices opening soon in Toronto and Seattle. It was founded in 1993 to meet the needs of corporations and consumers looking for more effective decision-making tools.

CONTACT: Arlington Software Corp.

Don Lobley, 514/954-3665

or

Cohn & Wolfe

Mark Hall/Chris Wildermuth, 310/226-3035