Dean Health Systems Streamlines Human Resources and Develops Web Strategy with SAP Solutions; Major Benefits in Just 18 Weeks Through SAP AcceleratedHR Solution.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 21, 1999--

SAP America, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of SAP AG (NYSE: ADR SAP), the world's leading provider of inter-enterprise software solutions for the Internet economy, today announced that Dean Health Systems, Inc., a Wisconsin-based healthcare services and insurance provider, became productive using the SAP(TM) Human Resources(TM) (SAP HR(TM)) solution on June 28.

The 18-week implementation project was deployed through the SAP AcceleratedHR(TM) solution and was completed on time and on budget with management consulting services provided by Grant Thornton, LLP.

The successful implementation streamlined processes including organizational management, master data, recruitment, benefits, payroll, and training and event management, enabling the company to generate company-wide human resources reports and improve customer service through real-time access to accurate data for the first time in its history.

Dean Health Systems employs approximately 3,500 people, including more than 400 doctors, and encompasses 50 sites.

"We began looking for a better way to manage human resources in October of 1998," said Dan Seering, vice president of human resources at Dean Health Systems, Inc. "We reviewed human resources applications offered by a number of vendors to develop a short list of potential providers. SAP is the only company to offer a human resources solution that is scalable, flexible and comprehensive enough for us. We needed accurate and accessible employee data, particularly in the benefits areas, that we could draw quickly from a single information source. SAP Human Resources enables us to drill down into master employee data collected from multiple sites and generate company-wide reports for the first time since 1983."

"Improved access to accurate data reduces response times, resulting in better service to employees," said Kevin McKay, CEO and president of SAP America, Inc. "We are pleased to support the needs of healthcare professionals through streamlined human resources while developing and deploying the online solutions essential to ongoing growth."

Dean Health Systems also cites the availability of SAP Employee Self-Service(TM) (SAP ESS(TM)) as critical to its decision to implement SAP HR. SAP ESS is a set of easy-to-use Web-based SAP applications giving employees direct, real-time access to their personal data.

Within the next three years, Dean Health Systems plans to provide computer access to all of its employees, bringing a number of projects online including extensive satisfaction surveys of physicians, employees and patients, applications, and performance reviews.

The company projects that employing SAP ESS will greatly reduce the number of manual hand-offs required to process information between employees and the human resources and payroll departments. The online functionality will also facilitate data transfer between off-site employees and multiple office locations.

"We are already realizing early benefits of the implementation," added Seering. "We're in a tight labor market; retention and recruiting are critical. SAP HR enables us to set up advertising for recruiting and track the recruiter activity associated with each job opening. We have capability to track the number of full-time-employees at each of our sites working for a particular department, and can evaluate and adjust the merit pay system. Perhaps the biggest benefit of the project is improved customer service. We're able to respond to customer inquiries in real-time and provide more reliable information. It's also important to note that we managed the implementation without adding any additional staff and got it done on time and on budget. I want people to know that it can be done."

Other SAP customers who have selected the SAP HR solution in the healthcare industry include the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations (Saskatchewan, Canada), a non-profit, non-government organization that provides payroll services on a fee-for-service basis to 27,000 health care employees in Saskatchewan, and the John Muir/ Mt. Diablo Health System (Walnut Creek, Ca.), a recently merged multi-hospital network which unified four separate payroll systems through SAP HR.

About SAP

SAP, the world's largest inter-enterprise software company, provides companies of all sizes with business solutions that deliver A Better Return on Information(SM). SAP products and services integrate an organization from financials and human resources to manufacturing and sales and distribution.

This integration enables companies to optimize supply chains, strengthen customer relationships, and make more accurate management decisions. Founded in 1972, SAP today leverages a global network of people, processes and products to assure customer success. SAP is listed on several exchanges including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP."

The SAP World Wide Web site can be found at http://www.sap.com.

SAP, SAP HR, SAP ESS, all SAP product and service names herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

(c) Copyright 1999, SAP AG