Cognos and Grant Thornton LLP Team to Deliver New Budgeting Performance Solution for U.S. Federal Civilian Agencies


– Federal Budget Planning and Performance framework delivers
a standardized and repeatable budget process; enables informed
and confident program funding decisions –


COGNOS GOVERNMENT FORUM, WASHINGTON, D.C, May 2, 2007– Cognos (Nasdaq: COGN; TSX: CSN), the world leader in business intelligence and performance management solutions, and Grant Thornton LLP, U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International, today announced the launch of a new joint solution designed to help U.S. Federal Civilian agencies optimize their budget development, planning and performance processes.

U.S. Federal agencies are under tremendous pressure to comply with mandates from the Administration to streamline and improve budget management. Budget pressures are also forcing them to allocate resources to assure program outcomes align tightly to agency goals. Current budgeting processes and tools fall short in enabling agencies to effectively link financial and performance measures. Coupled with disparate, disconnected and oftentimes inaccurate data, this challenges management’s ability to make confident program funding decisions.

The new Federal Budget Planning and Performance framework offers federal agencies a scalable e-budgeting capability that promotes improved budgeting efficiencies and greater accountability. Budgets are developed using standard structures, guidance and processes, simplifying consolidation and facilitating multi-stakeholder input and analysis. By delivering a transparent, integrated top-down/bottom-up budgeting process across the agency, managers are able to better understand how their programs’ resources support bureau and agency goals. All budget data is also centrally maintained, ensuring managers are tapping into the same information in order to drive accurate, consistent program budget decision-making.

"In the past, government professionals have viewed their budgeting systems and processes as good enough. But they haven't explored how much more can be accomplished by implementing best practices through the leading edge budgeting and performance management tools from Cognos,” said Srikant Sastry, Partner, Global Public Sector at Grant Thornton LLP. “The joint Cognos/Grant Thornton LLP solution gives government agencies the opportunity to deconstruct departmental barriers and silos, and unite into a coordinated, collaborative budgeting environment that recognizes ‘one version of the truth.’ The framework drives an integrated budgeting process that meets regulatory and legislative demands without losing sight of the fundamental need for smart, effective and informed program management.”

Combining Cognos performance management software with Grant Thornton LLP’s domain expertise and best practices approach, the framework offers a complete spectrum of functionality that enables federal agencies to maintain flexible budget management and control, including:

  • The ability to update multiple budget versions and scenarios ‘on-the-fly’ to reflect program changes
  • The flexibility to address changes in budget guidance from year to year
  • Integrated budget document production capabilities, allowing the agency to easily generate Congressional budget books and OMB exhibits
  • An automated workflow, allowing managers to track the latest status of their budget submission
  • Enhanced audit trails, to drive strong accountability throughout the process

“The Federal Budget Planning and Performance framework satisfies a fundamental need among federal agencies for an integrated, collaborative budgeting process,” said Susan Gold, Vice-President, Industry Solutions at Cognos. “This solution, developed with Grant Thornton LLP’s deep budgeting experience in numerous federal agencies, along with Cognos’ market-leading performance management software, will enable agencies to effectively manage the budgeting process, and deliver the insights into program and organizational performance that they need to make resource decisions that deliver the best outcomes to accomplish the goals of the agency. We are very pleased to be partners with Grant Thornton LLP on this solution.”

Cognos is a leading provider of performance management solutions for federal agencies worldwide, many of whom use Cognos to meet the demands for more citizen-centric, results-oriented information and services delivery. In fact, over 75,000 U.S. Government employees rely on Cognos to run more efficient and effective programs. For more information about Cognos solutions for federal agencies, please visit http://www.cognos.com/solutions/industry/government/federal.html

About Grant Thornton LLP:
Grant Thornton LLP is the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International, a global accounting, tax and business advisory organization. Through member firms in more 110 countries, including 50 offices in the United States, the partners and employees of Grant Thornton member firms provide personalized attention and the highest quality service to public and private clients around the globe.

Grant Thornton LLP’s Global Public Sector, based in Alexandria, VA, is a global management consulting business with the mission of providing responsive and innovative financial, performance management and systems solutions to governments and international organizations. Visit Grant Thornton LLP at www.GrantThornton.com

About Cognos:
Cognos, the world leader in business intelligence and performance management solutions, provides world-class enterprise planning and BI software and services to help companies plan, understand and manage financial and operational performance.

Cognos brings together technology, analytical applications, best practices, and a broad network of partners to give customers a complete performance system. The Cognos performance system is an open and adaptive solution that leverages an organization’s ERP, packaged applications, and database investments. It gives customers the ability to answer the questions -- How are we doing? Why are we on or off track? What should we do about it? – and enables them to understand and monitor current performance while planning future business strategies.

Cognos serves more than 23,000 customers in more than 135 countries, and its top 100 enterprise customers consistently outperform market indexes. Cognos performance management solutions and services are also available from more than 3,000 worldwide partners and resellers. For more information, visit the Cognos Web site at http://www.cognos.com.

Cognos and the Cognos logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cognos Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Note to Editors:
Copies of previous Cognos press releases and Corporate and product information are available on the Cognos Web site at http://www.cognos.com.