E-BMC Partners with URS Corporation to Demonstrates How NJ Companies Can Use Technology to Gain Competitive Advantage

Business will inevitably be based technology. URS/E-BMC has partnered to develop an e-business enablement model that integrates technology into the strategic business plan within the context of traditional planning and budgeting processes and that can be easily managed at the CEO/P&L level based on management by objectives (MBO) and return on investment (ROI) criteria. The URS/E-BMC Partnership advises NJs Governor to use his office to help NJ CEOs in achieving early IT/business alignment and e-business enablement to gain competitive advantage over competition from other states and foreign companies. The value to NJ can be increased prosperity for NJ residents, a stronger economy, the elimination of the budget deficit and the ability to deliver valuable services to residents without the need for additional taxes. NJ could emerge as the recognized national leader in the use of technology to drive business.

(PRWEB) February 15, 2004 -- Parsippany -- The race is on! Experts agree that the success of all businesses will inevitably be based on the effective use of technology. Forrester Research states that one of the Top Trends for 2004 is, ongoing pressure to achieve IT/business alignment." This pressure is created by the knowledge that those companies that can gain early success in achieving the integration of technology into their strategic business plans, and align the power of technology with business processes, will have a significant competitive advantage, achieve dramatic cost savings leading to higher profits and advantage over those companies that lag behind. New Jersey companies can elect to either take a leadership position and gain the advantages that can come from being a leader, or can be a follower and allow other states to achieve the business advantages.

Two New Jersey companies, URS Corporation and E-BMC, have recognized this opportunity and are taking action to capitalize on it. According to Hoovers Online, URS ranks as the worlds leading design firm (construction giant Bechtel is #2). E-BMC is a 5 year old Venon, New Jersey based e-business enablement, network and Web services firm.

For nearly a year, URS and Dr. Whiting have been partnering to create the technology based strategy to deliver the construction and engineering services offered by URS to such customers as the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation (NJSCC) and over a dozen school districts engaged in multi-million dollar school construction projects in New Jersey. The goal of the URS/E-BMC partnership is to provide more cost effective, efficient and quality service by applying E-BMCs IT/business alignment and e-business enablement methodology to the delivery of URS services. The New Jersey URS schools construction services project, up until recently was under the leadership of Scot Bini, a Middletown, New Jersey resident. He has recently been promoted to head up the URS National Education Markets business unit.

Dr. John T. Whiting, E-BMCs Managing Director and author of the E-BMC E-Business Enablement Methodology says When Scot Bini was honored by NJBiz Magazine as one of New Jerseys top 40 business executives under 40 years of age, I knew I had to talk to him about how technology could improve his companys performance. It was immediately clear that Scot had an awareness that technology was going to be a critical part of his growing business, and that he could gain great benefit from taking early and aggressive action to capitalize on its power," Dr. Whiting recalls.

Scot was quick to act. He was aware that investing in technology without having a clear plan as to how it could support his Education Services Marketing Plan and be integrated into the URS strategic business plan no longer made sense," Dr. Whiting remembers.

Scot Bini said, When Dr. Whiting introduced me to the E-BMC E-Business Enablement Methodology, which is based on strategic business planning and budgeting, management by objectives (MBO), and return on investment (ROI) criteria, I said that is exactly what I need -- a plan that will allow me to make technology decisions with the knowledge that there is low risk and can deliver significant value to our business, the NJEDA, the SCC, our business partners, and our customers."

Following his reassignment to direct the Regional Education Construction Services Division (CSD), Bini teamed up with fellow URS executive, Rich Kruter, the head of the General Engineering Division (GED) to launch a marketing plan to promote both URS Divisions. This innovative internal partnership, supported by E-BMC, targets the delivery of more timely, cost effective and specifically responsive information to its school district clients, and more rapid, accurate and responsive service to business partners and customers. This collaboration by the URS CSD and GED Divisions in partnership with E-BMC will make it possible for URS to gain twice the bang from their buck" while integrating the power of technology into the URS Education Marketing Plan, and will deliver business process support via Web portal technology that can achieve URS goals at less cost while delivering a much higher quality of service to constituents.

Dr. Whiting notes that the URS/E-BMC partnership is a 'win win for all concerned. URS will achieve a significant reduction in both marketing and project management expenses; will be able to respond and share information in real time to customers as well as those engaged in critical day-to-day operations. Customers will be able to access the information they desire 60/24/7. Information related to ongoing specific projects will be available to all involved with the projects via an Internet web based portal 60/24/7. This will minimize costly project delays, miscommunications, scheduling and other project problems while improving project management efficiency. New Jersey funding organizations, such as the NJEDA and SCC, will be provided with immediate and moment to moment access to URS project status information via the URS Web portal. This has the potential to achieve cost reductions for both URS and SCC while improving SCCs ability to monitor the status of projects and ensure they are in compliance with SCC requirements. The power of the URS/E-BMC partnership will result in cost savings to URS, the school district projects, the cost of NJEDA and SCC monitoring operations and eventually, to the taxpayers of New Jersey."

Dr. Whiting also believes that New Jersey is positioned to become a leader in the use of technology to gain competitive advantage and increased profitability for those companies that can follow the lead of URS.

Just think of the value that could come to all New Jersey residents if companies followed the URS example and were able to achieve the early integration of technology into their strategic business plans, reduce operating costs and achieve higher profits. The benefit to New Jersey," states Dr. Whiting, would be gains in taxable income, leading to significant improvement to the economy, early elimination of the budget deficit, and the ability to provide residents with critical services without the need for new taxes. The potential is also there to reduce the cost of government operations yielding millions of dollars in savings."

Dr. Whiting indicates that a proposal has been made by E-BMC to help New Jersey companies gain early advantage from the power of technology to New Jersey Governor James McGreevey and many of the States business organizations. If our leaders got behind a plan to support all New Jersey companies in the effective use of technology, it could have a significant impact on the states economy and the quality of life for residents," Dr. Whiting believes.

It is prophetic that the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon predicted, at the 2004 World Economic Summit, The problems of the world, 'will be solved not by politicians but by technology." However, Dr. Whiting believes that New Jersey political leaders have a significant opportunity to provide the leadership and facilitate the information exchange that can expedite the progress of New Jersey businesses in achieving early IT/business alignment and e-business enablement. The benefits will be significant for all New Jersey residents," predicts Dr. Whiting.

About E-BMC
For more information about E-BMC, visit the E-BMC web site at http://www.e-businessmanagement.com. E-BMC provides a FREE e-business assessment form to CEOs to help define the status of IT/business alignment and e-business enablement in their companies. The form is useful in helping the CEO identify areas where the company has core components in place, areas of deficiencies exist, areas where components may be outdated and in need of upgrade and in providing a baseline for building an action strategy to achieve e-business enablement. To learn more about E-BMCs services contact E-BMC via e-mail at john.whiting@e-businessmanagement.com or by telephone at 973-764-0375.

About URS
The URS National Education Division is a division of the URS Corporation, the worlds leading design firm employing approximately 26,000 employees. URS provides planning, design, program and construction management, and operations and maintenance services to local, state, and federal governments, as well as to private and international clients in the chemical, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, forest products, mining, oil and gas and utilities industries. The URS National Education Division provides the full range of construction related services to the education market nationally.

URS also ranks among the top designers for the transportation industry (air and surface transportation, mass transit, and rail) and provides a broad range of engineering and architectural services to several other sectors serving client needs from 300 offices in more than 20 countries.

To learn more about URS National Education Services contact URS via e-mail at scot_bini@urscorp.com or by telephone at 732-275-1673.

Contact: Dr. John T. Whiting, Managing Director
Contact Telephone: 973-764-0375
Contact E-Mail: john.whiting@e-businessmanagement.com