QAD Announces Partnership Agreement With Tugboat Software

June 29, 2011 - PRLog -- QAD Inc. (NASDAQ-QADA, QADB), a leading provider of enterprise business software and services for global manufacturing companies, today announced it has signed a partnership agreement with Tugboat Software, a workforce scheduling solutions provider, to help QAD customers optimize their production planning processes with automated and more efficient work force scheduling.

Global manufacturing companies have workforces with complex and highly functioning skill sets. Matching the right worker to the right job at the right time - every shift, everyday – is mission critical. Yet, for companies relying on legacy workforce scheduling methods such as spreadsheets, this task can be cumbersome and prone to human-error. Moreover, workforce scheduling rules, policies and regulations can vary from one facility to the next, even within the same company.

By integrating Tugboat’s Scheduling Optimization Software (SOS) with QAD Enterprise Applications, QAD customers now can automate workforce scheduling and ensure that work orders are executed at peak efficiency and use only the least required and most appropriately matched human resources for the job.  

“It’s important that labor scheduling and its associated, time-sensitive challenges, such as worker availability, are addressed during the planning process to avoid production schedule changes or disruptions,” said Patricia Schilling, president for Tugboat Software. “With Tugboat’s Scheduling Optimization Software and QAD’s work order functionality combined, QAD customers can improve operational efficiency and save money by eliminating labor waste, such as unneeded overtime.”

Tugboat’s labor scheduling solution fills a labor roster that begins as a QAD work order. These work orders are converted into a Labor Demand, including jobs with start and run times over shifts and days. Then, depending on the available human resources, and rules, the SOS fills the roster with optimized job assignments, providing companies increased visibility and control of their planning cycle.

“We’re very pleased about this partnership,” said Craig McKay, senior director of alliances for QAD. “This solution is a logical extension of QAD’s core functionality that provides valuable savings and competitive advantage for our manufacturing customers.”

About Tugboat Software
Tugboat Software Inc., headquartered in Newport Beach Calif., is a provider of workforce scheduling solutions that lower operating costs, streamline human capital management and improve employee satisfaction. Products include Schedule Optimizing Software and Vacation Scheduling. Established in 2000, Tugboat Software delivers products and support to industry-leading customers worldwide in manufacturing, including General Mills, Pinnacle Foods, Progresso, ConAgra, Moen and Bemis.

About QAD
QAD is a leading provider of enterprise applications for global manufacturing companies specializing in automotive, consumer products, electronics, food and beverage, industrial and life science products. QAD applications provide critical functionality for managing manufacturing resources and operations within and beyond the enterprise, enabling global manufacturers to collaborate with their customers, suppliers and partners to make and deliver the right product, at the right cost and at the right time. For more information about QAD, telephone +1 805-566-6000, or visit the QAD web site at www.qad.com.

“QAD” is a registered trademark of QAD Inc. All other products or company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Note to Investors: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, evolving demand for the company's software products and products that operate with the company's products; the company's ability to sustain license and service demand; the company's ability to leverage changes in technology; the company's ability to sustain customer renewal rates at current levels; the publication of opinions by industry and financial analysts about the company, its products and technology; the reliability of estimates of transaction and integration costs and benefits; the entry of new competitors or new offerings by existing competitors and the associated announcement of new products and technological advances by them; delays in localizing the company's products for new or existing markets; the ability to recruit and retain key personnel; delays in sales as a result of lengthy sales cycles; changes in operating expenses, pricing, timing of new product releases, the method of product distribution or product mix; timely and effective integration of newly acquired businesses; general economic conditions; exchange rate fluctuations; and, the global political environment. In addition, revenue and earnings in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) software industry are subject to fluctuations. Software license revenue, in particular, is subject to variability with a significant proportion of revenue earned in the last month of each quarter. Given the high margins associated with license revenue, modest fluctuations can have a substantial impact on net income. Investors should not use any one quarter's results as a benchmark for future performance. For a more detailed description of the risk factors associated with the company and the industries in which it operates, please refer to the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2011 ended January 31, 2011.

# # #

Founded in 1979, QAD has been recognized as a leading provider of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software applications for global manufacturing companies. Today, QAD enterprise applications leverage advances in Internet and enabling technologies to provide critical functionality for managing manufacturing resources and operations within and beyond the enterprise, enabling global manufacturers to collaborate with their customers, suppliers and partners to make and deliver the right product, at the right cost and at the right time.

QAD enterprise applications are focused and optimized for select manufacturing industry segments: automotive, consumer products, electronics, food and beverage, industrial and life sciences.