Aon Risk Services, Aon's brokerage subsidiary, has begun to use Acorn Systems' Profit Analyzer(TM) to analyze and identify opportunities for profit improvement among its clients. After evaluating profit improvement software vendors and potential in-house solutions, Aon selected Acorn Systems. "Acorn was selected due to its expertise, ability to deliver quickly, and solution flexibility and scalability," according to Karen Steinberg, CIO for Aon Risk Services Americas.

"The system is both scalable and cost effective because it is based on Microsoft's SQL Server and is integrated with the Aon Risk Services' Data Warehouse and Cognos environment for decision support," said Craig Coit, chief financial officer, Aon Risk Services Americas. "This scalability enables Aon to use Profit Analyzer(TM) to capture and aggregate the detailed data necessary to accurately assess and identify client profitability.

"Acorn Systems was the only vendor that presented us with a solution for improving profitability with the level of accuracy and granularity required for our business," Coit added. "The objective, simply stated, was to create an activity-based view of client profitability. We have a complicated product array with unique servicing variations that require detailed costing of resources being assigned to the clients. Early indications are positive that we will be able to give our relationship managers and brokers useful and actionable insights into the profitability of their individual client relationships."

Said J. Alex Fernandez, Acorn Systems' President, "Any time you have the complexity of business that a company such as Aon has, the ability to better understand how to manage for profitable growth, better service your customers, and execute this without carrying excess capacity creates a strong competitive advantage for your company in the global marketplace."