Northrop Grumman Selects Metrix to Automate Field Service Operations for Its Commercial Marine Electronics Business Unit

July 21, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Technology News
MILWAUKEE (July 21, 2007) – Metrix, a leading innovator of service management and mobile field service software solutions, today announced that Sperry Marine, a business unit of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), will use Metrix Advanced Service and Metrix Mobile Techlinkä to automate their worldwide service operations, beginning with their European operations and then rolling out to their North American and Asian operations.

Sperry Marine provides and supports smart navigation and ship control solutions for the global marine industry. They will use Metrix software for mobile field service, service call management, contracts and warranties, as well as integrating service inventory and financial transactions with their Baan ERP and other financial systems worldwide.

Metrix will help Sperry Marine manage their customer service and support efforts in their own locations in 16 countries plus their authorized service depots in more than 250 locations worldwide. A unique component of Sperry Marine’s field service is that customer equipment is not at fixed sites with a static address but are on marine vessels sailing around the world. Sperry Marine will use Metrix Mobile Techlink to track and manage technicians’ service calls on ships, which may be docked at any port in the world.

“We are very excited to partner with Metrix to help us improve our service operations through better management, automation and asset tracking,” said Andrew Fraser, Director of Worldwide Customer Service and Support, for Sperry Marine. “Metrix’s 27 years of experience developing and implementing service management software, along with their deep features and functionality, gave us the confidence that they were the right choice for Sperry Marine’s implementation and we are looking forward to realizing the benefits of the software. The Metrix software will be the heart of our ServiceNet system, giving our customers a unique capability while increasing our productivity in many ways such as smarter scheduling and improved inventory visibility and management.”

“Sperry Marine needed a field service management system that improved their responsiveness, mobility and productivity and Metrix delivered,” said Larry Laux, president and CEO of Metrix. “Sperry Marine’s unique installed base was an interesting challenge for our system. It turns out to be a perfect fit for Metrix and we are happy to have them on board as a customer.”

In addition to the implementation of Metrix Advanced Service and Mobile Techlink, Metrix will also provide a Web portal for access by Sperry Marine’s customers and partners. Through the portal, customers have the ability to check entitlements, initiate service calls, check service call status, order parts and view reports. The portal also gives Sperry Marine the ability to assign, schedule and easily coordinate jobs with contracted third-party service providers.

About Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine:
Sperry Marine, headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., and with major engineering and support offices in New Malden, United Kingdom and Hamburg, Germany, provides smart navigation and ship control solutions for the international marine industry with customer service and support through offices in 16 countries, sales representatives in 47 countries and authorized service depots in more than 250 locations worldwide.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.

About Metrix:
Metrix software applications enable world-class service management through powerful contact center, field service, dispatch, contract lifecycle, warranty, parts logistics, return service, self-service and mobile workforce solutions. Leveraging over 27 years of experience, Metrix provides a competitive advantage to innovative companies like Ingenico, Olympus, Xerox, Ericsson, and Makino by automating field operations, streamlining service processes, improving customer satisfaction and increasing service profitability. For more information, visit http://www.metrix.com.