ASCENDAS SLASHES REPORTDEVELOPMENT TIME BY 50%
WITH PROGRESS

ClientChallenge
Industry
Technology & Software

ProductsTelerik Report Server, Telerik Platform,

New tools and technology are empowering digital transformation in every
industry across the world, completely reshaping the way organizations
operate. This is particularly the case for government agencies, which aremaking use of everything from mobile applications to big data to gain
efficiency while minimizing costs.

Kendo UI

Summary/Integrations
Ascendas was bogged down by timeconsuming report development, sothe company turned to Telerik ReportServer to streamline the process.

Ascendas, a business solutions provider based out of Ireland, is one of themany facilitators of digital transformation, helping other companies make thetechnological leap with cutting-edge tools. Ascendas offers local authorities
a progressive application that started as a debt management tool, but has
evolved over time to function as a comprehensive customer relationshipmanagement solution.
With the Ascendas CRM, local authorities can send debt reminder letters andfinancial letters to customers, look up financial information about people inthe database and setup payment agreements, among other critical tasks.

The CRM also has extensive backend functionality,
allowing users to create reports or assign tasks to others.
The application is currently used by 20 local authorities,
with more than 400 users.
However, because Ascendas outsources development,
report development was problematic. WheneverAscendas wanted to make changes to reports, there
was a time-consuming back-and-forth process with thedeveloper that impeded productivity.
“If I wanted to make even a single change, say to thedrop-down parameter, I’d have to contact my developers,
then they would make the change and email me a freshbuild,” said Gerry Connolly, Director, Ascendas. “Then Iwould have to test the build and and deploy it. The wholeprocess was a cost problem, a time problem and also a
massive headache.”“Digital transformation is not
something we’re frightenedof, we actually embrace it.
We are a smaller company,
so I put a lot of faith inProgress to identify the best
trends and then I just follow
Progress. That’s why wehave three applications thatare completely built using
Progress tools.”– Gerry Connolly, Director of IT, Ascendas

Solution
The Ascendas CRM was originally built with Telerik®
Platform by Progress, so it made sense to integrate
Telerik Report Server as well to address the reportingissues. Report Server was an attractive option for avariety of reasons, but three stuck out ahead of the rest:ease of use, value and customer service.
Unlike more complex reporting platforms, Report Serveris very easy to integrate and use. Ascendas was able toeasily embed Report Server into the CRM application,
enabling users to select from a variety of reports, thenopen Report Server straight from the application. Once
integrated into the CRM application, reports could easily
be changed, downloaded and republished as needed—
no more time-consuming exchanges with developers.
Value was another key selling point. Compared to otherreporting platforms, Report Server was just as capable,
but at a more affordable price. For instance, with othersolutions, Ascendas would need an enterprise edition
upgrade to access key features, such as notifications
and data alerts. This functionality comes standard with
Report Server and enables Ascendas to keep track ofimportant data points.
Finally, the customer service provided by Progress
cemented the deal. The online documentation for
Report Server is comprehensive and covers most topics.
However, for any other challenges that cropped up,
Connolly knew from his prior experience with Progressthat he could rely on customer service agents to assist him.

“If we ever have an issue, we contact the support desk
and they’re excellent,” Connolly said. “They always
respond promptly and give great advice—more so thanany other software company I’ve purchased from.”
Ascendas is currently rolling out the Report Server
integration to all 20 CRM installations, and the process
has been smooth.

Results
Smaller companies need to make the most of their time.
With Report Server, Connolly is able to focus on more
mission-critical activities and no longer has to spend timegoing back and forth with developers over small changes.
The burden of inefficiency has been lifted.
Since integrating Report Server, Ascendas has realized
numerous benefits, such as:• Improved Report Generation: Connolly can create
reports in as little as an hour
• Streamlined Development: With Report Server,Ascendas has managed to cut out several steps fromthe development process• Faster Development: Overall, Connolly estimates that
Report Server has enabled him to slash reporting
development time by as much as 50%• Greater Autonomy: Ascendas is now less reliant on
outsourced development to make critical changes,
which helps reduce expenses
This is just the value he’s come to expect from Progress.
Connolly has been a long-time Progress customer and,moving forward, he intends to continue using Progress
tools for subsequent Ascendas projects.

“If we ever have anissue, we contact thesupport desk and they’reexcellent. They always
respond promptly andgive great advice—
more so than any othersoftware company I’vepurchased from.”– Gerry Connolly, Director of IT, Ascendas

For example, Connolly plans to bring the Ascendas CRM
to mobile platforms—such as tablets—in the future,and he’ll be looking to Kendo UI® to help develop a userinterface suitable for smaller screens.
“Digital transformation is not something we’re frightenedof, we actually embrace it,” he explained. “We are asmaller company, so I put a lot of faith in Progress toidentify the best trends and then I just follow Progress.
That’s why we have three applications that arecompletely built using Progress tools.”

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AscendasAscendas is a business solutions provider based out of Irelandand has been serving local clients for more than 10 years.
http://www.ascendas.ie/

About Progress
Progress (NASDAQ: PRGS) is a global leader in application development, empowering the digital transformation organizations
need to create and sustain engaging user experiences in today’s evolving marketplace. With offerings spanning web, mobileand data for on-premise and cloud environments, Progress powers startups and industry titans worldwide, promoting successone customer at a time. Learn about Progress at www.progress.com or 1-781-280-4000.

Progress, Telerik, Telerik Platform and Kendo UI are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation and/or one of its
subsidiaries or affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
© 2016 Progress Software Corporation and/or its subsidiaries or affiliates. All rights reserved.
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