Manhattan Software Announces Newly Formed Client Impact and Steering Committees

MILFORD, Mass., Sept. 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Manhattan Software, the global leader in enterprise real estate software, is proud to have formed two new committees focused solely on direct customer participation in the Manhattan Software product roadmaps for its Manhattan IWMS and CenterStone CAFM product lines in North America.  The ultimate goal is to further satisfy customer requirements while taking Manhattan Software technology solutions to the next level for the overall CRE and FM markets.

Manhattan Software Client Impact Committee

The mission of the CIC is to provide clients the opportunity to influence the product roadmap and have a direct impact on enhancing system functionality.   A significant number of free development days are allotted to the CIC each year, and it is up to the Committee to determine how those days are spent.  This is a client-driven Committee that submits potential enhancement requests, sparks active discussions among clients about desired functionality and prioritization, and votes for the enhancements that will make the "short list."

CIC members attended their first required, daylong meeting on June 7th in Cambridge, MA prior to the Manhattan Software 2011 User Conference.  The purpose of this meeting was to deliberate the top-voted enhancement requests submitted via the CIC Portal by committee members and to derive a final list of enhancement requests for which Manhattan Software would provide high-level estimates.  The teams split into groups by application (Manhattan and CenterStone) and went to work explaining and debating each enhancement request.  At the end of the day, a key list of enhancements was made for high-level estimates.

"The idea of having clients influence software roadmaps is as old as software.  It has been a core philosophy of Manhattan and something we have followed since our inception over 28 years ago.  What makes our program unique is that we allocate a significant amount of development days at the sole discretion of our clients," said Craig Gillespie, CEO of Manhattan Software, North America.  "This was the first year we launched a Client Impact Committee specific to our North American client base and the response was incredible.  Having participated first-hand in many of the discussions, it was exhilarating to feel the energy and passion our clients have toward achieving the common goal of having the best products on the market to support their organizations.  They came ready and willing to invest their own time and effort."  

Manhattan Software Steering Committee

Manhattan Software is also proud to announce the formation of its first Steering Committee in North America.  The Steering Committee is instrumental in gathering collective intelligence across the Manhattan Software client base and seeking out best practices and areas for improvement that can be applied to further benefit Manhattan customers.  The Steering Committee will concentrate on identifying and prioritizing key overarching opportunities by working with Manhattan's leadership team.

The 2011 Manhattan Software Steering Committee is composed of a great group of individuals from different industries across both product lines (Manhattan and CenterStone). "I am humbled by the consideration and am very much looking forward to working with such an exceptional group of people, sharing our experiences and creating a truly collaborative environment - independent of company affiliation," said Christina Dorfman, Vice President and Strategic Architect, Bank of America. Some other committee members include:  Cathy Stephenson, Grubb & Ellis; Nancy Lombart, Accenture; Carrie Aldridge, PepsiCo; and Jan Petersen, Nokia Siemens Networks.  

Committee members will serve 12-month terms spanning between each annual Manhattan Software User Conference.  Nominations for the 2012 Steering Committee will be in place before the next User Conference so Manhattan Software users can vote to determine the next round of participants.

About Manhattan Software

Manhattan Software is the global leader in enterprise real estate software.  Manhattan is focused on improving the performance of our clients' real estate and facilities, wherever they are located.  Manhattan Software offers two product suites: Manhattan, the #1 Integrated Workplace Management Solution (IWMS) and CenterStone, the leading Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) software product.  As an integrated suite of products, Manhattan improves clients' performance by enabling seamless management of all aspects of their real estate operations and portfolio. Manhattan is an advanced, web-based real estate lifecycle solution that readily integrates into an organization's existing infrastructure.    

For additional information, visit www.manhattansoftware.us.

SOURCE Manhattan Software