Stonebridge Develops and Deploys Enterprise-wide Payroll/HR Intranet for Chick-fil-A

Fast Food Leader Streamlines Operations to Scale for Rapid Growth

DALLAS, Texas, October 25, 1999 – Stonebridge Technologies, Inc., a leading e-business solutions consulting firm, today announced development and deployment of an enterprise-wide intranet to streamline payroll/HR operations for more than 850 Chick-fil-A restaurants. Chick-fil-A, the world's leader in chicken sandwich fast food outlets, has operations that span the nation. For the first time, local operators will have direct, self-service access to corporate HR and payroll functions — reducing costly and time consuming paperwork as well as improving record-keeping accuracy.

The solution's lynchpin is a highly configurable, easy-to-maintain Web interface specifically designed by Stonebridge's e-business consulting team for Chick-fil-A. Through this interface, the system can dynamically generate Web pages from programs residing in an Oracle database. As a result, local restaurant operators can meet a range of operations needs by readily modifying Payroll/HR reports and forms, such as the payroll data entry form — in real time.

Stonebridge solutions enable companies to realize the most value from information assets, systems and human resources. A full service consultancy, Stonebridge helps companies form more profitable ties with customers and suppliers and operate more efficiently.

"We are pleased that Chick-fil-A selected Stonebridge to leverage their existing information technology (IT) structures, enabling the business to operate more efficiently and scale for continued rapid growth," said Dewey Blaylock, President of Stonebridge Technologies Southeast. "By enhancing the company's business processes, the new system will help Chick-fil-A maintain its leadership position in fast-food outlets, a very competitive market."

Flexible Payroll/HR Solution Improves Responsiveness

Chick-fil-A, a pioneer in the chicken sandwich sector of the fast food industry, dominates with more than 850 stores featuring its flagship sandwiches. Annual sales at $800 million are racing toward the $1 billion mark. As with many high growth companies, Chick-fil-A's rapidly expanding business has outpaced legacy information systems. For example, historically each restaurant processed its own employee and payroll data, then forwarded data to corporate headquarters for re-entry into the corporate system. As a result, incomplete and inaccurate data continually hampered Chick-fil-A's efforts to build meaningful, consolidated business views of company-wide payroll expenses. Aging DOS-based applications further burdened the process by limiting data accessibility, availability and system flexibility while driving up IT maintenance costs.

"Stonebridge was already adding new features to our Oracle Financial module and proposed an innovative Payroll/HR solution — giving restaurant operators direct access to corporate Payroll/HR capabilities through the Web," said Jon Bridges, Chick-fil-A's Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. "As we evaluated the solution proposed by Stonebridge, it became clear this would lead us to an operations breakthrough. We quickly moved on deployment."

Working closely with Bridges and his technical staff, Stonebridge designed a unique enterprise-wide Web-based system residing on an Oracle Application Server. On a technical level, any interactive payroll/human resources solution is inherently complex. However, from the outset it was critical that the system be extensible, easy to maintain and above all else, easy to use. Stonebridge crafted a multi-tiered Web interface to enhance Oracle's Payroll and Human Resources Development modules and ensure flexibility and ease of use. Chick-fil-A staffers now make payroll and HR module updates in real-time and can make them immediately available to all users simply by performing updates on the Oracle Application Server — reducing maintenance costs.

Utilizing Back-End Data

Published application programming interfaces (APIs) deployed by Stonebridge enable local users to perform their own database updates through standard Web browsers. When designing the application, though, consulting team members discovered additional APIs were required. Stonebridge — the leading Oracle integrator in the southeast United States — worked with Chick-fil-A and Oracle to develop the necessary APIs. Oracle is expected to publish these new APIs as part of its Payroll/HR Application Modules.

"We are pleased to have Stonebridge as a strategic partner," said Bridges. "They work well with our people and are exceptionally knowledgeable about Oracle tools. The system we created together is truly state of the art. Providing Web-based Payroll/HR access helps to position Chick-fil-A for continued aggressive growth in a highly competitive business."

About Stonebridge Technologies

Stonebridge Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of e-business solutions, integration and consulting services in the Southeastern and Southcentral United States. Stonebridge delivers 90 percent or more of its engagements using local Stonebridge consultants — a unique strategy giving clients cost-effective solutions that raise productivity and reduce risks associated with e-business transformation and complex technology projects. Stonebridge solutions focus on Extended Enterprise Resource Planning (XERP), Electronic Relationship Management (eRM) and Electronic Procurement (ORM). Areas of technical expertise include: business intelligence, software integration, custom development, business applications, infrastructure development and accompanying IT services.

Stonebridge employs more than 400 associates in 12 geographic locations. Stonebridge clients span a variety of industry sectors such as telecom, high technology, financial services, electronics and energy. Clients include many blue chip companies and large organizations such as Blockbuster, Chick-fil-A, eMerge Interactive, E*TRADE, Home Shopping Network, MCI Telecommunications, Texas Instruments, Williams Companies, GTE, Golfsmith, Nortel Networks and The Weather Channel.

For more information on Stonebridge Technologies, visit us online at www.sbti.com.

About Chick-fil-A

Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, Inc., the nation's third-largest quick-service chicken restaurant company, has more than 850 restaurants in 34 states and South Africa. Chick-fil-A serves good-tasting nutritious food products in malls, free-standing units, drive-thru-only outlets, Chick-fil-A Dwarf House® full-service restaurants, and through licensed outlets in college campuses, hospitals, airports, businesses and industrial sites. The chain expects to add 94 locations in 1999.

For more information on Chick-fil-A, please visit them online at www.chick-fil-a.com.