QlikView Turns WD-40 Into a Slick Operation

Global Consumer Brand Sees Business Efficiency Soar Across European Operations with the Implementation of QlikView

RADNOR, Pa./Leamington Spa, UK – April 10, 2006 – QlikTech, the world’s fastest growing business intelligence software company, today announced that WD-40, a global name in household products, has deployed QlikView, QlikTech’s innovative business analysis application, to simplify and improve financial and sales reporting in real time. After deploying QlikView, WD-40 immediately experienced increased productivity and gained access to invaluable company information that previously was inaccessible.

Through the use of QlikView, WD-40 has replaced weekly hard copy ERP reports and eased demands of the IT department. Prior to deploying QlikView, WD-40 calculated customer sales totals manually at the end of each year by totaling up historical hard copy reports; now annual sales totals are available immediately with a single click. WD-40 employees can simply open up QlikView, make their data selections and analyze the information they need – from their desktops or from a Web server. As a result of this success, the company is planning to expand QlikView into other areas of its business.

"We have found ourselves in the position where we can now analyze over 500,000 order lines in seconds and in real time,” explains Julian Spencer, finance and operations director, Europe for WD-40. “On the sales side we use QlikView to find selling opportunities with existing customers as well as to highlight customers who are ordering less frequently than before. On the control side, we can track margins and customers' rebates instantly whereas before it took hours of manual data collation. QlikView is a great way to get at company data quickly and easily."

QlikView has also enabled the company to investigate profit margins in greater detail by drilling down to product information and highlighting customers who have not placed recent orders. The finance and logistics departments are now able to look at orders, margins and stock in a way that was not possible before.

“Implementing QlikView couldn’t have been easier,” said Jonathan McCoy, IT manager for WD-40. “It took less than two weeks to create our sales analysis application and it’s as easy to use as Excel, requiring no training whatsoever. The system consistently gives us new ideas on how we can make maximum use of its capabilities. When users want a new report or additional data, they know it’s going to be possible. When you’re running an IT department, it’s great to know that you will be able to give users what they want with a minimum amount of effort.”

QlikTech is leading a new class of easy-to-use, fast and flexible business analysis solutions that empower individuals to improve corporate performance and drive innovation. QlikTech’s flagship product, QlikView 7.2, extends the company’s vision of simplifying business analysis, offering solutions that can be deployed in days, where users can be trained in minutes, and where end users have the freedom to be more creative in their analyses.

“WD-40 is yet another leading international brand realizing the power of QlikView’s simple design,” concludes Andy Honess, managing director of QlikTech UK. “In today’s on-demand economy, people require immediate access to, and the ability to analyze data. By providing precisely the right level the information, when it’s needed, QlikView is helping users improve their own performance, as well as that of the company.”

About WD-40

WD-40 Company is a global consumer products organization, renowned for its range of popular household brands, which are found under the sink, in the garage and in the toolboxes of homes throughout the world.

Its products are now sold in more than 160 countries worldwide. WD-40 Company's corporate headquarters and Corporate Brand Support Centre is based in San Diego, California, U.S.A. The brand is supported by a group of international offices.

The company recorded sales of $242.5 million in 2004. WD-40 has grown to more than 254 employees worldwide, employing 42 at its UK headquarters in Milton Keynes.