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PDSI StaffEasy Software Utilized by Wolfgang Puck

PDSI, an Orange, Calif.-based provider of workforce automation software, announced that its Web-based STAFFeasy software was selected and used by Wolfgang Puck Catering and Events to provide staffing management support for two major celebrity events directly associated with the 74th Annual Academy Awards. The software is also being used to manage staffing for Wolfgang Puck Catering & Event's many other catering jobs, which include dinner receptions and other private gatherings for the Hollywood elite.

At the 74th Annual Academy Awards, Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events handled culinary service for both a pre-Oscar cocktail reception, and a post-Oscar gala known as the Governors Ball. These exclusive events, which took place in the new $615 million Hollywood & Highland retail entertainment center, attracted thousands of celebrity guests including Oscar nominees, Oscar winners and media from around the globe.

"As one of the most influential chef-restaurateurs in the United States and the world, Wolfgang Puck is emphatic about attention to detail," said Scott Campanella, Director of Service for Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events, which bases its California operations in Hollywood & Highland. "The Academy Awards receptions are by no means the largest or the most complex endeavors that we take on as part of our day-to-day business, but they are perhaps our highest profile events. To give ourselves the best possible chance to succeed at making every aspect perfect, we chose STAFFeasy."

"STAFFeasy is ideal for firms such as Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events that employ a high percentage of temporary, part-time, on-call, or contract personnel," said Greg Ekstrom, president of PDSI. "Through the use of automated staffing and scheduling processes, it ensures that the right staff with the correct skill sets are put in place at the proper location and the right time."

The Right Staff

According to Campanella, the right staff is critical to the success of a catered event, particularly when your clientele consists largely of celebrities who combine discerning tastes with concerns about privacy. STAFFeasy provides a way for Campanella to identify and group his base of workers according to his customers' specific needs, which may include the use of the same chefs, butlers and other staff members that the clients have come to trust. With the software, he can also group the staff by skills and other attributes, allowing quick and automated selections of the best contract workers for a particular job.

As catered events are booked, the firm posts job openings online using STAFFeasy. Contract workers can check job postings regularly, indicating their interest online as desired. This allows Wolfgang Puck Catering and Events to secure the best possible workforce months in advance of the event itself.

Instant, Scalable Communications

The administrative benefits of STAFFeasy have also proven very helpful to Campanella, his internal team, and the hundreds of contract workers he hires. Instead of a static or hardcopy schedule like those created by basic time and attendance software, STAFFeasy allows the workforce to indicate their schedule preference, be notified of their work assignment, and confirm attendance through automated telephone, wireless, or email communications in real time. In addition, it allows Campanella to quickly communicate changes to the contract staff about a particular event.

STAFFeasy has also been instrumental in saving labor costs and preventing staffing errors for Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events. The software sends an alert if a particular contractor's schedule is approaching overtime, or if a worker has been double-booked. And because it is a Web application, STAFFeasy not only provides anywhere, any time access from any Internet-enabled device, but also gives the catering firm scalability in terms of its need to manage the schedules and requirements of hundreds or even thousands of workers at a time.

Most importantly to Campanella, STAFFeasy has eliminated the need for manual schedule creation. "Until STAFFeasy, we were performing scheduling by phone and paper. It was not only ineffective, but time consuming and costly," Campanella said. "Now we're operating so much more efficiently that we plan to roll out STAFFeasy to other aspects of the business, such as our restaurants and other ballroom facilities."

About PDSI

Since 1990, PDSI has been providing sophisticated, Windows-based software products and custom software solutions utilizing the latest software development and delivery technologies for client-server, telephony, and Internet/Intranet deployment. Privately held, PDSI has installed thousands of scheduling applications throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit the PDSI Web site at www.pdsi-software.com, or contact PDSI headquarters at 625 The City Drive, Suite 190, Orange, CA 92868. Toll-free phone: 800-850-7374, Fax: 714-703-2970.