Six Flags Affords Thrill Rides and Grounded Financial Management

Microsoft Business Solutions Customer Solution Case Study

Overview "The breadth of what Microsoft Business Solutions Country or Region: United States has replaced is incredible—all without adding Industry: Media and Entertainment complexity to our organization, while still meeting Customer Profile global requirements." Six Flags, the world’s largest regional theme and water park operator, has Russell Kuteman, Vice President of Finance, Six Flags experienced explosive growth. With 39 parks in 8 countries, Six Flags hosts Entertaining nearly 50 million guests annually at 39 different nearly 50 million visitors annually. theme and water parks located across 8 different countries, all Business Situation while growing a multi-national organization, is not an easy task. Extreme growth was outpacing Six Flags' ability to efficiently integrate distribution Six Flags' many parks were each running different general processes and global reporting ledger systems. They needed a single, integrated business requirements. solution to span the parks' diverse business management needs Solution and reduce the cost of ownership of the disparate systems. Six Flags selected Microsoft® Business Solutions–Great Plains® as the business management solution to interconnect Microsoft Business Solutions–Great Plains provided Six Flags their global business. with immediate insight into their financial operations around the Benefits globe. It streamlined financial reporting, provided quick analysis  Global financial insight  Improved inventory management of financial data, improved inventory management, improved  Streamlined reporting business processes, and resulted in expense savings of close to  Improved business processes  Annual savings of $1 million $1 million USD annually. Situation systems work together, and corporate Worldwide Family Fun reporting included hours of data uploads Based out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and manual consolidations for distribution Six Flags is the world's largest regional to managers around the globe. As a result, theme and water park operator. Known for decisions were being delayed, and for a a family-fun atmosphere, Six Flags multi-national corporation, this was operates 39 parks in Belgium, Canada, unacceptable. France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States. Solution During their busy season, Six Flags The Move to Microsoft Business Solutions employs up to 50,000 people globally. Although some consultants suggested that only a tier-one or extremely complex, high- Explosive Growth end solution would be able to meet their Six Flags' visitors weren't the only ones on growing demands, Six Flags selected a thrill ride. Annual revenues were Microsoft® Business Solutions–Great exceeding $1 billion, new parks were Plains® as the business management popping up around the world, and solution to interconnect their global increasing ticket sales via the Web, phone, business. According to Joe von Bose, Six and kiosk were soaring to record levels. Flags Corporate Manager of Accounting Operations, "Cost was important, and the With the larger parks running a complex system had to be simple to learn, yet have enterprise solution and the smaller parks extensive functionality to meet our global running diverse smaller financial packages, requirements." the financial consolidation for these incompatible systems meant a flurry of Thinking Globally, Acting Locally faxes being sent across the globe. Six Flags' solution at the park level had to be supported in the local language, with Six Flags needed to consolidate its many adherence to local tax codes and local different general ledger systems. The currency computations. Management at the management team realized it was time to corporate headquarters needed global implement a centralized business reporting capabilities. To handle this management solution that would enable all challenging implementation, Six Flags 39 park management teams across the needed a coordinated international effort. globe to collectively work together. A multi- The slogan "Thinking globally, acting national effort, with local support and locally" became the mission statement for customization, was at the core of an the implementation. equation that would help Six Flags continue with their exhilarating growth. A Value-Add Partner Six Flags selected Microsoft Business Of all the expectations Six Flags set for a Solutions reselling partner Collins new business solution, global reporting was Computing to design their new solution. one of the most crucial requirements. In the "Collins Computing was able to design and past, Six Flags struggled to make various configure our implementation in a way that "[Microsoft Business met our goals within the desired timeline, With one central, enterprise-level solution, all while addressing issues of multiple purchasing and inventory planning can now Solutions] is simply languages, currencies and localization," be implemented in an integrated, shared easier to maintain and von Bose says. "Collins Computing was a environment. This enables Six Flags to real partner during the implementation lower inventory overhead by providing operate, which has phase, offering value-added service that various parks around the world the allowed us to distribute has sealed our relationship for the long- opportunity to "swap" high-cost parts term." needed to keep the complex park rides valuable technical running smoothly. resources to other The Power of Microsoft SQL Server Increased Customer Satisfaction parts of the company." Centralized on ten Citrix servers, Microsoft Customer satisfaction is also on the rise Jose von Bose, Corporate Manager of Business Solutions operates on Microsoft with a better stream of supplies hitting the Accounting Operations, Six Flags SQL Server™, which enables all park stands on demand, rather than on a management teams across the globe to scheduled basis. work collectively while providing scalability to support the high transaction volume The Speed and Power of Microsoft SQL generated by the various parks. For Server example, integrated inventory planning and Six Flags executives are extremely pleased purchasing capabilities enable Six Flags to with the dependability and speed afforded lower inventory overhead. This allows by Microsoft Business Solutions running on various parks around the world to swap the the powerful Microsoft SQL Server. "In one high-cost parts needed to keep the week alone, our Magic Mountain park complex park rides running smoothly. generated more than 3,300 journal entries in [Microsoft Business Solutions]. When Leveraging the Microsoft Business you multiply that number across 38 Solutions presence in more than 130 additional parks, 52 weeks a year, you get countries, Collins Computing established a clear picture of what [Microsoft Business local partner networks and policies that Solutions] can and must handle," von Bose would get Six Flags up and running in just says. two months. "We know that service is one of the most important factors in the success Ease of Operation of any implementation," says Randy "[Microsoft Business Solutions] is simply Forkner, President of Collins Computing. easier to maintain and operate, which has "We managed the project closely to ensure allowed us to distribute valuable technical that all parks received high quality resources to other parts of the company," implementation, training, and support von Bose says. "And, it's much less services." complex to learn. We are now able to train users on the entire system in five days. On Benefits our past system, it took five days just for Cost Savings from Purchasing and Inventory general ledger training alone." Planning Improved Processes For More Information Sharing a common system, executives Microsoft Business Solutions For more information about Microsoft around the globe can now run and create Microsoft Business Solutions offer products and services, call the Microsoft their own reports using industry-standard integrated business applications and Sales Information Center at (800) 426- reporting tools. Users are able to drill down services that allow small and midsize 9400. In Canada, call the Microsoft from any amount within the system to organizations and divisions of large Canada Information Centre at (877) 568- gather greater detail, a feature that was not enterprises to connect employees, 2495. Customers who are deaf or hard- available in Six Flags' previous systems. customers, and suppliers for improved of-hearing can reach Microsoft text Employees are spending less time on the efficiency. The financial management, telephone (TTY/TDD) services at (800) tedious project of consolidating data and customer relationship management, supply 892-5234 in the United States or (905) manually creating reports, providing for chain management, and analytics 568-9641 in Canada. Outside the 50 improved employee morale. applications work with other Microsoft United States and Canada, please software, including the Microsoft Office contact your local Microsoft subsidiary. Microsoft Business Solutions is increasing System and the Windows operating To access information using the World efficiency in many areas of the business, system, to streamline processes across an Wide Web, go to: www.microsoft.com including training and technical support. IT entire organization. This gives businesses staffing for financial systems at Six Flags insight to respond rapidly, plan For more information about Collins corporate headquarters was reduced from strategically, and execute quickly. Microsoft Computing, Inc. products and services, 12 to 5 full-time employees. "[Microsoft Business Solutions are delivered through a call (800) 943-9211 or visit the Web site Business Solutions] has given us our worldwide network of channel partners that at: www.collinscomputing.com weekends back. We are saving at least 60 provide specialized services and local hours per month by eliminating the support tailored to a company’s needs. For more information about Six Flags countless hours expended on report products and services, visit the Web site consolidation, printing, and distribution, For more information about Microsoft at: www.sixflags.com which means not only a cost savings to our Business Solutions, go to: company, but also a better work www.microsoft.com/businesssolutions environment for employees," Von Bose says.

Software and Services − Microsoft Business Solutions Financial  Products Management − Microsoft SQL Server 2000 − Microsoft Business Solutions–Great  Solutions Plains − Microsoft Business Solutions Analytics Partners  Collins Computing, Inc. © 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Microsoft, Great Plains, Windows, Windows Server, and Windows Server System are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Document published November 2003