BURLINGTON, MA, March 18, 2003—The Office of Compensation and Working Conditions (OCWC), a division of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is improving multi-dimensional data access and managing the performance of 250 field economists with Cognos (NASDAQ: COGN; TSX: CSN) the world leader in business intelligence (BI) and performance management.

The OCWC, which publishes statistical surveys such as the Employment Cost Index (ECI) and the National Compensation Survey, is using Cognos BI to monitor the progress and quality of survey data collection across the U.S. With Cognos, Washington, D.C. managers as well as regional staff based in six other cities can instantly view data collection progress at a regional or national level, determine current establishment refusal rates and calculate refusal turnaround rates. Using Cognos Metrics Manager, users will soon be able to monitor these key performance indicators (KPIs) in aggregate at a glance using Cognos Metrics Manager's stoplight scorecarding features. The Cognos BI solution also plays an important role in helping OCWC managers improve production processes by analyzing historical production data and identifying where changes should be made in their business processes.

"Cognos has given us the ability to see our business in ways we never thought possible," said Randy McLin, Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Robust reporting, coupled with the ability to perform detailed, drill-through analysis has enabled us to understand in aggregate or in detail where we are successful at collecting statistical data, what some of the parameters for success are, and to use this knowledge to increase our organization's effectiveness.

Increasing effectiveness is important with leading economic indicators such as the ECI, which Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Federal Reserve, once called "indispensable to understanding America's economy."

"Cognos business intelligence enables its public sector customers to increase organizational performance, enhance mission effectiveness and enhance operational readiness," said Terence Atkinson, director of public sector solutions, Cognos. "With the use of Cognos, organizations such as OCWC gain fundamental insights into their business, enabling them to increase program efficiency and ensuring that the programs continue delivering the best value to our citizens."

About the OCWC:
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. OCWC, the Office of Compensation and Working Conditions, focuses specifically on providing comprehensive measures of occupational earnings; compensation cost trends, benefit incidence, and detailed benefit plan provisions. BLS can be found online at http://www.bls.gov.