Saa Institute

CASE#12

SAS Institute: Systems Help People Make a Difference

SAS is known as the world's leader in business analytics software. It does that by delivering the breakthrough technology you need to transform the way you do business. The company was founded in 1976 by Dr. James Goodnight and Dr. John Sall, both professors at North Carolina State University. The company served more than 40,000 customer sites worldwide, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500 companies. SAS Institute is the largest privately held software company with over hundred offices worldwide and approximately 10,000 employees. The company’s success is directly related and depended on its very sophisticated human resources strategies and polices. The company promises continuation in expanding in years to come so they will always have the answer for their customers needs.

SAS human resources philosophy effects the company’s ability to attract and develop a quality work force. This is all done with the belief that if you treat employees as if they make a difference to the company, they will make a difference to the company.

SAS corporate culture was based on employees and how satisfied employees create

satisfied customers. SAS created an atmosphere or working environment that encourages

employees to incorporate the company’s goals to their personal needs. That is done by

providing:

a- Childcare centers.

b-Eldercare information.

c- Health Center.

d-Wellness program.

e-Recreation and fitness facility.

f-Cafeteria with live music entertainment.

These benefits will serve to help and fulfill the employees mental and

physical needs; the employees will feel a sense of loyalty to this provider. This loyalty

and well being will help increase the production by a tremendous percentage. Also the

clear healthy mind will be more inventive than the others. The idea is working hard

because you want to and you enjoy it , and not because your manager is watching over

your shoulder. Work hard from the heart.

So the recourses management attract and retain highly motivated capable workers who

will make a great contribution to the success of this company. The company does provide

benefits but it also expects a very extraordinary performance in return. In fact a very

small percentage ever leave the company once they are hired.

Many will argue that it is a waste of money to do what SAS does, but an

interesting issue SAS’s leaders recognize that the cost of keeping employees satisfied is

very low compared to the $70 million SAS saves annually in employee replacement costs.

The company turnover rate is less than four percent compared to 25 percent in its

industry. David Russo, the human resources director, argues that the money spent to

create happy and healthy employees is far less than the cost of the turnover. “That’s the

beauty of it,” says Russo. “There’s no way I could spend all the money we save.”

The company's work-life programs and unique corporate culture continue to

receive