Ascent Technology helps you get started quickly and keeps you working
productively
Ascent Technology solutions are easy to learn and easy to use
Ascent Technology designs its solutions to be intuitive and easy to use. But, we understand
that some people might be intimidated when they use powerful automation for the first time.
This is why we provide a variety of services to get you started. If you routinely
use powerful software tools, you may not need much help. On the other hand, if you
have little experience working with powerful software tools, our support team will shower
you with attention and work with you until you are comfortable.
Ascent Technology designs its solutions to be modular and flexible. You can start with one Ascent
Technology product and add other Ascent Technology products if and when you need them.
You can start with one free-standing Ascent Technology product and connect it to your
payroll, HR, time and attendance, accounting, reservations, or flight-following systems
later. You can install an Ascent Technology solution at your location or hosting center,
or you can gain access to it over the web running in an Ascent Technology hosting center.
Our goal is to provide the solution you need and want—one that you will use confidently
and productively around the clock, day in and day out.
We are passionate about helping you to optimize your operations, and we are
dedicated to ensuring your success.
Representative Ascent Technology services
Advisory and consulting services
Ascent Technology offers consulting services in the areas of resource allocation, resource management, workforce
optimization, workforce planning, workforce scheduling, and workforce management for mission
critical and labor intensive environments.
Since our founding more than 25 years ago by members of the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ascent Technology has helped organizations deploy costly
resources as efficiently, effectively, and economically as possible. Ascent Technology's
highly trained and capable team of technologists, problem solvers, and solution designers
has broad domain expertise and substantial experience in artificial intelligence, computer
science and engineering, system design, mathematical optimization, operations research, and
resource optimization, planning, scheduling, and management.
The Ascent Technology team is always available to provide unbiased, platform-independent advice
about resource allocation, optimization, planning, scheduling, management, and deployment
methodologies; develop cost-benefit analyses; analyze business processes; manage projects;
gather and document technical requirements; develop functional specifications; and specify
hardware, software, peripherals, and telecommunications services.
Project management services
Ascent Technology believes that strong project management is key to ensuring a successful outcome. This is why we dedicate
a project management team to each delivery of services, products, and solutions.
When we deliver services, products, and solutions to you, our project management team works
closely with you, using a combination of face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, web conferences,
and email to keep you informed every step of the way.
We believe that cooperative project management ensures a successful working relationship and a
successful delivery. This is why we manage our projects transparently. You always have the ability
to view the information captured in the project management plan; there are no hidden tasks or surprises.
At the start of each project, we work with you to define our respective roles, responsibilities, and
tasks and to create a project management plan to guide the on-time and on-budget delivery of services,
products, and solutions. At the end of each project, we are hopeful that the combination of a successful
working relationship and a successful delivery leads to an equally successful long-term relationship.
Knowledge engineering services
Knowledge engineering is the process of
identifying your business knowledge—the business rules, policies, procedures, preferences, and
requirements that guide the way your organization operates—and then codifying your business knowledge
in the knowledge base at the heart of Ascent Technology solutions. The business knowledge in the
knowledge base determines how the solutions behave.
During the knowledge engineering process, Ascent Technology knowledge engineers work with you,
often side-by-side, to gather the business knowledge that enables the solution to behave the way you
want it to behave.
Typically, we ask you to provide general information we need to start to configure the knowledge base.
Then, after we enter the general information in the knowledge base, we work with you to gather additional
information about your organization and your organization's preferences for operation. We enter the
additional information and operational preferences as business rules in the knowledge base and demonstrate
to you how modifying business rules affects the behavior of the solution. At the conclusion
of the knowledge engineering process, the solution behaves the way you want it to behave.
Throughout the knowledge engineering process, we show you how to gather your business knowledge, how to
enter your business knowledge in the knowledge base, and how to modify business rules stored in the
knowledge base. This way, you are able maintain the knowledge base without our assistance.
Implementation, integration, and installation services
Ascent Technology offers two ways to gain
access to its solutions: by means of a traditional software license and through a hosted services
subscription agreement.
You can enter into a traditional named-site or enterprise-wide software license that provides you with
the right to install and run the Ascent Technology solution on hardware and software at your location.
In this case, you procure, support, and maintain the computing environment, and Ascent Technology
provides software maintenance and support (a choice of either Standard Support Services or Premium
Support Services) for the solution under an annual support services contract.
Alternatively, you can enter into a software-as-a-service subscription agreement that enables you to
gain access to the Ascent Resource Information System® solutions over the web. In this case,
Ascent Technology provides, supports, and maintains the computing environment and the solution in
Ascent Technology's hosting center. You procure, support, and maintain your desktop computers, kiosks,
and other devices and the network that enables you to connect to the solution running in the
Ascent Technology hosting center. Ascent includes Premium Support Services in the
software-as-a-service subscription.
No matter which way you choose to gain access to the solutions, Ascent Technology offers a variety of
implementation, integration, and installation services to get you started quickly and to keep you
working productively. For example, Ascent Technology provides system integration and testing services;
develops product extensions and enhancements; develops connectivity software for importing data to and
exporting data from external systems; designs reports; and configures, installs, and tests hardware,
software, and peripheral equipment.
Training services
Ascent Technology provides
training courses for trainers, planners, managers, users,
workers, system administrators, and IT professionals.
Ascent Technology offers classes in person at your location, at Ascent Technology headquarters
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and remotely over the web. In addition, Ascent Technology
trainers provide operational training services in person and remotely when you begin to use
the Ascent Technology solution. Ascent Technology can create a package of standard, customized,
and refresher training courses to meet your specific needs.
Software maintenance and customer support services
Ascent Technology offers two levels of customer-support services, Standard Support services
and Premium Support services, to help you use Ascent Technology solutions confidently and
productively.
When you enter into a traditional named-site or enterprise-wide software license, Ascent Technology
offers you a choice of Standard Support Services or Premium Support Services under an annual support
services agreement. When you subscribe to a software-as-a-service solution running at the Ascent
Technology hosting center, Ascent Technology provides Premium Support Services as part of the
subscription.
Both levels of customer support services include standard software maintenance fixes, upgrades,
and releases.
Learn more about Ascent Technology services
To learn more about Ascent Technology's services, send email
or call the Ascent Technology sales and marketing team at +1.617.395.4820.
