DENVER, CO -- (Marketwire) -- 07/13/10 -- Workforce planning is becoming increasingly important as baby boomers head into retirement and the much smaller Generation Y enters the workforce. Even in a slow economy, workforce planning is essential to mitigating risk and making sure that long-term business plans provide the appropriate context to make the right short-term business decisions.

"Many companies are realizing the impact of demographic shifts, an aging workforce, and more competition for limited talent," said Dr. James Kelly, OptTek CEO. "They are concerned about having the right people, with the right skills, at the right place and at the right time to achieve their business goals. Additionally, these same companies are keenly interested in attaining diversity in their workforce. OptTek's new software addresses these needs."

The Boulder-based optimization technology firm recently completed its first pilot of OptForce™ with CH2M HILL. OptForce is revolutionizing the way the engineering firm strategically plans and manages its workforce. This software, developed with the support of a Small Business Innovative Research grant from the National Science Foundation, allows companies, like CH2M HILL, to ask "what if?" and see the impacts that different business decisions and courses of action will have on their business performance.

"CH2M HILL just completed a two-year pilot with OptTek, yielding a workforce projection that was 95 percent accurate, far exceeding my expectations," said David Sutherland, CH2M HILL's Director of Strategic Workforce Planning & Reporting. "The innovative simulation and optimization software allows us to more effectively and efficiently predict workforce outcomes for multiple scenarios."

Benefits of OptForce

The benefits of the software include integration of strategic business planning with workforce planning, cost-effective achievement of diversity goals and additional confidence in forecasting business performance.

"This technology allows us to see the right long-term context for our business in order to make the right short-term workforce decisions," Sutherland continued. "OptForce will also enable CH2M HILL to better invest talent management dollars by evaluating the ROI of proposed talent management programs and potential changes to existing programs."

OptForce is ushering in the "next generation" of sophisticated workforce planning and offering a competitive advantage for companies that use it. The technology examines the impact of recruitment, orientation, development and retention practices on individual employees, allowing for more accurate prediction of future workforce scenarios and company performance metrics. The software also allows organizations to select the optimal set of policies and programs required to meet their diversity objectives while minimizing total program costs.

About OptTek Systems, Inc.

OptTek Systems, Inc. is a Boulder, Colo. based optimization software and services firm. From its inception in 1992, OptTek has become the leading provider of optimization software to simulation companies and employs state-of-the-art techniques based on many years of research in the area of optimization, in which OptTek's founders are internationally recognized leaders. OptTek specializes in developing and customizing its software to enable solutions for business problems characterized by significant uncertainty and complexity. OptTek's software is used by hundreds of firms including FORTUNE 500 companies for a variety of applications including portfolio optimization, business process management, data security, financial and strategic planning, logistics and transportation, and government. OptTek's website is www.OptTek.com.

About CH2M HILL

Headquartered in Denver, Colo., employee-owned CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. With $6.3 billion in revenue and 23,500 employees, CH2M HILL is an industry-leading program management, construction management and design firm, as ranked by Engineering News-Record (2010). The firm's work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environmental, energy and power, and facilities and infrastructure. The firm has long been recognized as a most-admired company and leading employer. Visit www.ch2mhill.com.