Autodesk Buzzsaw Helps Streamline the Plan, Build and Operate Phases of the
                            Retail Store Lifecycle

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Autodesk, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADSK) today announced that major retail customers PETCO and Panera Bread are streamlining all aspects of the store lifecycle -- from site acquisition through program roll-outs -- by using the Autodesk Buzzsaw collaborative project management solution. Both companies implemented Buzzsaw over a year ago and have achieved a significant return on their investment by increasing productivity and saving thousands of dollars by more efficiently managing store planning, design, construction and maintenance operations projects on time and within budget. Using Buzzsaw as their primary project communication and collaboration solution over the past 18 months has enabled Panera Bread and PETCO to simplify business processes, automate tasks, and share accurate site, design, construction, store and brand information across their project teams, accelerating store openings and improving accountability and productivity at each stage in the store lifecycle.

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On-demand Collaborative Project Management - a Key Ingredient in Cost Reduction, Productivity

Streamlined project management and communication from project start to finish has helped Autodesk retail customers keep projects on or under budget. Since implementing Buzzsaw in 2004, Panera Bread has improved collaboration across its design teams and construction partners and measured a 50 percent drop in reimbursable costs.

A leader in the emerging specialty bread/cafe category, Panera Bread has been expanding rapidly across the United States. The company averages 160 construction projects a year and needed the means for design, construction, operations and brand teams to work together more effectively. Traditional modes of communication caused delays in their projects and lacked the accountability and control required for them to meet their aggressive growth targets. Panera Bread chose Buzzsaw to help manage all project information and communication through one central location. Buzzsaw provides a secure central repository for all site, design, construction, brand and as-built information and allows Panera Bread to manage access, set permissions, track activity and ensure that every project team member has the latest accurate information.

"Buzzsaw has helped us improve our design, build process so that we can get stores up and running more quickly. By having everyone on the project team tap into a single source for all design and construction information we save money, reduce redundancies and cut the time it takes to bring a new location from the design phase to the construction phase," said John Herth, director of franchise design, Panera Bread. "Autodesk Buzzsaw is the 'secret ingredient' in our improved store opening process."

With more than 100 new projects in progress at any given time, PETCO store designers were challenged to manage design reviews and approvals, supervise outside vendors and monitor progress, and selected Buzzsaw to help. In addition to improving collaboration, reducing the time to store opening and managing store operations more effectively, PETCO, a national pet food, supply and services specialty retailer, is saving hundreds of man-hours each year and cutting tens of thousands of dollars in annual costs.

"We've really benefited from using Buzzsaw because it provides the contractors, architects and engineers working on our retail stores access to the latest project information anytime and from any location," said Craig Brown, store designer, PETCO. "The automatic notification feature ensures everyone has the most current design information which reduces errors and inconsistencies in the construction phase."

Tools Help Anticipate Problems

Buzzsaw features tools that allow project managers and team members to monitor progress and quickly identify potential problems and discrepancies -- vital capabilities for retailers managing tens or hundreds of projects across the country or around the globe. Project portfolio dashboards and reports provide project status, schedule and budget information, while activity logs provide a complete listing of all project activity. Automatic notifications keep project team members informed of important changes and updates.

"Buzzsaw offers a way to bring all the aspects of the retail store lifecycle into a single manageable workspace," said Amar Hanspal, vice president of Autodesk Collaborative Solutions. "For retailers getting the doors open and then effectively and profitably managing the operation of a store can lead to a good or bad customer experience, and our industry leading collaborative project management solution provides Autodesk's retail customers with this capability and more importantly a competitive edge."

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc. is wholly focused on ensuring that great ideas are turned into reality. With seven million users, Autodesk is the world's leading software and services company for the building, manufacturing, infrastructure, media and entertainment and wireless data services fields. Autodesk's solutions help customers create, manage and share their data and digital assets more effectively. As a result, customers turn ideas into competitive advantage by becoming more productive, streamlining project efficiency and maximizing profits.

Founded in 1982, Autodesk is headquartered in San Rafael, California. For additional information about Autodesk, please visit www.autodesk.com.

NOTE: Autodesk and Buzzsaw are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Contact: Jennifer Giles, 415-547-2458

Email: Jennifer.giles@autodesk.com

SOURCE Autodesk, Inc.
CONTACT:
Jennifer Giles of Autodesk, Inc.,
+1-415-547-2458,
or Jennifer.giles@autodesk.com.
Web site: http://www.autodesk.com
(ADSK)