New Software Helps Leverage the Paradigm
Tue Jun 17, 8:37 AM ET

By Grant McCool

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A new software program sends a clear message to
corporate America -- cut out the bull.



New York-based Deloitte Consulting admits it helped foster confusing,
indecipherable words like "synergy," "paradigm," and
"extensible
repository," but now it has decided enough is enough. On Tuesday it will
release "Bullfighter" to help writers of business documents to avoid jargon
and use clear language.


"We've had it with repurposeable, value-added knowledge capital and robust,
leveragable mindshare," Deloitte Consulting partner Brian Fugere said.


"Bullfighter," as the software is called, could help investors
spot troubled
companies. Used to test language used by now-bankrupt energy trader Enron
from 1999 through 2001, Fugere said the program found "it got progressively
more obscure as they got deeper and deeper into trouble.


"We think that's a good indicator of the linkage between clear and straight
communications and business performance, including the issue of transparency
and trust, which is such a big issue these days," Fugere said.


Black-and-white photographs of matadors fighting real bulls accompany the
instructions.


Marketing director Chelsea Hardaway said employees had fun developing the
program over 9 months. They came up with about 10,000
"bullwords." The final
version has a dictionary of 350 words and gives users the ability to add
more.


"It flags your 'bullwords' but then it gives you sort of a good-humored
lashing over why you have used those words," Hardaway said of the program,
which works on Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents much like those that
check spelling.


The firm said employees voted "leverage" as the most hated word,
followed by
"bandwidth" and "touch base." Other incomprehensible words were
"incentivize," and "envisioneer."


The program, which can be downloaded free at http:/www.dc.com/bullfighter,
was tested on statements by 30 big U.S. companies. Home improvement retailer
Home Depot was first for clarity on the "Bull Index," while computer
hardware and software companies suffered the lowest scores for readability.






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