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Economic development agencies in 10 northeastern Indiana counties have joined in a new, computer-based program designed to track local and regional trends and improve business expansion and retention efforts.

The Executive Pulse Business Intelligence System is a specially designed economic development software platform that is new to this area but has a long track record of use in cities and counties elsewhere in the nation .

"It's well-named because it helps you keep a finger on the pulse of the economy," said Gary Nielander, executive director of the Steuben County Economic Development Corp.

The Northeast Indiana Foundation introduced the program, to be known here as NE Insider, with assistance from Indiana Michigan Power, Northern Indiana Public Service Co. and WorkOne. Participating counties also contributed to the investment in the program, which cost about $49,000 initially plus $7,275 each year in licensing fees.

An estimated 60 to 80 percent of new jobs come from existing businesses, and the primary function of the program is to help counties help resident companies in that regard. But the data gathered through Executive Pulse also could be used to assist the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership in marketing the area to businesses outside the region.

"The strength of all this, the real value of this, is how we can aggregate all this information across the region," said Mark Becker, executive director of the foundation.

Although the program is just now launching officially, the foundation, the Regional Partnership and the 10 local economic development organization partners have spent about a year working with Erie, Pa.-based Executive Pulse Inc. to hone the program to suit the area's needs and to train LEDO staffers in its use.

The program requires LEDO staffers to survey businesses in their areas and gather information about their employment and training needs, infrastructure requirements, financial issues and a host of other subjects. Steuben County is probably a little ahead of some of the others, Nielander said, because it already has surveyed 30 to 40 companies.

The information is kept confidential. "The only way we identify an employer is if we have permission to share the data for the purpose of helping them" - for example, to obtain a training grant, said Rick Sherck, executive director of the Noble County Economic Development Corp.

As part of their participation, each county had to commit to doing a minimum number of surveys per year. In Steuben, for example, Nielander plans to do 40 surveys himself and have his assistant do another 15.

The more data that is gathered across the region, the more accurately can the trends be tracked and needs be assessed.

For example, Becker noted, if one county surveys 50 businesses, and 10 indicate a need for workers with a certain set of skills, that might not be enough for an area college or other educational institution to provide training in that area. But if 500 businesses are surveyed across the region, and 100 need workers with those skills, it might well justify offering the training.

"That's going to have a lot greater impact. That's the power of the system," Becker said.

Bill Konyha, president and CEO of the Economic Development Group of Wabash County, has used Executive Pulse before in business expansion and retention efforts.

"It's a tool, a terrific tool, that will help us in our ongoing efforts to assist businesses," he said. "But ultimately, it is just a tool. It's more what happens with the data, how you analyze it and use it."

Getting some company CEOs to part with information may not be easy, so, if nothing else, it compels LEDOs to develop a better rapport with business leaders in their communities, he added.

"It forces you to work on and develop your relationships," Konyha said.

Sherck agreed. "The most important thing is the relationships. As we do the expansion and retention calls, it builds good relationships for us."

When the Noble County EDC was launched a few years ago, the organization tried to document employer visits, contact information and other data with Excel spreadsheets. Executive Pulse provides a more efficient way to track and update data, and it also allows the EDC to sort information and prepare specific-purpose reports for board meetings, site selectors and other uses, Sherck said.

"If you work the system right, it also can help you identify problems before they become problems and then find solutions," Konyha noted.

Created in 2006, the Northeast Indiana Foundation supports the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and its member counties through the funding and coordination of activities that directly contribute to the creation of new business investment and good quality jobs for the region.

The 10 participating counties are Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley.