ERP Lends Visibility to Increase Efficiencies for Best-in-Class Manufacturers

Market Wire, August, 2007

The majority of companies studied in "The 2007 ERP in Manufacturing Benchmark Report" view ERP as a strategic weapon to streamline and automate business processes in order to improve efficiencies. As a result, Best-in-Class companies are 82% more likely to have visibility into the status of all processes from quote to cash, making them 101% more proficient in notifying decision makers in real time as exceptions occur. In addition, the Best-in-Class are 91% more likely to be able to act proactively in anticipation of exceptions, according to Aberdeen's survey respondents in the recently published "2007 ERP in Manufacturing Benchmark Report" announced by Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS). Findings in the report concluded that:

--  Best-in-Class companies have 96% manufacturing schedule compliance,
    and 97% on-time and complete shipments.
--  Best-in-Class companies achieved significantly better results than
    industry average and laggards, including 24% reduction in levels of
    inventory, with 97% inventory accuracy.
--  Best-in-Class companies are 85% more likely to calculate the return on
    investment (ROI) of ERP projects.
--  Best-in-Class companies are 46% less likely to be running
    significantly outdated releases (two or more releases behind their ERP
    vendor's current release).
--  Top performers implement 28% more functionality and are 100% to 280%
    more likely to use advanced technologies such as workflow and event
    management.
    

"To achieve Best-in-Class performance, manufacturers must not let their maintenance dollars go to waste. While it may be acceptable to skip a release, or run one release behind the most currently available, do not let your implementation lag significantly because you are leaving functionality and technology improvements largely unused," said Cindy Jutras, Vice President and Group Director, ERP Research, Aberdeen. "Best-in-Class manufacturers must also integrate and automate all basic functions to support business processes from quote to cash, as well as estimate ROI to cost justify major expenditures before following up to calculate the actual return. What gets measured gets managed."

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Media Contact: Cindy Jutras Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5247 cindy.jutras@aberdeen.com