Energy Management: Driving Value in Industrial Environments

Leading Companies Are Over 3 Times as Likely as Laggards to Invest in an Energy Management Solution to Gain Real-Time Visibility Into Energy Data


BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - May 7, 2009) - The latest research report from Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), "Energy Management: Driving Value in Industrial Environments," has correlated specific business capabilities and technology enablers to leading operational performance.

For the purposes of this study, Aberdeen has evaluated and classified manufacturers based on three important performance indicators: Overall Equipment Effectiveness, Reduction in Energy Consumption, and Operating Margins. Leading manufacturers are defined as the top 20% of performers in a weighted average across the aforementioned three KPIs and results show that these performers:

--  Are 90% Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
--  Reduced energy consumption by 15%, normalized for changes in
    production and energy intensity of the industry
--  Outperformed corporate goals for operating margins by 15%
    

Putting these findings in context, Matthew Littlefield, a Senior Research Analyst with the Aberdeen Group's Manufacturing Operations and Industrial Automation Practice, states that, "Manufacturers are continually faced with the pressure to reduce operating cost and the leading firms are successfully responding to this pressure in several distinct ways." Mehul Shah, Research Analyst with the Aberdeen Group's Manufacturing Operations and Industrial Automation Practice, states, "Top organizations are taking a collaborative approach to deploying effective Energy Management Systems. These systems are being supported at every level of the organization, from executive management to plant personnel, and providing enterprise-wide visibility of energy consumption and efficiency. Finally, the leading companies are using this data to make both production and maintenance decisions in the optimization of overall plant performance."

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: Infor, Invensys Process Systems, and Rockwell Automation. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5900.

For additional access to complimentary Manufacturing Research, please visit http://research.aberdeen.com/index.php/-manufacturing.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen Group for insights that drive decisions.

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Contact Information: Media Contact: Matthew Littlefield Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5204 Matthew.littlefield@aberdeen.com