Manufacturing Operations Management

Best-in-Class Manufacturers Are Over 2.5 Times More Likely Than Other Manufacturers to Link Operational Metrics With Financials and Provide Real-Time Role-Based Visibility

 | Source: Aberdeen Group Aberdeen Group

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - February 5, 2008) - Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), through the analysis of over 250 manufacturers, reveals that Best-in-Class manufacturers realize 17% more On Time Deliveries, have a 23% higher level of OEE and a 26% higher level of raw material utilization when compared to Laggard manufacturers. Putting these findings in context, Matthew Littlefield, Research Analyst with Aberdeen's Global Manufacturing Practice, states that, "Manufacturers are continually faced with the pressure to reduce costs; while at the same time it is extremely difficult to forecast demand accurately. The research found that Best-in-Class manufacturers are investing in capabilities that span across maintenance, production, quality, and inventory management. These manufacturers are found more likely to have adopted solutions in these categories and are also more likely to connect the solutions by creating real time interoperability across these disparate systems."

The report offers the following recommendations: 

--  Appoint an executive steering committee to define the strategy around
    manufacturing solutions investments. Best-in-Class manufacturers are 50%
    more likely than laggards to have done this. Furthermore, these executive
    steering committees should give the responsibility of defining
    manufacturing solutions requirements to the manufacturing line of business
    leadership, while giving joint responsibility to both Manufacturing and IT
    for the deployment of manufacturing solutions.
    
--  Leverage automated data collection to enable decisions makers. This
    involves analytics, optimization, and real time visibility into
    maintenance, production, quality, and inventory status.
    
--  Event-based real time interoperability is the final step to connect
    all of the necessary business processes under the MOM umbrella -- Quality,
    Maintenance, Production, and Inventory must all connect seamlessly.

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: Apriso, Matrix Automation, Plataine, Rockwell, and TIBCO Spotfire. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4575.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely 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™ for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com. 

© 2008 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
260 Franklin Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110-3112
Telephone: (617) 723-7890
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com

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

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