BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - April 2, 2008) - Companies with Best-in-Class supply chains are
over three times as likely as all others to rate their service levels from
their LSPs as "over-performing" or "outstanding," according to a new report
by the Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (
NYSE:
HHS). The report,
titled, "The Changing Role of Logistics Service Providers in Today's Supply
Chain," outlines how both parties in the relationship -- the LSP as well as
the client -- can make strategic investments in collaboration, visibility,
and execution technology to improve the quality of their business
partnerships.
Logistics Service Providers are increasingly using technology like
Warehouse Management Software (WMS) and Transportation Management Software
(TMS) that are tailored to their unique needs in an effort to provide
stellar service levels without driving up internal costs. Companies that
use Logistics Service Providers are taking advantage of supply chain
visibility tools, and making full use of electronic system-to-system
communication methods like EDI and XML to leverage their LSP's capabilities
without sacrificing control over their supply chains.
According to Ian Hobkirk, Senior Analyst and author of the report,
"Companies that are evaluating Logistics Service Providers are finally
beginning to 'look under the hood' so to speak, and basing their selection
criteria on things like data quality and the ability to exchange
information electronically. This marks a real turning point in logistics
outsourcing, as those 3PLs that haven't invested in their infrastructure
will have nowhere to hide."
A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the
following underwriters: Inovis, MercuryGate, and Odyssey Logistics. To
obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4721.
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:
Ian Hobkirk
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5228
Ian.hobkirk@aberdeen.com