BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - May 4, 2010) - Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (
"Without adequate visibility, it is difficult for the CFO and the greater finance organization to make informed decisions when attempting to manage the enterprise's cash position and forecast crucial budgetary items," said Scott Pezza, senior research associate, Aberdeen Group. "Those disparate and manual processes that leave management in the dark also serve to extend processing times and increase processing costs. Although the economy has caught its first glimpses of recovery, the marketplace's tempered optimism should make clear that there will be no room for continued inefficiencies moving forward." In this study, top performers were distinguished from their peers based on two performance measures: the cost and time required to process a single invoice. This balanced approach ensures that speed is not achieved through overspending on resources, and that costs are not cut to the detriment of timely payment.
For many responding enterprises, a lack of visibility into accounts payable processes, and top-down directives from management to cut costs were driving forces for change. But what can be done in the A/P department to help rein in costs and provide better visibility to internal and external parties? "Companies with inflated invoice-processing costs and cycle times should look within for immediate efficiencies; they will be rewarded from cutting invoicing bottlenecks and identifying major program gaps before making the leap into an automated A/P technology solution or tool," said Christopher Dwyer, research analyst, Aberdeen. "Enterprises can put together a strategic business plan by examining current processes / methods and how these invoicing steps are currently affecting invoice-processing costs and cycle time." For an understanding of the specific capabilities leading companies have, and the technologies they use to support their operations, read the full report.
A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: ADP, Direct Insite, Esker, Metafile, Kofax, and Syncada. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=6341&camp2.
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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 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 or call (617) 854-5200, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748.
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