New Aberdeen Report Correlates Lean Transformations With Specific People, Process, and Technology Strategies

Best-in-Class Manufacturers Are Almost Twice More Likely to Use Factory Floor Data as Actionable Intelligence and Leverage Domain Experts for Training Internal Project Managers


BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - October 12, 2007) - Through the analysis of over 800 manufacturing enterprises, the latest benchmark report, "Lean Transformation Strategies for the Global Enterprise," by Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks company (NYSE: HHS), has correlated specific business capabilities and technology enablers to Best-in-Class operational performance. For the purposes of this study, Aberdeen has evaluated and classified manufacturers based on four key performance indicators (KPIs): defects, first pass yield, on time delivery, and throughput. Best-in-Class manufacturers are defined as the top 20% of performers in a weighted average across the aforementioned three KPIs and results show that Best-in-Class performance is:

--  3.1% defects
--  91% first pass yield
--  95% on time delivery
--  92% throughput
    

Putting these findings in context, Matthew Littlefield, a Manufacturing Research Analyst with Aberdeen, states, "Best-in-Class manufacturers, having successfully transformed their enterprises, are now responding to competitive threats while still reducing operating costs. These manufacturers are able to achieve business agility while still standardizing work flows, improving customer service, and reducing waste across the value chain." Additionally, "To enable these benefits, Best-in-Class manufacturers are 91% more likely to provide factory floor data as actionable intelligence to Lean decision-makers and are two times more likely to use external domain experts to train internal champions and project managers."

Based on the above findings Littlefield adds the following recommendations:

--  Use external Lean domain experts to set expectations and establish
    best practices for Lean initiatives.
--  Deliver factory floor data as actionable intelligence to Lean
    scheduling and execution decision-makers.
--  Create real-time interoperability between disparate technologies to
    support Lean initiatives across the enterprise and value chain.
    

More than 800 manufacturers participated in the study, including: Bombardier, Panasonic, Bayer Healthcare, Unilever, GE, IBM, Xerox (Europe) Ltd., Genentech, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., and Biogen Idec, among others.

This study is made available to the public through the underwriting of: nMetric and Siemens. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4158

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.

© 2007 Aberdeen Group, Inc., a Harte-Hanks Company
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Contact Information: Media Contact: Matthew Littlefield Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5204 Matthew.littlefield@aberdeen.com