Enterprise Asset Management: Maximizing Return on Assets & Emerging Trends

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - July 8, 2008) - Recent research of over 160 manufacturing executives reveals that Best-in-Class manufacturers realize 97% Plant Throughput, 93% Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and 3% Asset Downtime. Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), launched the research findings recently in a report entitled "Enterprise Asset Management: Maximizing Return on Assets & Emerging Trends." Putting these findings in context, Mehul Shah, Research Analyst with Aberdeen's Global Manufacturing Practice, states, "Manufacturers have invested heavily on assets and are continually faced with the pressure to maximize return an asset and reduce risk due to failure of critical assets. The research found that Best-in-Class manufacturers are more likely to have adopted Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solutions and are also more likely to connect EAM with both plant floor systems as well as ERP by creating real time interoperability across these systems. Aberdeen also found Best-in-Class manufacturers integrating energy management initiatives into their overall asset management strategies to reduce energy consumption costs."

The report offers the following recommendations:

--  Improve visibility into production and asset performance across the
    enterprise through the use of asset analytics and dashboards
    
--  Move from a break-fix maintenance approach to a more predictive
    approach by adopting advanced capabilities such as RCM
    
--  Invest in an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution and establish
    real time interoperability between EAM and Enterprise Resource Planning
    (ERP)
    

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: IBM Maximo, Infor, and Lawson. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4190.

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 AberdeenTM 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
451 D Street, Suite 710
Boston, Massachusetts  02210-1928
Telephone: (617)854-5200
Fax: (617) 723-7897
www.aberdeen.com

Contact Information: Media Contact: Mehul Shah Aberdeen Harte-Hanks (617) 854-5212 mehul.shah@aberdeen.com