BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - November 10, 2009) - Continued turbulence in today's economy is
driving many companies toward business improvement initiatives in pursuit
of immediate operational cost savings. According to the
Lean Six Sigma study announced by
Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company
(
NYSE:
HHS), Six Sigma initiatives continue to produce better results than
other less rigorous programs. Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma were 1.4 times
as likely to be top performers and those respondents which fell into the
category of "True Six Sigma" were more than twice as likely to achieve top
performer status.
Lean and Six Sigma are initiatives that were born from the pursuit of
operational excellence within manufacturing companies. While Lean serves to
eliminate waste, Six Sigma reduces process variability in striving for
perfection. When combined, the result is a methodology that serves to
improve processes, eliminate product or process defects and to reduce cycle
times and accelerate processes. To achieve and maintain a competitive
position in today's turbulent economy, companies in all walks of life are
pursuing a variety of different business improvement initiatives.
"Our recent survey indicates that those following the true rigors of Lean
Six Sigma are better equipped to improve operational performance to
immediately reduce costs without losing sight of the longer term goals of
profitability and performance," said Cindy Jutras, vice president and
research fellow, Aberdeen. "Not only are manufacturers extending these same
principles beyond manufacturing to front and back office processes, but
other industries as well are recognizing their quality improvement and cost
saving potential."
The study goes on to reveal impressive performance improvements achieved
through Lean Six Sigma programs, with top performers achieving 19%
improvement in profit margins, 43% improvement in quality and 24%
improvement in cycle times within the first two years of these initiatives.
Total financial results in the same time period ranged from $5.4 million to
tens of millions of dollars.
To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit:
http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5865.
Visit
Research.Aberdeen.com for
additional access to complimentary
Manufacturing Research
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.
© 2009 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:
Cindy Jutras
Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
(617) 854-5247
Cindy.jutras@aberdeen.com