Manufacturing Operations Management: Benchmark Performance

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - February 1, 2010) - Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS) today announced the availability of a new online manufacturer's management assessment portal for Plex Systems. The tool utilizes data collected and analyzed from more than a thousand manufacturers participating in Aberdeen's primary research in enterprise management, ERP and manufacturing operations management.

First launched in 2004, Aberdeen's Assessment Tool Series has proven to be a very successful format to provide individualized and research-based recommendations for end-users across multiple industries and at varying levels of organizational maturity. This is the first tool to specifically target best practices for manufacturers in managing enterprise level and manufacturing operations.

"Increased global competition and a troubled economy have created a challenging business climate for the manufacturing industry," said Mark Symonds, president and CEO of Plex Systems. "We are excited to make this interactive diagnostic tool available to manufacturers of all shapes and sizes. We hope that many can benefit directly from seeing how their organization stacks up against top performers both on the plant floor as well as at the enterprise level."

The assessment tool uses Aberdeen's PACE™ (Pressures, Actions, Capabilities & Enablers) research model. By completing a 10-15 minute online survey, in either or both of the enterprise level or manufacturing operations tracks participants receive a personalized analysis of how their organizations compare to industry peers and helps them to quickly identify key capabilities and technologies used by companies with top performance.

"We evaluate and classify manufacturers based on a variety of important performance indicators such as on-time and complete shipments, OEE, inventory accuracy, quality and compliance," said Matthew Littlefield, a senior research analyst with the Aberdeen Group's Global Manufacturing Practice. "We assess the use of methodologies such as Lean and Continuous Improvement."

"We are also able to correlate performance against the use of specific technology enablers and make specific recommendations to manufacturers to improve visibility and overall performance," adds Cindy Jutras, vice president and research fellow at Aberdeen. "The report that is provided at the end of the assessment will allow manufacturers the ability to see where they fall in comparison to top ranked companies, build a business case for new initiatives or investment, and map out an action plan to improve."

For more information about the manufacturer's management assessment tool or to benchmark your own performance, visit: http://plexsystems.aberdeen.com. To learn more about Aberdeen's Interactive Assessment Tools, visit: http://roi.aberdeen.com.

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.

About Plex Systems, Inc.

Plex Systems, Inc. is the developer of Plex Online, a software as a service (SaaS) solution for the manufacturing enterprise and the only solution to achieve the prestigious Champion ranking in Aberdeen Group's 2009 "ERP in Manufacturing" AXIS report. Plex Online offers industry-leading features for virtually every department within a manufacturer, including Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) and Quality Management Systems (QMS) for the shop floor, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) for sales and marketing, Supply Chain Management (SCM) for procurement, and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for finance and management. Plex Online's fully-integrated model delivers a "shop floor to top floor" view of a manufacturer's operations, enabling management to run their business at maximum efficiency. Founded in 1995, Plex Systems is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with customers around the globe. More information is online at www.plex.com. Plex Systems and Plex Online are trademarks of Plex Systems, Inc.

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