ERP Fuels Growth and Profits in Small- and Medium-Size Enterprises

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - September 7, 2010) -  In the newly released report, "ERP in SME: Fueling Growth and Profits," Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), found that top performing SMEs (companies with annual revenues of $500 million or less) are 50% more likely to have real-time visibility on the status of all processes from quote to cash. Informed small- and mid-size companies understand that a stable, efficient and versatile infrastructure is essential to meeting the expectation of sustainable future business growth. These companies are finding that the seeds for growth must be planted now in order to remain competitive in the years of prosperity ahead.

"As optimism increases for a worldwide economic recovery, small- to mid-size enterprises once again look forward to revenue growth," said Cindy Jutras, vice president research fellow and group director, Aberdeen. "As a result, SMEs must seek competitive advantages that enable them to contain costs to ensure that growth of revenues is not at the expense of profits. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) can indeed be a strategic weapon. Not only does it provide a necessary infrastructure that forms the transactional system of record upon which a business is based, but it also serves as a source of cost savings and operational improvements, streamlining and accelerating processes, allowing SMEs to compete on the same stage as larger companies."

To these means, top performing ERP implementations slash operating costs by 22%, administrative costs by 20% and inventory by 17%. They also improve complete and on-time shipments by 19% and internal schedule compliance by 17%. These improvements can result in tens of thousands or even millions of dollars in savings.

To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: ERP in SME: Fueling Growth and Profits. 

Visit www.Aberdeen.com for additional access to complimentary Enterprise Applications Research and 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.

(C) 2010 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