Manufacturers Lacking Technology Struggle to Stay = Compliant: Financial News

Manufacturers Lacking Technology Struggle to = Stay=20 Compliant
Friday January 5, 10:26 am = ET=20

'Manufacturers=20 Compliant 91% of the Time' Indicates Significant Room for=20 Improvement=20

BOSTON, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Manufacturers and = software=20 vendors alike are more focused on compliance and traceability than = ever=20 before. However, many manufacturers are still in the beginning = stages of=20 adopting technology solutions facilitating compliance and = traceability=20 initiatives. A new benchmark report, "Compliance and Traceability = in=20 Regulated Industries," published by Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks = Company (NYSE:=20 HHS - = News), confirmed = that only=20 8% of manufacturers surveyed have eliminated pen and paper or = manual=20 spreadsheet processes from compliance and traceability programs.=20 Furthermore, only 24% of manufacturers surveyed have implemented=20 technology solutions with both production process visibility and = automated=20 traceability functionality.

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Matthew = Littlefield, a=20 Manufacturing Research Analyst at Aberdeen says, "In almost every = case=20 we've examined, technology adoption precedes improved performance = of=20 compliance and traceability initiatives. When making technology = decisions=20 for compliance and traceability initiatives, manufacturers should = realize=20 a standalone solution is very rarely sufficient. A successful = compliance=20 and traceability program often relies upon production process = control and=20 visibility from a MES (manufacturing execution system) vendor such = as=20 Rockwell or Honeywell. The program may also rely on automated = traceability=20 from an ERP vendor such as Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, or Oracle. = Finally,=20 audit, complaint, CAPA (corrective and preventive actions), and = exception=20 management capabilities from a QMS (quality management software) = vendor=20 such as MasterControl, IQS, or Cincom will often complete the = suite."

Littlefield adds, "Manufacturers adopting a broad-based = integrated=20 approach to compliance and traceability are 65% more likely to = achieve=20 best- in-class status and are gaining a significant competitive=20 advantage."

Littlefield offers the following recommendations for improving=20 compliance and traceability operational performance:

    * Utilize a technology solution that offers real- or =
near real-time
      process control and visibility into key performance indicators.
    * Integrate the above technology with exception management and =
continuous
      improvement technology solutions.
    * Automate raw material and finished product traceability and =
eliminate
      other manual processes from current compliance and traceability
      initiatives.

More than 340 companies participated in the study, including = Pfizer,=20 Roche, Wyeth, and The Coca-Cola Company, among others.

This study is made available to the public through the = underwriting of:=20 Cincom, IQS, MasterControl, and SAP. For a complimentary copy of = the=20 report, visit: http://www.a= berdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=3D3702.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and = market=20 intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having = benchmarked more=20 than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely=20 positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, = creating=20 demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful = return-on-investment=20 analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, = corporations turn to Aberdeen(TM) for insights that drive = decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting = content=20 in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company.=20 Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer = optimization"=20 process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - = Engagement -=20 Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the = strategic role=20 Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, = visit=20 Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com/=20 or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte- Hanks, call = (800)=20 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com/.

     Media Contact:
     Matthew Littlefield, Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
     (617) 854-5204
     matthew.littlefield@aber=
deen.com

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