Aberdeen publishes Marketing Effectiveness, Manufacturing, Service Management, and Retail research

BOSTON, MA - December 13, 2011 - Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), today announced the publication of new research reports from its Marketing Effectiveness, Customer Management, Manufacturing, Service Management, and Retail and Banking research practices.

The "Sales and Marketing Alignment: The New Power Couple" benchmark study by Trip Kucera, Senior Research Analyst, Marketing Effectiveness & Strategy and Peter Ostrow, Vice President & Research Group Director of Customer Management research practice at Aberdeen Group, details how Best-in-Class companies align sales and marketing to overcome changing buyer behavior, economic uncertainty and increased competition. "With companies focused on lean growth, a 'trust but verify' approach to marketing is the order of the day-budgets that can't be justified, particularly new investments, will go away. Through closer sales-marketing alignment, marketing can ensure they're making smart investments, while sales can more effectively build shared vision with the buyer," says Kucera. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, made available in part by Corporate Visions and Brainshark, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=7002&camp=2.

Also authored by Peter Ostrow, "Sales Performance Management 2012: How the Best-in-Class Optimize the Front Line to Grow the Bottom Line" indicates that 83% of the sales reps in top performing organizations achieved their annual quota. "While many organizations are seeing a recovery from the economic downturn, the distribution and pace of progress are not being enjoyed by all companies, industries or geographies, said Ostrow, "Firms are seeking to capitalize on every available competitive edge, and the potential of higher achievements among the human capital of their sales team represents one of the most significant opportunities to grow revenue and market share by hitting quota more consistently." To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, made available in part by Varicent Software, Xactly Corporation, Callidus Software, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=7097&camp=2.

The benchmark report "Enterprise Asset Management in 2012: A Data Driven Predictive Approach to Maintenance," authored by Nuris Ismail, Senior Research Associate for the Aberdeen Group Manufacturing research practice revealed that industry leaders are using asset management strategies to reduce operational cost, improve profitability, and increase their competitive edge in the marketplace. In today's economic environment, manufacturers are asked to find new ways to get the most out of their assets, assure their assets stay online, and plan for unexpected failures. This report can serve as a guide for maintenance and reliability professionals seeking to improve the availability, reliability, and safety of their assets, people and products. To obtain a complimentary copy of this report, made available in part by Mass Group and Riva Modeling,For More Information Click Here

"Delivering a Seamless Customer Experience with Multi-Channel Support," authored by Sumair Dutta, Research Director for the Aberdeen Service Management research practice, revealed that leading service organizations were more successful in incorporating the use of newer support channels including chat, e-service and social media to complement existing call center- and email-based support. However, what really differentiated these organizations is the attention paid to -- and investment made in -- the delivery of a consistent, effective, and valid service experience regardless of the channel selected by the customer. This report can serve as a guide for customer service professionals and business executives interested in effectively and efficiently enhancing the overall support experience delivered to their customers. To obtain a complimentary copy and for more information Click Here

 Costs and Out-of-Stock" benchmark report, co-authored by Kevin Permenter, Research Associate and Sahir Anand, Vice President and Principal Analyst for the Aberdeen Group Retail and Banking, practice revealed that , in response to global demand volatility and increasing consumer desire for cross-channel shopping, retailers are looking to increase forecast accuracy, supply chain responsiveness, and flexibility within their supply chain. This report reveals that to achieve a high degree of flexibility and customer responsiveness, companies must blend strategic actions and new technologies. To obtain a complimentary copy of this report made available in part by Psion and UPS Logistics and for More Information Click Here