BOSTON, MA--(MARKET WIRE)--Jan 7, 2009 -- Getting product performance right the first time has become an important strategy for many product development companies as there may not be an opportunity to recoup those precious development dollars if they get it wrong. Seeking to mitigate risk has become a top goal for many, especially when it comes to validating performance. A recent report by Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE:HHS - News), "Engineering Evolved: Getting Performance Right the First Time," finds that an increasing number of companies are responding with an "early and often" approach to the use of simulation tools. According to Aberdeen's research, it's a response that is getting results, including an average savings of $332,673 and 118 days for complex products. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=5359.

"To beat the competition, today's manufacturers are trying to build better products faster and at less cost," observed Michelle Boucher, Research Analyst in Aberdeen's Product Innovation and Engineering Group. "Meeting these often conflicting criteria is challenging in its own right. To address this, many are turning to simulation. Simulation has grown in kind to offer a wide range of assessments that include a variety of physical phenomena, electrical behavior, as well as embedded software programming. This has caused many manufacturers to change how they view simulation. Leaving behind a tactical focus on prototype reduction, they are doing more in the virtual world in ways that allow them not just to build better products, but under tighter constraints."

Using a survey of over 250 manufacturers, the research report identified the strategies, organizational capabilities, and enabling technologies that are most likely to optimize the value of simulation. It also identifies the critical next steps organizations must take to begin to improve their performance today.

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: Autodesk and Siemens PLM. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?spid=30410182&cid=5359.

For additional access to complimentary Product Innovation and Engineering Research, please visit http://research.aberdeen.com/index.php/-product-innovation

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely 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(TM) 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 http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.

 
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     Media Contact:
     Michelle Boucher
     Aberdeen Harte-Hanks
     (617) 854-5345
     Michelle.boucher@aberdeen.com