AberdeenGroup and APQC Launch 'by the numbers--Procurement'; New Publication Features Industry Benchmarks, Supply Chain Research, and Case Studies.

BOSTON -- AberdeenGroup, the leading provider of fact-based research and advisory services for global technology and value chain executives, and APQC, the leading nonprofit provider of financial and value chain benchmarking and research, announce the launch of "by the numbers--Procurement," a new title in a series of publications co-developed by benchmarking specialists at APQC and Aberdeen's research teams. The publication features data provided by APQC's Open Standards Benchmarking Collaborative (OSBC) research and Aberdeen's case studies and benchmarking research.

"APQC's latest research points to substantial gaps between high and low-performing organizations," said Lisa Higgins, COO for APQC. "This publication is designed for supply chain executives and managers who need meaningful measures and benchmarks to help evaluate their current supply chain performance -- and immediately apply their work to identify gaps and immediate areas of improvement."

Tim Minahan, Aberdeen's Senior VP of Global Supply Management, said, "Aberdeen has benchmarked more than 6,000 supply management and procurement executives from various company sizes, industries, and geographies. "by the numbers--Procurement" will immediately help supply and procurement professionals gauge and measure their performance across the entire procurement function."

"by the numbers--Procurement" examines process productivity and staff efficiency, cycle time, and organizational structure and key capabilities. It also discusses four related processes:

--Developing sourcing strategies

--Developing and maintaining contracts

--Ordering materials and services

--Appraising and developing suppliers

This publication leverages the APQC Open Standards Benchmarking Collaborative(SM) (OSBC) research, which helps executives and managers benchmark within their industry and with best-in-class organizations. OSBC research is based on the globally adopted Process Classification Framework (PCF), with more than 1,200 participants worldwide.

To review a table of contents, or to purchase a copy of "by the numbers--Procurement," visit www.Aberdeen.com or use this link: http://www.apqc.org/portal/apqc/site/store

For information on the joint OSBC benchmarking initiative, visit www.apqc.org/aberdeen.

AberdeenGroup, Inc. (www.Aberdeen.com) provides fact-based research and insights for the global, technology-driven value chain. Its benchmarking, market and solution assessments, sales acceleration programs, and conferences support value chain and technology executives and the providers who serve them.

APQC (www.apqc.org), a member-based nonprofit, is a global resource for process and performance improvement. APQC helps more than 500 member organizations improve and succeed through workflow improvement, benchmarking, and best practice adoption.