Employee-Initiated Expense Reimbursement Is a Covert Cost-Savings Opportunity; Aberdeen Report Highlights Successful Implementations, Lessons Learned.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 28, 2003

Aberdeen Group, a leading market analysis firm, announces the publication of the "Best Practices in Expense Management Automation (EMA)" report, the latest findings in its continuing research of total cost management technologies.

Aberdeen has identified nine enterprises that have been the most successful in deploying Expense Management Automation (EMA) solutions automating the reimbursement of employee-initiated expenses, such as travel and entertainment (T&E), long overlooked as a cost-savings opportunity.

"Employee-initiated expenses can account for one in five operational dollars a company spends, but reimbursements have been mired in manual paper-based procedures, resulting in lengthy and costly process cycles and prohibiting any real spend analysis," said Christa Degnan, senior analyst at Aberdeen Group. "Web-based EMA solutions let companies quickly and consistently collect expense information, enforce company policies and contracts, and gain insight into the highly maverick T&E arena. As such, EMA solutions are being used as strategic tools in total cost management efforts, especially important in today's post-Enron, cost-conscious climate."

Aberdeen examined over 20 EMA implementations representing a variety of industries. It conducted blind evaluations based on employee usage, spending volume, process efficiencies, cost savings, and additional qualitative benefits. It identified nine enterprises that represented best practice deployments:

-- Financial services: KeyCorp using Ariba

-- Manufacturing - heavy: The Boeing Company using Gelco

-- Manufacturing - light: (Name withheld) using Necho

-- Product and Services - professional: Xerox Corp. using IBM

-- Product and Services - consumer: Bar-S Foods using Concur

-- Chemicals: Ciba Specialty Chemicals using Outtask

-- High-technology: (Name withheld) using Gelco

-- Telecommunications: Bell Canada using Ariba

-- Science-based solutions: DuPont using Concur

In addition to case studies, the report contains expense management market information, analysis of business challenges, tips for implementation success, and lessons learned from deployments.

For more information on Aberdeen's "Best Practices in EMA" report, visit www.aberdeen.com or call 617-723-7890 or [phone].

Information is also available at the following link: http://www.aberdeen.com/ab_company/hottopics/emabp/default.htm

About Aberdeen

Founded in 1988, Aberdeen Group is a leading information technology (IT) market analysis and positioning services firm that helps IT vendors establish leadership in emerging markets. The firm provides IT market intelligence, positioning, and market acceleration services to technology companies. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Aberdeen has research and consulting divisions in Palo Alto, California, and Fort Collins, Colorado.