Aberdeen Group has published new research reports from its IT/communications, supply chain, and enterprise applications research practices. Each is available for free download.

"The Business Value of a Cloud-Based Contact Center," prepared by Gaurav Patil, research associate for Aberdeen's Communications practice, examines how contact centers are responding to pressure to reduce cost and improve customer satisfaction through cloud-based solutions. Companies with a cloud-based contact center have seen an 18-percent decrease in customer complaints, and a 2-percent reduction in total support costs over the past 12 months. To obtain a complimentary copy of this report please click here.

The "Discrete Industry Supply Chains: Globalization and Event-Driven Optimization" research study, authored by Bob Heaney, senior research analyst, Supply Chain Management, focuses on the key process and technology differentiators displayed by the discrete industry segment in improving supplier/partner/customer product flow across an increasingly more global, multi-tiered, and cross-channel distribution network. Discrete companies, more so than their peers, are focused on the integration of visibility, collaboration and event-driven optimization across internal and external processes, systems, and groups. To obtain a complimentary copy of this report please click here.

"Aging ERP: When Old ERP is Too Old," prepared by Kevin Prouty, research director of Aberdeen's Enterprise Applications practice, explores how the age of an organization's ERP system can impact the continuing benefits that the company can achieve. Companies with two- to seven-year old ERP systems have an almost 30-percent reduction in costs than companies with systems older than 15 years. There is even a 15-percent difference with systems that are between seven and 15 years old. To obtain a complimentary copy of this report, click here.

Source: Aberdeen Group