Released on = May 4, 2006, 9:18 am

Press Release Author = John Busa

Industry = Software

Press Release Summary = Cost Management Platform by aPriori Profiled in
Manufacturing.net

Press Release Body = Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) has become an increasingly important
metric as the largest expense item on the income statement; typically 70% to 90% of
revenue. Manufacturers are forced to focus on product cost and profit margins with
renewed vigor. Cost targets, an important component of design-to-cost strategies,
are now being defined early and with greater granularity, even down to the
individual component level. Meeting these detailed cost targets at product launch
(avoiding expensive, lengthy post-production cost reduction phases) is a new
challenge and manufacturers are struggling to find effective systems or tools to
assist in this effort. A Cost Management (CM) platform, such as that developed by
aPriori, can help manufacturers address the challenges in New Product Introduction
(NPI) programs.

In the April 2006 issue of Manufacturing.net, part of Reed Business Information,
(http://www.manufacturing.net/article/CA6322329.html) Manufacturing Journalist
Thomas R. Cutler profiles aPriori's cost management platform. According to Cutler,
"Discrete-part manufacturing companies are experiencing a demanding and difficult
combination of price pressure from customers, rising costs (both internally and from
vendors), international competition, and income growth pressure from investors."


New Product Introduction refers to the complete business process within an
organization for introducing new products or product models to market. Today's NPI
process is a cross-functional business process, including both internal functions
and external suppliers or partners. Most manufacturers are still struggling to break
the historical functional divisions or silos, notably between Marketing,
Engineering, Manufacturing, and Procurement. This struggle continues to exist
because important product, process, and customer information is still trapped in
these functions emerging only at serial release stages or gates.

Based in Concord, MA, aPriori is the technology leader providing innovative cost
management solutions to the discrete manufacturing industry. aPriori's Cost
Management Software Platform enables manufacturers to better understand product cost
decisions early and throughout the product lifecycle. aPriori's Cost Management
Platform empowers manufacturers to lower cost-of-goods sold (COGS), provides
real-time visibility to "cost-critical" decision information, and builds critical
cost knowledge to go on the business "offensive." aPriori's patent-protected cost
management platform allows companies to assess, control, and reduce cost of goods
sold by whole percentages. The aPriori Platform enables "Cost Knowledge Before it
Matters."




Web Site = http://www.aPriori.com

Contact Details = John Busa
aPriori
www.aPriori.com
978-371-2006
jbusa@apriori.com