The Skinny: Hackett's statistically significant benchmark study results - and corresponding trend analysis -- proved popular with the business press. This release described the results of a strategic decision-making study conducted with a business alliance.

Style: Standard journalistic style - most important facts up front

Excerpt:

ABILITY TO PRODUCE ACCURATE BUSINESS FORECASTS ELUDES MANY, DESPITE INVESTMENTS IN DECISION-SUPPORT TECHNOLOGY

New Study Documents Risks of Ineffective Planning and Decision-Making Practices, Draws Lessons from World-Class Companies

Hudson, Ohio, and Sunnyvale, CA., (June 14, 2001) - Hackett Benchmarking & Research, the best practices research arm of Answerthink, Inc. (Nasdaq: ANSR), and Hyperion (Nasdaq: HYSL), a global leader in business analysis software, today announced the results of a study of strategic decision-making at Global 2000 companies which finds that few are leveraging the tools and best practices that would improve the accuracy and usefulness of their planning processes.

The study looks at the practices of nearly thirty Global 2000 companies with revenues ranging from $233 million to $51 billion. The findings provide a timely picture of how - and how well - companies are facing the challenges of planning and of increasing visibility in forecasting amid economic volatility and rapidly changing technology. Only one-quarter of participants consider their planning processes tightly integrated, though team-based planning processes are becoming the norm. While over the past five years the tools available to employees have given them the ability to do more independent analysis, executives' use of decision-support technology remains low. Analytical methods currently in use do little to deal with fundamental eBusiness investment decisions.

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