The Hackett Group to Preview 2006 SG&A Research Findings At 16th Annual Best Practices Conference

The Hackett Group, a strategic advisory firm and an Answerthinkcompany (NASDAQ:ANSR), announced today that it will preview findingsfrom its 2006 Book of Numbers(TM) research at its 16th Annual BestPractices Conference, "Leveraging G&A for Competitive Advantage: FromBack Office to Front of the Line," in Atlanta May 4 & 5.

The research, which quantifies spending, staffing, and other keyefficiency and effectiveness metrics of world-class performance infinance, IT, HR, procurement and other areas, will be one of severalconference highlights. The two-day invitation-only event will alsofeature presentations by senior executives from 17 of the world's mostsuccessful companies including: Alcoa, Citigroup, Hewlett-Packard,MeadWestvaco, United Airlines, and United States Steel.

Several presentations will provide strong insights into the valueleverage possible through effectiveness strategies focused on TotalWorking Capital Management. In addition to first-hand clientexperiences, the conference will feature research insights fromHackett-REL, the world leader in Working Capital improvement.

Four Advisory Member Forums will immediately precede the BestPractices Conference on May 3. These exclusive forums, which focus onFinance Shared Services, Enterprise Performance Management, TotalWorking Capital, and Hackett World-Class Passport(TM) offering,provide members of Hackett's advisory programs the opportunity tolearn about and participate in discussion of the latest researchfindings, dialogue on relevant issues they are currently facing, anddiscuss their companies' successes and challenges in an open peerlearning environment.

"When you face unrelenting pressure to cut costs, it's easy toview your G&A spend as the culprit. But increasing G&A efficienciesshould be viewed as an enabler, not the end goal. Our 2006 research,and the companies that are presenting at this year's conference,clearly demonstrate that a competitive cost position in SG&A is just astarting point to world-class business performance," said HackettChief Research Officer Richard T. Roth.

"In an economy where products and services can be delivered fromvirtually any location or time zone, the best organizations arefocusing on SG&A effectiveness, and putting the right information intothe hands of the right people to achieve competitive advantage. Thisis how G&A can transcend its humble back-office image to become animportant component in the race to the front of the line," said Mr.Roth.

Executives from 17 companies are currently scheduled to present atthe conference, which will be held at the InterContinental Hotel inAtlanta. The following executives are currently scheduled to present:
Alcoa, Inc. Chairman's Counsel Richard Kelson and Vice President
Global Business Services & CIO Rudolph P. Huber
"Aspiring to be the Best -- The Journey to Excellence"

BHP Billiton Vice President Global Supply Betsy Harrington
"Becoming a Benchmark Target - The Transformation of Supply /
Procurement at BHP Billiton"

Author Nicholas A. Carr
"Does IT Matter?"

Citigroup Global Wealth Management Chairman & CEO Todd S. Thomson
"Keys to Success in a Changing Market"

Constellation Energy Group Inc. Senior Vice President & CIO Beth S.
Perlman
"IT -- A Strategic Asset"

Greif, Inc. Vice President Corporate Business Development Robert
Zimmerman
"A Strong Result Requires True Grit and New Behaviors"

The Hackett Group Chief Research Officer Richard T. Roth
"Jacks or Better: Lower G&A Costs Are Just the Start for Hackett's
2006 World-Class Performers"

The Hackett Group Senior Business Advisor John McMahan
2006 Metrics and Best Practices in Enterprise Performance Management

The Hackett Group President Wayne Mincey
"Best Practices Insights"

The Hackett Group European Practice Leader Transformation and
Advisory Tom O. Bangemann and Hackett Practice Leader - Global Process
Globalization and Outsourcing Julio Ramirez
"Globalization of the Back Office - In Search of the Best Global
Talent at the Best Cost"

Hewlett-Packard Company Senior Vice President & Treasurer Cathie A.
Lesjak
"The Journey -- A Closer Look at HP Treasury"

Koch Industries, Inc. Senior Vice President & CFO Steven Feilmeier
"Best Practices and Market-Based Management"

Kohler Co. Director Global Procurement Steve Cassady
"Elevating the Role of Procurement: A Center-led Approach to
Capturing Strategic Value"

Sprint Nextel Corporation Vice President Customer Lifecycle &
Proactive Retention Chad Jones
"Lessons from Leaders in Leveraging Customer Insight to Drive
Increased Sales"

Major League Baseball Executive Vice President & CFO Jonathan Mariner
"World-Class Finance Steps up to the Mound"

MeadWestvaco Corporation Senior Vice President James McGrane
"Going to the Show: A Four-Year Journey toward World-Class
Performance"

North Central Texas Council of Governments Director, Administration
Monte Mercer
"Using Best Practices to Drive Business Process Improvement"

Pride International Inc. President & CEO Louis A. Raspino
"Driving Shareholder Value and Debt Reduction through Total Working
Capital Management"

QUALCOMM, Inc. Senior Manager of Finance Systems, QCT Finance Group
Robert Loreto
"Planning for All of Your Business - Enterprise Planning and
Cognos Finance"

Southern California Edison Company Director of Supply Chain Gary A.
Myers
"Using Customer Insight to Drive Profitability"

United States Steel Corporation Executive Vice President & CFO
Gretchen Haggerty
"The Road to Functional Excellence When Cost Really Matters"

UAL Corporation Director Finance & Vice Chairman UATP Marc Krohn
"United Airlines Leverages Technology to Achieve Significant Time
& Attendance Benefits"

More information on The Hackett Group's 16th Annual Best PracticesConference is available: by phone at (770) 225-7300; by e-mail atinfo@thehackettgroup.com; or on the Web athttp://www.thehackettgroup.com.

About The Hackett Group

The Hackett Group (http://www.TheHackettGroup.com), a strategicadvisory firm and an Answerthink company, is a world leader in bestpractice research, benchmarking and business transformation servicesthat empirically define and enable world-class enterprise performance.

Through the acquisition of REL Consultancy Group, a global leaderin generating cash improvement from working capital, we offerHackett-REL Total Working Capital services to liberate cash flow fromoperations through improved working capital, reduced costs andincreased service quality. Hackett-REL has helped clients in more than60 countries free up over $25 billion through working capitalimprovements in the last 10 years alone.

Only The Hackett Group empirically defines world-class performancein sales, general and administrative (SG&A) and supply chainactivities with analysis gained through 3,500 benchmark studies over14 years at 2,000 of the world's leading companies. Our clientscomprise 96 percent of the Dow Jones Industrials, 77 percent of theFortune 100 and 92 percent of the Dow Jones Global Titans Index.

Book of Numbers and Hackett World-Class Passport are trademarks ofThe Hackett Group.