aPriori Technologies’ Hiller key co-founder in Cost Management Platform

Thomas R. Cutler | April 8, 2006

Eric Arno Hiller is a co-founder and Director of Business Development with aPriori Technologies, based in Concord, MA. aPriori (www.apriori.com) is the technology leader providing innovative cost management solutions to the discrete manufacturing industry. The cost management platform uses innovative, patent protected technologies, and is capable of using design information driven off of MCAD geometry. Additionally the ability to model production facilities (including machine capabilities, raw materials, and facility cost structure) and the specific cost accounting methodologies, accurate predictive, allow “forward looking” real time cost estimates.

Hiller architected the aPriori software in 1996 during the early work with the first customer and led the company from its founding to its first round of funding. Prior to aPriori, Hiller was Product Manager/Systems Engineer for five years at Ford Motor Company where he was involved in the new product introduction cycle from early research and development, through manufacturing launch. While at Ford, Hiller was responsible for defining and delivering all financing and technical targets for the driveline and axles of the 2004 F-150 pick-up truck, including the systems, sourcing, and team management of supplier and Ford personnel who ultimately delivered the system. Hiller's previous experience includes roles at Procter & Gamble in manufacturing, John Deere in design, and 3i, PLC in venture capital. Hiller holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MS and BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

This cost information leverages existing information and data systems in a single cost platform, captures company specific costing practices, and makes this information available across the enterprise and accessible by any user in the organization.

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 truly enables “Cost Knowledge Before it Matters.”