WOODCLIFF, N.J. - Although still a year away from completion, construction and mining equipment manufacturer Ingersoll-Rand announced it has successfully restructured the company.

The move, initiated in February 1999, means the company has condensed its diverse operations from eight autonomous companies with about 100 facilities worldwide into a single company headquartered here with 13 business units. Company executives say the restructuring process, which includes the centralization of data management functions at company headquarters, offers improved strategic planning by providing the ability to "seereal-time data from each business unit." For instance, a large sale can now be seen immediately at company headquarters and inventory levels as well as manufacturing needs can be output immediately as opposed to days or weeks later as was the case before restructuring.

The consolidation also will allow the company to better gauge supply and demand and get products to the market quicker, it says.

"The ability to provide integrated, real-time information is crucial to a global company," said Steve Carrington, manager of Ingersoll-Rand's program management office. "Companies that can't make decisions based on real-time data will be left in the dust."

Analysts speculate the project cost Ingersoll-Rand about $50 million, but the company says expects to recover that cost within three years.