Lawson Software Experiencing Early Demand from Customers for its New Lawson M3 7.1 Applications
Manufacturing firms based in U.S. and France among first to take advantage of latest functionality and new user interface
ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 21, 2007) – Lawson Software (Nasdaq:LWSN) today announced that Jelly Belly Candy Company and Sans Branded Apparel, a division of Dim Branded Apparel Europe (DBA), have both licensed its Lawson M3 7.1 technology and applications to enhance manufacturing and distribution operations and supply chain management. The contracts were signed in Lawson’s fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, which ends May 31, 2007.
Lawson first introduced the M3 7.1 applications during the company’s annual Conference and User Exchange (CUE) in March. The software, which is designed for customers in the food and beverage, fashion, distribution, asset-intensive and manufacturing industries, became generally available this month.
“Lawson’s flexible user interface will make it easier for our users to more efficiently manage multiple supply chain functions on one screen,” said Ryan Schader, vice president of business development for Jelly Belly Candy Company. “Lawson also will help us minimize staff training time by supporting customized screen displays so employees see just the information and order status fields they need.”
Located in Fairfield, Calif., Jelly Belly manufactures more than 100 different types of candy, including 75 flavors of jelly beans. Jelly Belly has approximately 600 employees and sells its products in 35 countries.
Because manufacturing jelly beans is a complex process that can require up to 21 days for each flavor, Jelly Belly must carefully forecast demand to avoid penalties for late or incomplete shipments. The Lawson Demand Planner application, part of the Lawson M3 7.1 Supply Chain Management suite, will help Jelly Belly improve forecast accuracy, which in turn will help reduce rush orders and stock handling costs. Demand Planner also will help Jelly Belly avoid depleted or excessive inventory, which can lead to increased operating costs.
Lawson Supply Chain Orders, another component of the Lawson M3 7.1 Supply Chain Management suite, will enable Jelly Belly to link various orders within a supply chain, providing greater visibility across its entire supply chain and greater flexibility to react to order changes. In addition, the new Lawson Smart Client user interface will simplify how Jelly Belly interacts with the system by enabling user-specific customization and personalization so users see just the tools and information they need. Smart Client also will allow Jelly Belly to embed content into links within the Web-based Lawson applications. This will enable employees to move between data in one click versus three or four, without having to open several windows at the same time.
Sans Branded Apparel, based in Spain, manufactures and distributes undergarments and apparel under leading brand names, including Abanderado, Princesa, UNNO and Ocean. The company is an existing Lawson M3 customer that opted to move up to Lawson M3 7.1. Sans Branded Apparel faces numerous challenges associated with managing complex supply chains, high order volumes and a wide range of product lines typical for a fashion brand owner. The company is shifting its business model from being predominantly manufacturing to a sourcing oriented environment, increasing the need for greater visibility and enhanced usability across the enterprise. As a result, the company chose to upgrade to the latest Lawson M3 offering to help support a major centralized distribution center and manage its supply chain through a single enterprise system.
Lawson M3 7.1 applications will help the company improve business processes to enable greater flexibility in responding to ever-changing market demands. In particular, the company will use specific modules within Lawson M3 7.1, such as Supply Chain Orders and specific functionality associated with managing style and style/color attributes typical in the fashion industry. “The Lawson M3 7.1 applications will enable us to better manage our entire enterprise in one coherent solution and improve supply chain efficiency as we change our business model to meet the ever-changing needs of the market,” said Oscar Lopez, IT manager for DBA Iberia.
In addition, the company saw a need to upgrade its systems to a Java-based system and harness the greater useability of the Lawson Smart Client user interface. The company needed a platform that would provide greater flexibility and agility for its long term technology strategies. “By moving to the latest Java-based applications, we expect to be able to use technology more effectively as we compete in the global marketplace,” added Lopez. “Lawson offered the technical sophistication that we need in a package that is simpler to own and implement.”
“Faced with high turnover, high-speed transactions and increased regulation, companies in the fashion and food and beverage sectors need comprehensive business systems that are easy to deploy and use,” said Henrik Billgren, vice president of application product management for Lawson. “The Lawson M3 7.1 applications directly address these business challenges with an intuitive user interface and rich functionality at a low total cost of ownership.”
Source: Lawson
