Lawson Software Introduces Lawson QuickStep Food and Beverage for Rapid ERP Implementations
Pre-configured solution aims to reduce implementation times by more than 50 percent
ST. PAUL, Minn. (November 13, 2006) – Lawson Software (Nasdaq: LWSN) today announced the general availability of QuickStep Food and Beverage, its first industry-specific pre-configured ERP application package. QuickStep Food and Beverage is designed to help food and beverage processing companies cut traditional ERP implementation times by more than 50 percent, reducing the cost of implementation services, speeding time to value.
QuickStep packages Lawson’s industry functionality with the company’s industry knowledge and implementation skills. As a result, it incorporates industry best practices, based on Lawson’s proven track record of carrying out successful ERP implementations over more than 20 years.
The heart of QuickStep is the latest version of the Lawson M3 Enterprise Management Suite, M3 5.2, released in November 2005. The QuickStep solution speeds implementation by pre-configuring 70 to 90 percent of the key processes required by companies in the food and beverage industry. It has been designed to meet the industry’s specific needs and provides full-functionality applications – not “light versions. Customers can add features, components and customization as part of a continuous improvement program.
QuickStep Food and Beverage is designed to help meet the industry-specific business challenges of food and beverage processing organizations. Some of these include:
Managing the high velocity of transactions in the food and beverage industry supply chain
Planning and executing customer deliveries and shipments down to the minute
Reducing waste and managing shelf-life issues
Meeting industry standards for food safety, traceability and quality assurance
Implementing pricing and promotion programs, and satisfying complex retailer demands
Planning manufacturing and materials usage on a daily and hourly basis
Maximizing product yields, with planning capabilities for recipes using by-products and scrap
Carrying out detailed profitability and customer service analyses
Monkhill Confectionery, a division of Cadbury Trebor Bassett, chose QuickStep for its rapid implementation, industry-specific functionality and features that will help give Monkhill greater control over its complex supply chain challenges.
“We had several business needs that needed to be met, from being able to accurately predict supply and demand from production to shop floor, to being able to manage a complex supply chain which could also meet business requirements around traceability and accountability, said Tim Langlois, system integration manager for Cadbury Trebor Bassett. “It was vital that we invested in a software package that would not only enable us to have complete control and visibility across our supply chain, but also the flexibility to evolve and grow with our business. Lawson’s software and proven experience in the food and beverage market provided us with that fit.
“Customers can implement QuickStep in three to six months, less than half the time required for a typical ERP implementation, which reduces internal and external costs, said Jim Anderson, executive vice president, Lawson Global Services. “Many mid-market companies find traditional, full ERP implementations too time-consuming and expensive, yet they don’t want limited industry-specific functionality or bolt-on industry additions. QuickStep addresses these issues for food and beverage companies.
Lawson plans to offer additional QuickStep solutions tailored for fashion, distribution and asset-intensive industries in coming months. The company also plans to develop QuickStep solutions for many of its other vertical market-specific applications.
Source: Lawson
