Oldcastle Signs Multi-Suite Contract with Lawson Software
Leading building products manufacturer and distributor leverages Lawson M3 applications to accommodate growth plans and help integrate information from multiple sites
ST. PAUL, Minn. (January 15, 2008) – Lawson Software (Nasdaq:LWSN)today announced that Oldcastle, Inc. licensed the Lawson M3 Enterprise Financial Management, Manufacturing Operations and Supply Chain Management Suites. The building products and materials supplier will use the applications to help integrate its financial, supply chain, manufacturing and distribution systems for organization-wide visibility and improved scalability to better accommodate its growth plans. The contract was signed during Lawson’s second quarter of fiscal 2008, which ended Nov. 30, 2007.
Oldcastle, Inc. is the North American division of CRH, plc and is the largest manufacturer of building products in North America. Oldcastle operations include more than 1,700 locations in 50 states and four Canadian provinces and more than 50,000 employees. The Lawson implementation is for the company’s Architectural Products Group (APG), which will roll out the system to 2,200 users in 230 locations across United States and Canada.
“As we continue to grow and expand our business, we need integrated applications that can both facilitate and adapt with that growth,” said Frank Murtagh, chief information officer, Oldcastle APG. “The Lawson applications are designed to improve the efficiency and accuracy of our business processes, which will help us make better-informed decisions for our company.”
APG previously relied on disparate legacy systems that lacked the integration necessary to support its six separate product segments. Employees were spending unnecessary administrative time transferring data across its business units, which meant executives and managers could not easily access the critical information they needed. The systems also did not have the necessary scalability or sales functionality to accommodate APG’s growth plans and evolving business needs. APG selected the Lawson M3 solution based on the following criteria:
— It offered functionally-rich, integrated software modules that met all of APG’s requirements.
— It required very few modifications “out of the box” and had a proven track record at other manufacturing and distribution businesses.
— Its scalability will help APG support projected growth in both transaction volume and number of users.
— It is written in Java and runs on a proven technology platform, which is System i with the DB2 database.
— It offered a lower total cost of ownership to implement and run than competing products.
— It offered greater ease of use for APG end-users.
Once implemented, the industry-specific Lawson system will offer a single user interface for APG’s employees to access and share financial and supply chain information, allowing for increased visibility into its many product lines. The system is also designed to function directly with APG’s manufacturing operations, giving managers the ability to more accurately track sales and production statistics and make decisions in a more timely manner. In addition, the new Lawson system will provide enhanced procurement and fulfillment applications, helping to enhance the organization’s ability to use its resources and inventories. APG’s supply chain will also be linked more directly with its business processes, helping management plan and improve materials flow through the business.
APG also will use the Lawson system to help automate key elements of its sales processes. By helping to streamline processes for providing quotes and creating orders, the company will be able to better use its internal and external sales channels and provide better customer service.
After a successful pilot at an APG location, the company plans to roll out the solution to all APG sites.
“Companies need to be able to react and adapt to the needs of their customers and suppliers as they appear throughout the manufacturing and distribution process,” said Peter Quinn, vice president of marketing operations for Lawson. “The Lawson applications give our customers the ability to see their product from beginning to end and adjust to changes up and down the supply chain.”
Source: Lawson
