Lawson Software's new focus on manufacturing, distribution and supply chain

After merging with Intentia, the ERP vendor is providing supply chain management solutions to mid-size distributors on a global basis.

By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large -- Modern Materials Handling, 6/13/2007

“Hey, why didn’t we make the list?” 

Every year, Modern fields a few calls like that after we publish our annual list of top 20 supply chain software vendors. 

Most of the time, there is a simple reason a company doesn’t make our list: They don’t have the revenues. Sometimes, however, we learn something new. 

That was the case last week, when we got a call from Julian Archer, global marketing director of distribution solutions for Lawson Software. “We’re the fourth-largest ERP company in the world with about $1 billion in sales and a strong WMS,” Archer informed us. “Based on our revenue, I think that would put us on your list.”   

We had to confess: We didn’t know Lawson was in the supply chain management business. We thought the company was a provider of financials and HR solutions for health care, government and education. 

Archer had a confession of his own: That was the old Lawson. The new Lawson is strong on manufacturing, distribution and global supply chain management, especially in the fashion and food and beverage industries thanks to a merger with Intentia Software, a Swedish ERP. 

While Lawson had a significant presence in mid-tier companies in the U.S., Intentia was a player in supply chain management just about everywhere but North America. That probably explains why we never even heard about the merger, even though both companies had revenues of approximately $500 million on their own. 

A global footprint 

Who is Lawson today then? According to Archer, the merged company’s products are built on a Java-based architecture with a commitment to open standards. 

“We’re not trying to be all things to all people,” says Archer. “We have over 450 customers worldwide, and we’re targeting small- to mid-sized businesses with revenues of between $50 million and $5 billion.” The company’s sweet spot is distributors and manufacturers with $100 million to $2 billion in sales and ambitions to grow globally. 

In a crowded space, the ability to do business globally is how Lawson intends to set itself apart from the field. 

“I know that America is a big place, but even small American companies need to look outside their borders today to source and sell their products,” says Archer. “In the distribution space, we are a platform for that global growth. Our legacy in fashion and food and beverage allows us to cope with very complex manufacturing and supply chain issues that span countries.” 

The company’s products and support are available in 40 countries and 40 different languages, Archer adds. 

So, to answer Archer’s question, Lawson didn’t make the list because we didn’t know they were out there. Next year, we’ll try not to make that mistake again.