Lawson widens retail e-business lead with nine new contracts

Lawson Software, the Enterprise behind the Internet, is recognised as the retail industry`s preferred provider of e-business enterprise applications, as shown in recent major contract wins that extend the company`s lead in delivering integrated e-business solutions to top retail chains in North America.

This is according to Cliff van Tonder, South Africa country manager at Lawson Software, who shows the companies 1999 fiscal year results with Lawson growing retail software license fees and service consulting revenue by 32 percent within the retail industry. He adds, "Among Lawson`s retail industry customers are 23 of the top 100 North American restaurant chains and 19 of the top 100 North American retailers of all segments and new signed license agreements are Andronico`s Markets, Family Christian Stores, Friendly Ice Cream Corporation, Holiday Companies, Interbond Corporation of America, Miner`s Incorporated (Inc.), Taco Cabana Inc., Value City Department Stores Inc. and The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. The announcement was made at the Retail Systems 2000 Conference and Exposition in Chicago.

Van Tonder says that Lawson`s retail e-business solutions offer unique functionality and leading-edge technologies that let retailers fully leverage their enterprise applications and he lists the offerings:

• Web Self Service

  - Provides Web Service Centres that deliver information securely via any Web browser to key stakeholders such as employees, partners and vendors.

• Retail Analytics

  - Streamlines retail operations and increases profitability via a role-based desktop solution for enterprise performance management based on real-time access to transactional data. The solution uses pre-built performance indicators representing common and industry-specific business ratios, data warehousing technology and Lawson`s trademarked Self-Evident Applications to turn data into manageable information for making informed business decisions.

• Comparative Metrics Analyzer

  - Enables retailers to easily maintain, analyse and report on comparative sales and other key business metrics; eliminates the need for time-consuming spreadsheet calculations and provides more accurate information via an easily maintained set-up facility that reports against the latest financial information available.

• Retail Activity Management

  - Allows retailers to record and measure actual profitability of individual projects, such as new store openings, remodels and promotions.

• Open Component Solutions

  - Provides system-to-system e-business integration and customisation capabilities via industry-standard development environments and tools, including Java, Visual Basic, Domino, HTML, etc.

Van Tonder uses Holiday Companies, as exemplary of a contract win amongst the grocery/convenience and restaurant chains that continue to advance the company`s lead in the retail segment. "The $1 billion owner and operator of convenience stores and outdoor retail stores, recently selected Lawson`s financials, human resources and analytics solution suites to form the enterprise software backbone of its e-business process improvement strategy. He further lists the Bloomington Company that selected Lawson`s Employee, Manager and Financial Self Service Centres to extend enterprise information access throughout the organisation.

Next, he names Friendly`s Ice Cream, already utilising Lawson`s human resources application suite, Employee Web Service Centre and Manager Web Service Centre, recently licensing Lawson`s Activity Management, Financial Information Centre, Vendor Information Centre and Open Component Solutions. Van Tonder mentions that company officials cited Lawson`s tight cross-application and front- to back-office integration, along with the company`s superior customer service, in its decision to license additional Lawson applications.

Furthermore an upscale grocery chain, has added Order Entry and the Internal Procurement Service Centre to its Lawson e-business solutions. "Like Taco Cabana Incorporated, a $160 million owner and operator of 119 Mexican concept restaurants and franchises, the chain, Andronico`s Markets, purchased Lawson`s financials and human resources solution suites last year to manage core business processes," he explains and adds that Andronico`s recent licensing has added 20 user seats to its Web Requisitions solution license. "It will use Lawson`s transaction engines, Self-Evident Applications and solution extensions to support a structured e-business initiative to streamline operations and improve business performance, whilst Taco Cabana will use Lawson`s analytics solutions to achieve new fiscal and operational efficiencies," van Tonder clarifies.

Robert Toatley, executive vice president and general manager, Retail Business Unit, Lawson Software adds his comment, "Lawson`s strategy of targeting retail segments for early delivery of e-business and e-commerce functionality specific to their needs has allowed it to become a dominant solution provider among restaurant and grocery chains."

He sees Lawson as extending its lead among general merchandise retailers, which are leveraging Lawson`s flexible, multi-tier architecture and front-to back-office integration features to quickly expand operations into e-commerce. "Lawson is also seeing great success in other retail segments, from dot-com e-tailers to brick and mortar merchandisers," he concludes.