Lawson Software has announced the general availability of Lawson QuickStep Healthcare, a pre-configured ERP application package that delivers full-feature, rich functionality enterprise software solutions designed to help healthcare providers achieve faster business results. The application suite is configured to address the key business processes for today's hospitals, integrating human resources, finance, and supply-chain management solutions.

QuickStep Healthcare combines Lawson's healthcare-specific content with built-in business best practices based on the company's deep knowledge of the healthcare industry and its proven implementation methodology. This solution will help reduce the time, cost, and risks typically associated with an ERP software implementation by pre-configuring approximately 70û90 percent of the key business processes required by healthcare organizations. Because it is pre-configured around these core business processes, QuickStep Healthcare is suited for community hospitals, while being scalable to meet the needs of multi-facility healthcare organizations.

Lawson QuickStep Healthcare delivers greater visibility into organization-wide information and includes Lawson Business Intelligence, delivering true operational business intelligence capabilities from the start. With the inclusion of Lawson Business Intelligence, QuickStep Healthcare delivers 11 role-based dashboards that focus on key business processes to help improve management of human resources, supply chain, and finance activities.

The new solution helps Lawson customers address healthcare-specific business challenges, such as:

• Optimizing inventory levels to help ensure supplies are available when and where they are needed while minimizing capital funds tied up in inventory
• Processing new hires, creating HR management reports, and administering benefits and employee absence plans
• Establishing better supply chain visibility to manage vendor agreements and provide materials managers with information to facilitate timely decision-making
• Helping minimize time and cost needed to implement new technology so healthcare organizations can focus scarce resources on patient care
• Keeping track of financial information to meet compliance needs
• Establishing a single, up-to-date source of information

Lawson is continuing along its stated path for rolling out QuickStep applications for many of the industries the company serves. Lawson previously introduced QuickStep Food & Beverage, in November 2006, followed by QuickStep Fashion in January 2007 and QuickStep Distribution in May. Industry analyst firm ARC Advisory Group reviewed Lawson's initial QuickStep solution and identified key benefits for Lawson customers.

"The deployment of pre-packaged vertical industry solutions can be extremely cost effective and rewarding, since faster implementation also implies quicker benefits and faster payback," said Houghton LeRoy, senior analyst-enterprise software, ARC Advisory Group.

"Lawson's QuickStep solutions permit customers to rapidly implement a pre-configured ERP solution using proven best practices to manage operations and customers. Longer term optimization of these requirements can then be accomplished through a good continuous improvement strategy."

Lawson serves more than 500 healthcare industry clients representing more than 4,500 facilities, including eight of the top 10 integrated delivery networks. The company also serves managed care systems, academic medical centers, hospitals, clinics, physician group practices, home healthcare, long-term care and other health services enterprises. Lawson solutions help healthcare organizations manage their business so they can focus on their patients, automate and streamline materials management for a better bottom line, and overcome the challenges of the labor shortage.

About Lawson Software

Lawson Software provides software and service solutions to 4,000 customers in manufacturing, distribution, maintenance and service sector industries across 40 countries. Lawson's solutions include Enterprise Performance Management, Supply Chain Management, Enterprise Resource Planning, Customer Relationship Management, Manufacturing Resource Planning, Enterprise Asset Management and industry-tailored applications. Lawson solutions assist customers in simplifying their businesses or organizations by helping them streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance business or operational performance. Lawson is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., and has offices around the world.