Lawson Software has announced the general availability of Lawson QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management, a pre-configured enterprise software package created to address the business needs of a wide range of asset-reliant companies. It is designed to help cut traditional implementation times by up to 50 percent. This helps reduce the cost of implementation, diminish the risk of disruptions to customer operations, and improve return on investment with a faster time to benefit, the company says.

QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management speeds implementation time by pre-configuring 70 to 90 percent of the key processes required by asset-reliant companies, says Lawson. The company's customers can access comprehensive core asset management functionality combined with Lawson's industry knowledge and implementation skills.

H÷gan?s, based in Sweden, manufactures iron and metal powders for products in various industries, including automotive, home appliances, lawn-and-garden tools, and hand tools. It recently implemented Lawson QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management to improve work order management and preventive maintenance capabilities in its high alloy powder plant in Ath, Belgium. H÷gan?s faced a critical need to implement a system to improve the asset management and maintenance at its production unit. Speed and cost were major considerations for the company in determining the right solution. QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management is intended to help H÷gan?s more quickly pursue an optimal maintenance strategy and manage maintenance work requests in a way that directly helps maximize equipment uptime and delivery performance, said Lawson.

"We needed to improve the efficiency of our preventive maintenance and repair activities, and with QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management, we expect we'll decrease our unnecessary preventive maintenance by 50 percent," said Per Westman, maintenance coordinator for H÷gan?s. "In addition, the Lawson solution has made it simple to set up and track our maintenance jobs, which means we can keep our downtime levels in check."

Lawson QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management can help asset-reliant companies meet a number of challenges, including:

• Capturing and managing complex asset information.
• Tracking assets for compliance with legal and financial legislation.
• Managing compliance with a wide variety of environmental and safety regulations.
• Maximizing the use of maintenance technicians within resource- and skills-constrained environments.
• Planning and managing work order spare parts requirements.
• Coordinating the competing demands between maintenance and operations.
• Minimizing procurement costs in an environment where purchase demands can be generated on short notice.
• Carrying out detailed reliability, performance, and cost analysis.

Lawson QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management enables organizations to take a more strategic approach to asset management and maintenance without the risk, time, or cost often involved, according to the company. A recent study sponsored by Lawson highlighted the benefits of a strategic, integrated solution approach and how it can help companies address challenges they may have with their current asset management software.

According to the global study conducted by Industry Direct Ltd., 38 percent of respondents are not satisfied with their returns on their current asset management software. Sixty percent of respondents who do not feel their current solution delivers measurable return on investment are likely to agree that lack of integration throughout the organization is a major inhibitor to successful asset management. A copy of the report "Strategic Asset Management Across the Organization Delivers a Compelling Return" is available for download at Lawson Report.

"The need for organizations to take a more strategic approach to asset management is evident. This change requires technology solutions that can be integrated across the organization and implemented quickly, but companies also need a solution that's flexible and can scale with their needs," said John Gledhill, global director of product development for Lawson. "QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management delivers both the stability of standard software and the flexibility to incorporate additional functionality," he said. "And the pre-configured processes help deliver a faster return on investment."

Lawson QuickStep Enterprise Asset Management can be extended to include integrated support for techniques such as Reliability Centered Maintenance, which helps companies evaluate the cost of asset failure versus the cost of prevention to develop the most economically beneficial maintenance strategy for individual critical assets.

This new solution is the latest release in an ongoing roll-out of QuickStep solutions designed around the specific markets that Lawson serves. Since November 2006, Lawson has introduced industry-specific QuickStep solutions for food and beverage producers, apparel manufacturers, distribution companies, and hospitals.

About the Study

IDL, based in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, with offices around the world, received 189 valid responses for the survey from October 2006 to January 2007. Responses came from regions such as Europe, Australia/New Zealand and the United States. Target decision makers included directors of maintenance and facilities, head site engineers, and plant managers/directors.

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, according to the company. Lawson is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., and has offices around the world. For further information, visit Lawson online at Lawson.