Lawson Software enters Philippine ERP market

Lawson Software, a leading global Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions and applications provider, has set up a direct sales and marketing organization in its Lawson Philippine Solution and Services Center (PSSC) at the Fort Bonificio Global City in Taguig City to serve its customers and partners better.

Lawson Software, formerly Intentia International AB, has been operating in Asia for more than 10 years and was represented in the Philippines by a local partner.

With its accelerated plan of expansion in Asia, Lawson now adopts a new “hybrid” business model where a combination of direct operations and business partners is applied across the region.

The hiring of local direct sales and marketing talents underscores Lawson’s belief in the talent and skills of the Filipino workforce and the potential of the mid-tier segment of the ERP market, and its commitment to its customers and partners in the Philippines.

In November 2006, a strategic corporate decision was made to establish the PSSC. It is one of the three Lawson’s key Global Support Centers that provide direct customer support to Lawson’s 4000 customers globally, covering the S3 and M3 product lines, R&D, professional services, and internal shared services to support the company’s rapidly growing global business.

A dedicated PSSC management team has hired more than 450 employees to ramp up operations. The company plans to increase the PSSC workforce to 1,000 employees by mid-2008.

“As a global business, Lawson is aligning its resources around the world to make it easier for customers to do business with us… Asia, including the Philippines, is an important regional market where Lawson has invested significantly. The quality of talent, innovation, service and performance coming from Philippines is truly impressive. With these resources in place, our customers will enjoy heightened levels of responsiveness and individual attention, enhanced access to Lawson expertise and new opportunities to drive down IT operating costs,” said David Hope, Lawson Software’s managing director for Asia-Pacific and Japan.

Lawson plans to grow its market share in Philippines by tapping the potential demand for ERP solutions from mid-tier companies in the manufacturing and trade industries, including those in the food and beverage, fashion, and distribution businesses.