Ueno Fine Chemicals Thailand Implements , Lawson M3 Enterprise Management System

SINGAPORE (August 29, 2007) – Lawson Software (Nasdaq: LWSN) today announced that Ueno Fine Chemicals (Thailand), one of Thailand’s leading manufacturers of sugar alcohol, has completed initial implementation of the Lawson M3 Enterprise Management System to help streamline business processes and increase productivity for its expanding operations. Ueno Fine Chemicals has implemented Lawson Supply Chain Management, Lawson Enterprise Performance Management, and Lawson Business Intelligence suites to help integrate finance management, customer order management, procurement, manufacturing and planning activities.

Ueno Fine Chemicals is part of the Ueno Fine Chemicals Industry Ltd. Its manufacturing plant in Thailand operates continuously, seven days a week with approximately 300 employees. The facility has an annual output of more than 120,000 tons of product. As one of the top sugar alcohol manufacturers and exporters in Thailand, Ueno is currently promoted by Thailand’s Board of Investment as an important contributor to the country’s export and agricultural industry with its innovative application of technology in production. The company is gearing to expand its product lines to include non-sugar sweeteners and other food related products.

Junya Honda, general manager for Ueno Fine Chemicals Industry Ltd believes the market in Thailand for sugar alcohol will continue to expand, which means a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution is needed to facilitate expected growth in business. “The Thai people are opting for healthier food and beverage options today, which is especially true for the younger generation, said Honda. “I am confident our products will gain even more popularity, and there is a need to increase efficiency to help us cope with the growth in demand and production. To stay ahead as a leader, Ueno needed a cost efficient solution that will give us TCO benefits.

Ueno Fine Chemicals requires accurate and timely information for top management in Japan and Thailand. It also needs relevant and actionable information to help employees with analysis and decision making. There are many cross-border operational coordination requirements within the company’s operations. Ueno was considering three options to solve its technology needs: Find a new solution to plug-in the existing application, replace the existing solution with a new integrated solution, or seek a customized solution based on the company’s own specifications.

“We evaluated several software and solutions before deciding on the Lawson M3 solution for its functionality, flexibility and ease of implementation, said Teerapon Limpanan, senior manager for planning and administration for Ueno Fine Chemicals. “The Lawson system and Lawson’s partner in Thailand exceeded our system requirements while staying within our budget. We were also convinced by their commitment and demonstration of the necessary expertise that they could complete the implementation successfully. Within six months of implementation, our new enhanced system was up and running. We are now able to flow all information and reports seamlessly to our head office in Japan where all the factories are centrally managed.

“A growing number of Asian companies have international operations and complex management reporting requirements, said David Hope, regional managing director, Asia and Japan for Lawson. “Visibility of the supply chain, operational and supporting functions in multiple locations are also critical. The Lawson M3 system and its industry-specific product suites offer the sophisticated functionality normally associated with costly best-of-breed solutions. And with a low total cost of ownership, Lawson puts these solutions within easy reach of medium-sized enterprises.

According to independent research firm Aberdeen’s survey of 645 mid-size companies regarding their ERP solutions in June and July of 2007, Lawson Software delivers the most benefits per dollar for mid-sized manufacturers. The results of this research validate Lawson’s TCO advantage over key ERP competitors and ranks Lawson number one in cost per percentage point of performance improvement gains. Please go to www.lawson.com to download “The Total Cost of ERP Ownership in Mid-size Companies”, Aberdeen Group, July 2007 for details of the study.

Source: Lawson

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