Central Grocers Selects Lawson M3 Enterprise Management System

Logistics Insight Asia - New Products, 30/7/2008

Lawson Software has announced that Central Grocers, Inc. licensed the Lawson M3 Enterprise Finance Management, Supply Chain Management, Customer Sales and Service, and Enterprise Performance Management Suites - along with Lawson System Foundation. The grocery wholesaler and distributor will use the enterprise software applications to help consolidate its financial, supply chain and distribution systems, enhance visibility and reporting, and create a strong technology platform for growth. The contract was signed during Lawson's fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, which ended May 31, 2008.

Formed in 1917 and based in Franklin Park, Ill., Central Grocers is a member-owned grocery wholesaler that supplies food and other merchandise to more than 200 independent grocery retailers in the Chicago metro area and Northwest Indiana. Operating as a cooperative, it distributes products under national brand names as well as its own Centrella brand.

Once implemented, the new Lawson system, which will run on an IBM System i platform, will help Central Grocers employees access and share financial and supply chain data from a single user interface. This will give managers greater visibility into the company's supplier network and merchandise lines, which will help the company optimize inventory levels and quickly respond to supplier needs. The Lawson system's built-in industry best practices also will help the distributor standardize and automate its core business processes.

Central Grocers will partner with Lawson Professional Services and The Revere Group to implement and maintain the new Lawson system.

Lawson Software, www.lawson.com