Lawson Software today announced that Estrella Maarud in Norway has selected Lawson QuickStep Food and Beverage, following a short sales cycle. The solution will help streamline the company’s business processes and simplify the daily activities of approximately 160 users. The contract was signed during Lawson’s first quarter of fiscal 2009, which ended on 31 August 2008.
The Nordic and Baltic salted-snack business, which runs under the brand names, Estrella and Maarud, had been part of US-based Kraft Foods. Those brands were recently acquired by a leading Norwegian private equity firm, Herkules. The company has production facilities in Norway, Sweden and Lithuania, and employs 350 people.
Following the acquisition, Estrella Maarud no longer had access to the IT solution used at Kraft. In search of an industry-specific solution that could be implemented quickly and easily, the company promptly sought a new business solution. After an evaluation process, Estrella Maarud opted for Lawson QuickStep Food and Beverage.
“With a short nine-month timeframe, we were in need of a flexible solution to get the business up and running,” said Anders Ivarsson, CIO at Estrella Maarud. “What differentiated Lawson was its industry focus and expertise. And with Lawson QuickStep Food and Beverage, we have a solution that meets our industry requirements, and is easier and faster to implement. It is most suitable for the immediate need and support of our new business.”
“We look forward to working with Estrella Maarud to help address the company’s business challenges in a highly competitive marketplace,” said Einar Broch, vice president of sales for Lawson in Norway. “QuickStep Food and Beverage is designed around the specific business needs of companies in the food and beverage industry. And, because the QuickStep solution can help companies get up-and-running quickly on their enterprise software, we can deliver faster business benefits for our customers’ technology investments.”
Lawson QuickStep Food and Beverage will run on IBM system one platform.
