Clothing Company Chooses Lawson

Published: February 12, 2008

by Alex Woodie

Canterbury of New Zealand, a manufacturer of rugby jerseys and other sports apparel, is installing a preconfigured version of Lawson Software's M3 software on a System i server to underpin its growth plans, the software company announced last week.

Canterbury of New Zealand's roots go back to 1880s New Zealand, where two families spun clothing for men to wear in pursuit of the national sport--rugby. The company was formally founded with the joining of two families in 1904, expanded to North America during the rugby-shirt craze of the 1970s, and today supplies clothing for sport and fashion to top retailers around the world.

The company has grown considerably over the last year, putting strain on its previous computer system, according to Lawson. To serve its existing customer and prepare for growth, Canterbury of New Zealand decided to upgrade its core back-office application to an i5/OS package specifically developed for the apparel industry: Lawson's QuickStep Fashion.

Canterbury of New Zealand selected the optimized M3 variant--first developed by Intentia, which was acquired by Lawson--for its established track record, according to the clothing company's CFO, Gordon Cameron. "Our industry faces unique challenges and operational complexities, and the depth and breadth of Lawson’s expertise, proven track record in the fashion industry, and its industry-specific software functionality were crucial deciding factors in our vendor choice," he says.

The initial implementation will support about 50 users and be geared toward optimizing the company's supply chain management activities. Subsequent components to be installed will included forecasting, planning, procurement, warehousing, and finance.

The company used the Lawson’s Opportunity Analyzer tool to determine goals it should shoot for. The process highlighted Canterbury of New Zealand's need to improve its sales and reduce expenses, and recommended several business processes it could implement to achieve these goals.

Gordon also recommended that prospective customers use the Opportunity Analyzer. "It was a valuable exercise for us and helped us see how we could meet our aggressive corporate goals and targets over the next few years," he says.

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