Lawson Debuts Another M3 BI Tool
February 24, 2009 Alex Woodie
|
Lawson Software recently rolled out two new packages of business intelligence and performance management for users of its M3 suite of ERP products, which are typically deployed on IBM System i servers. The new offerings, M3 Analytics and M3 Analytics for Manufacturing, carry the promises of quick implementations and improved decision making for manufacturers and distributors. The new M3 Analytics product contains about 70 pre-built key performance indicators (KPIs) and 50 scorecards for basic business processes encountered in manufacturing and distribution businesses, including sales, finance, procurement, and warehousing and logistics. Customers that choose the M3 Analytics for Manufacturing get additional manufacturing-specific analysis capabilities focusing on production and order costing processes. Sample KPIs include: day sales outstanding; inventory turnover; delivery performance; and gross margin percentage. Sample scorecards highlight critical data such as sales versus budget, supplier performance, production variances, and customer debt. Like their sibling product, M3 Analytics for Food and Beverage, which was introduced earlier this year, M3 Analytics and M3 Analytics for Manufacturing are designed to be implemented quickly, in a matter of “a few short weeks,” the company says. One early adopter of M3 Analytics is Brunner Mond, a U.K.-based manufacturer of soda ash, sodium bicarbonate, and related chemicals. According to Martin Murgatroyd, the company’s head of IT, the KPIs and scorecards provided by M3 Analytics are a good out-of-the-box fit for the company. “The Lawson offering delivers what we expected,” he says, “because it is very simple to use and the information is clear and useful.” RELATED STORY Lawson Delivers Demand Planning, BI Tools to M3 Customers
|
