Lawson History
For more than a quarter of a century, Lawson has delivered business management solutions that offer performance, reliability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.
Throughout our history, we've been at the forefront of technology – offering packaged software solutions in the 1970s, embracing open systems technology in the 1980s, and introducing web-enabled business software in the 1990s. Today, Lawson continues to break new ground with a wide variety of software, services, and support opportunities to help clients save time and money.
2000s
The decade began with Lawson's successful initial public offering in 2001. Since that time, Lawson has continued to build on its foundation of flexible architecture, analytics, and web-addressable applications – acquiring several companies and developing several inventive new products.
Additionally, Lawson continues to innovate through its services and support teams, who have introduced valuable time saving tools of their own. As a result of their efforts, in 2003, Lawson's dedicated support team – the Global Support Center (GSC) – achieved its unprecedented sixth Support Center Practices certification.
During this decade, Lawson:
- Combined with Intentia International in May 2006 to form the new Lawson. Intentia began in 1984 as a logistics and production consulting company in Sweden, and expanded throughout Europe and Asia in the 1980s and 1990s.
- Named Harry Debes president and CEO
- Received best practices certification under The Hackett Group's new Hackett Certified Solution program for Lawson's Service Process Optimization (SPO) applications
- Was named "Best Supplier of Software Solutions or Products" in the NCI Supplier Quality Awards for the third consecutive year
- Continued to build on its industry-centric solutions, introducing several industry-specific products such as Retail Operations and Hospital Supply Chain Management
- Acquired the following companies to speed expansion of its software offerings: Account4, Armature, Apexion, Closedloop, Keyola, and Numbercraft
- Named Jay Coughlan president and CEO; Richard Lawson assumed the position of chairman of the board
- Issued its initial public offering on the Nasdaq National Market
- Led its market-space in working with independent application service providers (ASPs) to deliver Lawson applications to clients via applications hosting arrangements
- Broadened its platform support by adding solutions for Windows 2000
1990s
By 1990, Lawson had 250 employees and $30 million in sales. Lawson became the first business software company to make use of the web – introducing the first web-deployable software application to the marketplace and making it possible for users to access its business logic – through a web browser.
In addition, Lawson broke ranks with other ERP vendors by committing itself to developing solutions that specifically meet the needs of service industry markets. The company made a decision to focus on vertical markets, including healthcare, retail, financial services, and public sector.
During this decade, Lawson:
- Was recognized by Computer World magazine as delivering the first web-deployable software application to the marketplace
- Broadened its platform support by adding solutions for Microsoft's Windows NT and UNIX
- Opened its first office outside of the U.S., in Chertsey, United Kingdom
- Lawson was honored with an IBM Business Partners "Mark of Quality Award," by scoring first in the areas of leadership, human resources development, and management; management of process quality; and customer focus and satisfaction
1980s
By 1983, Lawson was concentrating its business on packaged computer applications by writing off-the-shelf software solutions for standard needs such as general ledger and human resources systems. The move transformed Lawson Software from a pure services business offering contract programming to a solution-based business selling packaged software.
To meet the needs of clients and their varied computer systems, Lawson developed open-architecture technology to run on any platform. This saved companies significant time and money. This same value proposition holds true today.
During this decade, Lawson:
- Licensed its 1,000th domestic client and sees revenues grow to $22.3 million
- Broadened its platform support by adding solutions for the IBM AS/400 server platform
- Fully embraced open systems technology, which helps clients use the platform and database of their choice, resulting in lower costs and greater efficiencies
- Delivered its first packaged software application and its first client/server application
1970s
As Lawson was taking shape during the early 1970s, most large companies were using bulky, mainframe computers in-house, while small- and medium-sized firms were just beginning to use the technology. Both the hardware and software were typically expensive. Richard Lawson, however, believed that even the smallest companies would one day have affordable in-house computers. And wherever computers were, software needed to be developed for them.
Lawson's business focused on assessing clients' needs, creating the software they needed and leaving the client with a ready-to-use system, or "turnkey solution." This philosophy contrasted sharply with the lengthy engagements of customized programmers that were normal in the 1970s.
During this decade, Lawson:
- Received its first contract engagement (as Lawson Associates) to provide customer mainframe software for Burroughs and IBM mainframe installations for H. Brooks & Company, an independent produce wholesaler
- Was founded as Lawson Associates by brothers Richard and Bill Lawson, and colleague John Cerullo. Their mission: to "provide the best business applications to customers by taking full advantage of the latest technologies." The first office is in Minneapolis, MN, in a room at Richard Lawson's home
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