Lawson Software has signed a contract with leading New Zealand footwear brand, Kumfs. Under the contract, Kumfs will acquire the Lawson M3 Enterprise Management System along with Lawson Business Intelligence and related maintenance and services. The contract was signed during Lawson’s second quarter of fiscal 2008, which ended Nov. 30, 2007.
Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Kumfs has been designing and making a wide range of women’s shoes since 1946. Since then, the business has grown steadily with 40 stores currently in operation across the Australian and New Zealand region, establishing the Kumfs brand as a household name. Internationally, the popular footwear brand has earned a strong reputation for its comfort, style and quality.
Under the new agreement, Kumfs will deploy the Lawson M3 solution for the fashion industry, incorporating Finance, Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Warehouse Mobility modules.
“We were looking for a system that is well proven in the fashion industry and able to accommodate the complexity of a footwear manufacturing business such as ours,” said Peter Scott, operations manager for Kumfs. “As we design, manufacture and stock a wide variety of footwear in many different styles, sizes and widths, we believe the Lawson M3 solution will assist us in meeting the needs and demands of our customers.”
During its most recent fiscal year, Kumfs recorded a 14 percent increase in sales. It also recently celebrated a number of successes, including the one-year anniversary of its first American store in Fresno, Calif., and the opening of a new store in Hong Kong to answer demand for high-quality fashionable shoes.
Lawson secured the Kumfs contract after the company decided it needed to move to a modern integrated ERP system to support its expanding business needs. Kumfs joins Lawson’s growing portfolio of fashion industry customers, which currently includes well-known brands such as Rip Curl, Quiksilver and RM Williams.
“With the Lawson M3 solution, we will move to an integrated finance, manufacturing and logistics system that supports fashion industry-specific functionality. This means a more efficient supply chain, a reduction in operating costs and better customer service,” Scott added.
“Once the Lawson solution is fully implemented, we anticipate a raft of improvements such as faster access to business-critical information and improved data on customer orders. We also anticipate greater visibility of information relating to raw material purchasing, inventory levels, production flow and costs.”
“The Kumfs win reflects our growing reputation as a leading provider of ERP solutions for the fashion industry in ANZ,” said Stephen Moore, managing director for Lawson in ANZ. “Our deep understanding and knowledge of the sector positions us well to serve customers in the ANZ fashion industry.”
