Here’s a look back at our journey from a one-office operation to a global ERP solutions provider.

1970s: The Software Revolution Begins

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 computer 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. That’s why he, along with his brother Bill and their colleague John Cerullo, founded Lawson Associates in a room at Lawson’s Minneapolis, Minnesota, home. Their mission: "Provide the best business applications to customers by taking full advantage of the latest technologies."

Lawson's business focused on assessing each customer's needs, developing the required software and leaving the customer 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.

1980s: Embracing Open Solutions

By 1983, Lawson was concentrating its business on packaged 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 purely services business offering contract programming to a solution-based business selling packaged software.

To meet the needs of customers 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.

1990s: Leading the Charge in Web, Industry

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 met the particular needs of specific industries. The company made a decision to focus on industries including manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, retail, financial services and the public sector.

2000s and Beyond: Continued Growth, Innovation

The decade began with Lawson's successful initial public offering in 2001. Since then, Lawson has continued to build on the foundation of flexible architecture, analytics and web-addressable applications – acquiring several companies and developing several inventive new products through the first decade of this new century.

Additionally, Lawson continues to innovate through our service and support teams, which have introduced valuable time-saving tools of their own. In 2003, the Lawson dedicated support team achieved an unprecedented sixth Support Center Practices certification.

Today, Lawson continues to break new ground with a wide variety of opportunities – including innovations in software, services, support and a continued refinement of our partner network – to help our customers streamline their operations and save time and money with world-class ERP solutions.