ORLANDO, Fla., April 17, 2003 - Lawson Software (Nasdaq: LWSN) and Deloitte & Touche LLP today announced a joint initiative designed to help CIOs assess the business value of their IT investments and align resources with their organization's strategic business goals. The initiative will offer CIOs a formal assessment process to analyze their organization's IT operations, project portfolio, budget and resource allocation. Lawson and Deloitte & Touche made the announcement at Lawson's annual Conference and User Exchange in Orlando, Fla.
"As CIOs face increasing pressure and opportunities to impact profitability, their success hinges on the ability to demonstrate strategic value for each IT investment," said David Hofferberth, research director at industry research firm Aberdeen Group. "In this environment, CIOs need a system that will help them navigate the complexities of measuring IT value, from evaluating their IT resources to more closely aligning those resources with organizational goals."
Deloitte & Touche's recently formed CIO Advisory Services practice area would perform the IT Value Management Assessment using a framework to assess an IT organization across several factors from alignment with the enterprise to portfolio analysis. This approach could greatly assist CIOs in beginning to accurately measure the value of IT to the enterprise. Lawson's services process optimization applications, including Services Automation and Portfolio Management, will frequently be used in providing this analysis.
"CIOs know they have to increase the value that IT delivers, but they realize it's equally important to quantify and communicate the value in metrics everyone understands. Lawson's Service Automation software is an excellent application for an IT organization to leverage to begin to effectively measure IT value," said Dean Nelson, Deloitte & Touche's U.S. managing director for Integration, Development and Infrastructure, and leader of the CIO Advisory Services.
The goal of the assessment is to provide CIOs with information that will enable them to transition their IT organization to a more strategic role in creating enterprise value. Specifically, the assessment could allow IT organizations to focus on IT strategy and financial management, communicate the value of IT operations and provide IT performance visibility to senior management. Upon completion of the diagnostic assessment, Deloitte & Touche could then assist with the implementation of Lawson's service process optimization products by providing the necessary integration, process and change management consulting services.
"This joint initiative enables us to create a service process optimization practice with a consulting firm focused on IT improvement," said Lawson Executive Vice President Dean Hager. "We're confident CIOs will benefit from the assessment process as they face increasing pressure to measure and communicate the value of each IT investment."
Lawson Services Automation helps IT organizations determine whether IT investments are aligned with their organizations' business objectives. It can help to automate, organize and manage projects, resources, utilization, time and costs.
Lawson Portfolio Management can track all projects, investments and assets to help prioritize and rank initiatives that will deliver the greatest return on investment. It also helps IT organizations identify ways to manage budget reductions.
About Deloitte & Touche
Deloitte & Touche, one of the nation's leading professional services firms, provides assurance and advisory, tax and management consulting services through nearly 30,000 people in more than 80 U.S. cities. The firm is dedicated to helping its clients and its people excel. Known as an employer of choice for innovative human resources programs, Deloitte & Touche has been recognized as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" by Fortune magazine for six consecutive years. Deloitte & Touche refers to Deloitte & Touche LLP and related entities. Deloitte & Touche is the U.S. national practice of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is a Swiss Verein, and each of its national practices is a separate and independent legal entity. For more information, please visit Deloitte & Touche's Web site at www.deloitte.com/us.
About Lawson Software
Lawson Software provides business process software solutions that help services organizations in the healthcare, retail, professional services, public sector, financial services and other strategic markets achieve competitive advantage. Lawson's solutions include enterprise performance management, distribution, financials, human resources, procurement, merchandising and services automation. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., Lawson has offices and affiliates serving North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Additional information about Lawson is available at www.lawson.com.
For additional information contact:
Terry Blake, Director of Corporate Communications
+ 1 651-767-4766, terry.blake@lawson.com
Donate Broenland, Weber Shandwick
+31 (0)70 3121070, dbroenland@webershandwick.com
Daniel Mucisko, Deloitte & Touche LLP
+1 212-492-4192, dmucisko@deloitte.com