RedPrairie was acquired by Francisco Partners in April 2005 with a view to accessing the funds to enable it to move into new markets like supply chain planning or expand its vertical industry focus from its existing base at the time of consumer goods, food and beverage, high technology, retail, and pharmaceuticals.
BlueCube Software provides workforce forecasting and scheduling software for use in retail operations, with the aim of creating the most efficient and lowest cost schedules based on criteria such as labor supply, skill and rank, pay rates, and preferred shifts. Workforce management software is well used within the call center area, but BlueCube is unusual because it addresses the specific needs of the retail vertical. Its application will be coupled with RedPrairie’s Workforce Performance Management scheduling software to enable organizations to factor in known employee productivity levels.
Together they will form part of RedPrairie’s supply chain suite in support of its demand-driven supply chain strategy where the aim is to extend shelf level visibility and control downstream to manufacturing, creating a situation whereby a consumer purchase acts as the trigger for replenishment and enables retailers to transfer inventory management responsibility to suppliers.
Details of the purchase price were not revealed but the combined entity is expected to generate revenue of $207.5m with EBITDA earnings of $45.6m and employ 950 people across 21 global sites. It is expected to close in 20 to 30 days.
