The smaller players in the supply chain management business need to get bigger if they are to fight off such giants as PeopleSoft Inc, SAP AG and Baan Co NV, and now Rockville, Maryland-based Manugistics Group Inc is spending its cash on Synchronized Manufacturing Ltd, consultants on constraint-based planning and manufacturing scheduling, with offices in Newbury, UK and Waterloo, Belgium. Terms were not disclosed. Manugistics, which reported turnover up 52% to $94m for the year ending in February, though profits of only $4.3m, says the new purchase will help its move into the European marketplace, and increase its expertise worldwide.
