Quintiq Supply Chain Planning Software Review

An Independent Supply Chain Management Software Review

Quintiq is a leading supplier of advanced supply chain planning and scheduling software solutions for complex process industries covering food, forest, metals and textile products. The Quintiq advanced planning and scheduling system aids companies in the planning and utilization of employees, resources and processes, with sophisticated business rules and operational constraints.

Louis Victor Allis, a Dutch computer scientist working in the artificial intelligence field, founded Quintiq in 1997 and still remains the CEO. The company originated when Allis and four other programmers began a custom software development project to create a scheduling application for one of the world's largest aluminum hot mill operators. Their job was to create an advanced planning and scheduling software system that could be configured to suit many different business models. The unique and sophisticated algorithms they created became the basis and vision for Quintiq.

In late 2010, Louis relocated to Quintiq's Radnor, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia) office so that he could focus on developing and delivering products for the non-European markets. Quintiq Holding B.V. is headquartered in the Netherlands city of Hertogenbosch and the company operates from locations in Rome, Italy; Vantaa, Finland; Mannheim, Germany; London, United Kingdom; Petaling Jaya, Malaysia; Melbourne, Australia; and Shanghai, China. In late 2010 the company stated its plans to invest RM100,000,000 in its global development center in Malaysia, in addition to the RM50,000,000 previously invested.

With approximately 350 employees worldwide, $45 million in revenues, and SCM software products in use at over 500 sites in 77 countries, Quintiq is a small privately held software vendor with a short history. Nonetheless, the company has an impressive list of customers with marquee brands which include the following:

• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines uses Quintiq supply chain planning software to schedule the transitions, vacations and training of more than 2,000 commercial pilots while KLM Catering Services leverages the daily distribution of 40,000 meals to aircraft at the Amsterdam Airport.
• Global carrier DHL uses Quintiq supply chain planning software to schedule and manage its dispatch and delivery processes, managing the daily delivery and pick-up of thousands of parcels in more than 50 countries.
• P&O Ferrymasters uses the supply chain software to manage its freight-forwarding business, which accounts for nearly 60% of its transport activities.
• The U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) uses the supply chain software for the scheduling of air traffic control staff and operations. The nine year Government contract has an estimated value of over $17 million.

The company has been profitable every year since 1997. In 2011 private equity firms LLR Partners Inc. and NewSpring Capital Ventures LP made an investment in Quintiq for a 48 percent ownership position. The original founders and employees still hold a majority of the company. Quintiq grew 40% in 2010 and is expected to have a similar growth rate in 2011.

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