LLamasoft Inc. has redefined the scope of supply chain software.In the past, modeling solutions for supply chain networks looked only at cost optimization. Yet by integrating multiple engines into a single platform, LLamasoft has factored in other variables, such as customer service, sustainability and risk — which enables it to analyze extremely complicated situations and predict the effect of change. “Granted, this made for a longer development path,” says CEO Don Hicks. “Yet we didn’t want to just sell a tool; we wanted to help customers solve complex problems.”
Founded in 1998, the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based company released its flagship product in 2003. By the end of 2013 LLamasoft was generating more than $25 million in revenue with a staff of 160 employees, and it forecasts continued strong growth with the launch of a new product that moves it into the business intelligence and big data space.
Although LLamasoft maintains a low profile in Ann Arbor, it has built a global presence with offices in Bogota, Colombia; Cape Town, South Africa; Shanghai, China; and Towcester, England. Case in point, in China LLamasoft is helping Mongolia’s largest dairy make better production and distribution decisions. And in Brazil, it’s working with AB Imbev to improve the beer giant’s distribution network for the 2014 World’s Cup.