JDA Software

Blue Yonder Group, Inc. (formerly JDA Software Group) is an American supply chain management company operating as an independent Subsidiary of multinational holding company Panasonic Corporation. Founded in 1985, the company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with offices globally, and an innovation center in Dallas, Texas.

History

In 1978, James Donald Armstrong founded JDA Software in Calgary, Canada, with the company focusing on IBM's System/3X platforms. In 1985, Armstrong sold the business and moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he and Frederick M. Pakis formed the US-based JDA Software, Inc. After signing a contract with a Phoenix-based automotive retailer in 1987, all eight JDA employees relocated to headquarters in Arizona. After 10 years of operation as a privately held firm, JDA went public on March 15, 1996.

In June 2010, Dillard's Department Stores won a $246 million judgment against JDA subsidiary i2, claiming damages from use of two supply chain management systems. JDA announced efforts to reduce or reverse this judgment, noting Dillard's still used the software and had done so since 2000. The case was settled in 2011.

On November 1, 2012 it was reported that New Mountain Capital would purchase JDA for $1.9 billion, taking JDA private and merging it with software company RedPrairie. The merged companies moved forward under the JDA Software name.

On August 8, 2016, JDA was reported to be exploring its sale to Honeywell International Inc. for $3 billion. The sale was challenged on August 16, 2016 by The Blackstone Group, giving an alternative to JDA by offering a financing plan and purchasing a minority stake in the company, with New Mountain Capital remaining its majority stakeholder.

On January 30, 2017, former Tyco International executive vice president Girish Rishi succeeded Bal Dail as CEO. Michael Capellas was named as the company's new chairman.

Following its acquisition of German artificial intelligence firm Blue Yonder GmbH in 2018, on February 11, 2020, JDA announced that it was renaming itself to Blue Yonder, Inc.

On April 21, 2021, Panasonic announced that it had agreed to acquire Blue Yonder from Blackstone and New Mountain Capital for $7.1 billion. Panasonic had taken a 20% minority stake in Blue Yonder in 2020. The acquisition was closed on September 17, 2021. The company operates under the umbrella of the Panasonic Connect group.

In February 2022, Girish Rishi stepped down as CEO. In July 2022, Duncan Angove, a former executive at Infor and Oracle, was announced as the new CEO.

In August 2024, Blue Yonder announced it was expanding its presence in Dallas, and designating it as its global innovation center. Dallas houses the company's AI Innovation Studio, where AI agent workshops are held with customers. The company also plans to add a customer experience center in Dallas.

In November 2024, Blue Yonder announced that it had experienced a ransomware attack.
The Termite group took credit of the cyberattack. The cybercriminals claimed to have stolen 680 GB of data from the company. On December 12, 2024, Blue Yonder said that it had restored normal operations for the majority of its impacted customers.

The company holds an annual three-day supply chain user conference called ICON, held in a different city each year. Past keynote speakers include former NFL quarterback Drew Brees, economist Marci Rossell, and investor Daymond John of ''Shark Tank''.

As of 2024, the company has more than 3,000 customers, including DHL, Starbucks, Walgreens, Sainsbury's, L.L.Bean, AB InBev, and Diageo.

Products

Blue Yonder provides organizations with digital supply chain software. Its platform allows Blue Yonder to build an interoperable suite of applications on Snowflake, where buyers can enable data sharing and collaboration, and take advantage of new workflows, and AI and machine learning technologies. As of 2024, the company offers integrated demand and supply planning, enhanced integrated business planning, support for omni-channel commerce, logistics and warehouse optimization, and an improved user experience. It is also optimized for orders and returns management, and transportation and warehouse management.

References

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1985 establishments in Ohio
American companies established in 1985
Companies based in Scottsdale, Arizona
Software companies established in 1985
Software companies based in Arizona
Software companies of the United States
Supply chain software companies
1996 initial public offerings
Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq
Panasonic subsidiaries
American subsidiaries of foreign companies
2016 mergers and acquisitions
2021 mergers and acquisitions