San Ramon, CA – September 14, 2004 – Relevant Business Systems, a provider of enterprise software to premier Aerospace & Defense, Maintenance Repair & Overhaul (MRO), and Contract Manufacturing companies, today announced the appointment of Tom Thompson as Director of Sales for Relevant’s Western Region.

Tom‘s experience with software sales dates back to1982, when he joined Xerox Computer Services to represent their fledgling ERP product. At Xerox, Tom was inculcated with a “solutions selling” philosophy, which emphasized understanding a customer’s business as key to being able to provide them with superior software solutions. Tom holds this to be as relevant today as it was then and attributes his years of success in software to his deep manufacturing experience. Tom started out as an apprentice tool and die maker. During eighteen years in various discrete manufacturing environments, Tom held jobs ranging from Parts Inspector to Shop Supervisor to Production & Inventory Control, to General Manager of a plant manufacturing aircraft hinges. Along the way, he picked up a degree in business management and an APICS certification..

Knowing manufacturing from the inside out has benefited Tom and his customers. “We thought you understood our business” is what Tom hears put him over the top over and over. “Most potential customers realize they’re making a purchase that will affect every aspect of their business. Even with extensive due diligence, they’re nervous they’re going to miss something. Customers need to know if they forget to ask a critical question, it will still be OK”, says Tom.

Pat Garrehy, President, CEO and co-founder of Relevant Business Systems, agrees. “At Relevant, we all share a commitment to and backgrounds in engineering and manufacturing with high compliance reporting requirements. Our unique perspective and experience have enabled us to build in, rather than bolt on, capabilities critical to the markets we serve.”

Tom believes he’s joining Relevant at a propitious moment: “While striving to service a general market, most ERP systems have become fairly generic, but Relevant has concentrated on providing a very differentiated product for project-oriented manufacturers. For companies doing government contracting and other project-based businesses, Relevant’s product is the perfect fit.”.