Soil Machine Dynamics selects IFS Applications to integrate business processes and improve project management

IFS, the global enterprise applications company, today announced that Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) has chosen IFS Applications as its new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. With IFS Applications, SMD will integrate the project-centric business’s processes across a number of locations, delivering benefits including improved operational efficiency and better project management. The contract represents a substantial investment by SMD and is the single largest IT project in the company’s history.

Founded in 1971, SMD provides the world’s largest range of subsea remotely operated vehicle systems (ROVs) from work-class to more specialist vehicles such as trenching and cable burials, which are used when, for example, organizations need to lay and protect telecoms cables under the sea. The company’s specialist equipment is also used in subsea mining, marine renewable energy and nuclear decommissioning sectors.

Richard Lowery, Finance Director at SMD, said: “SMD currently has a number of disparate IT systems, used for managing different aspects of the business. As the business has grown significantly over the past few years, we realized the need for an integrated end-to-end IT solution that would provide a platform to support growth and improve efficiency across the entire company.”

IFS Applications 7.5 will be used to handle the design, engineering and manufacturing of SMD’s systems, and the management of the projects for a wide range of customers. As part of the contract, SMD will also receive Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) functionality via IFS Applications, ensuring that the company can keep track of each system - from its initial design to its assembly and use in the field.

According to Richard, SMD selected IFS for a number of reasons, including the company’s track record in the industry and its proven ability to deploy its ERP application seamlessly and on time. “Most importantly,” said Richard, “the solution offered by IFS closely matched our requirements – better than other options we considered. IFS Applications allows our business to be more agile and adaptable: better able to meet our constantly changing operational needs, and our evolving business needs. At the same time, it helps us to retain the high quality of customer service that has led us to be the number one independent designer of ROVs.”

Paul Massey, Managing Director, IFS said: “IFS Applications enables businesses to be more agile. Its project-centric functionality in particular offers companies like SMD the ability to manage a project, such as ROV design, production, maintenance, operation and decommission, from beginning to end, and in the context of the entire business operation. We look forward to helping SMD exploit the potential of our ERP application and stay at the forefront of its industry by, among other things, increasing the efficiency of its business operations, improving visibility of data across the business, and enhancing its customer service levels.”

About IFS

IFS is a public company (OMX STO: IFS) founded in 1983 that develops, supplies, and implements IFS Applications™, a component-based extended ERP suite built on SOA technology. IFS focuses on agile businesses where any of four core processes are strategic: Service & asset management, manufacturing, supply chain and projects. The company has 2,000 customers and is present in more than 50 countries with 2,700 employees in total.

About Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD)

SMD is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of remote intervention equipment, working in hazardous environments worldwide. Customers span a range of sectors from energy (oil and gas, marine renewables and offshore wind infrastructure, nuclear), to telecoms, mining, naval / military and scientific communities. The company is organised along five key business streams: Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), Trenching, Renewables, Nuclear, and Subsea Mining. Over 2010 the business grew its headcount from 136 to 275 employees. SMD is based in Wallsend near Newcastle, with offices in Yorkshire, Singapore, the US and Macae in Brazil.