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Nolato Plastteknik, part of the Nolato group, develops and manufactures specialized injection-molded plastic components for industry. The company participates in customer product development at an early stage and provides 24-hour, 7-day-a-week production. Plastteknik was one of the first companies in the Nolato group to choose IFS Applications, and the success of its implementation paved the way for multi-site implementation in the Nolato group.
The problem
Some time after the company had reorganized the structure and areas of responsibility of its work teams, Plastteknik realized it needed better IT support if the reorganization was to bear fruit. Chief financial officer at Plastteknik,
Anders Lyrheden explains:“ We introduced a new system for the order process and delegated order handling, giving the individual teams much more responsibility for orders and closer customer contact. Our old system couldn’t support this.” The company
needed an open, flexible system that would cope with these changes and enable internal and external demands to be met and exceeded.
The solution
After examining a number of alternatives, IFS was chosen, primarily because of its modern technology and openness. Ove Hansson, IT director for the Nolato group, comments: “By implementing IFS Applications, we had made our technology
shift and were ready for the new millennium and new demands well in advance.”
Implementation
Six months after implementation began, the system was up and running with solutions for financials, distribution, and manufacturing in October 1997. This was due to a number of factors. Anders Lyrheden again: “Both teams, ours and
IFS’, were well prepared. Just as we believe in close relationships with our customers, IFS built a strong relationship with us. This enabled us to have very frank discussions and iron out problems as they arose. We learned a methodology and an approach
that was very beneficial when we implemented IFS Applications at other companies in the group.” Nolato required the same high standards from IFS as it expects of itself. IFS met these demands. In 1998, modules for time and attendance, and payroll were
implemented in just three months, again due mainly to the quality of the project managers. Benefits
By opting for IFS Applications, Nolato could continue its reorganization plans in the knowledge that the ERP system would expand and grow at the same pace as the company. It was also possible to maintain operational levels with fewer
administrative staff, and there is room for further growth without having to increase administration. Users quickly saw the benefits of the system when they started to use it. One user said it was “like a Rolls Royce compared to the old way of doing
things.” Employees have gained a better understanding of who the customer is and have become more involved in the customer relationship process.
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