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Home > News & Events > IFS in the News

IFS in the News

IFS has been featured in numerous articles and reports in both online and print publications. Summaries and excerpts from selected articles are displayed below.

To view an entire online article, follow the link below the excerpt. In some cases, free subscriptions may be required to view articles posted on external sites.

Industry Week - April 28, 2008 - How are You Wasting Time?

Industry Week technology editor Brad Kenney covers research conducted by IFS on enterprise software usability.

Energy Central - April 03, 2008 - A Pragmatic Approach to Successful EAM Implementation in the Energy and Utilities Industry

Michael Blalock has penned an article on the soft/people skills senior managers need in order to successfully implement EAM in their utility.

Aerospace Manufacturing and Design - March 24, 2008 - Implementing ERP: The Time is Now

Former IFS customer Bruce Mortimer - now a services partner with his new firm Rutter Key Solutions - has bylined an article in Aerospace Manufacturing and Design. In this article, Mortimer stresses the desirability of IFS step-by-step approach to implementation and makes a case for A&D manufacturers to implement sooner than later.

Chicago Daily Herald - March 16, 2008 - Software developer poised for growth

An interview with IFS North America President Cindy Jaudon yielded this brief but upbeat story in the Chicago Daily Herald. Writes author Justin Amoah: "While the weakened economy has rattled many companies, Swedish-based IFS, an enterprise application vendor whose North American headquarters are in Schaumburg, recently unveiled a five-year growth projection that not only envisions long-term success but profitability in America’s recession-fearing climate."

Technology Evaluation Centers - March 5, 2008 - Three Ways ERP Can Help Manage Risk and Prevent Fraud

Tom Schiesl of IFS services partner Virchow Krause penned this article on how the preventive and detective controls of a product like IFS Applications can prevent fraud and mitigate other risks. A number of IFS Applications screen caps illustrate Schiesl's points!

Managing Automation - March 4, 2008 - IFS Gets Aggressive

Managing Automation has covered IFS' announced five-year plan. Writes Editor Jeff Moad: "Enterprise application vendor IFS today unveiled an aggressive five-year growth plan that will include acquisitions and will see the company double product revenue between now and 2012, according to president and CEO Alastair Sorbie."

Industry Week - February 22, 2008 - Manufacturing Case Study: Solar Tech Manufacturer Braces For Market Explosion

Industry Week technology editor Brad Kenney talks about Prism Solar Technologies selection of IFS Applications.

Chicago Sun Times - February 18, 2008 - Life takes her to the top

Cindy Jaudon was interviewed for this story in the Chicago Sun Times. IFS customer Jim Szamlewski of Miller Formless and analyst Josh Greenbaum are also quoted. The picture of Cindy was taken at Miller Formless on one of their pieces of concrete pouring equipment.

Technology Evaluation Centers - February 14, 2008 - Four Ways to Botch Your ERP Implementation Process

IFS Solutions Consultant Jeff Kugler has penned this article for Technology Evaluation Centers' newsletter, highlighting four of the worst practices in enterprise applications implementation. Log into Tech Eval and check it out!

Automation World - February 11, 2008 - Minimum Inventory Maximum Productivity

Anne Greibrok of Lou-Rich was interviewed for this story on how MES can help companies reduce inventory levels.

Plant Services Magazine - February 11, 2008 - Sharing leads to savings

IFS customer Jonas Berggren of SSG and IFS Industry Director Anders Lif were interviewed by Plant Services magazine for this column on SSG's cooperative maintenance inventory.

BETTER PROCESS Podcast Featuring Rick Veague - January 9, 2008

IFS North America Chief Technology Officer Rick Veague was interviewed for the current episode of the BETTER PROCESS podcast. Follow the link to listen to the podcast.

Manufacturing Business Technology - December 13, 2007 - The right approach: Manufacturers' desire for unique business process is spawing more niche-oriented software

Manufacturing Business Technology interviews IFS customer, Arrhythmia Research Technology (ART), about its selection of IFS Applications. “We may be looking at different manufacturing models for these different companies,” said Salvatore Emma, Jr., ART director of technology. “We’ve diversified our product line; our products are different from division to division. We needed a system that could accommodate that agility.”

Manufacturing Business Technology - December 5, 2007 - Keystone Dental picks up IFS ERP for business growth

Keystone Dental's IT Director, Gary Gianetti, is interviewed about the selection of IFS Applications - According to the article: "We needed an application that would enable us to validate FDA standards," says IT Director Gary Gianetti. "We also looked for an application that could be administered by a small IT staff and accessed by key users, while having the capacity to handle unlimited growth."

Manufacturing Business Technology - December 1, 2007 - Panel of thought leaders see pain, gains in manufacturing enterprise IT

Rick Veague, IFS North America CTO, is interviewed about challenges in manufacuring enterprise IT. "An example would be Lockheed Martin [LM] delivering a maintenance solution as a service to LM itself, LM subcontractors, the Department of Defense, and other parties involved in maintenance. In this respect, IFS' new user experience can be delivered as a service using Web deployment and standard Internet protocols. This enables delivery though existing infrastructure," said Veague.

Control Magazine - November 16, 2007 - Service Plant Soon?

Statnett is interviewed by Control Magazine - In this article in Control magazine, Nancy Bartels writes about how Statnett, a long-standing IFS utiltities customer facing regulation, "went to its ERP provider IFS, which also has a strong EAM module, for help with the transition. Using its ERP vendor also plays into Statnett's strategy of minimizing the number of software systems it uses, says Statnett's Einar Mork.

Software Magazine - November 5, 2007 - IFS Embeds Search into its ERP Architecture

IFS CTO Rick Veague is interviewed on the significance of Enterprise Application Search (EAS) - According to the article: "The problem with searching for information in most enterprise applications, according to North America CTO Rick Veague, is that the process requires a high level of expertise to achieve meaningful results. Typically, users must know what form to drill and how to query before they start. Even then, the retrievals are usually too general to answer what the user needs to know."

Managing Automation - November 1, 2007 - Market Focus: Technology - The Simple Truth about Complex Manufacturing

K&L Microwave interviewed by CRM Magazine - In this article in CRM Magazine, Phil Shields of K&L Microwave describes the importance of back-office CRM for ETO companies. "We maintain virtually no finished goods in stock. Almost all orders we take require engineers to be involved before production begins," says Phil Shields, senior analyst at K&L Microwave, a manufacturer that uses CRM software from IFS. "They may be involved in the quoting process, determining if we can even build a product to the customer's specs, providing technical data or preliminary drawings. After we receive an order, engineers will design the new product; even for repeat orders, engineers many times need to check the documentation provided by the customer to make sure there are no changes since the last time."

Managing Automation - October 23, 2007 - Reviews the IFS World Conference Keynote Speaker

Managing Automation editor David Brousell comments on the IFS World Conference keynote speaker's view on globalization.

Manufacturing Business Technology - October 16, 2007 - A World View: New IFS platform caters to global business models

Manufacturing Business Technology has written about the IFS Applications 7.5 product launch at the World Conference in Berlin, Germany.

Managing Automation - October 15, 2007 - IFS Previews New User Interface

Managing Automation editor David Brousell writes from the IFS World Conference in Berlin, Germany on the launch of the Aurora user interface.

Manufacturing Business Technology - September 27, 2007 - The Power of Search

Manufacturing Business Technology editor Kevin Parker devoted his column in this month's issue and in the MBT Mid-Day Report to Enterprise Application Search (EAS). The recent rollout of EAS makes IFS perhaps the first enterprise application vendor to offer an integrated Google-like search tool. Oracle offers a separate search product that must be bolted onto the outside of an application, and SAP has not come to market with a search tool as of yet.

Energy Central Network - September 27, 2007 - Coming Building Boom Means Utilities Must Prepare to Design, Operate, Maintain

IFS North America’s Director of Business Development for Utilities, Michael Blalock, anchored Energy Central's Asset Management newsletter with this article on taking advantage of the opportunities in the upcoming "building boom".

MCshowcase.com - September 11, 2007 - Why Should EAS Be Considered Critical to ERP Systems?

IFS Applications is the only top tier suite on the market with an integrated enterprise application search (EAS) tool. In this article on MCshowcase.com, IFS North America Chief Technology Officer Rick Veague explains why that is important.

Industry Week - September 1, 2007 - Google Yourself

IFS is first in the market with an integrated enterprise application search tool. Read this short piece that resulted from an interview with IFS Chief Technology Officer Dan Matthews.

WomensBiz.us - September 2007 - Cindy Jaudon: Collaborates, Delegates and Celebrates!

IFS North America President Cindy Jaudon is profiled in the September issue of WomensBiz.us. Despite the fact that this is definitely a personality profile rather than a business case study or coverage of IFS’ strengths relative to competitors, it does position IFS as a successful company that has tuned into the needs of its customers.

Manufacturing Business Technology - August 21, 2007 - IFS first to market with embedded enterprise application search

IFS reports delivery of integrated enterprise application search (EAS), making it the first top-tier enterprise apps solutions vendor to embed the functionality within an ERP system.

Managing Automation - August 20, 2007 - IFS Releases Search Capability for Its Apps

With new technology that searches all of a company's IFS data and returns targeted results to ERP veterans and novices, the applications provider plans to fill a growing need for intra-enterprise visibility.

IT Business Canada - August 20, 2007 - IFS brings "Google-like" enterprise search to business applications

IFS announced the delivery of integrated enterprise application search (EAS). EAS gives information workers access to business information through a "Google-style" search-based interface that is embedded within the enterprise application.

Business Performance Management Magazine - August 2007 - Case In Point: Insight and Control After Much M&A

Michael Kalkman from IFS customer, Stolle Machinery, describes how the company used IFS Applications to unite disparate divisions after a spate of merger and acquisition activity.

TechnologyEvaluation.com - July 27, 2007 - Why Enterprise Application Search Is Crucial to Your ERP System

IFS AB Chief Technology Officer Dan Matthews describes how critical Enterprise Application Search (EAS) is in selecting an application vendor. Naturally, EAS is already available in the current service pack for IFS Applications 7, and none of our competitors have gotten to market with this tool as of yet.

SearchOracle.com - July 26, 2007 - Oracle and SAP passed over for IFS by water desalination firm

Seven Seas describes why they chose IFS over SAP and Oracle. "I've had exposure to SAP as well as Oracle and basically we chose not to consider those two solutions just based on our prior experience and on the complexity of the implementations that we've experienced," said John Curtis, Seven Seas' CEO. "Oracle was the better of those two. [But] the team's conclusion very quickly and very clearly dictated going for a more user-friendly version and something that better fit our business model."

Managing Automation - July 16, 2007 - Software Pricing: Have They Got a Deal for You

IFS customer Arrhythmia Research Technology remarks on how they chose IFS over competitors who started pitching inflated licensing fees only to offer articifically deep discounts. In addition, IFS Marketing Director Steve Andrew remarks on the effect of consolidation on discounts in the middle market: "Customers have to ask if a given product is going to be around in three years, and [consolidators] have to discount to offset perceived risk."

TechnologyEvaluation.com - July 6, 2007 - Two Stalwart Vendors Discuss Mid-market Issues

IFS and INFOR's answers to questions posed by a Technology Evaluation Centers analyst are posted side-by-side in this article, resulting in a one-on-one debate.

Industry Week - July 1, 2007 - Defining Web 2.0

IFS' monthly podcasts are held up by Industry Week as a good example of how companies are harnessing the capabilities of Web 2.0 technologies to communicate with customers.

TechnologyEvaluation.com - June 6, 2007 - Front Office Lean

Lean manufacturing practices are employed to some degree on almost every manufacturing floor, but many companies aren't realizing the real benefits of Lean by bringing Lean to their front-office operations. In this Technology Evaluation Centers article, BSC Gregory Romanello describes how front-office Lean can benefit the entire enterprise.

eWeek - June 20, 2007 - Savi Expands Reach with NATO RFID Deal

Influential IT journalist Renee Boucher Ferguson has written about IFS' recently-announced partnership with Savi Technology.

Managing Automation - June 4, 2007 - IFS Joins Parade to Make ERP Easier to Use

IFS has formally announced the North American launch of the Intelligent Desktop initiative with Microsoft. According to writer Jeff Moad of Managing Automation: “Echoing recent moves by SAP, Microsoft, Epicor, and other enterprise application software competitors, IFS AB today unveiled what it said is the first in a series of offerings that will give casual users an easy way to access ERP data using Microsoft Office applications such as Excel.”

The Business Journal - May 18, 2007 - Companies using podcasts to reach multiple audiences

The IFS Radio Network series of monthly podcasts has received its fair share of media attention. In this article from The Business Journal, Chuck Rathmann from IFS North America is interviewed about how the company uses podcasts to communicate with both clients and consultants.

Food Engineering Magazine - May 2, 2007 - 9th Annual Essential Guide to Manufacturing Software

IFS and customer Harry's Fresh Foods are included in a write-up of food manufacturing packages in Food Engineering Magazine. In the article, Harry's discusses its use of IFS Constraint-Based Scheduling software. IFS is also included in an accompanying chart of software packages.

APICS - May, 2007 - Metric System: GED case study

GED Integrated Solutions has already been recognized for its metrics program by judges in the Progressive Manufacturer Awards program run by Managing Automation magazine. This article in APICS magazine details how GED has leveraged the power of IFS Applications to track key metrics throughout the company, driving important process improvements.

Reliable Plant Magazine - April 2007 - Quick-start enterprise asset management

Richard Fontaine, vice president of IFS services partner GFI Solutions, describes how Interquisa started up their Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system from IFS before their plant was even constructed. "While the plant construction process would put into place thousands of pieces of equipment that would naturally have no operational history on which to build a maintenance program, Interquisa management would have to quickly design and implement a system that would keep the new plant running 24/7," Fontaine writes.

TechnologyEvaluation.com - April 27, 2007 - EAM Showdown: IFS vs. Mincom vs. CHAMPS

TechnologyEvaluation.com compares IFS' Enterprise Asset Management functionality with another enterprise suite and best-of-breed solution. According to TEC Analyst Sadat Zaman: “With back-office functionality (HR and financials) included, IFS finished first, followed by Mincom in the number two slot, with CHAMPS considerably back of the pack in third place. Without back-office modules, IFS finished first again, but this time CHAMPS moves right up to a close second-place finish, with Mincom coming in third.”

SearchCIO - March 28, 2007 - With ERP, implementation is just Step One

Gerald Nakamura of IFS customer, Willamette Valley Company, was interviewed by SearchCIO on their recent upgrade of their instance of IFS Applications. Contributor Matt Bolch described an ERP bake-off held by Willamette to select their enterprise application: "Industrial and Financial Systems, IFS AB, a Linköping, Sweden-based enterprise applications vendor, emerged the victor in the ERP test, which ran for three days and required a week's worth of data preparation by Willamette employees –- time well spent, Nakamura noted."

Technology Evaluation - March 12, 2007 - Why Database-agnostic Enterprise Applications Are on the Way Out

The shift to a service-oriented architecture (SOA) by many software vendors has changed the focus of application architecture. Although it is a given that it is best to separate an application into layers, the question remains whether the application should be tightly integrated with the database. The traditional approach, known as database agnosticism, allows the user to select an application and a database independently. While this approach may sound good at first, it sacrifices system performance and flexibility. According to IFS technologists Rick Veague and Dan Matthews, middleware agnosticism is the wave of the future—and is another area where IFS is ahead of the competition.

Managing Automation - March 2007 - The User Interface Revolution (Easy as Pie)

IFS is mentioned and IFS staff are quoted in coverage of trends in graphical user interfaces.

Reliable Plant - February 2007 - The next generation of overall equipment efficiency

IFS co-founder Ulf Stern explains how companies can use overall equipment efficiency (OEE) and enterprise resources planning (ERP) together to maximize profitability.

Customer Interaction Solutions - February 2007 - IFS: Another Hat In The CRM Ring

IFS North America customer relationship management (CRM) expert Jorge Defreitas describes the benefits of a back-office CRM solution fully integrated with ERP.

Software Business - January 2007 - Is Your Enterprise Application on a Road to Nowhere?

IFS chief technical officer Dan Matthews explores further the questions you should ask application vendors about their future plans for the products they are marketing.

IndustryWeek - January 2007 - Putting ERP to Work

This article includes a case study of Stolle Machinery, explaining how the company has used IFS Applications to unite disparate operating units and streamline accounting functions.