With high ambitions and high growth, CREADIS Wind Solutions (CWS) needed a system that could support the needs of the 15 employees who wear many different hats in the company on a daily basis in a user-friendly way. CWS initially thought they were looking for three standalone systems for an ERP system (Enterprise Resource Management), a DM system (Document Management) and a PLM system (Product Lifecycle Management), but during the process they were advised by an external consultant that there were actually systems that could handle all three parts.
They ended up choosing a full ERP system from IFS Applications, which is often used by much larger organisations than CWS. But the IFS platform is a perfect fit for a growing company because it is modular and can dynamically grow with their needs.
Furthermore, IFS Applications was a good match because CWS could only get to know one system instead of having to be trained in several different ones. Recognisability and uniformity were especially relevant here, because there are so few actors performing many different tasks. The intuitive user interface made it easier to introduce the system to employees. Similarly, the overall solution minimises the need for integrations.
”ERP systems usually have one screen for sales, another for purchasing, a third for finance, etc. but in smaller companies, the same person can easily sit in three branches of the system. In IFS, you can easily merge the interfaces so that you only have one screen, which gives a company like CWS an advantage, but it can also be changed in the future if a new need arises.” says Peter Eskelund Bering, partner at Curit.
CWS chose Curit as their partner for the actual implementation for several reasons, the first and most important of which was agility and flexibility. From the start, a goal was set to complete the implementation in three months, and they succeeded, partly because Curit provided some skilled and competent consultants, but also because CWS had put together a really good project team that ensured that progress was made at all times.
Audit management ensures high quality
After six months in the system, everyday life has settled in and the employees have become more and more familiar with the system. For example, new possibilities have been realised in terms of product data sheets. Previously, there were separate data sheets for sales, development and purchasing, which required a lot of coordination and maintenance work to ensure that everyone was always working according to the correct revision.
”In IFS Applications, we attach a new revision to an object that goes across the different functions and thus only needs to be updated in one place, which ensures that everyone always works from the same revision and that our knowledge is aligned throughout the organisation” says Niels Christian Lind-Frandsen, VP CREADIS Wind Solutions, adding that this knowledge sharing gives them an advantage in their product lifecycle because they can now start purchasing some components even if the development of the entire product is not complete. This results in a more efficient product flow, avoiding bottlenecks.
”It's been a really positive experience that document management has worked so well operationally. It may have been part of the requirement specification from the start, but it's one thing that it works on paper and another thing that it can be used in everyday life and create value for the entire organisation.”, says Niels Christian Lind-Frandsen.
From the strategic to the operational level
In my experience, it can be difficult to ensure that strategic decisions actually translate to the operational level and are implemented as intended. IFS gives us the opportunity to get an overview of the process landscape, which makes it more tangible to work with. We're facing an audit now, and it gives me peace of mind that there is a connection between what we write we do and what we actually do in everyday life.”, says Niels Christian Lind-Frandsen.
Change doesn't come for free
After a quick start with a lot of enthusiasm around the company, it was clear that change also comes with its challenges. As a start-up company, processes and systems were not yet established, so getting into an ERP system has been a good and supportive process. The finance department, however, already had some established processes, and for them, the path towards structured standardisation was more difficult as they had to unlearn old habits first, but they too have now ended up in a good place.
”Because many of us didn't come from a one-to-one replacement system, we were very receptive to the new system, but for finance, it was hard to get used to working in a new way because they already had some existing processes and workflows. Therefore, the advice I would give to others facing a project like this is to really remember to take change management seriously” says Niels Christian Lind-Frandsen.
The standard must create the advantage
CWS has chosen to use IFS Applications in its standard solution from the start, as many considerations and fallacies are saved if you use best practices.
”It's a good idea to utilise the features we already have in the standard solution rather than implementing new ones. I know that there are a lot of opportunities still within the standard IFS Applications solution that we are not realising the full potential of yet, and we need to work on exploiting that first and foremost” says Niels Christian Lind-Frandsen.
IFS can help with it all
At Curit, who helped implement the IFS platform in CWS, there is no doubt that many companies can learn important lessons from the project. Curit has implemented the vast majority of the IFS solutions in Denmark for both small and large organisations.
”Whether you're a small or large organisation, you may be faced with advanced requirements that span many business areas. The difference is that the small company has much fewer people to fulfil the tasks and therefore each employee has to learn many branches of the system. The unique thing about the IFS platform is that it can be used by both 15 and 2,500 employees, which gives companies room to grow in their solution”, says Peter Eskelund Bering.
CREADIS Wind Solutions offers customised solutions for the wind industry and is a subsidiary of DIS Group, which among other things owns the international knowledge company DIS/CREADIS. With more than 25 years of experience, they provide consultancy services, advice and total solutions for the industry. Read more about Creadis here: https://www.creadis.com/creadiswindsolutions/
Niels Christian Lind-Frandsen, VP CREADIS Wind Solutions