Last week we had the opportunity to meet with members of the IFS North American sales team in Chicago. Led by sales chief, Mike Lorbieki, the team explained their marketing focus for ERP buyers in North America.
IFS is a very focused ERP company. They are not trying to be all things to all buyers. They’re focused on their niche. They provide one ERP product from one company internationally.
Four Elements That Define IFS’s Market
- Projects
- Supply Chain Management
- Service and Assets
- Manufacturing
This Focus Translate into Seven Vertical Markets
- Aerospace and Defense
- Industrial Manufacturing
- Automotive
- Construction
- Energy
- High Tech
- Process Industries (Food & Beverage, Pulp, Paper, Metals, Chemicals)
With approximately $400 M in annual revenues, IFS ranks in in the second half of Ultra’s top ten list of ERP vendors for the complex manufacturing industry. In 2012, IFS North American operations grew 65%, which demonstrates that IFS has good velocity in the market of buyers for new ERP systems.
The company has a strong International presence. They are headquartered in Sweden, and have 7,500 customer sites globally.
Markets Where IFS Excels
- Project Centered Manufacturing
- Engineer-to-Order Manufacturing
- Capital Asset Manufacturing
- Field Service Based Products (“As Designed, “As Built”, “As Maintained” Bill of Materials)
IFS is also a good candidate for most complex manufacturing companies including process companies. They allow mixed mode manufacturing in a plant and support most multi-plant requirements.
IFS is a conservative company. They are not focusing on rapid growth. They pay more attention to customer satisfaction, achieving satisfaction ratings in the high 90’s.
The company has zero debt and is now an acquirer. We see IFS being a top 10 vendor for most mid-market manufacturing companies looking for modern ERP capability.
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