Free Whitepaper: The Engineering Executive Global Finishing Solutions Selects IFS Applications to Manage Complex Projects

SCHAUMBURG, Ill : IFS, the global enterprise applications company, announced today that Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) has selected IFS Applications for total visibility and control of its heavy project-based business. GFS is a leading manufacturer of paint booths and finishing systems for industrial coating applications, automotive body shops, trucks and large equipment, and the aerospace industry.

Global Finishing Solutions’ leadership team recognized that their business’ growth had created an overwhelming need for a different and more reliable enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution. GFS’ current ERP system stored critical business data in external documents that were difficult to maintain and accurately share. Furthermore, GFS’ customer relationship management tool did not address the needs of its complex manufacturing model. So GFS turned to IFS Applications to provide a solution.

“IFS was chosen because of the breadth and depth of the software,” Global Finishing Solutions Business Process Analyst Steve Simon said. “IFS Applications closely matched our operational needs. Our decision was also influenced by IFS Applications’ intuitive interface, the extensive linking capability of information throughout the system, best-practice process flows, and the willingness of IFS to respond to our requirements. It also helped that our sister company, Holland Company, has used IFS Applications for a number of years, allowing us to draw on their trusted first-hand experience.”

Global Finishing Solutions selected IFS Applications components for Manufacturing, Distribution, Financials, Engineering, Services and Human Resources. These modules will be implemented at GFS’ four locations - Osseo, Wisconsin; Monterrey, Mexico; Irving, Texas; and Barrie, Ontario.

“IFS Applications is the best solution to accommodate GFS’ complex manufacturing business,” IFS North America President Cindy Jaudon said. “It will keep information easily accessible and critical projects within budget and on time throughout the entire manufacturing process.”

Industrial manufacturing is one of IFS’ seven targeted market segments. IFS has a broad customer base in the industry, focusing on medium to large-sized manufacturers that need support for complex order-driven and mixed-mode manufacturing across the extended enterprise. With strong support for project management, engineering, constraint-based scheduling, product configuration, and after-sales support, IFS’ component-based business solutions are designed to help companies improve quality, contain costs, and improve their competitive position in manufacturing industry segments such as machinery, defense, fabricated metal products, and plastics. Industrial manufacturing companies also benefit from IFS’ lifecycle management solution, which goes beyond product lifecycle management (PLM) to provide better integration and management of three critical business areas - products, customers, and resources - throughout their lifecycles.

IFS Industrial Manufacturing customers include Aeromatic-Fielder, Star-Cutter, J&H Machine Tools, Konskilde, Nolato Group, Bombardier, Partnertech AB, Mechanik Center Erlangen GmbH, Völkl, and Tour & Andersson.

Global Finishing Solutions is the world's leading manufacturer of paint booths and finishing systems for industrial coating and finishing, automotive body shops, aerospace finishing, and truck and large equipment finishing. For more information, visit www.globalfinishing.com.

IFS is a public company (OMX STO: IFS) founded in 1983 that develops, supplies, and implements IFS Applications™, a fully-integrated, component-based extended ERP suite built on SOA technology. The company has more than 2,000 customers in 54 countries and focuses on seven main industries: aerospace & defense, utilities & telecom, manufacturing, process industries, automotive, retail & wholesale distribution, and construction contracting & service management. IFS has 2,600 employees. More information on IFS is available at www.IFSWORLD.com/us.