Spacesaver® Corp live on IFS Applications in first of four divisions

Fort Atkinson, Wis. based storage solutions provider Spacesaver® Corp., a division on KI, Green Bay, WI., has gone live on IFS Applications in the first of four divisions to implement the enterprise resource planning (ERP) suite.

Spacesaver’s High Bay archival storage division is now live on IFS Applications components for Financials, Distribution, Maintenance, Project Management, Document Management and Human Resources. High Bay archival storage was chosen as the first go-live as the up to 45-foothigh shelving product line was acquired relatively recently in 2007 and could be implemented quickly as management prepares the rest of the organization for the move from a green screen legacy system to a modern application suite with the usability-enhanced IFS Enterprise Explorer user interface.

Spacesaver operates in multiple manufacturing modes, including mixed-mode, engineer-to-order (ETO) and configure-to-order (CTO). This ability to work in multiple manufacturing modes allows Spacesaver to have a broad array of product solutions such as high density storage, evidence lockers, document storage systems, locking storage cabinets, and library shelving units. Spacesaver’s storage solutions are used by customers across a variety of settings from the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History and Sotheby’s Auction House to Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control and Toyota Automotive Manufacturing.

“Spacesaver is on a growth trajectory, but we knew we could not handle the type of growth we are seeing with our legacy system,” Spacesaver Director of Information Technology Eric Schmidt said. “IFS Applications will allow us to serve our customers even better than we historically have by reducing customer order lead times and optimizing inventory levels, forecasting, planning and shop floor routing.”

“As we go live on IFS Applications, we are finding that our selection of IFS was a good one,” Spacesaver ERP Project Manager Anil Rodrigues said. “IFS Applications is a great fit for mid-sized companies that need a tier 1 ERP solution because it offers a balance between robust functionality and simplicity.”

“As a company that runs in a true multi-mode manufacturing environment, Spacesaver really does need the agility and flexibility that IFS Applications delivers,” IFS Vice President of Sales Mike Lorbiecki said. “No other package delivers the broad spectrum of ETO, CTO and make-to-order functionality as effectively as IFS Applications.”

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 Chief Industries, Colfax Corporation, Kongskilde, Nolato Group, Bombardier, GEA Pharma Systems, PartnerTech, Stolle Machinery, Völkl, and Johnson Pump.