IFS releases updates for IFS Applications 9 ERP

Global enterprise applications company IFS has launched several new features for IFS Applications 9, which was released earlier this year, and is used mostly by manufacturing-based clients.

IFS Applications will now update quarterly with the relevant updates necessary to improve functions and productivity faster and cheaper.

In-memory capabilities

One of the key updates is to IFS Applications’ in-memory feature that allows users to run thousands of analytical queries along with higher compression ratios that are capable of handling very large databases.

The IFS Manufacturing Visualizer has also been upgraded with the addition of new visuals and charts to help companies act on production issues and optimize production planning.

The IFS Financial component and IFS rental management capability have been improved as well. The financials component sees extended support for group consolidation using IFS Business Analytics while the rental management functions have been revamped for improved usability, such as associating specific work orders with equipment rentals.

Quarterly updates

“Along with the feature updates, we are also happy to reveal a new update delivery system,” said Dan Matthews, IFS CTO. “This takes us a major step closer to our vision of providing our customers with ‘evergreen’ business applications, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of our latest and greatest software at a significantly lower cost.”

“[The new update delivery system] takes us a major step closer to our vision of providing our customers with ‘evergreen’ business applications”

IFS currently has 2,400 customers globally using its ERP and other enterprise management software. It launched its latest offering IFS Applications 9 earlier in 2015 and recently added several new clients to its user base including Indonesian steel fabricator Arkon Prima, Middle East industrial manufacturer BRC, and Australian aerospace engineering company TAE.

Previous systems for enterprise management were a “patchwork” according to Arkon Prima, leading to incorrect production calculations and revenue targets. “In addition, the non-integrated systems made API’s business processes very complex, even resulting in the company failing to fulfill deliveries promised to clients,” said its project manager for ERP. IFS’s systems address these concerns, he said.