Anthesis worked with Chemigraphic task force to deliver fully cloud-based system into the business
Design-led Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) provider Chemigraphic has continued its ambitious growth plan by implementing a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system IFS Applications 10. The implementation is entirely cloud-based and Chemigraphic is one of the first UK businesses to have had this version of IFS implemented from scratch.
IFS Applications 10 was launched by leading enterprise software provider, IFS, at its World Conference in Atlanta on May 1-3, 2018. It was cited to be the “most important investment in its user interface” by the company at the time.
The system was successfully delivered into Chemigraphic by software consultancy and IFS services and channel partner, Anthesis. Having approached Anthesis for guidance on implementing a new ERP system in 2018, Chemigraphic signed to IFS Applications 9 in April 2018. However, following the IFS World Conference two weeks later, the consultancy’s channel partner status meant its skilled team was both authorised and recommended to sell and implement IFS Applications 10 from the launch date.
Further conversations with Chemigraphic took place and it was agreed that IFS Applications 10 was now the best enterprise application solution. The project officially began in May 2018, mainly out of Chemigraphic’s site in Crawley. A team of six Anthesis consultants, led by Mike Evans, project-managed the Chemigraphic design and implementation, which included both the functional and technical consultancy as well as considerable testing. The Anthesis team was supported by a specially-selected Chemigraphic task-force led by Technical Director Stewart Gadd and NPI & Sales Systems Manager Alex Cook.
The system became live and fully operational in April 2019. Chemigraphic uses core IFS modules: Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Projects, Financials, Warehousing, CRM, HR and Maintenance. There are 75 users of the system, which is hosted completely on the Microsoft Azure cloud. Chemigraphic use handheld devices for warehousing data as well as using IFS Applications 10 for office-based enterprise applications, meaning the cloud-based nature of the system is ideal for its requirements.
Stewart Gadd, Technical Director at Chemigraphic, comments: “Having used a number of old ERP systems and software packages, the rapidly growing nature of our business demanded that we implement a new and enhanced system to improve our operational efficiency and bring everything together into one core platform. The benefits are clear to both us as a business and our customers: it enables superior planning, better forecasting and enhanced capacity management, allowing us to do what we do better, faster and more flexibly.”
Tom Constantine, Director of Anthesis, adds: “Having met with the Chemigraphic team, we quickly established that IFS was the right system for the business and when IFS Applications 10 was launched, we knew Chemigraphic was an ideal candidate for its implementation.”
“Delivering the first ever Partner-led Applications 10 project for a UK company is a huge achievement, both for our team and for Chemigraphic, and we look forward to continuing our work with Stewart, Alex and the team as they further embed the system within their business.”