BMW chooses IFS Applications

Issued by Warstreet Marketing for IFS
Johannesburg, 10 Apr 2001

Leading German automotive manufacturer, BMW, signed a DM 4.8 million contract for IFS Applications licences and services. IFS software solutions will be used in BMW`s three German sheet metal pressing plants in Regensburg, Munich and Dingolfing.

BMW expects the new system to significantly increase efficiency in its capital-intensive sheet metal shops. Moreover, the machine operators will be supported by the software, providing management with greater visibility and more frequent updates on the status of manufacturing.

In September 2000 BMW and IFS launched a pre-study. By using the IFS Business Modeler for the study, all relevant business processes were analysed and the required interfaces were defined. BMW will begin implementation of the IFS software in April, with the rollout scheduled for early 2002 in Regensburg. IFS will provide a software solution for dispatching incoming production orders for BMW`s press shops. The pressing plants produce car body parts for all BMW models. The IFS system will monitor the availability of facilities, tools and personnel. Simultaneously the optimal sequence of order processing is determined. On the basis of these planning data, the order is initiated while the availability of material is verified. The production process is monitored through feedback from the press tools, e.g. by counting the number of strokes.

Moreover, BMW plans to use the IFS solution to plan transport of tools, materials and parts. Components of IFS Manufacturing, such as constraint based scheduling, MRP and demand planning, as well as the equipment monitoring component from IFS Maintenance will be deployed.

IFS Applications will also support quality management. Josef Redl and Richard Storfinger, BMW`s project manager in the implementation project, commented, "Four years ago we started looking for standard software to address our requirements, but without success. Thus, we decided to develop on our own. However, last year we learned about IFS meeting 70% of our functionality requirements and, thanks to IFS` component-based technology, we could assemble a solution that is tailored specifically to meet our needs."

IFS and IFS Applications

IFS develops and supplies component-based business applications that streamline operations in medium-size and large enterprises and that offer step-by-step evolution to the extended enterprise. IFS Applications offers web-based business applications, including CRM and supply chain management components, Internet storefronts, e-markets and e-procurement solutions. IFS eBusiness solutions provide seamless integration of all data sources from the fastest web sites and exchanges to legacy ERP.

Sales of IFS Applications are the fastest growing worldwide in the market for large-scale business applications. Today IFS is one of the 10 largest companies in the world in this industry, with over 3600 employees and sales in 43 countries.