SMD boosts efficiency with IFS Cloud™ upgrade delivered by Platned

Subsea engineering leader streamlines operations and unlocks industrial AI potential with on-premise IFS Cloud™ upgrade.

Subsea engineering company SMD has successfully transitioned to the latest IFS Cloud™ platform in partnership with Platned, marking a major step forward in the firm’s digital transformation journey. The 12-month project, delivered on time and within budget, replaced SMD’s legacy IFS Applications 7.5 system and introduced powerful new capabilities, while maintaining its critical on-premise infrastructure.

With over 280 employees and global operations spanning renewable energy, oil and gas, telecoms, and subsea minerals, SMD provides remotely operated and autonomous underwater solutions. Having relied on IFS software for over a decade, the company turned to Platned to modernise its enterprise systems and future-proof its business.

“We were working with an outdated system that was no longer supported, and teams had started bypassing it for certain processes,” explained Lee Hammond, Digital Development Manager at SMD. “Upgrading to IFS Cloud™ was crucial to support our move toward more data-driven operations and advanced engineering.”

After evaluating alternative ERP platforms, including SAP and Microsoft Dynamics 365, SMD opted to stay with IFS, selecting Platned as the implementation partner following a thorough business value assessment. The project kicked off in October 2023, and went live just under a year later, ahead of the CEO’s target deadline.

A key element of the transformation was preserving SMD’s on-premise deployment model to safeguard intellectual property and maximise return on existing IT infrastructure. Platned configured IFS Cloud™ without modifying core code, ensuring security and operational continuity.

Training and user adoption were central to the project’s success. More than 250 users were transitioned through a combination of general training sessions and a network of 20 super-users who supported testing and internal knowledge-sharing. “The team were engaged from the start, and Platned supported us throughout,” Hammond said. “When we went live, there was no drama, it was business as usual.”

The benefits of the upgrade have been immediate. Alongside access to the evergreen, AI-enabled capabilities of IFS Cloud™, SMD now enjoys enhanced system performance, robust security, and long-term support through Platned’s Managed Services offering. This service handles ongoing infrastructure monitoring, user support, and system maintenance, freeing SMD’s internal teams to focus on innovation and delivery.

“The collaboration with Platned was outcome-driven and smooth,” Hammond added. “Challenges were resolved quickly, and we now have the peace of mind that our core systems are in expert hands.”

Looking to the future, SMD is preparing for the next phase of digital enhancement, with a focus on automating parts-picking and exploring AI-powered scheduling in the upcoming 24R2 IFS release.

Platned continues to support industry leaders like SMD with expert ERP consulting, seamless IFS Cloud™ implementations, and ongoing support services. To learn more about how Platned can accelerate your digital transformation, contact us at info@platned.com.

Read more: https://platned.com/case-study/engineering-a-seamless-upgrade-to-ifs-cloud