Negotiations with IFS

IFS is one of the most successful ERP solutions for industrial companies. As a selection and implementation consultancy, 2BCS often conducts negotiations with the Swedish provider or its partner  on behalf of its customers. Our specialists therefore know what companies need to pay attention to in advance so that the implementation of the solution is successful.

Compared with competitors such as SAP or Microsoft D365, IFS has been able to win a disproportionately large number of new customers in the recent past. The IFS products "IFS Application 10" and "IFS Cloud" are not only more cost-effective, the clear focus on industrial companies (mechanical engineering, electronics, metal processing, automotive suppliers) and the solution-oriented approach of the IFS consultants also play an essential role.

The primary goal of 2BCS is to eliminate any uncertainties related to the solution in negotiations with their customers and IFS - regarding project scope, costs or technical issues. We support our customers in defining the requirements and product selection and ensure that the price is appropriate. In this way, we create a solid basis for concluding a contract with IFS.

Correctly estimating the project scope

Practice has shown that a successful introduction of IFS is particularly successful when future users have a clear, documented idea of the functional scope of the project. To prevent misunderstandings and misconceptions, we support our customers in clarifying and documenting the process-related expectations of the IFS solution and its integration into the existing application and partner landscape in advance.

Assessing the total cost of ownership (calculating TCO)

Some time ago, IFS made a switch to a subscription model in order to have a long-term and recurring relationship with its customer[IT2] . However, in terms of cost calculation, the new model poses a challenge for potential customers because it has reduced comparability. We therefore strongly recommend our customers to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO) beforehand. Although the new subscription model reduces the initial investment, the long-term operation is not necessarily more cost-effective than the conventional "purchase and maintenance" model.

Thinking of your IT department when choosing a product

Potential new customers should consider how they want to operate the IFS solution at an early stage - whether "on premise", i.e. in their own data center, or in the "managed cloud" version, with hosting by IFS in a Microsoft Azure environment. The decision has direct impact for the company's own IT department, because it requires new competencies, such as supplier management, as the case may be. In the hosting model, IFS offers two support variants ("Gold" and "Platinum"), which, in addition to the costs, differ in their scope of services (availability, support by IFS or a partner, etc.).

Conclusion: In addition to a precise clarification of the desired project scope, a calculation of the total cost of ownership (TCO) is essential before deciding on IFS, to avoid surprises in the end. The choice of the hosting model is also crucial, as it has implications for the company's own IT department. If those requirements are taken into account, there is little to stand in the way of a smooth implementation of the ERP solution from IFS.

About 2BCS AG

2BCS AG, based in St. Gallen and Zurich, was founded in 2006 as an independent, process-oriented consulting company in the field of digitalization. Our offer includes digitization strategies, evaluations in the ERP, CRM and MES environment as well as implementation services. More than 300 medium-sized industrial and commercial companies in Switzerland and abroad have used our services to date and, according to the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung", 2BCS is the largest and most successful independent evaluation and implementation consulting company in Switzerland. Our secret of success is competent consultants and the ability to bring in knowledge, experience and competencies in such a way that our clients benefit maximally.