IFS Applications Reviews

I'm working on UPD 12 and IFS cloud applications. IFS has multiple product lines from ERP systems to Enterprise Asset Management and service management system. They also offer a maintenance module, provide operational inclusion software, and R&D. These are their main offerings. I have used this application in two industries, predominantly in manufacturing and aero defense. Both sectors have successfully deployed this solution. So far, we have good testimonies from Emirates Airlines, Lockheed Martin, and many other regional players who are into independent fleet management or MRO kind of services.

The best feature is the maintenance module, which is essentially an industry-specific workflow designed with a manufacturing module as per industry standards. It's very precise and specific without having complex functionalities. It's straightforward. Field Service Management is definitely a wonderful product that IFS has developed because it caters to field services. The energy and utility sectors can answer their business needs using the software.

The integration is a bit complex, and post-implementation support services need to be improved. They have a service center based out of Sri Lanka. The support aspect is good, but the response time is a little slower than we anticipated.

In the next release, it would be better if Warehouse Management could be improvised. They have a product line that's a data warehouse management system, but it's still premature and requires a bit of enhancement.

I have been working with IFS Applications for eight years.

It's a stable product and I would say that it's reliable.

Scalability is complex because of dependencies. For any core level modification, it's not that easy like other product lines because the OEM vendors give the choice of modifying the core. However, IFS doesn't appreciate modifying the core, and there's a restriction there. You really have to change the application to match the business requirements. It's a kind of a complex scenario. We have about 300 people currently using this solution.

Their post-implementation support is good but a little slower than anticipated.

The initial setup is a complex process, and it's not a simple implementation. But the methodology that IFS follows is Agile, and it's a patented approach. It's not the generic approach we follow that makes the implementation simplified. It's definitely complex and not a straight-fit product line. Cross-functionality dependencies are there, and it's not simple. It's definitely a complex implementation.

An integrator helped us to implement this solution. This product line is dependent on integrators, OEMs, and Windows because the resource pool isn't readily available. Reachability is less, and they have very limited resources available in the market. For any kind of support activities, either we have to rely on integrators or the vendor directly. However, we have a dedicated maintenance team within the company.

IFS Applications is expensive software, but it's on par with SAP and Oracle. It's for large enterprises and government entities and not for small and medium-sized enterprises. They have one licensing model, but if you want to have a module-specific license, they provide component-based licenses. Unlike SAP and Oracle, it doesn't have different levels of licensing. It's one level of licensing.

I would tell potential users that they need to consider change management because there could be a lot of resistance from the end-users because of the complexity of running this application. The output is very advanced, but you would really need to put in some effort to achieve that.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give IFS Applications a seven.

We are using Assyst in a Hybrid environment with Assyst app servers running in our own virtualized servers with the database and storage in Azure Cloud, which works well.

We use the system for IT Service Management across 16 ITIL v3 processes as part of a cohesive service management platform for delivering shared services for large organizations.

We integrate to Azure AD, LUIS/BOT Framework for insights and Virtual Agent support, as well as NetSuite for the asset, user, and billing interfaces.

Our focus is on process efficiency while ensuring a great customer experience.

Using this product allows us to standardize our approach to baseline improvement activities across business and IT process domains. The omnichannel capabilities allowed us to deploy a modern cross-channel delivery that we can manage from one pane of glass. The OOTB features provide support for many IT frameworks which we configured to meet our needs quickly. 

The OOTB analytics and in-tool BI charting allows analysts to really quickly assess historic and predicted scenarios to intelligently assess the situation so they can take the right actions 

ACE Omnichannel - Self-Service, Apps, Bot, Knowledge across devices, and personas. This has allowed us to divert resources away from answering phone calls on to more business valued initiatives. 

The workflow engine is very powerful and so is the service view CMDB. The design once - deploy anywhere is really good.

One of our favorite features is the "Info-Zone", which provides operational intelligence in flight and in context to guide both business users and support teams to productivity.

We would like to see AI-driven CSI functions built into the tool that would allow us to quickly tie our improvement goals to metrics and activities, so Assyst will suggest the next steps to help us get closer to our goals. 

Another area we would be interested in seeing is further support for MS Teams. We have used the APIs to work solutions but as soon as the graph APIs from Microsoft come out of Beta, we would love to see a packaged app here that is supported through upgrades like the rest of the Axios products. 

We have been using Assyst for five years.

No glitches actually. Our experience has been uneventful in that respect and we find the apps very stable.

This product is good for large organizations, with 2,500-250,000 employees.

Good phone local support and self-service as well. Good ( almost too much ) documentation.

Prior to Assyst, we used BMC Remedy. We wanted something that was more packaged and OOTB vs custom building ourselves.

There are lots of templates to work from to edit/tweak.

Both vendor and in-house teams assisted us with deployment.

Our ROI is 4.5 times our investment in 18 months.

Ask for all-inclusive pricing, as they are pretty flexible if you ask for custom models. Don't underestimate the focus on content. A system on its own is as good as the data it can leverage like content, categories, and knowledge.

We evaluated ServiceNow, Ivanti, and Cherwell.

Definitely consider this offering. There are many features and options that come with it that don't require custom dev. They upgrade and are supported.

We work in the four segments: aerospace and defense, manufacturing, EPTA (enterprise) which is contracting and sub-contracting, and enterprise management. We offer enterprise solutions in the client's workplace. 

The enterprise management solutions within the solution are very strong. It's been listed as number one in the Gartner Report for the last five years. They really are at the top of their game.

The solution overall is very versatile and flexible, especially compared to other products.

As a salesperson, my perspective is limited. Someone from a development team may have more insights into which features may be lacking.

It would be ideal if, in the future, the product could incorporate IoT and blockchain elements. We'd like to explore more of these types of features going forward. We feel they could enhance our client experience and add value to our own solutions.

The pricing could be a bit better. It's a little high.

I've been dealing with the solution for three years at this point.

The solution is very stable. Even if we have to do upgrades or customized development, it performs well. We don't find there are issues with bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze.

Scalability isn't a problem at all. It's very easy to do if a company needs to expand the solution.

In a large majority of cases, we handle the technical support for our clients. It's been very rare where we would need to reach out to IFS technical support to get assistance with problems.

The initial setup isn't too complex. In fact, it's pretty simple. It's straightforward.

The length of time it takes to deploy depends on the client's requirements and the scope of the project. On average, it takes about two to six months to deploy.

I haven't personally handled the implementation, however, as I am more on the sales-side.

We handle the maintenance on behalf of our clients as necessary.

The solution is not cheap. It's competitive, however, it's a bit higher than other options on the market. Everything is included in the license. You don't have to purchase additional features beyond that.

So far, we've compared IFS to some extent with SAP. Comparatively, we can say IFS stands on top, at least compared to SAP.

We have to work with the latest version of the solution. However, there are some clients who are working on the old versions and they want to perform on the new versions. Occasionally, there is conversion onto new versions. 

Along with the digital transformation, clients are especially in the manufacturing sector. They want some kind of new technology to come up and add some value to them. That's a part of the journey for digital transformation.

We are currently exploring the cloud, even though we mostly work with the on-premises deployment model.

The solution is suitable for all sizes of business. We have solution working for big clients as well as for small, growing clients.

Overall, I would recommend the solution. It's one of the best on the market and is well known.

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

We provide the implementation for our clients.

IFS is an ERP, that is globally ranked number four. It's a master's in enterprise management and foodservice management. 

Globally, we are doing multiple projects with many of our clients, but most of these projects are coming as a transformation to digital. As a part of the digital transformation journey, we need to understand the cloud solution as well.

We work in the four segments and we agree with the enterprise solution in the workplace.

The following are the four segments we work with:

1. Aerospace & Defense
2. Manufacturing
3. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
4. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)

Some of the strengths are Enterprise Management Solutions and the series of Management solutions which is number one in Gartner's report and has been for the last five years.

This solution is very versatile, and it's very flexible.

There are certain digital features that need to be incorporated, such as IOP. It's a blockchain platform. We are currently exploring these types of features to enhance our solutions for added value for our clients. 

Pricing is an area that could be improved. They could be more competitive.

We have been providing this product for more than three years.

We provide the latest version, but there are some clients who are working on older versions and want to transform them into the new version. 

It's a conversion to the new versions, along with the digital transformation especially in the manufacturing sector. 

They want some kind of new technology to come up and add some value to them. That's a part of the journey for digital transformation.

It's a stable product, but depending on the clients, there are times where upgrades are required for custom development.

It's a scalable product. We can scale it easily and it is not a problem.

We provided services for all types of clients. We deal with very large clients to small growing clients as well.

This solution is suitable for any size of company and there are no constraints.

There are times where we require technical support. Most of the time we provide our clients with support.

The initial setup is not complex. It's easier than other IOPs.

The time for deployment depends on the client's requirements, and the scope of the project, but on average, it takes three to six months for deployment.

We have a team to implement and maintain and support this solution for our clients.

It's not cheapest, and it's not mediocre pricing. 

Pricing is comparatively or sufficiently higher than maybe all other IT solutions.

There are no additional fees, and everything is included in the license.

When comparing the IFS product, and to some extent SAP, we can say that IFS stands on the top. 

Definitely, I would recommend this solution to others.

The solution from IFS is one of the best solutions and I would rate it a seven out of ten.

I am using the distribution model, mainly for materials management.

Prior to using the IFS site, it was quite difficult for us to track, access, and extract the inventory available to us. Once we started using IFS, it's introduced us to a way to track and monitor the inventory. From a user perspective, it is extremely useful for us.

The MS management information system reports are the solution's most valuable feature. The reports are very useful. It's also quite easy to generate them.

The solution is very user friendly.

The product is quite flexible. 

I won't be able to give the correct feedback. I haven't seen everything in action, however, based on my experience, what I've found is that lot of days we are using mobile phones or tablets. Yet, this solution doesn't work on those types of devices. They need to create something that can be used on Andriod devices to make it easier to use in terms of how we work. It should incorporate the devices we're constantly utilizing.

The user interface can be improved. When you're clicking through the screens, there are some icons or symbols that really need updating and would be more useful and noticeable if they are aesthetically pleasing. 

I've been using the solution for the past three years.

The solution doesn't seem to have bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash. I'd say that it's quite stable. For us, it has been a reliable product.

I believe the solution to be quite scalable. 

Right now, we have about 500 people or more using it.

I haven't dealt with the solution's technical support team directly. At our company, we have an in-house IT department that we typically go to if we have issues with any solutions. They may occasionally reach out to IFS, however, I don't, so I can't speak to the quality of their services.

The initial setup is more or less straightforward, really. At first, we faced a bit of difficulty, however, it was more about us needing to get used to the product. Now that we use it regularly and we're more familiar with it, it's easier.

We did have the assistance of a consultant, although we mostly handled the implementation ourselves.

My corporate office has a relationship with IFS. There is a joint venture with one of our implementation partners.

We might be using an older version of the solution. I don't believe it's the latest version.

I'd like other organizations to know that the solution is very friendly and easy to upgrade. You can update it right through the screen if you need to. If an organization needs a solution capable of generating lots of reports, this solution fits the bill. 

I would rate the solution eight out of ten.