Mikomax Smart Office is a Polish family company with over 30 years of international experience in adjusting office space to the specific needs of an organization.
It creates offices tailored to the needs and specific nature of work and the organizational culture of individual clients. Mikomax designs, advises, and trains clients on the best use of smart office spaces. They work with companies from all over the world and provide solutions to new challenges every day. It is important for Mikomax that each client or business partner feels that they understand its business needs.
Challenge
The company has been using the ERP system IFS Applications for many years, starting from the 2003 version. Due to the dynamic development of the Mikomax product offering and the multitude of new IT solutions used within the company, a decision was made to implement a new version of IFS Applications software. InfoConsulting specialists were bought in to support Mikomax in the implementation of this challenging project, the key goal of which was efficient implementation, without disturbing the current ongoing key business processes.
Solution
The positive experience of using IFS Applications to date and effective service cooperation with InfoConsulting made the Management Board of Mikomax decide to invest in IFS Applications version 10. Cooperation was also established with an internal manager experienced in implementations and system architecture, who became a Partner representing the company during the implementation. The change was so dramatic that we are in fact talking about a new implementation, not an upgrade. The most important processes in the company were put in order from A to Z, which meant a change for many employees’ previous work schedules and habits. Therefore, it was necessary to involve the management as project ambassadors and to prepare communication to employees and associates. The team responsible for the project was interdisciplinary and covered all areas. A series of training courses were carried out to expand the team’s knowledge of the benefits of implementation and the possibilities offered by IFS Applications version 10. In retrospect, change management could be indicated as a key success factor within the project.
The project was carried out very efficiently and was implemented within 11 months, which is a short period in terms of the scope of work, the scope of process automation, the scope of integration as well as the key ongoing supervision and operation of the system in the 2003 version. The company and the implementation team are constantly seeing new possibilities for using the system, and the project is being developed into new areas, increasing the effectiveness and bottom-line results for Mikomax.
In creating the solution, emphasis was also placed on the automation of processes, which allowed the speed up and execution of orders and a reduction in the number of operator errors after implementation.
Changes and Effects in the company
The project was comprehensive, it included the production, logistics, and financial part, a CRM module was also implemented, which involved the resignation from the existing non-system applications. Currently, the system has over 140 users and also supports individual showrooms. In the production and warehouse part, mobile scanning terminals are now used, which allowed Mikomax to reduce the number of errors and speed up many warehouse operations. Additional tools integrated within the system were also developed, improving customer service and facilitating the work of the team. Thanks to optimal resource management, it was possible to reduce inventory which had a positive effect on liquid capital cash flow in the Mikomax group. The entire process, from ordering to delivery, has been systemically improved.
“A comprehensive approach to the project was of key importance for us. In addition to automation, the new system was also to become an integrator ensuring high standards for the entire company. The effective and successful implementation was due to the experienced InfoConsulting experts and a very well-selected Mikomax implementation team, properly managed and motivated by our IT director Arkadiusz Szafrański, who is also the Project Manager of the project” – Maciej Mikołajczyk, Member of the Management Board of Mikomax, said.
“The implementation of IFS 10 also gives a very clear and flexible generation of reports for the management board. Having access to current data, we can now react faster and plan resources better, which strengthens our market position” – added Maciej Mikołajczyk, Member of the Management Board.
“Many solutions have been applied systematically to prioritize synchronously conducted activities. The system also supports a company in the USA. Due to the uniqueness of the business, 32 modifications which were introduced strictly tailored to the specificity of Mikomax activities, employees now have access to tools that facilitate the valuation and estimation of production costs and time order fulfillment. Functionalities supporting production planning were launched with a transparent simulation of the load of cavities, resources, materials, and other planning elements, the so-called production visualizer. A completely new configuration pricing model has also been created. The calculations are made automatically, taking into account a number of data points, taking into account, inter alia, changes in the prices of materials” – said Arkadiusz Szafrański, Mikomax IT Director
Significant changes have been implemented in the warehouse area, where the raw material is delivered directly to the stationary stocks of production cells in matched quantities appropriate for various production specifics. The introduction of scanning terminals with WADACO functionality is a radical change that has reduced the number of errors, increased efficiency, and inventory reduction. Additionally, the warehouse has full video control of orders being processed. Quality supervision is crucial, especially for large orders sent to distant places of the world, such as Australia, the USA, Mexico, and African countries. In the implementation of this type of order, each defect and complaint generates significant costs, which is why the implemented solution has enabled Mikomax to minimize these types of events.
The process knowledge of experts and project experience was important for the implementation. About 30% of Mikomax’s production is atypical, which further complicates the processes. Despite this, the project was successful and met the client’s expectations within 11 months. Now in the post-implementation mode, InfoConsulting experts are currently responsible for servicing and the provision of additional support and services.
Ready to get started? Contact us!
Contact us at the office nearest to you or submit a business inquiry online.