IFS applications™ improves reuse of project data at Vyncke

First green data center in Luxembourg

A perfect example of the projects Vyncke carries out is the construction of a power plant that runs entirely on wood waste. The plant is built to provide energy for the Luxconnect data center in  Luxembourg. The principal for the construction is Kiowatt, a joint venture between Palleteries François and Luxenergie. The generated power is sufficient to meet the total requirements of the data  center in terms of electricity for hardware and cooling. Luxconnect will only use green energy and is one of the first fully green data centers in Europe. The plant is expected to be operational in the  first quarter of 2013.

Selection process

Vyncke focuses on regional manufacturing. Installations are manufactured based on standard components. Every installation is custom-made and tailored to customer requirements. Installations  are developed in 3D on a project basis. For a long time, Vyncke used various, non-integrated tools for engineering, sales and manufacturing. In 2008, the company decided to set a new course  and modernize its software landscape. After a thorough selection of commercially available ERP software, Vyncke selected IFS Applications. This solution suited the company’s project-based approach best. IFS not only supports all project phases, but also manufacturing, asset management and service management. In addition, Vyncke wanted a multi-site and multi-company  solution to support its many locations. A major advantage of IFS Applications’ integrated approach is the reuse of frequently used engineering data. Before deploying IFS, engineers were forced  to look for the same  data at the start of every new project and enter this data in the project planning. Now, all basic data is available in the ERP system and can be added to the project.

Purchasing and sales

The fact that project data is instantly available is also helpful for the purchasing process. As Vyncke now has insight into historic project information, it is possible to better streamline and  standardize purchasing. This is especially useful for boosting efficiency. Now, for example, certain items can be ordered in larger quantities. In addition, thanks to an improved insight into the means  required, Vyncke has more time to carefully select specific products. The company also succeeded in shortening development cycles. Thanks to the integrated information delivery at all locations,  Vyncke is able to tune the purchasing of raw materials to the locations where the material is needed for manufacturing.

International orientation

As an international company, Vyncke now has an ERP solution that is fully integrated and multi-lingual. Earlier, the company supported its business processes with various point solutions which  were partially in Dutch. These solutions were difficult to use in China and the Czech Republic. With IFS Applications, Vyncke has a unified way of working, based on one central system. For a  specific project, raw material may originate in China, whereas sales are supported in Malaysia and manufacturing takes place in the Czech Republic. Yet all employees can work on the same  project without the need to travel. This enables a true international way of working, from design to deployment of an installation. “With IFS Applications, we have a centralized information system  that enables us to standardize the processes at all our locations. This improves our efficiency and the quality of our work,” says Frederik Devisch at Vyncke. “Ultimately, our clients profit from this system.”

Benefits

• Centralized information system
• Standardized project processes
• Shorter development cycles
• Fully integrated, multi-language ERP solution
• Enhanced efficiency
• Improved quality
• Streamlined purchasing processes