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KLN Family Brands’ Transition Upgrade To Novacura Flow Connect

This article is based on a presentation from 2024, where we had the pleasure of hearing from our customer, KLN Family Brands, represented by Drew Johnson, Applications Manager. Drew shared insights into KLN’s successful upgrade from Flow Classic to Flow Connect, detailing how the company prepared for the transition, the steps taken during the migration, and their overall evaluation of the new system after several months of use.

About KLN Family Brands

KLN Family Brands is a family-owned company based in Minnesota, employing over 900 people across multiple subsidiaries that manufacture human and pet food products. The IT team has continually evolved to support business growth, and their partnership with IFS for ERP solutions has been a key part of that journey. Five years post-implementation, they had performed over 36 million inventory transactions and were looking for ways to optimize operations further.

 

The brands marketed by KLN Family Brands

Discovering Novacura And Implementing Flow Classic

Drew Johnson explained that KLN Family Brands first met Novacura at IFS World Conference in Boston, in 2019.
At the conference, they saw a demo of Novacura’s purchasing and travel expense applications, which immediately caught our attention. KLN replaced their legacy expense management system with a mobile app dedicated to working with IFS, developed by Novacura, allowing users to scan receipts and extract key details using form recognition technology.

This integration streamlined our workflow and became the most heavily used app in our organization, benefiting our sales, finance, and R&D teams.
Drew Johnson
Applications Manager

The Move To Flow Connect

Drew Johnson recalled the moment in early 2023 when Novacura invited KLN to be one of the first customers to migrate from Flow Classic to Flow Connect. With plans to expand KLN’s app usage and increase external vendor interactions, they decided to begin the transition in February 2024.

The migration process was straightforward:

  • Exporting apps from Flow Classic,
  • Importing apps to Flow Connect,
  • Remapping connectors,
  • And inviting users to the new platform.

The integration with Azure Active Directory simplified user authentication, eliminating the need for additional credentials and reducing administrative overhead.

Smooth Go-Live and Adoption

Leading up to the go-live date, KLN put emphasis on prioritized user communication. Two weeks before the launch of Flow Connect, they sent an email explaining the upcoming changes, followed by a registration email a week later.

Despite some initial cybersecurity concerns, we achieved a 60% adoption rate before the official launch. On May 27th, we disabled Flow Classic accounts, prompting the remaining users to register. By July 12th, we reached a 100% adoption rate, and the old server was officially shut down,
- Drew Johnson summarizes.

Key Improvements with Flow Connect

During the presentation, Drew Johnson summarized the key improvement areas of Flow Connect:

  • Unified Platform:
    All applications, connectors, and environments are accessible in one hub, simplifying navigation and deployment.

With Flow Connect, you can seamlessly transition between development, testing, and production—all within the same screen. Since all environments are part of the same hub, sharing and connecting information is effortless. Plus, the Flow Studio Designer launches directly from the hub, allowing instant access without the need to search for the application,
- says Drew Johnson.
  • Enhanced Security & Access Control:
    Seamless integration with Azure AD for single sign-on and multi-factor authentication.
One thing that was important for us was the option to integrate with our Azure Active Directory, eliminating the need for a separate username and password. There's also no longer a need to approve new devices because, by tying in with Azure AD, it uses multi-factor authentication,
- adds Drew Johnson.
  • Effortless App Deployment:
    Moving applications between development, testing, and production is now a one-click process.
  • Improved User Experience:
    The modern UI and improved menu structures enhance usability.
  • Efficient Workflow Management:
    Inbox-based workflows and seeded flows can now be tested without deployment, saving our team a significant amount of time.

Future Plans and Expansion

Since the transition, KLN has developed 13 new applications and is currently working on additional solutions. A major upcoming step will be the delivery of applications for their vendors, enabling them to receive requests and report various types of information. According to Drew, Flow Connect has allowed KLN to optimize operations across departments and extend their ERP functionality beyond internal users.

Our experience with Novacura and Flow Connect has been exceptional. With strong support and a platform that continues to evolve, we are confident in our ability to drive efficiency and innovation in the years ahead,
- summarizes Drew Johnson.

Summary

For businesses considering a similar transition, our key takeaway is clear: communication and preparation are crucial. By ensuring users are well-informed and supported, the migration process can be smooth and highly beneficial.
To view and listen to the original detailed presentation by Drew Johnson at KLN, please visit our YouTube channel:

Read more about KLN Family Brands here: https://klnfamilybrands.com/

Table of contents
About KLN Family Brands Discovering Novacura And Implementing Flow Classic The Move To Flow Connect Smooth Go-Live and Adoption Key Improvements with Flow Connect Future Plans and Expansion Summary

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