Nordic Paper’s IFS Cloud Upgrade Project

January 23, 2025

Nordic Paper is a prominent manufacturer of kraft and natural greaseproof paper, operating production facilities in Säffle, Sweden; Québec, Canada; Greåker, Norway; Bäckhammar, and Åmotfors, Sweden, with approximately 700 employees. Their product lineup includes natural greaseproof paper and kraft paper marketed as iamKraft®.

This case study focuses on their recent IFS Cloud upgrade project, completed in 2022, and showcases the entire process, including the obstacles they had to overcome.

1. BACKGROUND

Key Project Team members

Patric Johansson – IT Manager and Project Owner at Nordic Paper, overseeing strategic IT projects since 2011.
Johan Magnusson – System Administrator for IFS at Nordic Paper, bringing nearly a decade of IT experience.

Courtesy of Nordic Paper.

2. PROJECT OVERVIEW

In early 2022, Nordic Paper initiated an upgrade of their IFS ERP system, moving from IFS Applications 7.5 to IFS Applications 10, and subsequently to IFS Cloud 21R2. With approximately 350 users and modules spanning finance, procurement, warehouse, and maintenance, this upgrade centralized all subsidiary operations onto a single IFS system. The project began in January and concluded in November 2022.

Novacura led the upgrade from version 7.5 to 10 and to the Cloud. The company provided a project team, including a project manager and several solution consultants, to support the customer. Ultimately, Novacura’s role involved introducing the new user interface, conducting user training, implementing customizations and configurations, and providing user support.

Peter Ronnestig, Senior Business Systems Consultant at Novacura, was on-site on the go-live day to support users and address any potential issues. Remarkably, only a few minor matters arose – some questions about the user interface and how to perform certain tasks. Overall, the entire process was a success.

Project Strategy

The team opted for a direct upgrade to reuse existing licenses and preserve current data, making Nordic Paper one of the earliest adopters of IFS Cloud in Sweden. They chose IFS Managed Cloud to avoid the need for in-house hardware management, minimizing costs and simplifying the IT department’s responsibilities.

Courtesy of Nordic Paper.

3. KEY CHALLENGES

Technical

As early adopters, Nordic Paper encountered challenges with IFS Cloud’s initial teething issues. The interface was prone to cryptic error messages, and there were some delays in data processing for end users. Given that the SaaS model limited backend access, Nordic Paper often faced longer processing times to troubleshoot issues, sometimes having to wait for fixes in future IFS versions.

The project involved three parties: Nordic Paper, IFS, and Novacura (acting as the implementation partner), which initially led to challenges with task assignments. These challenges were overcome during the process of implementing the IFS upgrade.

Several times, we found ourselves facing the fact that no one had done this before, and we needed to move forward. That was probably the biggest challenge.
Johan Magnusson
System Administrator for IFS at Nordic Paper

User Adaptation

Adapting to the new user interface (UI) proved difficult, particularly for staff familiar with the previous IFS version. Training sessions were conducted across teams via Teams, onsite instruction for maintenance and storage staff, and accessible “how-to” videos on their intranet. For occasional users, basic training sufficed, while daily users required deeper engagement.

ERP Standardization and Integration

As part of the upgrade, the team eliminated most customizations, aiming to adopt standard IFS capabilities. Nordic Paper reduced dependencies by phasing out one of their two maintenance systems, leveraging IFS Cloud’s standard functionalities to reduce customization and streamline processes.

4. PROJECT SUCCESS FACTORS AND OUTCOMES

Strategic Collaboration and Process Alignment

Involving key stakeholders across the company enhanced Nordic Paper’s ability to streamline work processes. By adopting a standardized system through the IFS and Novacura implementation methodology, they improved communication among finance, purchasing, storage, and maintenance teams. As a result, teams across the four sites now collaborate more effectively, supporting each other in addressing shared challenges and driving improvements

User Engagement and Support

Post-implementation support from Novacura was essential to sustain new workflows. Management realized that reinforcing these changes was vital to prevent users from reverting to old habits.

Long-Term Flexibility

With IFS Cloud’s adaptable interface, Nordic Paper tailored the user lobbies for prioritized workflows, fostering an environment where departments could quickly identify and address areas that needed attention. The transition away from heavily customized setups has led to more streamlined discussions about system updates, reducing costs and improving long-term flexibility.

Courtesy of Nordic Paper.

5. LESSONS LEARNED

Invest in Ongoing Support

Post-go-live support proved essential. Nordic Paper learned that continued involvement in enforcing new workflows would help prevent a relapse into old practices. The project team now recommends sustained engagement and hands-on support post-launch to help users embrace the new system.

Importance of Strong Internal Readiness

To ensure a successful transition, Johansson emphasized the need for a prepared and engaged internal team, capable of managing new processes and providing immediate feedback to developers.

Refine Role Definitions

During the project, clearly defining responsibilities for Nordic Paper, IFS, and Novacura would have minimized friction and expedited problem-solving.

Benefit from Standardization

Moving towards standard functionality rather than customization has enabled Nordic Paper to stay agile, reducing costs and complexity in future updates.

6. CONCLUSION

Nordic Paper’s transition to IFS Cloud has enhanced collaboration across geographically distributed teams, enabled a more adaptable and future-proof ERP setup, and laid the foundation for long-term growth. The company has gained a deeper understanding of the system and its collaborative potential, although they acknowledge that IFS Cloud’s early version had limitations. Despite these challenges, Nordic Paper’s proactive approach and commitment to continuous improvement have positioned them well for future digital transformations.

Table of contents
Background Project Overview Key Challenges Project Success Factors And Outcomes Lessons Learned Conclusion

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