IFS, the global enterprise applications company, today announced that Globeleq, a leading independent power producer solely focused on Africa, will implement IFS Applications™ 9 to supersede legacy IT systems and processes across the business and its operating plants. The new system infrastructure will enable Globeleq to be more efficient and standardise reporting across the group.
Globeleq is a leading investor, developer, owner and operator of power projects in Africa. The company develops economically sustainable businesses that contribute to the continued development of the electricity sectors on the continent. Currently, Globeleq owns, operates and has investments in eight power plants located in Tanzania, South Africa, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon and Kenya, with a gross capacity of 1,237 MW and another 2,000 MW in development.
With an ever increasing population and a burgeoning middle class, over the next two decades, the continent will experience a significant uplift in energy consumption across Africa, with parts of the region meeting a four-fold increase in energy consumption by 2040 from 2010 (McKinsey). To cope with demand and support its own plans to expand and improve power across the region, Globeleq needed a single, integrated enterprise software suite that could enhance visibility and asset availability across the entire business.
After a competitive process, Globeleq selected IFS Applications 9 to replace the disparate systems operating across its power plants and regional offices in Africa, as well as its headquarters in London. With its goal to modernise its current business processes and enable integration with new power plants in the future, the company decided to upgrade its legacy systems and business processes.
Globeleq required a consolidated, common and robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, with full Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) capabilities, to support its current infrastructure, as well as improve the way information is managed and viewed across the business. Through IFS Applications 9, Globeleq will be able to automate the flow of information in real-time, from maintenance engineering to its other departments, including finance and Human Resources.
Globeleq will also take advantage of IFS Mobile Work Order (MWO) capability, which works both on and offline, meaning that technicians are able to access vital information when they need it, regardless of whether they are connected. By streamlining this maintenance process, it eliminates paperwork, delayed communication, and results in improved productivity and operational efficiency. When Globeleq’s maintenance engineers carry out critical tasks on mobile tablets and use IFS’s MWO, they will benefit from having real-time information at their fingertips. This data will then flow back into operations within the business, such as finance and administration.
IFS Applications for Energy & Utilities offers full ‘cradle to grave’ Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) contract management and project management. Globeleq will be able to manage all phases of the asset lifecycle – from operations to maintenance – and gain a holistic approach to lifecycle management, which will help Globeleq on critical challenges such as avoiding downtime, extend asset life and reduce service and repair costs.
“IFS was by far the most complete ERP solution on the market,” Michael Parsons, Finance Director, Globeleq. “Throughout the process, the team at IFS demonstrated that they genuinely understood our business. Its rich heritage in the Energy & Utilities sector resonated with us and was a key factor, along with its likeminded culture, in deciding to sign the deal in December 2017. With the right technologies, management and operational expertise, we are better positioned to give our employees the most effective tools to deliver the highest output and create efficiency at all of our plants and offices.”
“We are delighted that Globeleq has chosen to rollout IFS Applications 9 to improve and modernise its IT back-office,” commented Colin Beaney, Industry Director for Energy & Utilities, IFS. “With IFS at the heart of its business processes, Globeleq will gain greater visibility across its entire business, supporting the company as it expands across a region that has a significant need for improved power provision.”
