Infor, a global leader in business cloud software for Enterprise and SMB companies, has announced that Stokke, the Norwegian manufacturer of children’s furniture and prams, has invested in Infor CloudSuite M3. Deployed throughout operations in Europe, the US and Asia, the application will help enable Stokke to reduce complexity and ensure IT strategy is dedicated to business development rather than technical maintenance.
Deployed by local Infor implementation partner Merit, Infor CloudSuite M3 is the latest iteration of the relationship between Stokke and Infor. 2007 saw the manufacturer move from M3 Movex RPG to a java-based version of the application.
As Stokke has grown, complexity across its IT infrastructure has also increased. This has led to a critical need to ensure that Stokke is on up-to-date technology systems, in order to avoid lengthy and piecemeal upgrade projects frustrating the development of the business. Deployed via the cloud, Infor CloudSuite M3 will not only help ensure Stokke is using current technology but will also aid substantial savings compared to managing the complexities of on-premise software, in house.
“Our decision to go to the cloud was both compelling and simple,” explained Rolf Waage, ICT director, Stokke. “We have a global IT department of just nine people, so we don’t want to deal with data centre issues or matters such as back up, storage or application management. That is what our technology partner should handle. Whilst we have seen some additional improvements in functionality such as role-based homepages, this decision has been much more about improving the availability and alignment of IT resources as Stokke continues to innovate in the market.”
“Manufacturers such as Stokke face very real issues of scale, where the management of a range of applications and points of infrastructure can distract the IT department from supporting the innovation within a business,” said Johan Made, managing director, EMEA north region, Infor. “Cloud technology offers a compelling alternative to the inflated costs and lack of agility that can arise from managing it all in house. This leaves the IT department free to drive innovation and help to transform the processes within a business, creating a keen competitive advantage.”