Wilhelmsen Chemicals plant in Kjøpmannsskjær, Nøtterøy, Norway (c) Wilhelmsen ChemicalsWilhelmsen Chemicals AS is deploying Infor CloudSuite Chemicals. This is less than five years after the Wilhelmsen Group completed the roll-out of an ERP in January 2016. It has also chosen to deploy the solution using the AWS hosted multi-tenant cloud version from Infor. The new solution uses the core functionality and extensive configuration options available within Infor. It is expected to go live in Summer 2021.

The current ERP solution was approaching end-of-life. It infers that Wilhelmsen Chemicals did not deploy the group solution but instead opted to continue a two-tier ERP approach. Wilhelmsen Chemicals carried out an extensive search across the numerous solutions with the help of partners, external procurement consultants and its legal teams. In the end, it selected Infor and will work with LeanSwift AB and ERP Konsult AS. They are both Infor partners with the relevant expertise to help deploy the solution.

Wilhelmsen also recruited a new ERP manager, Ørnulf Borander in May to help oversee the process. Borander has extensive experience of ERP systems including SAP at Kongsberg Automotive. He also deployed Infor Movex when he was at Intentia Consulting.

Ørnulf Borander, Wilhelmsen Chemicals AS
Ørnulf Borander, Wilhelmsen Chemicals AS

Borander commented: “We decided we needed a cloud-based system that we could adopt out-of-the-box and benefit from as much chemical industry-specific functionality as possible.

“We do not want to customize our ERP software to fit how Wilhelmsen Chemicals operates. It was important for us that the system could support our future growth by providing us with new innovations and functionalities on an ongoing basis without disrupting our business.”

Looking forward

Wilhelmsen Chemicals researches, develops and produces chemicals at its plant in  Kjøpmannsskjær, Nøtterøy, Norway. It provides more than 350 products to consumer, industrial, offshore, marine and aviation markets, producing 500 tonnes daily. The new solution will help to better manage processes across production, planning, supply chain management, distribution and financials in the company. It will also help provide some real-time traceability capabilities across the supply chains. It isn’t clear whether the company will also leverage Infor Nexus as part of the deal. Once installed the system will also help with planning and improve control across inventory management and production.

Borander added: “With the new industry-specific solution for chemicals in place we will be able to continue delivering on our promises to our customers as well as add more services and be an even more attractive partner to them.”

Erlend Skaar-Olsen, Infor country manager for Norway, added, “We are very proud to be working with Wilhelmsen Chemicals. In addition to being an outstanding Norwegian player in its industry with its regular product lines, Wilhelmsen is helping broader society by providing valuable hand sanitizer during these difficult Covid-19 times. So, we’re delighted we can help them grow their business and support society.”

Enterprise Times: What does this mean

This is a significant win for Infor. It is one of the few that sees a chemical manufacturer opt to deploy a multi-tenant cloud solution. Their approach is well thought out. Recruiting an expert that understands ERP in time to understand the business will help enable an optimal deployment. It has also sought external guidance from two of the leading Infor partners in the region which have experience of deploying CloudSuite Chemicals.

Once deployed, this should also help Infor persuade other chemical manufacturers to select not only their solution using the multi-tenant cloud approach. Why? It delivers continual improvements to the software without the painful disruption or costs that legacy solutions often have. It will also be interesting to see whether Wilhelmsen extends the Infor solution to include its Enterprise Asset Management solution.

Borander concluded: “We are very pleased to have chosen Infor and have the Infor partners LeanSwift and ERPkonsult on board to help us implement the system to assist us reaching our goals and future growth.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here