A platform for the company’s present and future
The new company needed to run independently from the founding organizations. That required selecting an ERP system to manage operations. MVOW reviewed several ERP solutions and vendors, including SAP, and chose Microsoft Dynamics AX. The CIO at MVOW, says, “If you’re looking for a solid ERP system that can support your digital transformation, then I can only recommend you choose Microsoft Dynamics AX.”
Microsoft Dynamics AX fit MVOW’s main criteria of a low cost of technology ownership (TCO), high usability, and the ability to support the company’s future growth and strategy as well as current operations. As a standardized solution, Microsoft Dynamics AX had process functionality gaps in certain areas of great importance to MVOW, for instance, product engineering and service delivery. Microsoft recommended To-Increase and its solutions. MVOW invited To-Increase to join the project after seeing what could be accomplished with this partner’s technology.
Teams ready to work after smooth implementation and short training
MVOW implemented and integrated several To-Increase solutions with Microsoft Dynamics AX. Most important are modules from the Advanced Discrete Manufacturing suite that enable asset management, product engineering, product configuration, service management, and project management.To-Increase consultants worked with MVOW and Microsoft to achieve a smooth, efficient deployment. Says CIO of MVOW, “The collaboration with To-Increase has been very valuable, because they’ve been able to come with implementation experience and critical business knowledge that have enabled us to reduce the implementation time significantly.”
He favorably compares the implementation time and training requirements of the To-Increase and Microsoft Dynamics infrastructure with an implementation of SAP, which he performed at Vestas Wind Systems. “At Vestas, it took three days of training for the service technicians to be able to use the SAP service management module,” he explains. “For the To-Increase solution running on Microsoft Dynamics AX we only needed half a day of training and the service team was ready to go.”
Continuous improvement in project manufacturing
To-Increase manufacturing solutions support MVOW’s production and assembly of wind turbines, which begins onshore and then moves to the ocean, where workers build an underwater foundation and erect the turbine towers.
The Head of Business Engagement & Applications at MVOW, says, “As a project-based company, we need to become more efficient as we go from one project to another. ERP is a key component in optimizing our projects and in driving costs down. To-Increase’s Advanced Discrete Manufacturing helps us control the information flow from the start, when we configure a project, to the installation, optimizing the production and information flow throughout the full value chain. The To-Increase modules help us be in manage and lower costs from each project to the next.”
Operational and cost efficiencies throughout lifecycle service contracts
Once MVOW completes its work on a wind turbine plant and hands the project over to its clients, it often contracts for ongoing asset management and maintenance services. These contracts can extend for 15 to 20 years – the full lifecycle of a wind power farm. In MVOW’s service delivery, To-Increase asset management and maintenance capabilities provide access to information and keep managers in control of service projects.
He comments, “Together with To-Increase, we have configured Microsoft Dynamics AX to meet the very specific requirements of our service processes, making sure that work orders are scheduled and performed in the best possible way on each turbine in a wind power plant. We do our job even better than we did before.”
Regarding his outlook on the long-term relationship with To-Increase, the CIO says, “We have a great future in front of us, where we see To-Increase as a vital partner. To-Increase can support us in our expansion and in meeting our challenges.”
