Chris, thanks for taking time out from client work to talk more in-depth about Techris Consulting. With over 10 years' experience working directly with IFS and over 15 years industry experience, you established the company in 2020 and have accumulated a host of impressive case studies under your belt. Tell us what makes Techris Consulting unique as a company specialising in IFS implementations?
Techris Consulting supports our consultants to develop a blended skill set. What we have identified is that far too many companies have hard breaks between those staff who know the system from a functional view and those who know the technical side.
In our ways of working, we find our customers see the benefit of having experts who have a mixture of technical and functional skills, as well as approachable and week defined soft skills that go hand in hand with consulting. Our mix of skills allows us to create innovative solutions in IFS quicker than the majority of our competitors.
It’s clear that you pride yourself on having both functional and technical skills which is quite unique in IFS consultants. What do you think the value is of having technical expertise alongside the functional?
Having our functional consultants have an appreciation for the art of the possible in the technical space really helps us to create well thought out functional specifications and reduces the time spent in technical review. This can reduce the development time needed to create a solution as the developer will be able to implement the solution without needing to go back and forward to the consultant for clarifications.
When partnering with Techris, we want you to get as much value from your hard-earned cash as you can. Operating in this way allows us to deliver cost effective solutions that make the best use of your budget.
You attended IFS Unleashed last year and plan to attend the next event hosted in Orlando in October 2024. For any first timers, or anyone on the fence about attending, what were the benefits of attending and what value did it add to your business?
IFS Unleashed in Miami was a great event and won the best corporate event, organised by the conference awards. This was a great opportunity to meet with IFS partners from around the world, existing IFS Customers and new customers on their implementation journey. I really enjoyed the format of the conference. We got to see some of the new IFS Cloud developments for heavy maintenance and a new ESG module. Having demos of the IFS Assyst system and looking at some fantastic applications for Virtual Reality was fantastic, it is exciting to be at the cutting edge of ERP with IFS.
IFS did an amazing job of providing a fun and welcoming atmosphere at the conference, had some fantastic speakers and even had an F1 car in the auditorium and a driving simulator to showcase their partnership with Aston Martin. As well as the business opportunities and the conference, IFS put on some fantastic after parties where you could relax with the conference delegates and make some connections before hitting the streets of Miami Beach.
Like all ERP systems, IFS is highly complex and not suited to all businesses. What advice would you give to businesses looking to adopt the software?
Many companies will outgrow their existing system and look to see what is next on the horizon. Most ERP systems which are the size of IFS are a big step up from any custom built solutions and excel spreadsheets that your business may be using. The variety of screens and multiple ways of achieving a specific outcome mean that you really need a partner who can understand your business and understand the IFS system to get the best value for you. ERP projects and ongoing running of the solution will take many resources, however with careful thought and planning, the system can be automated to streamline your business operations.
For the new and emerging talent coming into the industry, what advice would you give them to ensure they stand out as a valuable asset to any IFS implementation?
A lot of consultants come from industry, are involved with IFS when it is implemented within their business and they decide to move into the consulting space. It is important that when you consult, you put the customer experience at the centre of your approach. A customer said to me “Most consultants deliver what THEY think we want, and it doesn’t always align with what we asked for. You are great to work with, because you actually listen to us, and we feel that we have been heard when you deliver the right solution”.
Make sure you join an organisation that gives you the support you need. When I first started out as a consultant, I knew the system but didn’t have a full appreciation on the softer skills required. It was a “Sink or Swim” scenario and “You will develop your own methodology”. When I started Techris Consulting, I bought some card decks from “Pip Decks” which give a great framework for getting the best out of your client workshops and give you ways to tease out information from your clients.
The past 12 months have been a busy and exciting year for the business, what have been your highlights?
Life as an IFS consultant is rarely quiet and can involve a lot of travel and coordination, we have been busy working on client projects over the last 12 months and are now working on growing the business. In late 2022, we moved to a new office in the centre of Newcastle and are currently working with our marketing partner (KLW Marketing) to begin our growth strategy.
As well as the day-to-day operation of the business, Techris Consulting love to get involved in the local community. We are regular attendees of the Silicon Mingle event in Newcastle for Northeast technology businesses and last year we attended the Newcastle Cat and Dog Shelter annual Christmas ball.
Techris has supported a range of local and national charities in 2023 and we will continue this into 2024. We will also be looking at an initiative and new policies to offset our carbon footprint and ensure we are consulting with minimal impact to our environment.
What’s next for Techris Consulting?
We are busy in the background working on strategic partnerships with a range of companies where we can deliver fantastic integrations for common business needs such as Invoice Processing and Work Order Management.
We are also developing our own applications and solutions that can be applied to IFS and enhance customer experiences. One product already in our catalogue is an IFS Aurena Add-In which you can find out more about here. There's more exciting development happening behind the scenes so watch this space!
If you want to know more about Techris Consulting? Check out the services page here or read about our client work here.