How IPG Automotive GmbH used ICB to translate a clear system decision into a robust global rollout plan spanning three continents and nine countries—including a 24/7 support architecture.
IPG Automotive GmbH develops leading simulation and testing solutions for the automotive industry—with engineering, sales, and production sites in Europe, Asia, and North America. Over the years, the company’s previous ERP system, ABAS, had not been rolled out in a process-oriented manner: siloed solutions, manual data transfers, and low user acceptance characterized day-to-day operations. Multiple business units and a growing international footprint no longer fit within the constraints of the legacy system.
The strategic decision to adopt a modern cloud-based ERP platform had already been made during the preliminary Kickstarter pilot project. The more challenging task came afterward: How does a decision made on the drawing board become a robust global rollout with different site profiles, local requirements, and a support model that works in every time zone? This is precisely why ICB was commissioned to handle the rollout and architecture planning with the SPARK® preliminary project.
Unlike a traditional preliminary decision-making project, SPARK® had three closely interlinked objectives at IPG: detailed planning of the German pilot implementation through 12 department-specific workshops; the development of a repeatable site category model based on three blueprints (Sales, Development, Production) rather than nine individual plans; and the design of a three-tier support concept.
A robust plan for Germany as the lead implementation, repeatable site category logic for every subsequent rollout, and clear responsibilities among IPG, ICB, and partners.
9 locations across 3 continents aligned with a consistent strategic vision, with an intercompany and client structure designed to be group-wide, and a unified reporting data foundation.
Standardized processes instead of ad-hoc workarounds, a higher degree of automation, and modern tools for sales, engineering, and production.
International support model is available from day one and scales with each location; clear architecture with standard interfaces; foundation for AI and automation use cases.
