IFS Applications selected by engineering contractor Sørco

Project-centric Sørco AS, headquartered in Norway and with a subsidiary in Poland, operates in the Norwegian oil and gas sector. The company, whose core competence is design and project management, specializes in modifying oil and gas facilities in operation.

Sørco has moved from being a supplier of engineering services toward being a supplier of complete and larger EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) projects. This means moving toward much higher requirements for control of the five key project-centric elements; time, risk, cost, cash and resources.

In line with this strategy, Sørco has bought IFS/Engineering Register™ to update and harmonize its IT solutions for EPC projects. This project started in January and will be finished in June.

“IFS is well known in our industry for broad engineering capabilities and standard integration tools, and comes with a setup based on NORSOK (Norsk Sokkels Konkurranseposisjon),* Sørco AS Vice President EPCIC Njål Selsvik said. “In addition to functionality, IFS’ extensive experience in our industry was important. The functionality in IFS/Engineering Register is comprehensive, and the solution can easily scale with more EPC functionality, which we plan to implement during 2009. When talking to existing IFS customers, we learned that IFS has proven itself as a competent business applications partner with skilled consultants and a good product fit for our industry.”

The solution from IFS provides a powerful set of integrated tools for managing project assets. It facilitates easy navigation through engineering structures, for example functional or location breakdowns of structures, and provides efficient functionality for creating and maintaining project asset information. Aimed at engineering contractors, consultants and operators, it also supports the documentation and engineering of facilities in offshore industries and land-based process plants.

IFS/Engineering Register also supports process, electrical, instrumentation and AEC/piping engineering for the full lifecycle of a project, from pilot study through basic design, basic and detailed engineering and commissioning, to operation and maintenance. It supports the design of both large new-build and modification projects. NORSOK Base Configuration is available for fast-track implementations. The software will be the master for all engineering data in a project and will have standard tools to export and import data to and from other systems.

“IFS continues to gain momentum in the Oil & Gas industries because we provide an industry-specific solution that supports contractors’ key requirements for efficient EPC processes with a standard package,” IFS Scandinavia Managing Director Glenn Arnesen said.

IFS has a strategic focus on the Construction and Contracting Industries, with more than 300 project-driven customers.

* The NORSOK standards are developed by the Norwegian petroleum industry to ensure adequate safety, value-adding and cost effectiveness for petroleum industry developments and operations. Furthermore, NORSOK standards are intended to replace oil company specifications and serve as references in the authorities’ regulations.

About Sørco
SØRCO is one of Norway’s largest independent engineering companies. The company, with 360 employees, operates within the oil and gas sector, offering value-adding technical solutions to the petroleum industry in Norway. Sørco’s specialty is modification of plants in operation, and its core competence is within design and project management. Additionally, Sørco is market leader in operational support services and maintenance technology. Sørco focuses on principal contracts, conceptual studies, and product development associated with supporting oil and gas production operations to consolidate and further develop its position as contractor to the petroleum industry in Norway.

About IFS
IFS is a public company (OMX STO: IFS) founded in 1983 that develops, supplies, and implements IFS Applications™, a fully-integrated, component-based extended ERP suite built on SOA technology. The company has more than 2,000 customers in 54 countries and focuses on seven main industries: aerospace & defense, utilities & telecom, manufacturing, process industries, automotive, retail & wholesale distribution, and construction contracting & service management. IFS has 2,600 employees.