IFS Sri Lanka ready to ‘leap’ into the future

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam
Local office of the global enterprise applications giant, IFS, expressed confidence in its ability to take a “leap”  from its current position in Sri Lanka as it has been successful in expanding the horizons by leading and shaping the frontiers of the local IT space.

With the company marking 19 years of excellence serving the local business community, IFS Sri Lanka CEO Jayantha De Silva stressed the institution is poised to leap into the future as it would further support the push towards regional enterprises.
Pointing out that IFS was the first to arrive at Sri Lanka’s it scene as a BOI entity, de Silva expressed that since its establishment the entity was determined in bringing the global IFS flavour, and has been successful in that.
“I take pride in stating that for the whole IT and business community of Sri Lanka, we have shown how one should engage in business. We are more than pleased about it,” said de Silva.
The Swedish giant that was founded in 1983, has grown from strength to strength in the island nation, and is now recognized as a leader in providing business software in three core areas; Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), and Enterprise Service Management (ESM).
IFS essentially brings customers in targeted sectors closer to their business, and assists enterprises to be more agile and prepared for upcoming developments in their respective industry.
Keeping simplicity at the core, de Silva noted that just as what IFS promises to deliver to its global client base, the company has been successful in providing solutions to Sri Lankan companies, enabling them to maximize their return on investment. Having started with a staff strength of less than 10, today IFS Sri Lanka provides employment for over 8000 skilled individuals.
De Silva stressed that while IFS is not a development center and an outsourcing unit, as many opine it to be, it is an extension arm of Global IFS Research and Development (R&D).
“One cannot build an organization like IFS in a couple of years, it has to evolve and one has to prove he has the materials. Right along the 19 years we have been evolving in Sri Lanka, and will continue to do so in the coming years ahead,” a confident De Silva said. 

IFS applications, a single, agile, application suite that delivers enterprise asset management (EAM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), enterprise project management and supply chain management to demanding and global businesses, is designed to handle the modern day business. 
IFS solutions handles more than maintenance as it goes an extra mile to offer full maintenance repair and overhaul, field service management and asset lifecycle management capabilities.
“In the current context where the world and its operative environment is ever evolving, it is important to go beyond the regular boundaries of ERP. At IFS we do just that, we innovate and explore to offer nothing less than the best for our clients,” said de Silva.

He added that with IFS, regardless of the challenges faced, or what the market throws at a company, the enterprise solution will adjust without jeopardizing security, and with minimal business disruption.
“We strive to take control of infinite possibilities. As businesses are becoming increasingly complicated, attention to the simplest details is essential. And this is what we do. We take that responsibility and deliver it on a continuous mode,” explained De Silva.