Walk into any boardroom discussing technology strategy and you’ll hear the same frustration repeated in different ways:
- “Our ERP is holding us back.”
- “Reporting takes forever.”
- “IT says upgrades will take another six months.”
For many organisations, that frustration points to the same root cause: traditional, on-premise ERP systems that were built for a very different era of business.
On the other side of the table, you’ve got IFS Cloud ERP – a modern, cloud-native platform designed to bring ERP, Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), and Field Service Management (FSM) together in one solution for asset- and service-centric companies.
So how do you evaluate IFS Cloud ERP vs. traditional systems in a practical, non-hyped way? Let’s break it down from a business leader’s perspective — not just an IT one.
What Do We Mean by “Traditional Systems”?
Before we compare anything, it’s worth being clear about what “traditional systems” actually are.
In most companies, that phrase usually refers to:
- On-premise ERP platforms installed in your own data centres
- Systems that have been heavily customised over years (or decades)
- Multiple bolt-on tools stitched together to cover asset management, field service, analytics, etc.
- A patchwork of spreadsheets, access databases, and legacy apps orbiting the “core” ERP
These platforms were often cutting-edge when they were first implemented. They centralised finance, inventory, and basic operations. But they were never designed for:
- Real-time IoT data streaming from equipment
- Mobile field workers demanding instant access on any device
- AI-driven forecasting and predictive maintenance
- Rapid, continuous updates every few months
The result? Many organisations now sit on a rigid, expensive, fragile core system that can’t keep up with market change.
Quick Primer: What Is IFS Cloud ERP?
IFS is a global enterprise software vendor founded in 1983, with a strong focus on asset-intensive and service-centric industries like manufacturing, aerospace & defence, construction, energy, utilities, and transportation.
IFS Cloud is their unified, cloud-based platform that brings together:
- ERP – finance, supply chain, manufacturing, projects, HR, sales
- EAM (Enterprise Asset Management) – asset lifecycle, maintenance, reliability
- FSM (Field Service Management) – workforce scheduling, service contracts, mobile field operations
Rather than treating these as separate products from different vendors, IFS Cloud delivers them on one common platform with a shared data model and user experience. You can start with the capabilities you need and expand over time, without building a Frankenstein architecture of disconnected tools.
1. Architecture & Deployment: Fixed Monolith vs Flexible Cloud Platform
Traditional Systems
Traditional ERP is usually:
- Installed on-premise (or hosted in a private data centre)
- Architected as a large, tightly coupled monolith
- Heavily dependent on custom code that only a handful of people truly understand
- Updated through big-bang upgrades every few years, often involving weeks or months of planning and testing
This makes even small changes risky:
- A new regulatory requirement? IT needs to test it against years of customisations.
- Want to expose data to a mobile app? Integration becomes a mini-project.
- Need to spin up a new business unit or location? Expect delays, not agility.
IFS Cloud ERP
IFS Cloud, on the other hand, is:
- Cloud-native, designed to run in modern cloud environments
- Built on a modular, component-based architecture
- Delivered “as a service”, so infrastructure, patching, and a big chunk of maintenance are handled for you
- Updated on a regular, predictable cadence with new features and enhancements
Instead of a single, rigid block, you get a platform where:
- You can turn on modules as your business evolves
- Enhancements and security updates arrive as an ongoing stream, not a painful event
- You rely less on brittle custom code and more on configurable, industry-specific functionality
Bottom line: Traditional systems are often a fixed monolith you tiptoe around. IFS Cloud behaves more like a living platform that can adapt with your business.
2. Industry Fit: Generic Functionality vs Built-In Specialisation
Traditional ERP
Legacy ERP platforms were typically designed as horizontal systems. Their strength lay in:
- Financials
- Basic inventory and order management
- Generic manufacturing processes
To handle industry nuances – say, regulated maintenance in utilities, complex service contracts in aerospace, or project-centric construction – organisations had to:
- Add third-party point solutions
- Build complex customisations
- Maintain a spaghetti of integrations
Over time, this raises cost, risk, and upgrade complexity.
IFS Cloud ERP
IFS has carved out a niche by focusing on asset-intensive and service-heavy industries, and that focus shows in the product:
- Deep support for project-centric businesses
- Strong asset lifecycle management, from acquisition to retirement
- Robust field service capabilities built into the same platform
- Industry-specific processes for aerospace & defence, energy, utilities, infrastructure, manufacturing, telecoms, and more
Rather than bending a generic ERP into shape, you get out-of-the-box processes and data models that already reflect how your sector works.
Bottom line: If your business lives and dies by assets, projects, and field service, specialising with IFS Cloud can drastically reduce customisation and time-to-value compared to a generic legacy ERP.
3. Data, Analytics, and AI: Static Reporting vs Real-Time Intelligence
Traditional Systems
Many on-prem systems were not designed for:
- Streaming IoT data from equipment and sensors
- Embedded AI/ML models for forecasting and optimisation
- Real-time dashboards across the entire operation
Instead, organisations end up:
- Exporting data into spreadsheets and external BI tools
- Relying on overnight batch jobs for reports
- Making “best guess” decisions based on data that’s days or weeks old
Analytics becomes backward-looking and slow, which is a problem when your market moves quickly.
IFS Cloud ERP
Modern cloud platforms like IFS Cloud are built for real-time data and embedded intelligence:
- A single data model across ERP, EAM, and FSM means fewer silos
- Embedded analytics and dashboards give operational teams live visibility
- AI and machine learning can support:
- Predictive maintenance
- Demand forecasting
- Intelligent scheduling for field service
- Exception alerts and anomaly detection
Instead of reacting to what happened last month, your teams can anticipate issues and act proactively.
Bottom line: Legacy systems tell you what happened. IFS Cloud helps you understand what’s happening now — and what’s likely to happen next.
4. User Experience & Adoption: Clunky Screens vs Modern, Mobile-First Workflows
Traditional Systems
If you’ve ever watched a new employee try to learn a 20-year-old ERP interface, you already know the problem:
- Dense, crowded screens
- Cryptic field names and codes
- Little or no mobile support
- Workflows designed around system constraints, not human behaviour
This leads to:
- Heavy training overhead
- Low adoption and inconsistent data entry
- Shadow systems (spreadsheets, side apps) because “the ERP is too painful”
IFS Cloud ERP
IFS Cloud is designed with modern UX expectations in mind:
- Cleaner, role-based screens
- Dashboards tailored to specific personas (maintenance planner, project manager, controller, etc.)
- Strong mobile capabilities, especially for field service and maintenance teams
- Workflows that feel more like today’s consumer apps
That matters more than aesthetics. A better user experience drives:
- Faster onboarding
- Higher data quality
- More consistent use of the system
- Greater willingness to embrace new processes
Bottom line: You don’t just implement software; you implement behaviour change. IFS Cloud gives you a UX that people are more likely to actually use.
5. Total Cost of Ownership: Hidden Legacy Costs vs Transparent, Service-Based Economics
On paper, legacy systems can sometimes look cheaper, especially if the licences were paid for years ago. But the real picture is broader.
The Hidden Costs of Traditional ERP
- Infrastructure: servers, storage, data centre space, power, cooling
- Upgrade projects: multi-month initiatives every few years
- Customisation maintenance: keeping bespoke code working with each new release
- Integration sprawl: time and money spent keeping point solutions in sync
- Specialist staff: people whose full-time job is just “keeping the old system alive”
These costs are often fragmented across different budgets, which hides the true total cost of ownership (TCO).
The Cost Profile with IFS Cloud
With a cloud-native platform:
- Infrastructure and core platform management are included in a subscription model
- Upgrades are more frequent, but also more incremental and predictable
- Less reliance on heavy custom code means lower long-term maintenance overhead
- Security, backups, and disaster recovery are managed as part of the service
You’re effectively shifting from a capital-intensive, project-based model to an operational, service-based one.
Bottom line: Traditional systems often incur high, unpredictable costs in the background. IFS Cloud brings more transparency and predictability to both IT and finance.
6. Speed of Change: Multi-Year Projects vs Iterative Transformation
Traditional ERP Change Cycles
Because on-prem, legacy ERPs are so heavily customised and tightly coupled, meaningful changes often require:
- Long discovery phases
- Extensive regression testing
- Downtime windows for upgrades
- Significant business disruption
This makes organisations hesitant to change — even when they know the existing system is a barrier.
IFS Cloud ERP Change Cycles
With IFS Cloud and similar modern platforms, you can:
- Adopt a phased rollout instead of a risky “big bang”
- Implement industry-specific capabilities faster with less customisation
- Take advantage of regular feature releases without full re-implementation
- Pilot new functionality in a controlled environment before scaling
Instead of waiting years to see value, you can target months to first meaningful outcomes, then iterate.
Bottom line: In a world where your competitive landscape can shift in a year, the ability to change quickly is no longer a luxury — it’s survival. IFS Cloud is designed with that reality in mind.
7. Security & Compliance: DIY Responsibility vs Shared, Certified Controls
Traditional Systems
Security on legacy systems is largely a DIY exercise:
- You manage network security, patching, backups, and DR
- You’re responsible for physical data centre security
- You must maintain compliance with standards and regulators yourself
In practice, years of incremental changes and undocumented customisations can create blind spots and vulnerabilities.
IFS Cloud ERP
Modern cloud vendors invest heavily in:
- Hardened data centres and infrastructure
- Encryption at rest and in transit
- Role-based access control, SSO, MFA
- Regular third-party audits and certifications
You still own your data, your processes, and many aspects of compliance — but you share responsibility for the underlying stack with a provider whose core job is to keep it secure and available.
Bottom line: With traditional systems, security is entirely on you. With IFS Cloud, you leverage a shared responsibility model backed by dedicated security investment.
8. When Traditional Systems Still Make Sense
To be fair, there are scenarios where sticking with — or even choosing — a more traditional model can still be rational:
- Extremely stable businesses with little change, where the current system genuinely “just works”
- Highly bespoke processes that are so unique it’s difficult to model them in any packaged cloud solution
- Regulatory or data residency constraints that make certain cloud deployments complex or unattractive
- Organisations that recently completed a major upgrade and need to fully amortise that investment
If your environment fits that profile and your existing ERP is not blocking growth, there may be less urgency to move.
The key is to be honest about whether your “it’s fine” is real — or simply inertia.
9. How to Evaluate IFS Cloud ERP vs. Traditional Systems for Your Business
If you’re at the “we need to do something” stage, here’s a practical evaluation approach.
1. Map Business Value Drivers, Not Just Features
Start with questions like:
- Where do delays, errors, or silos cost us the most?
- Which processes are mission-critical (e.g. asset uptime, service response times, project margin)?
- What would “10x better” look like in those areas?
Only then map features and vendors to those outcomes.
2. Assess Industry Alignment
Ask:
- Does the platform deeply understand asset-centric or project-centric operations like ours?
- Are there reference customers in our industry with similar complexity?
- How much would we need to customise a generic ERP to get what IFS Cloud already offers?
If your operations look a lot like IFS’s sweet spot industries, that’s a strong signal.
3. Compare Total Cost of Ownership Over 5–10 Years
Look beyond licence price:
- Infrastructure, upgrades, and maintenance
- Cost of integration sprawl and point solutions
- Internal IT overhead and specialist staffing
- Cost of downtime or slow change when the business needs to pivot
Then compare that to an IFS Cloud-style subscription model with shared infrastructure and more frequent, incremental upgrades.
4. Evaluate the Implementation Partner Ecosystem
ERP success is not just about software. It’s about the people who help you implement and run it.
Ask:
- Do we have access to experienced IFS Cloud partners who understand our industry?
- Can they plan a phased roadmap that avoids “rip and replace” nightmares?
- What ongoing optimisation and support do they offer after go-live?
5. Pilot, Measure, Then Scale
Finally:
- Pilot specific use cases (e.g. asset maintenance, field service, or project management)
- Measure outcomes: uptime, service levels, cycle times, user adoption
- Use those results to refine your roadmap and build internal confidence
Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Replace — Rethink
The question isn’t only whether you should replace a traditional ERP with IFS Cloud. The deeper question is:
Do you want technology that simply records what your business does — or technology that actually helps your business operate differently and better?
Traditional systems can still record transactions. But in a world of real-time data, AI-driven decisions, and razor-thin margins, that’s not enough.
A platform like IFS Cloud ERP offers:
- A unified environment for ERP, EAM, and FSM
- Architecture built for continuous change, not periodic upheaval
- Industry-specific capabilities that reduce customisation and speed up value
- Tools that enable your teams to see more, decide faster, and act smarter
If your current system feels more like a brake than an engine, it may be time to treat ERP not as a necessary evil, but as a strategic lever. And that’s where a serious, structured comparison of IFS Cloud ERP vs. traditional systems stops being an IT project — and becomes a board-level discussion about the future of your business.
