nVent improves customer experience

nVent, a global leader in electrical connection and protection solutions, has completed the first phase of its Infor M3 CloudSuite deployment in Europe and the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. This initiative was led together with global consultancy firms Columbus and Infor. The project is part of a multi-year digital transformation of capabilities, business processes and technology solutions all focused on enhancing digital end-to-end customer journey, making it frictionless and easy for customers to do business with nVent. 

nVent’s digital transformation strategy is centred around four strategic pillars: digitising go-to-market processes, digitising operations, developing a robust data platform and analytics capabilities, and innovating through connected solutions and software-enabled products. 

The partnership with Columbus and Infor plays a critical role in the "digitise operations" pillar of nVent’s strategy. Becoming a fully cloud-based company and modernising its ERP system are essential steps to ensure its operations can support a smooth and efficient customer journey. 

Enabling employees to excel and improving business efficiency 

nVent rolled out its new Infor M3 CloudSuite, hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), at its site in Andrezieux, France, during the first half of 2021. In the first half of 2022, the solution was implemented in Tilburg, Netherlands, followed by deployment across five Asia Pacific sites (Shanghai, Qingdao, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Sydney) in the fourth quarter of 2022.  

The goal of the project was to consolidate its ERP systems into one single core solution, with the goal of streamlining its processes, enhancing efficiency and improving customer equity. 
 

“A few years ago, we surveyed our employees and found that “barriers to execution” was a large concern for them,” says Andy Hohma, Vice President of Digital Transformation at nVent. “As nVent grows, our processes and systems need to scale with our business so that our employees don’t need to spend time shielding our customers from inefficiencies. 

"The M3 journey is giving our teams the tools to fully support our customers and make sure they have a fast, simple and fruitful experience with nVent, so they can better support their customers.” 

Mufaddal Photographer, Vice President of Information Technology at nVent, adds: “This journey has significantly enhanced our velocity by shrinking lead times, improving customer response times, and lowering processing costs, all with the goal of driving value for our customers and improving their experience. 

"It has also enabled our employees to excel and improved efficiency of our business processes. nVent is ready and willing to rethink and change how we do business today to build on our success and ensure lasting benefits for customers, employees, and shareholders.”  

Among the several vendors evaluated, Columbus, in partnership with Infor M3 CloudSuite, emerged as the preferred ERP choice to achieve nVent’s goals. One of Columbus’ key advantages was its “glocal” (global and local) consulting team, capable of supporting nVent’s business operations across its global sites. 

“We wanted a tailor-made system that could meet our high demands and help us digitise end-to-end supply chain processes from planning to shipping,” says Photographer. “Infor M3 CloudSuite was the best possible solution for us as it clearly felt made-to-measure for the manufacturing industry. We’ve also offered associated training to get everyone acquainted with the new ERP system, a decision that has proven invaluable.” 

Ed Allen, Infor’s executive vice president for discrete manufacturing industries in the US, adds: “nVent has now improved performance and efficiency in critical areas of its manufacturing operations, including better customer engagement, optimised processes, and a more organised supply chain. 

“The decision to implement Infor M3 CloudSuite has transformed nVent’s operations, providing access to industry best practices, emerging technologies, and actionable data needed for growth – all within a smaller IT footprint than before.” 

Columbus is one of Infor’s largest channel and alliance partners, with offices in 13 countries around the world and a global team of experienced Infor consultants. After a successful implementation for nVent’s sites in France and The Netherlands, nVent and Columbus have now rolled out Infor M3 CloudSuite at nVent’s Asia Pacific sites. Plans are underway to extend the system to several North America sites in 2023, along with additional Infor modules and integrations.  

“The project remains ongoing, engaging a team of approximately 100 nVent and Columbus resources across multiple continents, with project governance managed in Europe and the United States,” says Tina Algkvist, Business Line Executive for Columbus' global Infor M3 business. “Columbus has been a key partner in nVent’s transformation project from the start and will continue through go-live and post-implementation stabilisation. 

“We are proud of the collaboration and partnership between our consultants, nVent, and Infor. Columbus’ expertise in IT, process optimisation, and digital leadership has been instrumental in the success of the implementation. We remain focused on helping nVent adopt best practices and create a more efficient production ecosystem, with the end customer at the centre.”

“A few years ago, we surveyed our employees and found that “barriers to execution” was a large concern for them,” says Andy Hohma, Vice President of Digital Transformation at nVent. “As nVent grows, our processes and systems need to scale with our business so that our employees don’t need to spend time shielding our customers from inefficiencies. 

"The M3 journey is giving our teams the tools to fully support our customers and make sure they have a fast, simple and fruitful experience with nVent, so they can better support their customers.” 

Mufaddal Photographer, Vice President of Information Technology at nVent, adds: “This journey has significantly enhanced our velocity by shrinking lead times, improving customer response times, and lowering processing costs, all with the goal of driving value for our customers and improving their experience. 

"It has also enabled our employees to excel and improved efficiency of our business processes. nVent is ready and willing to rethink and change how we do business today to build on our success and ensure lasting benefits for customers, employees, and shareholders.”  

Photo: Mufaddal Photographer, Vice President of Information Technology at nVent.

Ed Allen, Infor’s executive vice president for discrete manufacturing industries in the US, adds: “nVent has now improved performance and efficiency in critical areas of its manufacturing operations, including better customer engagement, optimised processes, and a more organised supply chain. 

“The decision to implement Infor M3 CloudSuite has transformed nVent’s operations, providing access to industry best practices, emerging technologies, and actionable data needed for growth – all within a smaller IT footprint than before.” 

Columbus is one of Infor’s largest channel and alliance partners, with offices in 13 countries around the world and a global team of experienced Infor consultants. After a successful implementation for nVent’s sites in France and The Netherlands, nVent and Columbus have now rolled out Infor M3 CloudSuite at nVent’s Asia Pacific sites. Plans are underway to extend the system to several North America sites in 2023, along with additional Infor modules and integrations.  

Photo: Tina Algkvist, Business Line Executive for Columbus' global Infor M3 business

“The project remains ongoing, engaging a team of approximately 100 nVent and Columbus resources across multiple continents, with project governance managed in Europe and the United States,” says Tina Algkvist, Business Line Executive for Columbus' global Infor M3 business. “Columbus has been a key partner in nVent’s transformation project from the start and will continue through go-live and post-implementation stabilisation. 

“We are proud of the collaboration and partnership between our consultants, nVent, and Infor. Columbus’ expertise in IT, process optimisation, and digital leadership has been instrumental in the success of the implementation. We remain focused on helping nVent adopt best practices and create a more efficient production ecosystem, with the end customer at the centre.”