IFS and NEC Implement Next-Generation Core System 'IFS Cloud' at Hoshizaki
IFS and NEC announced the implementation of the next-generation ERP 'IFS Cloud' at Hoshizaki, a major food service equipment maker. It will establish a data foundation for future Industrial AI utilization.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 10, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 11, 2026 at 00:28 (5h 28m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 00:51 (216h 23m after Collected)
April 10, 2026, Tokyo — IFS AB (Headquarters: Linköping, Sweden; CEO: Mark Moffat, hereinafter 'IFS'), a leading provider of Industrial AI software, and NEC Corporation (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Director, Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO: Takayuki Morita, hereinafter 'NEC') today announced that Hoshizaki Corporation, a world-leading comprehensive food service equipment manufacturer, will implement the next-generation core system 'IFS Cloud' to renew its legacy ERP system. Moving forward, it will support over 700 users at two main production bases and build a foundation for manufacturing optimization utilizing AI.
Faced with intensifying competition, product diversification, and the impending end-of-support for its legacy system, Hoshizaki viewed this timing as a great opportunity for business transformation. The existing ERP environment, consisting of excessive customization and fragmented peripheral systems, has become a factor hindering operational agility and advanced data utilization.
IFS Cloud covers core operations with standard features while flexibly supporting make-to-order manufacturing. This minimizes customization, optimizes investment costs, and realizes an ERP foundation capable of withstanding future expansion.
At the core of this transformation is Hoshizaki's idea that by utilizing IFS in its standard form as much as possible, they can keep pace with timely updates to the latest versions, thereby realizing future improvements in manufacturing efficiency and sophisticated decision-making through AI utilization, rather than just manufacturing high-quality products. By integrating order management, production planning, manufacturing execution, and inventory management into a single platform, IFS Cloud provides the standardized data foundation and real-time visibility essential for advanced AI analysis and optimization. This prepares a system that can fully leverage the industrial AI capabilities within the evolving IFS ecosystem.
Hannes Liebe, President of the APJMEA (Asia Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa) region at IFS, stated:
'Hoshizaki is undertaking a forward-looking IT infrastructure renewal in anticipation of environmental changes surrounding the manufacturing industry. By establishing a standardized ERP foundation, leveraging Industrial AI to support future manufacturing sophistication becomes a realistic option, expecting sustained enhancement of competitiveness.'
Tetsuya Kawai, Head of the Manufacturing Solutions Division at NEC, commented:
'NEC has continuously supported Hoshizaki's business operations through the implementation of IFS solutions that undergird their core operations. We are pleased to continue supporting Hoshizaki in their upgrade to IFS Cloud as they aim for business transformation. Leveraging the expertise we have cultivated in IT transformations for large-scale manufacturing, we will contribute to building a stable and scalable ERP foundation. We are confident that this platform will allow Hoshizaki to advance operational efficiency and create new value through the use of Industrial AI.'
**About IFS**
IFS is a leading global provider of Industrial AI and enterprise software, supporting hardcore businesses that sustain and protect the planet through manufacturing, asset management, and service operations. IFS technology enables companies that manufacture products, maintain complex assets, and manage service-centric operations to harness the transformative power of Industrial AI, improving productivity, efficiency, and sustainability.
IFS Cloud is a fully composable, AI-powered...
Faced with intensifying competition, product diversification, and the impending end-of-support for its legacy system, Hoshizaki viewed this timing as a great opportunity for business transformation. The existing ERP environment, consisting of excessive customization and fragmented peripheral systems, has become a factor hindering operational agility and advanced data utilization.
IFS Cloud covers core operations with standard features while flexibly supporting make-to-order manufacturing. This minimizes customization, optimizes investment costs, and realizes an ERP foundation capable of withstanding future expansion.
At the core of this transformation is Hoshizaki's idea that by utilizing IFS in its standard form as much as possible, they can keep pace with timely updates to the latest versions, thereby realizing future improvements in manufacturing efficiency and sophisticated decision-making through AI utilization, rather than just manufacturing high-quality products. By integrating order management, production planning, manufacturing execution, and inventory management into a single platform, IFS Cloud provides the standardized data foundation and real-time visibility essential for advanced AI analysis and optimization. This prepares a system that can fully leverage the industrial AI capabilities within the evolving IFS ecosystem.
Hannes Liebe, President of the APJMEA (Asia Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa) region at IFS, stated:
'Hoshizaki is undertaking a forward-looking IT infrastructure renewal in anticipation of environmental changes surrounding the manufacturing industry. By establishing a standardized ERP foundation, leveraging Industrial AI to support future manufacturing sophistication becomes a realistic option, expecting sustained enhancement of competitiveness.'
Tetsuya Kawai, Head of the Manufacturing Solutions Division at NEC, commented:
'NEC has continuously supported Hoshizaki's business operations through the implementation of IFS solutions that undergird their core operations. We are pleased to continue supporting Hoshizaki in their upgrade to IFS Cloud as they aim for business transformation. Leveraging the expertise we have cultivated in IT transformations for large-scale manufacturing, we will contribute to building a stable and scalable ERP foundation. We are confident that this platform will allow Hoshizaki to advance operational efficiency and create new value through the use of Industrial AI.'
**About IFS**
IFS is a leading global provider of Industrial AI and enterprise software, supporting hardcore businesses that sustain and protect the planet through manufacturing, asset management, and service operations. IFS technology enables companies that manufacture products, maintain complex assets, and manage service-centric operations to harness the transformative power of Industrial AI, improving productivity, efficiency, and sustainability.
IFS Cloud is a fully composable, AI-powered...