Configurations differs from customization’s, as they are create inside the application and do have many limitations on what you can do with it. On the other hand configurations are much easier to learn. You do not need to be a experienced developer experienced in writing PL/SQL code. Still you need to have at least some technical understanding in how IFS works.
Even with limitations configurations have you can create quite advance solutions.
Important befits are that it easy to add and remove, including move changes between environment with configuration package.

Configurations allow you to tailor the software to your specific business needs without modifying the core code. This empowers you to optimize functionalities, automate processes, and extend the platform’s capabilities.

Types of Configurations:

• Data Model: You can configure new entities (tables) to store custom data relevant to your business processes.
• Custom Objects: The Custom Objects page lets you manage configurations related to the data model and custom events.
• Custom Pages: IFS Cloud Page Designer enables you to design customized pages for data input, display, and interaction within the application.
• Workflows: These are automated sequences of tasks triggered by specific events to streamline business processes and eliminate manual work.
• Navigation: You can configure the navigation menus within IFS Cloud to provide users with a personalized view and easy access to the functionalities they use most often.

Benefits of Configurations:

• Improved Efficiency: Automating tasks and streamlining processes through configurations saves time and resources.
• Enhanced User Experience: Customized pages and navigation can improve user experience by providing a more intuitive and personalized interface.
• Better Alignment with Business Needs: Configurations allow you to tailor the system to your specific workflows and data requirements.

Deployment and Management:

• The approach to deploying and managing configurations depends on their purpose and complexity.
• Simple configurations can be applied directly within the IFS Cloud administration tools.
• More complex configurations or those intended for broader user adoption might benefit from being implemented and managed through IFS Cloud Build Place. This development environment provides a safe space for testing and version control before deploying configurations to your production system.

IFS Cloud Build Place serves as a critical environment for managing and maintaining your IFS Cloud deployments. Build Place acts as a dedicated workspace for customizing, testing, and deploying updates to your IFS Cloud instance. It provides a safe and isolated environment to experiment with changes without affecting your production environment, which is crucial for maintaining business continuity.

Key functionalities:

• Version Control: Build Place uses Git to allow you to manage different versions of your IFS Cloud configuration and customization’s. This enables you to track changes, revert to previous configurations if needed, and ensure version control throughout the update process.
• Customization and Development: Within Build Place, you can tailor the IFS Cloud application to meet your specific business needs. This can involve creating custom fields, modifying workflows, or integrating with external systems.
• Testing: Build Place provides a platform using Git branches that enable you to perform thorough testing of your customization’s and updates in temporary environments, before deploying them to your production environment. This testing helps identify and fix any potential issues before they impact your live system.
• Deployment Management: Once testing is complete, Build Place facilitates the deployment of approved updates to your production IFS Cloud instance. This deployment process can be streamlined and automated for efficiency.

Benefits of using IFS Cloud Build Place:

• Reduced Risk: Build Place minimizes the risk of introducing errors or disruptions to your production environment by providing a safe testing ground for updates.
• Improved Efficiency: Streamlined version control, development, testing, and deployment processes within Build Place enhance overall efficiency in managing your IFS Cloud instance.
• Greater Control: Build Place empowers you to manage your IFS Cloud environment according to your specific business needs and preferences.

Overall, IFS Cloud Build Place plays a vital role in ensuring a controlled and efficient update process for your IFS Cloud deployments. It offers a secure environment for customization, testing, and version control, ultimately contributing to a more stable and optimized IFS Cloud experience.

About updates

IFS Cloud offers two distinct update mechanisms to keep your system current: service updates and release updates.

Service Updates:

• Bug fixes, security patches, and minor enhancements to existing functionalities within your current IFS Cloud version.
• These updates are delivered every month for 24 months for a release update.
• Applied automatically in the background without any downtime or manual intervention required on your end. This ensures your system remains up-to-date with the latest fixes and improvements.

Release Updates:

• Introduce new features, significant functionality enhancements, and major bug fixes.
• Occur less frequently than service updates, typically on a bi-annual basis.
• Require a more deliberate process involving planning, testing, and deployment through IFS Cloud Build Place and Release Update Studio. This environment allows you to test the update in a safe, isolated space before deploying it to your production environment.

The key benefits IFS Cloud offers compared to IFS Apps 10:

• Cloud-based: IFS Cloud is a fully cloud-based solution, eliminating the need for on-premise infrastructure management and maintenance. This translates to lower IT costs and frees up IT resources for other tasks.
  
• Modern tech stack: IFS Cloud leverages the latest technologies, offering improved performance, scalability, and security features compared to Apps 10.
  
• Enhanced functionality: IFS Cloud incorporates all the features of IFS Apps 10, plus hundreds of additional features that are continually being added. This provides a wider range of capabilities for managing your business operations.
  
• Advanced Security: IFS Cloud boasts enhanced security features like two-factor authentication, data encryption, and access controls to safeguard your business data.
  
• Future-proof: IFS Apps 10 support is ending in March 2025, making IFS Cloud the only viable option for future development and access to new features.

In summary, IFS Cloud offers a more modern, secure, feature-rich, and scalable solution compared to IFS Apps 10. It offers the same solution regardless if you run it on-premise infrastructure or in the cloud.

Deployment

IFS Cloud offers two main deployment options that cater to different needs:

1. Cloud (SaaS):
   • In this model, IFS delivers and manages the entire IFS Cloud software environment within their own cloud infrastructure.
   • This eliminates the need for your company to manage any hardware or software infrastructure, reducing IT workload and costs.
   • IFS takes care of everything from security patching to backups and upgrades.
   • This option is ideal for companies seeking a hassle-free, scalable solution with minimal upfront investment.
2. Remote (this includes hosting your environment in cloud of your choice):
   • This deployment model provides you with a packaged application containing the IFS Cloud software.
   • You or your hosting 3rd partner, are responsible for operating the software along with the main database on a supported platform of your choice. This platform can reside on your own on-premise infrastructure or a third-party cloud service.
   • You’ll handle tasks like security patching, backups, and upgrades.
   • This option offers more control over your IT environment and data residency, but requires a dedicated IT team for management.

Here are some additional details about IFS Cloud deployment:

• Scalability: Both deployment options offer scalability to handle fluctuating user demands. You can easily scale resources up or down in the cloud model, while the remote model allows for adding or removing servers as needed.
• Security: Security is a priority in both models. IFS takes care of security in the cloud model, while the remote model offers you control over implementing security measures on your chosen platform.
• Deployment Complexity: The cloud model is generally quicker and easier to deploy as IFS handles the infrastructure setup. The remote model requires more technical expertise for setup and ongoing management.

Choosing the right deployment option depends on your specific needs and priorities. Consider factors like:

• IT resources: If you have a limited IT team or no partner with knowledge of IFS, the cloud model might be preferable.
• Security requirements: Evaluate your data security needs and choose the model that aligns best.
• Control preferences: If you require more control over your IT environment, the remote model might be a better fit. If you have complex integrations needs this is probably more suited for you.

Technology

IFS Cloud leverages a combination of modern cloud technologies to deliver a powerful and scalable business application platform.

• IFS Cloud infrastructure is built on a multi-tenant cloud architecture, meaning multiple organizations share the underlying infrastructure but have logically separated instances of the software. This approach offers cost-efficiency and scalability.
  
• The application is designed using a microservices architecture. This means the software is broken down into smaller, independent, and loosely coupled services. Each service performs a specific function and communicates with others through APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). This modular approach allows for faster development, easier maintenance, and greater flexibility in scaling individual functionalities.
  
• IFS Cloud utilizes containerization technology to package microservices along with their dependencies. This enables consistent deployment across different environments, whether on the cloud or on-premise. Containers also improve resource utilization and application portability.
  
• IFS Cloud embraces an API-driven development approach, meaning it exposes APIs that allow external applications to integrate with IFS Cloud functionalities. This fosters extensibility and enables you to connect IFS Cloud with other business systems you use.
  
• IFS Cloud incorporates pre-built AI and ML capabilities that can be applied to various business processes. For example, AI-powered chatbots can handle customer service inquiries, while machine learning algorithms can be used for predictive maintenance or demand forecasting.
  
• IFS Cloud prioritizes a modern and user-friendly interface, designed to be intuitive and accessible across various devices. This focus on UX can improve user adoption and overall productivity.

Features

Some specific examples of feature enhancements in IFS Cloud:

• Supply Chain Management: Improved functionalities for forecasting, demand planning, and inventory optimization.
• Manufacturing: Enhanced capabilities for production planning, scheduling, and quality control.
• Project Management: Advanced features for project planning, resource management, and progress tracking.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Improved functionalities for sales automation, marketing campaigns, and customer service.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): Integration of pre-built AI and ML capabilities for tasks like predictive maintenance or lead scoring (not available in Apps 10).

User Experience (UX):

• Modern Interface: IFS Cloud boasts a modern and user-friendly interface compared to the older design of Apps 10. This makes it more intuitive and easier to navigate for users of all technical backgrounds.
• Accessibility: IFS Cloud is designed to be responsive and accessible across various devices, including desktops, laptops, and tablets. This allows for greater flexibility and on-the-go access for users.

Integration:

• API-driven Development: IFS Cloud leverages APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to facilitate easier integration with other business systems you use. This allows for a more connected ecosystem and streamlined data flow between applications.

Security

IFS Cloud prioritizes security to safeguard your business data. Key security features and practices are:

• IFS Cloud adheres to strict international security standards like ISO 27001, which outlines best practices for information security management. This demonstrates their commitment to a robust security framework.
  
• IFS Cloud utilizes strong encryption algorithms to protect data both at rest and in transit. This means data is scrambled while stored in databases and during transmission between servers and user devices. Only authorized users can decrypt and access the information.
  
• IFS Cloud identity and access management (IAM) enforces role-based access control (RBAC). This ensures that users only have access to the data and functionalities relevant to their job roles. Additionally, two-factor authentication (2FA) can be implemented to add an extra layer of security during login attempts.
  
• Secure network communication protocols like TLS/HTTPS are used to encrypt all communication between IFS Cloud and user devices. This protects data from eavesdropping and tampering over the network.
  
• IFS continuously conducts security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and address potential security risks. They also apply regular security patches and updates to keep the platform and underlying infrastructure protected against evolving threats.
  
• While IFS takes care of core security measures in the cloud model, IFS Cloud offers some degree of customer control over security depending on the deployment option. With the remote deployment model, you have more control over implementing additional security measures on your chosen platform.

Overall, IFS Cloud offers a comprehensive security posture that combines industry-standard compliance, robust encryption, access controls, secure network communication, and data center security. They also prioritize continuous monitoring and updates to maintain a strong security environment for your business data.