IKEA turns to Manchester firm for IT systems

IKEA has chosen a Manchester-based software firm to provide retail systems at its franchised stores.

K3 Business Technology already provides enterprise resource planning (ERP) software – a system that covers everything from stock to till sales – to 10 IKEA franchisees through its office in Holland.

Now IKEA wants all franchisees to use the same system and will phase this in over the next three years. K3 is the preferred outsourced supplier, although the stores can use an internal system. 

However, K3 said it expected more work from IKEA and it should deliver phased revenues over this period that will help to underpin the performance of its retail software division.   
 
Chief executive Andy Makeham said: “IKEA’s decision to standardise its ERP platforms should significantly benefit K3. It is also a significant endorsement of both the quality of our software and service levels, and should help to underpin the performance of our retail software division over the next two or three years.”