LKAB has asked IFS to deliver an enterprise asset management (EAM) solution capable of helping the company set a new world standard for data-driven mining, the enterprise applications company says.

To achieve carbon dioxide-free sponge iron production by 2045, LKAB recently launched one of the largest industrial investment plans in Swedish history.

To reach its productivity and environmental goals, the company has embarked on a holistic digital transformation journey to ensure business process transparency, consolidation and harmonisation of processes and data, as well as access to high-quality insights to drive improved decision making, IFS says.

“Launching a comprehensive evaluation process, LKAB scanned the market for a best-in-class EAM solution that could support its mission-critical mining operations while offering an open architecture for easy integrations,” the company explained. “Another key consideration was to equip its workforce with intuitive, easy-to-use mobile technology to ensure a positive user experience.”

Based on its capabilities in key areas such as maintenance and logistics, as well as its RESTful APIs based on the OData standard and browser-based user interface, the IFS cloud-based solution was selected by LKAB, IFS explains.

“The journey LKAB has embarked on will transform the global iron and steel industry and set new standards for how mines are digitised and managed,” Markus Petäjäniemi, Senior Vice President, Market and Technology, said. “To lead the industry toward more responsible, resource-efficient mining practices, we need the very best technology to make sure our people and assets are working efficiently and safely. IFS is an open solution that will connect to our technological backbone and support our current and future needs.”

Elni Kullmer, IFS Managing Director, Nordics, added: “This is a landmark agreement for IFS and we are honoured to have been chosen by LKAB to help usher in a new era of efficient mining. We have been supporting EAM processes in asset-intensive industries since the 1980s and we are thrilled to be able to bring our experience to bear on this exciting project.”

The IFS solution will be used by some 4,000 LKAB employees working in Sweden, England and Norway, according to the EAM vendor.