Idemitsu Australia, a subsidiary of Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd, has been operating in Australia since 1978. While the business has long been established in coal mining, it is now investing into Critical Minerals and Renewable Energy projects.
As part of this shift, Idemitsu Australia needed to modernise its core systems and processes to support growth and efficiency.
The Challenge:
- An ageing ERP system reaching end of life and posing operational risk
- Inefficient and outdated business processes
- A lack of clear ERP requirements and future-state design
- A strategic need to modernise technology and improve process efficiency
The Solution Provided by SMC
Solution Minds Consulting (SMC) was engaged to guide Idemitsu Australia through a structured ERP advisory and readiness program, helping the organisation prepare for transformation with confidence.
Key Services:
- Rapid mapping of around 60 business processes across all functional areas
- Identification of pain points and opportunities for improvement
- Design of future-state processes using SMC’s Good Practices Process Library
- ERP market research, vendor shortlisting, and partner evaluation
- Data-driven software selection using SMC’s proprietary platform, SelectionCoach
- Selection of IFS as the preferred ERP solution and InfoConsulting as the implementation partner
- Commercial negotiation support to achieve favourable contract terms
Transition to Implementation:
- Defined high-level scope across all entities, including Finance, Procurement, Sales, Asset Maintenance, Inventory, Project Costing, Payroll & HR, Reporting/BI, and Integrations
- Developed a detailed project plan outlining all stakeholder roles and responsibilities
- Finalised the Implementation Statement of Work
- Reinforced client ownership and governance throughout the project
- Delivered a total implementation budget with forecast ±10% cost certainty
A Structured, Multi-Phase Transformation Approach
SMC applied a structured, multi-phase transformation approach. While early stages of the engagement were delivered under SMC’s previous phase naming, the work aligns to SMC’s current delivery model, reflecting the evolution of SMC’s methodology.
This approach considered people, process, technology, data, and AI.
Execution and Process
Phased Approach
- Business Process Mapping
- ERP System Selection
- ERP Implementation Planning
Key Challenge
During the planning phase, SMC helped navigate sensitive discussions with the implementation partner to ensure alignment and secure the best outcomes for Idemitsu Australia.
Results and Achievements
- Delivered within the approved project budget (pre-implementation phase)
- Stayed aligned with the original project timeline (pre-implementation phase)
- Negotiated a favourable commercial agreement
- Enabled Idemitsu Australia to begin implementation with clarity, confidence, and control
Additional feedback highlighted SMC’s strong leadership and guidance throughout all phases of the project.
Frequently Asked Questions
SMC delivered a comprehensive ERP advisory and readiness program, including process mapping, pain point analysis, future-state design, vendor evaluation, and commercial negotiation support.
Idemitsu Australia selected IFS as the ERP solution and InfoConsulting as the implementation partner following SMC’s independent evaluation.
Through structured governance, clear roadmaps, and stakeholder alignment, SMC ensured the program progressed with clarity and confidence.
Sensitive discussions with the implementation partner required careful management. SMC guided Idemitsu Australia through these to achieve the best commercial and project outcomes.
The project stayed on budget and on schedule, with favourable terms and strong ownership by Idemitsu Australia’s internal team.
The IFS implementation has begun, with continued support from SMC across project management, testing, integrations, and change management.
Great structure provided to assist with a successful project, skilled personnel and quality communicators. A great result for us.
Adam Dickens
Commercial Manager
The Future and Next Steps
Next Steps
- Begin the IFS implementation
Ongoing Support by SMC
- Project management
- Change management
- Testing support
- Integration oversight
- Data migration support
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About the Author
Filip Dimkovski is the Queensland Regional Director at Solution Minds Consulting, leading regional operations, client success, and growth. He brings over 13 years of experience in enterprise systems, including senior roles across consulting, solution architecture, and service delivery within the mining and ERP sectors. Filip is known for his practical, delivery-focused approach, combining technical expertise with strong commercial and client engagement capability.