Imperial Industries

Imperial Industries takes Infor XA output beyond the standard

Two weeks after go-live, the Wisconsin manufacturer is running its Infor XA documents through InterformNG2 and into Infor Document Management, with label printing next.

Published 03-09-2026

Industry: Manufacturing
Business area: Vacuum tanks and bulk storage
Country: United States
ERP: Infor XA on IBM i

Customer overview

Imperial Industries, Inc. builds vacuum tanks and trucks for septic, portable restroom and specialist applications, along with bulk storage tanks and silos, from its base in Rothschild, Wisconsin. The company has been manufacturing for more than 42 years, having grown out of an agricultural equipment business, and now supplies municipalities, service fleets and industrial facilities across the United States.

Design engineering, fabrication, welding, testing and service all sit under one roof, which gives Imperial direct control of quality and lead times. The business runs on Infor XA.

The challenge

The hardest part of the project was not the documents. Before InterformNG2 could build anything, the source data had to come out of the IBM i reliably, and one manufacturing document would not generate at all. That held the project up for a period until it was resolved at source.

Once the data was available, the document work moved quickly.

The project

Imperial’s output requirements went past what Infor XA covers on its own. The company chose InterformNG2 for document output and went live in mid August 2026. Shawn Edmondson, Director of Information Technology, reports a go-live with no major issues, just the usual collection of small items to clear and nothing that held the business up.

A deliberate decision shaped the work. Rather than continue with flat spool files, Imperial converted its output to XML. Where the data arriving from XA needed tidying, Shawn wrote XPath expressions himself to normalise it before it reached the document.

What Imperial is using

Documents are the first phase. InterformNG2 collects output from the IBM i out queues and spool files, builds the document, and delivers it into Infor Document Management, so a purchase order reissued to a vendor carries a version history rather than an untraceable second print. Paper is produced only where paper is wanted. A small number of documents, cheques among them, were deliberately left as flat files where there was no benefit in converting them.

Shawn builds and maintains the workflows himself. Adeel Ghulam Hussain at Interform supplies document corrections, most of them returned within the hour. The manufacturing order was the most complex document in the set; the rest were straightforward.

"Our output needs went beyond what XA does on its own. InterformNG2 closed that gap completely - and I am absolutely loving it."

Shawn Edmondson, Director of Information Technology, Imperial Industries, Inc.

Looking ahead

Label printing is the next phase, using the same designer and the same workflow model that Imperial already knows. Advanced PDF, which merges related transaction documents into statements and reminders, is under discussion for later.

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A 30-minute call. We look at the documents your ERP produces today, which of them still need someone to touch them, and what InterformNG2 would automate first. You leave knowing what would change and what would stay as it is.

Ballerstaedt & Co. OHG

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Ballerstaedt replaces an end-of-life print system with InterformNG2

A German manufacturer of sealing systems moves from an AS/400-only print tool to output management that runs across IBM i, Linux and Windows - and adds ZUGFeRD e-invoicing along the way.

Rastatt, Germany

Industry: Manufacturing
Business area: Sealing and closure systems
Country: Germany
Platform: IBM i, Linux, Windows

Customer overview

Ballerstaedt & Co. OHG, based in Rastatt, Germany, is a specialist manufacturer of sealing systems and closure technologies. Operating as a mid-sized industrial company with high quality and compliance requirements, Ballerstaedt runs a heterogeneous ERP landscape based on IBM i (AS/400), Linux and Windows servers. Reliable document output plays a critical role across production, logistics, and finance, making a stable and future-ready output management platform essential.

The challenge

Ballerstaedt’s existing print solution had reached the end of its lifecycle. The software could no longer be updated because the original developer had ceased operations, creating growing compatibility risks with newer environments such as Windows 11. In addition, the system was limited to AS/400 output only, restricting flexibility and making it difficult to support modern, cross-platform processes.

Regulatory requirements added further pressure. In particular, ZUGFeRD-compliant e-invoicing could not be implemented with the existing setup. As a result, Ballerstaedt needed a modern, reliable output management solution that could support multiple platforms, meet legal requirements, and remain maintainable in the long term.

The project

Ballerstaedt selected InterformNG2 as a platform-independent output management solution capable of running seamlessly across Windows, Linux and IBM i environments. The breadth of functionality, combined with responsive and personal support from Interform, was a decisive factor.

The main project ran from April 2024 until the end of 2024. Implementation followed a structured, form-by-form approach. Two Interform consultants worked closely with three IT specialists from Ballerstaedt. While Interform collaborated directly with the IT department, internal alignment with other areas such as production, logistics, accounting and finance was managed centrally by Ballerstaedt’s IT team.

The first four forms were developed jointly to establish a solid foundation. Once these were completed, Ballerstaedt’s IT team was able to independently design and adapt additional templates. Interform supported the process through regular Teams sessions and hands-on guidance, particularly during the implementation of ZUGFeRD e-invoicing and the resolution of font and layout challenges. This approach ensured a smooth transition while building long-term internal expertise.

The results

Today, InterformNG2 handles a wide range of document types at Ballerstaedt, including labels, production orders, invoices and ZUGFeRD-compliant e-invoices.

Document output is faster and significantly more reliable. Advanced logging provides full transparency, allowing the IT team to track every print job and identify potential issues before they affect production. E-invoicing validation ensures that invoices are always correct and compliant, reducing manual checks and rework.

Template development and workflow management are clearer and easier to maintain, and changes can be implemented productively within minutes. While no direct cost savings were quantified, Ballerstaedt has achieved noticeable improvements in process reliability, control and operational confidence.

We can now implement production-related requirements within minutes. Interform has fully met all our expectations.

Frank Kiefer, IT Programmer and Administrator, Ballerstaedt & Co. OHG

Looking ahead

With the foundation firmly in place, Ballerstaedt is now fully self-sufficient in working with InterformNG2. The IT team continues to develop and refine templates independently and is actively exploring further optimisation opportunities on its own, using InterformNG2 as the central platform for output management.

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Silhouette Group

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Silhouette Group standardises SAP output with InterformNG2

An Austrian eyewear manufacturer consolidated three finance systems into SAP S/4HANA, and chose InterformNG2 for document output after an independent technical assessment.

Linz, Austria

Industry: Manufacturing
Business area: Eyewear
Country: Austria
ERP: SAP S/4HANA

Customer overview

Silhouette Group is an Austrian, family-owned eyewear manufacturer headquartered in Linz. Known for premium frames, the group has also supplied complete eyewear with lenses since 2017. Production takes place in Linz and at an additional site in the Czech Republic, with subsidiaries operating across Europe and beyond.

The IT organisation consists of more than 20 people covering service desk, infrastructure, and business-facing roles. As IT Business Partner for Production, Engineering, and Logistics, Roman Wingert took responsibility for bringing critical document output into the SAP landscape, building on earlier experience with Interform on IBM i.

The challenge

As part of a broader transformation, Silhouette consolidated three finance systems into SAP S/4HANA. Previously, document output had been handled differently across platforms, including Microsoft-based tools and RPG-heavy approaches on IBM i. This resulted in fragmented templates, inconsistent processes, and growing maintenance effort for documents such as dunning letters and open item lists.

Beyond simply replacing existing forms, the team needed confidence that document output would not become a bottleneck during the SAP rollout. SAP’s native form technologies were considered, but questions remained around development speed, flexibility, and how easily forms and logic could be reused across future rollouts and subsidiaries.

The project

Interform was selected after a structured and deliberate evaluation. Despite prior Interform experience on IBM i, the decision was not assumed. Silhouette organised a two-day on-site workshop with Interform and involved an experienced SAP forms specialist to provide an independent, neutral technical assessment.

The workshop demonstrated that Interform could meet SAP requirements while enabling fast development and a clear structure. The external specialist confirmed that form development progressed quickly and in a way that was easy to understand and maintain. This gave the IT team confidence that Interform could support SAP both technically and operationally.

Implementation began with a pilot dunning form. After the initial workshop, Interform provided standardised template structures and a starter workflow, defining clear sections for headers, line items, and footers. The setup was documented jointly, creating a repeatable approach.

After the pilot, Silhouette developed additional forms largely in-house. By reusing workflows, naming conventions, and modular components, new forms could be created quickly and consistently. Interform’s modularity made it easier to maintain and extend templates as requirements evolved.

Beyond SAP, the team also applied Interform to an IBM i-based process. Scheduled Excel exports are now ingested by Interform, converted, and written back into database tables for downstream use. That initial example has since been reused in many variations and has become a stable part of daily operations.

The results

Faster form development after the initial pilot, driven by reusable workflows and components
High reliability, with no downtime, performance, or stability issues reported
Greater self-sufficiency, as the IT team develops and maintains outputs independently
Broader automation value, with Interform now considered first for new requirements instead of custom RPG solutions

Just as importantly, the platform proved trustworthy. Interform quickly became a reliable foundation rather than a point of risk within the SAP landscape.

Interform is something we can rely on. Once it is set up, it just works.

Roman Wingert, Head of IT-Competence Center, Silhouette Group

Looking ahead

Silhouette is preparing further SAP rollouts in sales, purchasing, and materials management while carefully managing risk for production processes. Interform is positioned as the standard output and workflow platform across future rollouts and subsidiaries.

The group also sees strong potential to harmonise templates internationally while still supporting controlled local variations and multilingual output, using a single, consistent approach.

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Fire Eater

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Fire Eater saves 150 workdays a year on certification documents

A Danish manufacturer of fire suppression systems automated certificates and digital signatures out of Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations with InterformNG2.

Denmark

Industry: Manufacturing
Business area: Fire suppression systems
Country: Denmark
ERP: Dynamics 365 F&O

Customer overview

Fire Eater is a Danish manufacturing company specialising in fire suppression system built on Inergen® technology. Their solutions are trusted globally for delivering safe, reliable, and sustainable fire suppression within 40 seconds. Operating in a highly regulated safety industry, the company manages a significant volume of compliance documentation and certifications that must meet strict regulatory requirements. Fire Eater runs Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations as its core ERP platform.

The challenge

Handling certifications and compliance documents is central to Fire Eater’s operations but managing these outputs within standard Dynamics 365 F&O had become inefficient. Certificates and documents required secure digital signatures and needed to be verifiable by authorities, yet producing and maintaining them relied heavily on manual effort and developer involvement.

Fire Eater needed a reliable way to generate compliant documents, ensure they reached the correct customers and authorities, and reduce the time spent maintaining layouts and templates, without compromising accuracy or security.

The project

Fire Eater implemented InterformNG2 together with the AdvancedPDF module, using its EmbeddedPDF functionality to manage digital signatures and automate document flows directly from Dynamics 365 F&O.

InterformNG2 now generates print outputs, emails customer documents, and updates SharePoint automatically. Certificates, certificates of origin, packing slips, and other key documents are produced through a unified and secure process. Implementation was completed efficiently, allowing Fire Eater to begin optimising daily operations soon after.

The results

The impact has been significant, with measurable improvements across the organisation:

80% reduction in time spent on document changes - updates that once required six hours of developer time can now be completed internally in less than 30 minutes.
Faster document delivery - new templates move from concept to print in about a week, compared to more than a month previously.
Streamlined layouts - standardised formats simplify setup and reduce time spent configuring individual documents.
150 workdays saved annually - automating the certification workflow will free up approximately three days a week for a quality-assurance employee, enabling them to focus on core responsibilities.

Creating new workflows and documents is incredibly simple, saving both time and money. The investment has paid off - through direct savings and indirect benefits. I would recommend the Interform OMS setup we use without hesitation.

Jesper Løwe, IT Coordinator, Fire Eater

Looking ahead

Fire Eater continues to expand its use of InterformNG2 and plans further automation initiatives, including full automation of certificate distribution. With more manual processes set to be eliminated, the company expects even greater efficiencies and improved control over documentation flows.

Quote

“Creating new workflows and documents is incredibly simple, saving both time and money. The investment has paid off - through direct savings and indirect benefits. I would recommend the Interform OMS setup we use without hesitation.”

- Jesper Løwe, IT Coordinator, Fire Eater

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BIRN Group

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BIRN Group simplifies Infor M3 output and fixes data at the source

One of Northern Europe’s largest foundry groups replaced a heavily customised output tool with InterformNG2, and made data problems in M3 visible instead of hidden.

Holstebro, Denmark

Industry: Manufacturing
Business area: Cast iron components
Country: Denmark
ERP: Infor M3

Customer overview

BIRN Group is one of Northern Europe’s largest foundry groups, producing high-quality cast iron components for the automotive and industrial sectors. Headquartered in Holstebro, Denmark, the group operates in six countries and employs around 750 people. With more than a century of experience and five fully automated moulding lines, BIRN delivers over 45,000 tons of cast iron annually to customers in commercial vehicles, construction equipment, hydraulics, and machine components. Sustainability and traceability are central to the company’s production processes.

The challenge

Operating a multi-site manufacturing environment on Infor M3, BIRN faced long-standing challenges with document output. Their previous output tool contained extensive custom logic, making troubleshooting difficult and time-consuming. Errors were often hidden within the old setup, meaning underlying data issues in M3 were harder to detect and correct.

Many of BIRN’s customers - including but not limited to automotive - require precise traceability information such as lot numbers and casting dates. Ensuring this level of accuracy across multiple companies, each with its own operational nuances, added further complexity.

BIRN needed a modern, reliable solution that simplified output handling, strengthened data correctness, and reduced day-to-day dependency on IT while supporting a standardised, group-wide approach.

The project

After evaluating several options, BIRN selected InterformNG2 for its proven integration with Infor M3 and for the confidence of working with a Danish supplier that understands their industry and systems landscape. The implementation was carried out in partnership with Columbus and began in 2023, starting with the most complex customer-facing documents such as invoices, order confirmations, delivery notes, and later purchase orders.

These documents required detailed testing to ensure that critical traceability fields - including lot numbers and casting dates - were always correct. During the process, the team simplified and standardised layouts, aligning them with BIRN’s branding and removing unnecessary elements inherited from older designs.

A major improvement came from InterformNG2 drawing data directly from M3. Issues that had previously been hidden inside legacy output logic became visible, allowing BIRN to correct data at the source and strengthen the quality of information within the ERP system. Business users can now make many adjustments themselves, reducing day-to-day IT involvement and speeding up updates across the organisation.

Interform’s continuously updated VDA and industry-standard templates were also an important factor in BIRN’s decision. They provide a reliable foundation for producing labels and documents in the formats required by automotive customers and their downstream processes, helping BIRN supply the information those customers need for their own documentation and compliance work, without adding extra maintenance for the team.

The results

BIRN has already seen clear efficiency gains. Error searching is now far easier, as data is taken directly from M3 rather than being processed through layers of custom logic in the old system. Issues that previously took significant time to identify can now be resolved quickly and at the source.

The business can make many updates themselves, reducing day-to-day reliance on IT and speeding up changes to customer-facing documents. Document layouts are cleaner and more consistent, improving both internal usability and the experience for customers who rely on accurate traceability information.

Across the organisation, output handling is now simpler, faster and aligned with a more modern, standardised approach.

Choosing Interform gave us a supported, future-ready solution and a partner we could rely on. It made good sense for us.

David Stampe Grønborg, Group IT Manager, BIRN Group

Looking ahead

BIRN sees the move to InterformNG2 as the foundation for a long-term modernisation of output across the group. The next phase focuses on bringing internal documents - such as payment reminders, picking lists and return-to-supplier forms - into Interform, using more standard templates and a faster implementation cycle than the initial rollout.

The team is also progressing with automotive-related outputs, including VDA labels and other formats required by customers in the sector. With Interform continually maintaining and updating these templates, BIRN can rely on a strong foundation for producing the information their customers need for their own documentation and compliance processes, without the manual upkeep previously required.

With Interform delivered to BIRN as a cloud-based, well-supported solution, the organisation also gains flexibility in how it develops its setup going forward. Over time, BIRN expects to reduce the amount of time spent on non-value activities linked to output preparation, moving toward a unified, reliable and scalable setup for all document output.

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Logitrans

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Logitrans upgrades output management across a global manufacturing setup

A Danish maker of ergonomic lifting equipment moved off an M3-only output tool to InterformNG2, and now runs document output across Denmark, China and the US.

Denmark, with operations in China and the United States

Industry: Manufacturing
Business area: Lifting equipment
Country: Denmark
ERP: Infor M3 on IBM i

Customer overview

Logitrans A/S is a Danish manufacturer specialising in ergonomic lifting equipment, founded in 1940 and serving customers globally from production in Denmark and China, with a sales presence in the US. The company delivers handling solutions to industries such as food, pharma and logistics, where documentation and reliability are important. Logitrans runs Infor M3 (mainly on premises) on IBM i as its core ERP platform and uses InterformNG2 as its output solution.

The challenge

Before Interform, Logitrans used a single solution dedicated only to M3 output. This limited their ability to grow, standardise and improve the user experience. The IT organisation is relatively small, so an easy-to-use designer and reliable support were important. There were also cases where data in documents was not always correct, which created extra work and uncertainty for customers.

The project

Logitrans was the first customer to implement Interform’s M3 package, replacing their previous output setup. The initial configuration took only a few hours to import and set up. The first part of the implementation was completed directly by Interform and later developed in close collaboration with Columbus. The team especially benefited from the easy designer and from being able to embed PDFs in documents to improve customer-facing output. Interform’s Danish roots and strong support were also key, as Logitrans depends on a responsive vendor.

The results

With InterformNG2, Logitrans achieved better layout quality and more reliable data in customer documents. Output creation is easier to distribute internally because the designer is simpler to work with. Support from Interform has met expectations, which is important for a small IT department.

Although specific metrics are not available, Logitrans reports improved flexibility and confidence in document handling across its global operations.

We are dependent on good support, and Interform hasn’t disappointed us. I certainly recommend Interform.

Anders Grønbech, Chief Digital Information Officer, Logitrans A/S

Looking ahead

Logitrans already uses InterformNG2 across its global setup, including facilities in China and the US, and expects to continue expanding automation and standardisation in line with future digitalisation initiatives.

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Imperial Industries takes Infor XA output beyond the standard

Customer overview

The challenge

The project

What Imperial is using

Looking ahead

Talk to Interform about your ERP output

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