Staffans Maskin Switches to DSM with Minimal Prep

In the spring of 2020, Staffans Maskin in Sweden made the decision to switch to DSM. Although the plan was originally to implement in autumn, the COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly accelerated the timeline. With only a few weeks of preparation, the switch went ahead at the end of April.

"We thought spring would be quiet, so we could take time to implement DSM," recalls Jonas Johansson, Sales Manager and son of the founders. "But sales stayed busy, and we went live with almost no preparation."

Starting the DMS Switch with Limited Preparation

In early 2020, Staffans Maskin got in touch with JMA and began discussing a transition to DSM. The original plan was to make the switch in autumn — but the pandemic changed everything.

Jonas Johansson, Sales Manager, recalls:

“We got in touch with JMA and their DSM system at the start of 2020. The plan was to begin the transition in autumn, but when everything was moved up, we went ahead with very little preparation.

We were scheduled to do inventory at the end of April, so we basically kicked off the switch at the same time. All in all, we had less than a month to prepare.”

The company had previously used another ERP system, but relied heavily on pen and paper. Digital tools were used mainly for producing quotes. As customer demands for e-invoices and PDFs increased, it became clear the old setup was no longer sustainable.

Why DSM, and Why JMA Felt Like the Right Fit

Jonas Johansson, Sales Manager at Staffans Maskin, explains why the company chose DSM — and what convinced them that JMA was the right partner for such a major transition:

“Switching ERP systems is no small thing. It has to work on a personal level, and the system itself needs to meet our needs.

What I liked straight away was that DSM is Microsoft-based, and that JMA has a large development team in Denmark. That gives us strong integration with other tools, and it feels reassuring to know they’re actively investing in the future.

If you’re used to working in the Microsoft Office environment, a lot of things feel familiar — and there are plenty of shared commands with Excel.

On a personal level, it just felt right too. JMA understands our industry, which I really value, and just as important: they met us at our level and spoke our language.

We were already well organised, but we did everything our own way — quite analogue. Making the leap to a fully digital system that connects sales, parts, and finance is a big step.

You need to have real trust in the provider, and that’s exactly what we felt with JMA.”

Support and Flexibility Made All the Difference

Roughly five months after the switch to DSM, Andreas Johansson — Co-owner of Staffans Maskin and responsible for logistics — reflects on what made the transition work.

“As Jonas said, the soft factors really matter. I used to think ERP systems were only for big companies with multiple branches. But JMA built a solution around our needs, and it fits us perfectly.

Their responsiveness and support have been key during this transition — and it’s what made everything run as smoothly as it did.

I also want to give a special shoutout to Inger Johansson, our Finance Manager, and Caroline Nilsson, who’s in charge of spare parts. This has been a demanding process, but they’ve handled it brilliantly.”

A Digital Upgrade in Spare Parts

Caroline Nilsson, who has worked at Staffans Maskin for over a decade, is responsible for spare parts handling across locations and workshop operations. The switch to DSM has already made a big difference — and the benefits will only grow as they complete the transition.

“We used to do most things manually, which meant an enormous amount of paper — binders and more binders. Now, five months in, I can already see major improvements, and even more in the long run once everything is fully implemented.

We have a huge number of parts to enter into the system, but once it’s done, it will make things much easier.

Our goal is to have full control over inventory between Horred and Kungälv, to avoid running out of parts, and to save our workshop staff from running around looking for components. It will also simplify our next stocktake.”

Caroline also highlights the support from JMA as a key factor in the smooth rollout. She appreciated how easy they were to contact, how well they adapted to her way of working, and the consistency of having the same consultant for most issues.  

Smarter Sales with Machine Tagging

The sales team also had to adjust to new workflows, but like the rest of the business, they quickly saw the benefits of having everything in one system.

Jonas Johansson explains:

“When it comes to machines and equipment, the machine tagging feature is a great tool. We add a tag with a code that shows everything,  service history, compatibility, pricing, and more.

We have a lot of equipment here at our Horred site. If a customer has visited and later asks about something, it’s not always easy to know exactly what they’re referring to. Now, they can send us a photo of the machine tag, and I can instantly bring up the details and help them.

Our goal is for all spare parts to eventually have barcodes too, so all the necessary info is right there.

We also scan all incoming supplier invoices using Document Capture, so in DSM we can search by keyword and quickly find all price-related info without digging through old binders. It saves a huge amount of time.”

A Leap of Faith for Finance

Inger Johansson, Finance Manager and long-time team member, felt the change most acutely:

"Switching ERP systems is like replacing the nervous system of a person. At first, it felt like jumping into the unknown." Now, all financial processes are handled in DSM. "It’s no longer freefall," she laughs. "More like bouncing down stairs on your bum."

Inger used to work in two systems; now she handles everything in one.

"Support has been outstanding. We even bought an extra year of support and haven’t regretted it for a second. Everyone I’ve spoken to at JMA has been professional and helpful."

She gestures to a shelf behind her: "See those binders? You can tell by the colours how much paper we used to generate. We save so much time now, and that means money too."

She adds: "I'm getting better and better at the system, but sometimes I still need help with things we only do once or twice a year. That’s when support really shines."

Facts about Staffans Maskin AB

• Founded: 1978
• Industry: Construction, agriculture, and forestry equipment
• Locations: Horred (HQ), Kungälv, Brålanda in Sweden
• Employees: 19
• Annual turnover: ~SEK 140 million
• Website: staffansmaskin.se