For more than 200 years, MWH Treatment (MWHT) has designed and built water and wastewater treatment solutions for the UK’s water industry, handing completed projects over to clients like Anglian Water, Severn Trent and Thames Water. IFS had sat at the centre of that work for nearly 20 years, and by 2022 MWHT had both the investment and the appetite to move on from a legacy Apps8 version of the system and upgrade to IFS Cloud.
The scale of the programme was considerable: 18 years of data, more than 1,500 users, and a business that had grown from six major UK water frameworks to eight in the space of a few years. Whilst the technical upgrade was a significant challenge, selecting the right partner to deliver it successfully was equally critical. The project wasn’t just about moving data to a new system. IFS supported many of MWHT’s day-to-day core business processes, including finance, procurement, HR and project delivery. The upgrade had to be carefully managed to keep the business running smoothly while also creating a platform that could support future growth.
A Partner, Not Just a Consultancy
MWHT spent months evaluating a range of options, including Microsoft Dynamics and Odoo, before selecting IFS as the best fit for the unique demands of the UK construction sector. Core capabilities such as subcontract management, CIS tax handling, applications for payment and project financial control were available out of the box, whereas alternative solutions would have required significant customisation.
From a shortlist of IFS partners, Muzulu stood out not only for its technical expertise, but also for its consultative and collaborative approach from the very first conversation.
The programme was built around a “One Team” philosophy, bringing together MWHT’s business, project and technical teams with Muzulu’s upgrade specialists. The focus was on agile decision-making, open communication, stakeholder engagement and close collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
Rather than operating within a traditional customer-supplier model, both teams worked towards shared goals, maintaining transparency and knowledge sharing at every stage of the programme. Trust, collaboration and clear communication became defining features of the project and were instrumental in its success.
As Sara Wadsworth, Head of Business Systems at MWH Treatment, explained:
“One of the standout aspects of the project was how seamlessly Muzulu integrated with our team. It felt like a genuine partnership, with both organisations committed to achieving the best outcomes for the business.”
— Sara Wadsworth, Head of Business Systems at MWH Treatment
Honest Advice, Without Sugar-Coating
MWHT valued the open communication that ran throughout the programme, particularly when the complexities of a major ERP upgrade required important business decisions to be made. Midway through the project, the team faced a choice between proceeding with the planned go-live date or moving to a later release that offered a stronger long-term fit for the business.
Muzulu guided MWHT through the available options, helping assess the risks, opportunities and long-term implications of each approach. Following careful consideration, MWHT chose to adopt the later release and defer go-live by three months. The decision ultimately paid dividends, bringing forward key functionality and creating a stronger platform for a smoother and more successful launch.
“We valued the experience and perspective that Muzulu brought throughout the project. They took the time to understand our business, provide constructive advice and challenge when required, and helped us make better decisions.”
“Muzulu approached every challenge with the project’s success in mind. Their experience of both IFS and complex business operations helped us navigate key decisions with confidence, ultimately strengthening the outcome of the programme.”
Preparing for Every Scenario
Being one of the first customers to make the jump from Apps8 to IFS Cloud meant there was no playbook to follow, so both teams doubled down on preparation.
The team completed five full migration rehearsals, testing not only the technical migration but every aspect of the go-live process, including detailed timings and execution activities, ensuring any issues were resolved well before launch.
Alongside the migration itself, the two teams worked together to streamline user access and permissions, develop new integrations, and minimise unnecessary customisations by adopting standard IFS functionality wherever possible. This reduced complexity and positioned MWHT to adopt future IFS releases with minimal disruption.
Preparation also extended beyond the technical implementation. To ensure the right support structures were in place for go-live and beyond, MWHT and Muzulu established a shared issue management system ahead of launch, based on Muzulu’s own project delivery approach. This enabled issues to be assessed, prioritised and resolved quickly, helping to ensure a smooth and confident transition to IFS Cloud.
“We were relentless in our focus on testing and preparation throughout the programme.”
Building Business Readiness
Every major decision, however tight the timeline felt, was weighed against one goal: long-term success and strong user adoption. MWHT and Muzulu worked as one team throughout, continually checking in on technical readiness, business readiness and team readiness, so that users, processes and technology were all genuinely prepared for the change.
Business engagement was a major focus, supported by a structured change adoption approach. Strong executive sponsorship, support from key senior leaders, an active Evergreen community and superuser network, business roadshows, targeted communications and role-based training ensured end users remained engaged throughout the programme and were prepared to adopt new ways of working from day one.
By investing heavily in knowledge transfer, the programme helped embed expertise and capability within the business long after go-live, creating a sustainable support model and a strong foundation for continuous improvement.
The Numbers at Go-Live
1,550
More than 1,550 users were onboarded to the new platform.
98%
Supported by 98% completion of mandatory training.
89%
89% completion of workstream-specific training before launch.
User adoption was strong from the outset, with 30% of users logging in during the first hour and 62% accessing the system by the end of day one. Post-go-live performance was just as strong: zero critical issues were reported, and support tickets during the stabilisation period averaged just 0.6 per user, well under the industry norm, with minimal support required from either Muzulu or IFS.
A Better Day to Day
A year on, user feedback remains consistently positive. Strong user adoption, high satisfaction scores, improved system performance, and simplified navigation have transformed the day-to-day user experience, making the platform more intuitive and easier to use.
Much of that success can be attributed to the custom lobbies MWHT developed, which were designed around a simple rule: any key task should be reachable within three clicks. This was backed by a shared library of training materials that gave the business consistent, standardised guidance from day one.
Continuing the Journey
The upgrade was not viewed as a standalone project but as the foundation for future transformation. Since go-live, MWHT has continued to evolve the platform through service updates, process improvements, business-led enhancements and new digital capabilities. The stability achieved through the upgrade has enabled the business to focus on continuous improvement rather than system replacement.
A Long-Lasting Partnership
The partnership didn’t end with go-live. Throughout the programme, Muzulu invested significant time in embedding internal capability within MWHT’s teams, giving the business the knowledge and confidence to run much of the system itself, with Muzulu remaining on hand to support as and when needed.
“One of our key objectives was ensuring that MWH Treatment developed the knowledge, capability and confidence to manage the platform independently.
Muzulu supported our approach, through ongoing coaching, knowledge transfer and hands-on collaboration throughout the project.”
Asked what she would tell someone in her position considering a similar project, Sara didn’t hesitate:
“The programme was both ambitious and complex, but Muzulu brought a level of expertise, professionalism and commitment that gave us confidence throughout. The success of the project reflects the strength of the partnership we built together.”
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