IFF Consulting + Software

What IFF Consulting + Software does

IFF Consulting + Software (iff consulting & software GmbH) is a privately held German software laboratory headquartered in Pfalzgrafenweiler, Germany, founded in 1991 as a spin-off from Gerhard Schuler's consulting firm under the umbrella of the HOMAG Group. The company designs, develops, and maintains LIGNOS-X, an integrated ERP/PPS (Enterprise Resource Planning / Production Planning and Control) system purpose-built for the multi-variant woodworking and adjacent polymer processing industry. LIGNOS-X originated from the LIGNOS software family first developed in 1978 and incorporates the world's first continuous variant control system for the woodworking industry; the firm has extended this into a modular suite covering CRM, order processing, manufacturing control, automation, calculation, time management, materials logistics, scheduling, supply chain management, document management, and financial integration, with machine integrations to all major woodworking equipment OEMs (Homag, IMA, Biesse, Weinig, Schelling, Holzma, Weeke, and others).\n\nThe company's business model combines direct software licensing of LIGNOS-X modules with a consulting-first go-to-market approach that consciously rejects the "software seller" label in favor of independent technical advice followed by implementation, hotline support, and customization. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the firm describes its module pricing as "relatively low" and emphasizes open-source components to keep customer introduction costs down. The revenue model draws on subscription/recurring module licensing alongside professional services for implementation and ongoing support. Customers are exclusively in the Holzindustrie (woodworking industry) — furniture, kitchens, windows, facades, doors, building elements, and prefabricated houses — with installations described worldwide from Norway to New Zealand. Fritz Franke, co-founder and former chief developer at predecessor UGS, serves as the sole managing director (Geschäftsführer), and the company remains founder/management-owned with no institutional investors, no funding rounds, and no disclosed headcount beyond a small team of 1-10 employees.

Name

IFF Consulting + Software

Legal name

iff consulting & software GmbH

Website

https://iff.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IFF Consulting + Software (iff consulting & software GmbH) is a privately held German software firm that develops and sells LIGNOS-X, an integrated ERP/PPS system purpose-built for the multi-variant woodworking industry, serving furniture, window, facade, door, and building element manufacturers worldwide from its Pfalzgrafenweiler headquarters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Woodworking ERP/PPS Software

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHDAEAEAB

Manufacturing ERP (Discrete, Process, Batch)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Enterprise Platforms & Databases/Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Platforms

SECONDARYHDAEAEAA

Core ERP Suites (Financials, Procurement, Projects)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Enterprise Platforms & Databases/Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Platforms

SECONDARYBPAEAGAA

ERP Implementation & Systems Integration Services

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/Enterprise Applications Services (ERP/CRM/HRIS)

Keywords

• Woodworking ERP software
• Production planning systems
• Variant manufacturing software
• Shop floor automation software
• Wood industry solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Pfalzgrafenweiler

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Modules: LIGNOS-X software modules sold as comprehensive solution or individual modules. Extensive parameterization of standard modules allows high level of individualization.
2. Consulting Services: Independent consulting and software house providing advice-first approach. Value analysis and benefit analysis determine optimal solutions for customers.
3. Software Implementation Support: Technical documentation, software introduction support, hotline services, and system introduction for Holzindustrie customers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

iff consulting & software GmbH designs, develops, and licenses LIGNOS-X, an integrated ERP/PPS organization system purpose-built for the multi-variant woodworking and polymer processing industry. The offering bundles core ERP/PPS functions with production and route planning, shop-floor factory control, supply chain and warehouse management, document management, CAD integration, CRM, financial integration, and mobile apps, delivered together with implementation consulting, hotline support, and training services.

Product overview

IFF Consulting + Software offers LIGNOS-X, a comprehensive ERP/PPS (Enterprise Resource Planning / Production Planning and Control) system designed specifically for the multi-variant wood and polymer processing industry. The product portfolio consists of the core LIGNOS-X platform and numerous modular add-ons. LIGNOS-X originated from LIGNOS software developed since 1978, which later evolved into specialized derivatives for the furniture (LIGNOS-M), window/facade (LIGNOS-F), and door (LIGNOS-T) industries. In 1991, these were consolidated into the unified LIGNOS-X system. The current LIGNOS-X suite encompasses modules for production planning and control (PRP-Center), factory automation (Factory-Control), document management (Info-Center/DMS), supply chain management (Supply-Center), warehouse/materials management (LIGNOS-Warehouse), workshop management (Werkstatt-Online), sales management (Vertriebs-Manager), CAD integration, financial integration, CRM, variant management, and a Resource Planner. Mobile apps for Android and iOS extend the system to field operations. The system operates on an open architecture supporting client-server and terminal server deployments, with database independence and open system standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lignos-X: The EDP-organization system for the multi-variant woodworking and polymer processing industry. A holistic integration system covering CRM, order processing, manufacturing control, automation, calculation, time management, materials logistics, scheduling, supply-chain-management, and documentation management.

Products and services

• LIGNOS-X Integrated EDP organization system for the multi-variant wood and polymer processing industry, covering CRM, order processing, manufacturing control, automation, calculation, time management, materials logistics, scheduling, supply chain management, document management, and financial integration. Designed for woodworking manufacturers producing variant-heavy products across furniture, windows, doors, kitchens, bedrooms, and building elements.
• LIGNOS-X Factory-Control Interface module connecting LIGNOS-X PPS to individual processing units on the shop floor. Communicates directly with control systems of leading woodworking machine and plant manufacturers (Homag, IMA, Biesse, Holzma, Schelling, Weinig, Weeke, Brema, Priess+Horstmann, REM, MAKA, Gubisch, Reinhardt, Alberti, Comil).
• Werkstatt-Online (Paperless Factory) Workshop Online module delivering paperless factory operations: replaces production lists with ergonomic touch-screen displays showing work templates, part drawings, and real-time central status updates; enables machine control down to a quantity of one and supports manual workstation integration.
• Resource Planner Resource planning module for LIGNOS-X covering resource scheduling and capacity planning, including CalDav interface and mobile apps support.
• Mobile Apps (Android & iOS) Mobile applications extending LIGNOS-X to Android and iOS devices for field reporting of missing or damaged parts during outdoor assembly, with mobile data capture and synchronization to the central LIGNOS-X system.

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration22 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered foundational, supporting and core.

• HOMAG AGfoundationalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Ehrensenator Professor Gerhard Schuler, co-founder of iff consulting & software GmbH, was also a co-founder of HOMAG AG. The company emerged from the reorganization of Gerhard Schuler's old consulting firm and its integration into the HOMAG group.
• Open Source CommunitysupportingTechnology or IntegrationWorldwide collaboration with leading development groups of the Open Source Community for best results in standardization and future viability. LIGNOS-X uses open source solutions where useful.
• Homag GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationMachine manufacturer integration for factory control. Homag is one of the leading woodworking machine manufacturers with realized machine integrations.
• IMA (Internationale Möbelälien Maschinen)coreTechnology or IntegrationMachine manufacturer integration for manufacturing automation with realized machine connections.
• Biesse GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationMachine manufacturer integration with realized Biesse machine connections in LIGNOS-X factory control.
• Weinig GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationMachine manufacturer integration for wood processing with realized Weinig machine connections.
• WeekesupportingTechnology or IntegrationCNC machining center manufacturer with realized machine integrations in LIGNOS-X.
• SchellingsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSawing and material handling equipment manufacturer with realized integrations.
• Holzma (HOMAG Group)coreTechnology or IntegrationCutting and processing equipment manufacturer with realized machine integrations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Weinig Group: Weinig specializes in solid wood processing machinery and offers automation/software around its equipment, making it a comparable broad incumbent and integration partner for LIGNOS-X in the wood-processing industry.
• Biesse Group: Biesse manufactures woodworking machinery and offers its own software/automation platform; it integrates with LIGNOS-X but also competes with it for the digital factory budget of large woodworking manufacturers.
• SCM Group: SCM Group is a major Italian woodworking machinery manufacturer with an integrated software offering, comparable to Biesse and Homag as a broad incumbent in woodworking automation that overlaps with IFF's space.
• Hexagon AB (Manufacturing Intelligence): Hexagon acquired Imos AG and operates a broad manufacturing software portfolio covering CAD/CAM, MES, and quality — a much larger incumbent with deep overlap to IFF's vertical ERP/automation scope.
• Homag Group (Dürr AG): Homag (now part of Dürr) is the world's largest woodworking machinery manufacturer and bundles its own software/automation stack around its machines — a broad incumbent that both partners with IFF on integrations and competes at the enterprise software layer.

Direct peers

• Listemann AG: Listemann AG provides industry-specific ERP/MES software for the furniture, kitchen, and interior fitting industries in German-speaking markets, competing head-to-head with LIGNOS-X in the same vertical niche.
• Imos AG: Imos AG (now part of Hexagon) develops imos iXFurniture and related CAD/CAM/ERP software for the furniture, kitchen, and woodworking industries — the most direct head-to-head competitor to LIGNOS-X in vertical woodworking software.
• MB-Sys Software GmbH: MB-Sys provides ERP and order-processing software specifically for the German furniture and woodworking industry, making it a direct niche competitor to IFF's LIGNOS-X suite.
• Kuhnle & Linnemann Software (K+L): K+L develops ERP and PPS software tailored to the furniture and woodworking industry, targeting the same SMB and mid-market manufacturers that IFF serves with LIGNOS-X.

Emerging players

• proALPHA Group: proALPHA provides mid-market ERP software used by industrial manufacturers including some wood/furniture producers, representing an adjacent horizontal ERP competitor that occasionally penetrates IFF's niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IFF Consulting + Software