Building the Digital Backbone of a Global Fire & Façade Engineering Leader
Modernising a global engineering giant through technical leadership, complex systems integration, and a future-ready IoT ecosystem.
The requirement
SE Controls operates at the intersection of life-critical systems, engineering excellence, and high-volume data. As its global footprint and product portfolio expanded, so too did the complexity of its digital ecosystem.
The business needed to modernise how it:
- Managed large volumes of product, project and device data
- Connected its IoT-enabled façade and fire-safety systems to central platforms
- Supported engineers, installers and customers in the field
- Scaled operations while maintaining regulatory compliance and reliability
This was not a single system replacement — it was a full digital transformation touching almost every part of the organisation.
The project at-a-glance
- Strategic technical leadership: Directed a multi-disciplinary team to architect a global digital ecosystem.
- Mission-critical IoT: Secured and centralised management for thousands of global life-safety devices.
- Enterprise integration: Developed bespoke platforms with deep Microsoft Dynamics 365 integration.
- Data-driven compliance: Enabled real-time telemetry, transforming the manufacturer into a systems provider.
- Future-Ready roadmap: Established a long-term alliance for AI-driven automation and advanced analytics.
Our solution
IDS Group was appointed to lead the transformation, heading up a multi-disciplinary specialist team including Evifile and Nexer.
IDS took responsibility for overall technical leadership, enterprise architecture and delivery, ensuring every platform aligned to SE Controls’ long-term commercial and operational goals.
This created a partnership that went far beyond software delivery — it became a strategic technology alliance.
What We Built
A connected digital ecosystem
IDS designed and delivered a suite of bespoke platforms and mobile applications that now form the digital backbone of SE Controls’ global operations.
These platforms:
- Integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Manage large-scale product, project and asset data
- Connect and control IoT-enabled façade and smoke ventilation systems
- Support engineers and service teams in the field
- Provide real-time operational insight across the business
The result is a single, connected ecosystem where information flows effortlessly between engineering, manufacturing, delivery and service.
IoT-driven building intelligence
SE Controls’ systems operate in mission-critical environments, protecting people and property in some of the world’s most complex buildings.
IDS enabled:
- Secure management of thousands of connected devices
- Continuous telemetry from façade and life-safety systems
- Centralised monitoring, diagnostics and compliance reporting
- Smarter preventative maintenance and fault detection
This has transformed SE Controls from a product manufacturer into a connected, data-driven systems provider.
Enterprise integration with Dynamics 365
At the core of the solution is deep integration with Dynamics 365, providing:
- A single source of truth for customers, projects and assets
- Automated workflows across sales, operations and service
- Reduced manual handling and improved data quality
This has significantly improved efficiency, visibility and control across the organisation.
The results
The partnership has enabled SE Controls to:
- Scale globally with confidence
- Improve compliance and traceability across safety-critical systems
- Reduce operational workload through automation and integration
- Empower engineers and customers with real-time data
- Create a platform for continuous innovation
Most importantly, it has positioned SE Controls to remain the market leader in intelligent fire and façade engineering systems.
IDS and SE Controls continue to work together on a forward-looking technology roadmap that includes:
- AI-driven automation to further reduce workloads
- Advanced data analytics for predictive maintenance and compliance
- Ongoing evolution of IoT and cloud platforms
- New digital services for building owners and operators
Together, IDS and SE Controls are not just responding to today’s challenges — they are shaping the future of intelligent, connected buildings.
“IDS have been instrumental in helping us transform how we operate as a business. This wasn’t just about new systems — it was about building a digital foundation that supports our growth, our people and our customers. Their technical leadership and understanding of our operational challenges has made them a trusted long-term partner for SE Controls.”
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