Scandinavian companies are this year aiming to make their mark in the West Midlands, stimulating the economy and jobs prospects - by using a 'secret weapon.'

Multi-million pound expansion programmes are expected to cut the dole queue and kick-start demand among suppliers.

The 'secret weapon' is a business tool which enables business growth, known as Enterprise Resource Planning, a Management Information System led by Swedish company with an English name - Jeeves.

It comes as key partners in the Midlands at the University of Warwick Science Park, Martineau in Birmingham and European Business Solutions based in Warwick, launch a new private sector initiative to encourage Scandinavian firms to set up in the Midlands.

Jeeves assisted growth in a wide range of European firms last year and through greater efficiency, they have used it to climb out of recession, with smoother business processes and smarter working. It supports all business processes, from order to manufacturing and fulfilment, boosting productivity in firms of all sizes.

Jeeves, named after the all-knowing butler of Bertie Wooster, is at the heart of growth amid injection of Swedish business for Midlands.

Martin Williams, of Warwick's European Business Solutions, based at the city's Innovations Centre, www.ebs.ltd.uk, helps introduce European firms to the UK. He said: "Private sector partners in the Midlands have come together in a programme to encourage Scandinavian companies to set up in this region. This will be a simpler approach to development and we are already talking to ten companies looking to expand their markets in the UK with associated prospects for new jobs."

"This will be rolled out throughout 2011 and companies will be following the example of Jeeves Information Systems UK in tapping in to the UK economy".

Jeeves has 20 years' experience, and is 'most popular Enterprise Resource Planning solution' in Sweden, ahead of IBS, Lawson, SAP, Oracle and IFS, in last year's industry-recognised Exido barometer.

Jeeves' Pete Fehily said:  "The system transformed one distributor's business. We completed the upgrade in two weeks, with minimal fuss, preserving processes such as his e-commerce application that handles and translates web-based orders.

"Jeeves Universal is innovative and competitive, easily adapted through the architecture that underpins the system.  It's a new breed of software, saving firms from labouring with ageing systems."

Businesses and organisations that need Enterprise Resource Planning advice  can contact Peter Fehily on 0844 335 1115 or by email via info.uk@jeeves.se.