Betset

The challenge: Better management of the company’s own production process and providing customers with real-time visibility to the process

Betset had set two central targets for the Power BI implementation project: better management of the company’s own production process and providing customers with real-time visibility to the process. Communication of such openness is not quite so common in the building industry, but Betset believes in the power of transparent operations.

– We see a genuine competitive advantage in that customers can receive from us, conveniently and reliably, information that they need related to production and its steps. We think that it is important that customers can also meet their own obligations to their own customers”, says Harri Bergholm, Director of Development at Betset.

Hence, in addition to consistently providing high-quality products, it is also central to be able to verify the quality produced.

The solution: Power BI reporting solution was integrated to Betset’s own ERP system with Pinja’s operating model

Betset uses a custom-built ERP system into which the Microsoft Power BI reporting solution was now integrated. Betset identifies this Microsoft solution as having a strong development potential, even far into the future.

– We started our first development project for reporting together with Pinja already in the summer of 2017 and made a good step forward with it. This year, the time was ripe for the next step, a step into the real business intelligence culture. This is why we carried out the development project with Pinja”, says Esa Kyrönlahti, Director of Information Management at Betset.

Pinja’s operating model in the Power BI development project was divided into a definition stage and an implementation project. For Betset, this model was straightforward and conveniently supported work.

– The definition stage definitely engaged our employees, and it had a clear start and a clear end. To a large extent, we felt that Pinja facilitated our own work and guided our development efforts in the right direction. The definition stage prepared us to consider the part of our own work in the entire project; therefore, we were in a good position and had a clear task list to move towards an implementation project carried out by a larger group”, Bergholm says.

According to Bergholm and Kyrönlahti, the engaging approach adopted in the development project and the tools selected by Pinja suited extremely well to their intended purpose. This procedure had perfectly supported remote working and they had felt that all were really working together.

– The change brought about by the development project has of course compelled us to learn new things, but we have felt all the time that we are in good hands. Pinja’s approach demonstrates professional excellence”, Bergholm states.

Results are immediately visible – but development is continuous

Betset has been able to enjoy the results of the development project immediately after its completion, from the end of September 2020. Even during this short period, concrete changes in a better direction have been noticed.

– For example, we have achieved remarkable savings in the consumption of accessories. I would estimate that losses have already now reduced by about 5%. On an annual basis, it is a really significant amount, Kyrönlahti says.

The main target, efficient management and leading of customer projects, has already started to come true with the Power BI solution. An element that can remarkably help us in adopting the business intelligence culture is effective visualization.

– We are continuously learning new things about data visualization. To a large extent, we have had this information already available in our own ERP system. Data is continuously processed further, and now we can also display it visually and in this way use it as a basis for better decision making. Similarly, we can provide the customer’s end users with a view that illustrates the entire picture with an accuracy that suits their needs, Kyrönlahti states.

However, the development work also continues. In the next step, the system will be put into practice also involving Betset’s customers, and more efficient response capability will be rehearsed in production with the new data-based model.

– The best contribution to our enterprise resource planning is that decision-making is made easier and we can actually see the effect magnitude of each selection we make in production. An important part in this renewal is that we now have real-time data acquisition. In this way, the effectiveness of selections is immediately visible – instead of after many weeks, Kyrönlahti concludes.