Greenled

Challenge: A more comprehensive business management system

Greenled has already lived in two different eras during its history of slightly more than ten years. The company started its operations by importing energy-efficient lighting solutions from the Far East. Over time, it turned out, however, that it would be much easier to meet customer demand by transferring the production closer.

This transfer took place in 2013. With local production, Greenled could meet customers’ needs related to light technology and energy efficiency better than before, and there was an increase in demand. The services included more and more customization – as well as intelligence.

Greenled has cooperated with Pinja throughout its existence. At first, a strong focus was placed on CRM functions, customer relationship management and purchase orders. A genuine shift towards a more comprehensive business management system started during 2013–2015 by gradually building Greenled’s product structures in the system.

Over the years, more functionalities have been introduced to the system step by step. The journey towards the current comprehensive Total ERP by Pinja was made slowly, adapting to the needs of Greenled’s business in all of its stages.

– Today, we use Total ERP to manage all of our business activities all the way from customer management to production, product development, procurement, warehousing and installation calendars including detailed customer sites. In my view, Pinja’s Total ERP serves these needs extremely well, says Greenled’s Managing Director Pertti Tahvanainen.

Solution: Up to one million product variations

Greenled’s customer roster comprises a large number of companies operating in logistics, trade, the forest industry, etc. In addition, the clientele includes public administration organizations, such as municipalities and cities. In addition to shopping centers, factories, offices and schools, Greenled also provides lighting to outdoor areas and streets, etc.

Greenled’s specific competitive advantages include its huge product range, extensive customizability and turnkey deliveries including installation. The company provides total lighting solutions and maintains efficient lighting systems that improve the performance of organizations throughout their lifecycle.

– We have taken the customization of our solutions quite far. For example, the Sirius street lighting range has up to one million selectable product variations. Therefore, effective operational planning enabled by Total ERP is vital for us. It helps us develop our productization and product range on a continuous basis, Tahvanainen explains.

An important part of business efficiency is product optimization. Greenled is operating in two shifts and the fastest customer deliveries have been completed in 2 to 3 days. Total ERP helps in work management and component storage optimization. In addition, it assists in coordinating installation work, which has a key role in the company’s business.

Since Total ERP is relatively widely used at Greenled, there are also many key user groups. The system is used continuously in production, procurement, installation, sales, the finance department, etc. Thanks to Power BI elements, the system offers an increasing number of business intelligence tools for knowledge-based management. Even Tahvanainen himself uses the system every day.

– I always start my workday with a review of three reports. I check how our sales, production and installation are doing. This has developed into a long-term habit for me and I simply cannot get rid of it, Tahvanainen says with a laugh.

Lighting is part of business and wellbeing

Greenled’s future vision is strongly connected to the Nordic countries. Greenled’s goal is to be the most preferred partner for lighting solutions in the Nordic countries. Business targets are promoted by customers’ growing consciousness of the wide range of benefits offered by lighting.

– Previously, lighting was seen mainly as a part of the building, a some kind of necessary evil. Now, it is considered an important part of business and, to the highest degree, a part of people’s wellbeing. In fact, we now talk about human-centered lighting, Tahvanainen says.

Lighting that is appropriate for its purpose reduces errors, incidents and absence for sickness, among other things. It also increases productivity and has a positive effect on the energy efficiency of the organization.

– The future is in lifecycle management and seeing lighting as a Lighting as a Service (LaaS) solution. We also see substantial potential in utilizing lighting systems for new unseen purposes. Every real estate has some kind of lighting, and so have the city centers. Lighting systems thus create quite a natural network, provided with inbuilt control. The potential for utilizing this network could be significant for 5G purposes, for instance, Tahvanainen says anticipating the future.

According to Tahvanainen, their long-term cooperation with Pinja has been like a journey made together from the past to the future. At times, they have stopped to examine the current status of the system more thoroughly and critically, then always continued the joint development.

– There are two reasons why our close cooperation has continued for such a long time. Firstly, we have found that Pinja’s solution serves our business goals in the best possible way. Total ERP has always offered an appropriate module, which we have then modified to suit our specific needs. Secondly, Pinja’s expertise is convincing and communication between us is excellent, Tahvanainen states.