October 22, 2024
Driving scalability in a global business
The only constant is change. Normet is embracing it with Smart365 – a major business change programme with a large IT dimension, aimed at meeting the needs of our growing, global business. Global, scalable IT solutions are the answer, says Juha Tuominen, CIO.
Normet Smart365 is a major strategic business change management programme with a large IT dimension. It supports the company’s continuing development from local to global and is intended to answer the question: how to drive and control adoption of our global business processes? Normet is an international company that nonetheless still has a local flavour in its worldwide business operations. The need for the Smart365 concept has arisen from the company’s growth ambition and is one of the key initiatives supporting the execution of the company strategy for 2023-2027.
Disparate systems in different locations can impact our flexibility. For example, we currently operate in over 30 countries and have several different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in place. This range of systems makes it challenging to scale our solutions to customer requirements, among other things. To solve this, we have defined a global template for ERP and other solutions and are rolling it out to all countries where Normet’s presence is significant, with full take-up in the very near future.
Three main solutions for profitable growth
In the Smart365 concept, there are three main elements which together offer an end-to-end solution across the business. First, we have CRM, or customer relationship management, for the global sales team. Next, an ERP solution that helps the company to automate and manage its core transactional business processes for optimal performance. Finally, there is a Field Service solution for managing the fleet in the field. These three elements are the main components of the concept, with ERP being the epicentre of it.
The overall motivation for Smart365 is to enable profitable growth for Normet. As we work towards a more unified system landscape, with that comes full visibility and the ability to manage and control business operations from a single point. Additionally, it increases transparency and improves communication and enables us to make the global business environment more straightforward to navigate.
Our three Business Lines of Equipment, Services and GCCT (Ground Control and Construction Technologies), will reap the benefits of having everything from supply chains to warehouses, pricing, open orders, open offers – the whole business environment accessible and available when needed.
Specific challenges require mitigation
Also, as we scale our operations, we notice that there can be very different challenges in different locations. For example, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have had knock-on effects around the world, or legislation in countries or unions can differ greatly. Certain wider trends also emerge, for example the issue of cybersecurity, which is an issue we have invested a lot into. We want to be better equipped when it comes to cybersecurity threats and able to mitigate the potential risks.
Alongside the changes in transforming our system landscape and reaping its inherent benefits, I would like to also highlight the focus on some of our smart products. It is the logic and intelligence in in our solutions which is becoming more important as a differentiator from our competition. We hear that whereas the US is innovating, for example with AI, the EU is regulating. But we still need to maintain our position as a true technological innovator. Tools such as the IoT and the ability to see fleet information through sensors which then upload the data to the cloud, which can then be used as the foundation for the digital intelligence in our equipment and services, are the keys to the future.
Connecting the dots from the physical to digital
We connect the dots, so to speak, between the physical and digital worlds and enable them to operate harmoniously. When we have the same core systems and services set up throughout the company then it will also make collaboration within Normet much easier and provide employees with more opportunities.
The Smart365 concept aims at building scalable platforms and technologies that improve our customers safety, efficiency, and productivity and help in supporting our global growth ambitions. To do this, we need global IT solutions that continue to evolve as the industry and our company does.
