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Case Feon

Digia supports data-driven management at steel service company Feon

Feon and Digia began working together with the rapid delivery of an ERP system. Since then, Digia has supported Feon’s business with a wide range of reporting and analytics solutions based on Qlik Sense and K4 Analytics.

Read the summary (Generated by AI, checked by a human)

  • Feon, a steel service company that uses data to manage its business, relies on solutions delivered by Digia using K4 Analytics and Qlik Sense technologies.
  • Rapid ERP delivery laid the foundation for the partnership: When Feon separated from its parent company, it needed a new ERP system quickly. Digia Envision went live in just three months.
  • Analytics strengthened Feon’s data-driven strategy: Digia has supported Feon with Qlik Sense and K4 Analytics solutions that automate forecasting and reporting, improve transparency, and increase the reliability of decision-making.
  • The partnership delivers business benefits and greater efficiency: Forecasts help Feon optimize production and procurement, while Qlik Sense speeds up pricing and gives partners access to real-time information. The partnership is built on a deep understanding of Feon’s business.
 

Feon is one of Finland’s largest steel service companies. It is the market leader in several of its product categories and one of the country’s leading steel importers.

Digia and Feon started their journey together in 2016, when Feon separated from its parent company at the time. The fast-moving transition meant that Feon needed a new ERP system and connected reporting capabilities quickly. The company selected Digia Envision, which was successfully brought into production in three months.

This marked the start of a partnership in which Digia provides analytics and reporting solutions to support data-driven management at Feon.

Services provided

  • Forecasting solution supporting the S&OP process
  • Pricing tool
  • Customer-specific data reporting solution

Technologies used

  • K4 Analytics
  • Qlik Sense
  • Qlik Sense SaaS
“It is a clear advantage for us that the provider of our reporting and analytics solutions also knows the ERP system. This allows them to quickly assess how the solutions we want can be implemented and how much work they will require. Business understanding makes everything easier because the Digia team understands what we need and why.”

Marko Kähkönen, Chief Information Officer, Feon

Data-driven management is part of Feon’s strategy

Data-driven decision-making and transparency are important principles for Feon. The company has long used data in areas such as sales and operations planning (S&OP), pricing, and services for partner customers.

Feon initially met its forecasting and analytics needs with Excel files. With Digia’s support, the company has automated these processes to improve efficiency and data reliability and reduce error-prone manual work.

“Data-driven management and data-driven operations have been part of our strategy since the company was founded. This is why developing our reporting and ensuring systematic and reliable forecasts are extremely important to us,” says Pekka Kurikka, Chief Financial Officer at Feon.

 

Long-term forecasts guide production, sales, and procurement

One of the key solutions for Feon’s business is K4 Analytics, which the company uses for sales and procurement forecasts, cost forecasts, and financial planning.

K4:n avulla Feon tuottaa ensin myynnin ennusteet ja sen perusteella hankinnan ennusteet. Tuota dataa rikastetaan muilla tiedoilla, kuten kiinteistökustannuksilla, ja tuloksena yritys saa ennusteen tuloslaskelmasta aina 15 kuukaudeksi eteenpäin. Tämän perusteella yrityksessä arvioidaan muun muassa tuotannon resurssitarpeita.

“The system brought structure to our work and improved the reliability of our forecasts. We use information more effectively and consistently because it is transparently available in one place,” Kurikka says.

Qlik Sense makes data available across the organization

Qlik Sense reporting solutions are also critical. They are available across Feon’s organization to support data-driven management. The solutions include a pricing tool for partner sales that combines information such as customer-specific pricing models and agreements with logistics costs.
  
“These tasks used to take a great deal of time. With so many variables, there was also room to improve reliability. Calculations that could previously take a full working day are now created almost automatically and always use the correct data,” says Vesa Huuhtanen, Head of Partner Business at Feon.

Feon has also improved transparency for its partners. Through a customer portal built with the SaaS version of Qlik Sense, partners can access real-time information about their orders.

The partnership between Digia and Feon is built on collaboration and expertise

Digia has become one of Feon’s most important ICT partners. According to Chief Information Officer Marko Kähkönen, the partnership is much more efficient because the analytics partner also knows the source system thoroughly.

What stands out, however, is that Digia’s Service Manager and team understand not only the products they provide, but also Feon’s business.

“It is a clear advantage for us that the provider of our reporting and analytics solutions also knows the ERP system. This allows them to quickly assess how the solutions we want can be implemented and how much work they will require. Business understanding makes everything easier because the Digia team understands what we need and why,” Kähkönen says.

From ERP provider to strategic partner

The direction of the partnership was clear from the start. Feon wanted an ERP provider that could also support its reporting and analytics needs. The partnership has only grown stronger along the way.

Kähkönen says that working with Digia is also easy because the solutions are carefully planned in advance and are often productized.

“With Digia, we always know in advance what the outcome will be and what it will cost.”

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