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NetSuite ERP Industry

Case Novita

Novita transformed its business systems with NetSuite

Novita, a beloved Finnish family-owned company founded in 1928, is a household name among knitting enthusiasts. As the largest manufacturer of handcraft yarns in the Nordics, Novita produces around 10 million balls of yarn annually at its Koria factory.

A few years ago, Novita recognised that its legacy business system had reached the end of its lifecycle. To meet evolving needs and enable future growth, the company chose NetSuite as its new ERP system – delivered by Digia.

 

“The technology behind our old system was outdated and no longer able to respond to our rapidly changing needs. The leap from a client-based solution to a cloud-based system was a major shift for our operations,” says Petri Ala-Juoni, CFO of Novita and project owner.

The large-scale transformation project involved a complete overhaul of Novita’s business system, with the new solution going live in May 2022. The goal was to improve operational efficiency and increase transparency across departments. Today, NetSuite supports Novita’s finance, order-to-delivery chain, production control, and CRM – the latter used to manage key customer assortments and campaigns.

“The system now tells us in real time whether a particular product is available – and if it’s not, we get information on when it will be back in stock. Significant steps forward have also been taken in logistics thanks to NetSuite,” says Ala-Juoni, and continues: “Digia is a major player with the backbone and strength to lead a project of this scale.”

What we delivered

  • Business system for maging finances, sales, stock, orders, deliveries as well as production management.

Methodology used

The system now tells us in real time whether a product is available – and if not, when it will be. Logistics has also taken a significant step forward thanks to NetSuite. Digia is a major player with the strength and reliability to lead a project of this scale.

Petri Ala-Juoni, CFO, Novita

A major system project delivered entirely remotely

The COVID-19 pandemic added a unique twist to the project: the entire implementation was carried out remotely. The absence of in-person meetings brought its own challenges, making communication between Digia’s consultants and Novita’s team especially critical.
 
“We had skilled and experienced consultants from Digia who stayed with us throughout the project. Workshops and meetings were frequent, and our needs and ideas were heard. We also learned a lot from the consultants,” Ala-Juoni summarises.
 
Towards the end of the project, virtual warehouse tours were held via video to give Digia’s consultants a better understanding of Novita’s operations and how the new system needed to adapt to them.
 

NetSuite as a daily tool for the entire organisation

The system change has impacted the entire organisation. NetSuite now serves as the sole operational system, used daily by all departments except machine operators. It supports logistics, production planning, procurement, sales, and finance – and user feedback has been largely positive.
 
“The feedback has been generally positive. Of course, we’re still learning the logic of the new system. As we get better at navigating it, the benefits will become even clearer. I’ve already seen the transparency and ease of use we were aiming for,” Ala-Juoni notes.
 
Novita adopted a comprehensive ERP solution in one go, tailoring it with various extensions to meet its specific needs.
 
“We switched off the old system all at once – like ripping off a plaster. It stings for a moment, but then you move forward quickly,” Ala-Juoni says. Now, the company is in a place where daily operations run more smoothly and users are making the most of the system’s capabilities.
 
Following the successful go-live, Novita is now evaluating outcomes and planning the next development steps.
 
“Our way of working has changed significantly, though the framework remains the same. For example, sales orders are still created as before, but the process is different – and we’re now looking for the best ways to operate as a whole. The system runs relatively smoothly, and development continues,” Ala-Juoni says.
 
The shift to a cloud-based service has also made remote work easier, with system access no longer requiring a separate VPN connection. Minor updates to the system have been implemented seamlessly in the background, without disrupting daily work.
 

Digitalisation as a driver of future growth

Knitting and handcrafting have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, and Novita has experienced clear growth.
 
“We want to keep this enthusiasm alive and expand it beyond Finland. We’re broadening our business and continuing to inspire and bring joy. We’re not just selling products – we’re giving consumers a sense of achievement,” Ala-Juoni says.
 
With NetSuite now serving as the core system, Novita’s digital infrastructure better supports this vision. The system integrates with external platforms to send and receive data.
 
“For manufacturing companies with moderate production volumes, NetSuite is a great choice – it makes everyday work easier,” Ala-Juoni concludes.
 
Digitalisation is a key strategic theme for Novita, with significant investments made at the company level. The results of these efforts will continue to unfold in the near future.

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