Skip to content
Application development Service business

Case Ramirent

Raimo knows – Ramirent’s mobile app puts data transfer in your pocket

Construction equipment and machinery are demanding to move and maintain. Smooth equipment-related information flow and processes facilitate operations significantly. Ramirent deployed the Raimo mobile app, which enables its employees to access necessary information about equipment at all times.

 

Ramirent Finland Oy is the largest construction machine rental company in Finland, and one of the world’s leading companies in this field. To remain successful, the company must have dynamic and state-of-the-art solutions. Ramirent now seeks to mobilise as many of its practical work-related processes as possible. The company implemented the Raimo mobile app with Digia. It has already been installed on the phones of more than 500 employees.

With the Raimo app, they can inspect and manage equipment statuses and goods returns as well as collect orders, for instance. This app installed on Android phones makes it easy to stay up to speed on status information and what needs to be done.

What we did

Millä teimme

  • React

It was a pleasant surprise to see how efficient and fast Digia’s team was. They implemented corrections promptly and always worked hard. When the supplier understands what we’re after, this creates trust.

Esa Ravantti, IT Manager, Ramirent Finland Oy

Tagging to stay on top of information

Half, or about 30,000, of Ramirent’s serially numbered pieces of rental equipment feature NFC tags. Employees at its equipment centre can read tags with Raimo to see where each piece of equipment came from and under what kind of agreement. The equipment is then transferred to return inspection, maintenance or storage with the mobile app.

“The app serves best at large equipment centres that see many returns and delivery events,” says Esa Ravantti, IT Manager at Ramirent.

“We rent out a massive amount of machines, and large quantities may be returned at a single time. Employees can use their phones to check the data on each machine, such as hours used, need for maintenance, the next order and the correct location.”

“Due to the structure of our operations, a piece of equipment might be rented out for just one day or even four years,” says Ravantti.

 “Thanks to the mobile app, the availability and correctness of information have improved significantly.”

Clarity supports deployment

The mobile app is integrated into the ERP system, which was also implemented earlier by Digia. From the ERP system, data is guided to both the internally used Raimo and the RamiSmart app, which is used by customers.

“Previously, the ERP system did not have any mobile features. In the yard, we’d check equipment with pen and paper in hand, and compare the information with the delivery lists. The mobile app saves us a massive amount of time and manual work,” says Ravantti.

The deployment of a new operating model always means great changes for employees. The design of Raimo focused particularly on usability and successful mobilisation.

“We had users evaluate the very first versions of the app so that the buttons would definitely be in the right order. It was wonderful to see how quickly people adopted the new tool. Our location’s oldest employee is probably its most enthusiastic user,” says Ravantti.

“The app must be so simple that a new employee or subcontractor can be shown how to use it in two hours.”

Esa Ravantti says that he likes mobile apps because their design forces you to focus on the essentials.

“Everything superfluous is eliminated and it’s all kept as simple as possible. This requires clarity and focusing.”

Swift launch

The development of the mobile app progressed fast. The project began in February 2018 and the first version was distributed in April.

“It was a pleasant surprise to see how efficient and fast Digia’s team was. They implemented corrections promptly and always worked hard,” says Ravantti.

“Our communication is very straightforward. When the supplier understands what we’re after, this creates trust.”

“Digia has a strong mobile development team and integration expertise. We also wanted to rely on the same supplier for the entire system delivery channel,” says Ravantti about cooperation with Digia.

“In addition, our own dedicated team has been one of the cornerstones of success.”

Raimo is being used successfully and is also being developed continuously with new functionalities and further finetuning of processes. The aim is to mobilise, for instance, transfers between warehouses and inventory functions.

Better service for customers

Being a pioneer and harnessing digitalisation are important to the whole Ramirent Group. New solutions usher in smoother business and information flows faster and with fewer errors. Another aspect of digitalisation is providing customers with up-to-date information.

“Thanks to Raimo, we’re now wiser in the eyes of our customers. We’ve implemented many improvements in terms of speed and quality. For instance, it’s easier to ensure accuracy in invoicing, which improves customer satisfaction. A new picking feature facilitates the first phases of the delivery process and improves the quality of deliveries. For customers, delivery reliability is the most important consideration,” says Ravantti.