The Digia Enterprise system takes care of the factory’s entire production management and warehouse and materials management functions, as well as outgoing logistics and financial management. ‘Co-operation with Digia has been smooth; the company has kept its word and deliveries have been on schedule,’ says a satisfied Kimmo Peltola.

Solution benefits

• Operations have become more efficient throughout the order- delivery chain
• More efficient real-time production management
• Improved utilisation of reporting and statistical data, better opportunities to develop operations
• Rapid system introduction project, which was implemented on schedule
• Fewer routines

Fescon needed more efficient and real-time ERP

Fescon carries out strong product development. Expertise, services, products and solutions are constantly developed to meet the customers’ needs. The customers include hardware stores, building suppliers, contractors and the construction materials industry.

Fescon’s dry products are manufactured in factories with advanced automation: four mortar factories and one factory unit manufacturing coatings and paints. The production plants are located in Hausjärvi, Sipoo and Haukipudas, and the company’s headquarters are in Hyvinkää. Fescon is expanding its production by building a new factory unit in Hausjärvi. Production in the new factory will be launched in April 2008. Fescon’s customer service centre and laboratory for product development and quality control are also located in connection with the Hausjärvi factory.

Fescon’s old ERP system was no longer able to support the company’s strong growth or business needs. The system was tailor-made for the company’s own needs and its support and development had become less effective. Fescon was seeking a new system to manage production reporting and to offer a more efficient and real-time ERP and management of the order-delivery chain. Furthermore, the new system had to be able to utilise reporting and statistical data more efficiently. Digia Enterprise turned out to be the best alternative. The good degree of completion for the software and its suitability for the line of business, as well as the IT supplier’s long-standing experience and extensive support services were crucial when making the decision on the system and supplier.

Entire order-delivery chain under control

Fescon’s operations are very seasonal: in the winter it is more quiet, but the busy building season lasts from spring to autumn. It was necessary to be able to carry out the introduction project for the new system rapidly during the winter, before the start of the busy spring season. The delivery project for the new system was launched in November 2006, and the system was in use before the start of the new season in March 2007. The delivery was carried out with a fast schedule: the project lasted about four months overall, including Christmas and New Year.

The Digia Enterprise ERP system is used from order processing by the customer service centre all the way to production and invoicing. When an order is placed with the customer service centre, it is recorded in the Digia Enterprise system. The Digia Enterprise system takes care of the factory’s entire production management and warehouse and materials management functions, as well as outgoing logistics and financial management.

Project management was a success

The system is working well and Fesco’s employees have become used to its numerous and extensive functions. New efficient features have already been planned: in the future, customers will receive a text message about a completed order. Fescon is also planning to introduce e-invoicing. The use of wireless terminals in forklift trucks is also in the planning stages in order to further increase real-time operations. ‘Co-operation with Digia has been smooth; the company has kept its word and deliveries have been on schedule,’ says a satisfied Kimmo Peltola.

The system was installed in four months

"The project manager became well acquainted with our company operations with a fast schedule. In the definition phase, his input for describing our company processes was high. All processes were characterised and operations were also amended in certain parts to function better in the system logistics," says Fescon’s Development Manager Kimmo Peltola.

"Fescon’s organisation also had one person who was involved in the project throughout its duration. He is currently the main user of the system. This was also the absolute precondition for keeping to the tight schedule and managing to install the system in four months," says Project Manager Kaisa Häkkälä of Digia.

Applied technology

• Digia Enterprise
• Digia iSuite
• Cognos Powerplay