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ERP Retail and wholesale Maintenance Integrations and API

Case Marimekko

Digia is a strategic partner for Marimekko in developing IT solutions

Marimekko is a publicly listed global design company, which imposes special requirements for financial IT solutions due to strict timetables, financial administration accuracy levels and a functional control environment. Digia implemented a comprehensive reform of Marimekko’s financial management ERP system. A longer-term cooperation between the companies also started along with the project”, says IT Director Pekka Kivenjuuri at Marimekko.

Marimekko is a Finnish design company renowned for its original prints and colours. The company’s product portfolio includes high-quality clothing, bags and accessories as well as home décor items ranging from textiles to tableware.

Marimekko is a publicly listed company with a long-term international growth strategy. The company’s main markets are Northern Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. This requires the methodical and long-term development of IT solutions, which is the area where Marimekko has started to work with Digia.

Marimekko previously had a financial administration ERP system based on Microsoft products that was maintained on in-house servers. However, the company wanted to move to the modern, cloud-based Microsoft Dynamics 365 system. The goal was also to develop and automate financial administration processes.

As we were arranging the tendering for the project, Digia stood out from the very beginning because of its very professional approach”, says IT Director Pekka Kivenjuuri from Marimekko. Company immediately got the impression that Digia has a deep understanding of how to successfully implement such projects.

The perspective on the choice, however, was more than this. Marimekko was looking for a long-term partner with plenty of expertise on developing different types of IT solutions. Digia was deemed the most suitable candidate. “Digia is a good IT partner for us because of their extensive expertise”, Kivenjuuri says.

What we did

What we used

  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance
  • Microsoft Power BI
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Azure Logic Apps
Digia emerged from day one because of its highly professional approach. Enthusiasm and interest in the customer are characteristic to Digia’s people.

Pekka Kivenjuuri, IT Director, Marimekko

Modern ERP system increases automation and brings long-term business benefits

The implementation phase of the project was started in spring 2021. A Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance ERP system was built for Marimekko, used extensively to run the company’s financial administration. The solution includes general accounting for accounts payable and receivable, payment of purchase invoices, credit control and financial reporting.

Anne Immanen, head of financial accounting at Marimekko, says that the main processes of the financial administration of Marimekko’s parent company were reviewed in the project, aiming to automate as many of them as possible. “The new system will completely change some of the ways we operate. Work becomes automated, and with the new system, the tasks of the team members will have more emphasis on the supervising aspect. Through reconciliations and controls, we check that everything is working correctly”, she says.

Kivenjuuri says that a modern, cloud-based system brings even wider business benefits. “Cloud services are constantly evolving, bringing a whole new approach to the continuous development of financial administration”, he says. Operations and processes can be developed more smoothly and more continuously, which is inspiring for the entire financial administration team. A continuously evolving cloud solution also prevents IT repair deficit.

The project also overhauled integrations between IT solutions. “There is a significant number of links to solutions such as sales invoicing, salary accounting, purchase and travel invoices, as well as consolidation, budgeting and forecasting solutions, and these subscriptions were revamped in the project”, Kivenjuuri explains.

Integrations also went through a transition to modern cloud technologies, such as Microsoft Azure cloud computing. In addition, the automation level within the integrations increased, and Marimekko now has better visibility into their operation.

“Enthusiasm and interest in the customer are characteristic to Digia’s people”

The cooperation between Digia and Marimekko and the implementation of the project are praised by Kivenjuuri and Immanen. “We have been pleased with the management and systematic work approach in the project”, says Kivenjuuri.

At the very beginning of the project, it was noticed that Marimekko has special needs because of its role as an international listed company. Kivenjuuri explains that Digia listened to the customer very keenly, and common procedures were quickly established in a format suitable for Marimekko.

“We also enjoyed a very high level of subject matter expertise in the project. Both sides really knew what was being done and how best to solve things”, he says.

Immanen explains that with the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of the project was done practically without physical encounters. Nonetheless, the cooperation worked excellently. According to Immanen and Kivenjuuri, user training for the new system was also successful. The program and its interfaces were tested extensively during the project, which helped users learn how to use the new program.

Marimekko continues its cooperation with Digia. This includes, for example, continuous services for the maintenance and development of the IT solutions deployed and the continued development of analytics solutions. Kivenjuuri says that the partnership started in the project will enable cooperation in other areas of IT solution development in the future.

“Enthusiasm and interest in the customer are characteristic to Digia’s people”, Kivenjuuri says. “This project was implemented in a truly modern manner, and the outcome was very successful.”