More efficient, faster, smarter – this is how you become a winner with continuous digitalization

Why do we still see digitalization as an IT project – an implementation of a new IT system, a cloud solution, or AI capabilities, for example – when it is so much more than that? It is a change in how we think, make decisions, increase efficiency and drive innovation. In short, how we create business value.

It is about having the ability to look at your business with new eyes. Daring to rethink old work methods, understand the potential in your data and, not least, enable new connections and forms of collaboration where positive effects can arise – and where people and technology achieve greater results together.

A prerequisite for a successful future

I often see how much untapped potential is out there. Production lines collect data around the clock. Business systems overflow with valuable information. But far too little of this insight is shared within the business or used strategically. It is like sitting on a gold mine without the tools to go prospecting.

At the same time, the world is moving quickly. International competitors are taking big digital steps, especially when it comes to AI. And here at home, we see that many companies are falling behind. Not because they lack data or technology, but because the bigger picture is missing.

But this also offers enormous opportunities. When data is made available, when systems start talking to each other, and when AI is given the right conditions to work in, something happens. We start to see patterns, understand connections and make smarter decisions. We free up time, reduce costs, create new patterns of innovation and generate revenue opportunities. That is when digitalization really starts to have an effect.

The real results of digitalization

At Cepheo, we have the privilege of accompanying many customers in the manufacturing industry in this digital transformation. We see the development and benefits that arise up-close every day, both in small efficiency wins and transformative improvement processes that make companies more competitive.

As an initial example, it has been truly satisfying to see HMS Networks – a successful Swedish manufacturing company in industrial communication solutions – liberated from their old business platform that limited their global growth. With a new, modern, robust and globally connected ERP, the business is now enjoying better management of business data that optimizes and automates supply chain processes, with noticeably increased efficiency and flexibility as a result.

The new platform enables the effective collection, visualization and analysis of data. This allows HMS Networks to make more informed decisions based on real-time data and in-depth analysis. And this is crucial for strategic planning, daily operations and better customer support.

At the same time, HMS Networks can now look to the future in a completely different way. Because the platform is continuously updated with new functionality, they now have a system that supports their business development and growth in a crucial way. Going forward, more processes will be automated to eliminate unnecessary steps and thus free up time for even more value-added activities.

Connections that make a difference

At another of our customers,  a pure integration issue became crucial to enabling a lift to the next level. Lindab Profil is a leading European producer of building components in steel and thin sheet metal. To improve and streamline their customer contacts, they chose to merge CRM and ERP into a common ecosystem built on the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform.

The result was a more organized workflow that can now handle more cases simultaneously, faster and more accurately. With better insight into how many cases are handled, it is also now easier to plan resources and staffing needs. Insights that were completely missed before.

The importance of an expansive platform
 

At Blåkläder, one of Europe's largest manufacturers of workwear, Microsoft Power BI and multiple elements of the Microsoft Dynamics 365 ecosystem are now used to drive their growth worldwide. The transition to the new platform makes operations more reliable, streamlines work processes and provides new expansion opportunities. Blåkläder now have support for handling larger amounts of data, integrated financial functions and built-in support for specific national requirements worldwide.

The successful company manages the entire process itself, from product development and manufacturing of the workwear, to distribution. It is, therefore, logical that Blåkläder chose the Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform, as the various applications individually solve their respective tasks, but the business value is multiplied when individual solutions are combined into an integrated IT solution with high capacity.

From monitoring financial management in real-time and generating better forecasting of results, to optimized planning, production, inventory and transport, operational efficiency and productivity are maximized. Not least through greater availability throughout the organization. All employees can use the applications via the browser on their mobile phones, tablets, and computers. This enables a completely different level of flexibility in everyday life – which in itself drives a modernization of work processes.

You do not have to look far to find good examples in the manufacturing industry of cases where a continuous digitalization approach pays off in real business value. Never digitalization for digitalization's sake, but because it can be the most important journey a company needs to make to stand strong in the future.