When system reliability is critical, effective collaboration models and regular communication are of immeasurable importance.
Lumon, a design company that combines the best of indoor and outdoor spaces through glazing, has been steadily expanding its operations into international markets in recent years. The company's production facilities are located in Finland, Spain, and Canada, and its operations span a total of eleven countries. Additionally, global business is supported by networks of partners and licensees in over ten different countries. This scale of operation requires not only efficient processes but also unified practices and a reliable digital backbone.
A key role in this development has been played by the Microsoft Dynamics 365 business platform, which was adopted seven years ago and covers the entire value chain from order receipt to warehousing, production, delivery, and invoicing.
"Dynamics 365 is at the core of our business, ensuring customer satisfaction, which is exceptionally high for us", describes Lumon's ICT Development Manager Johanna Toimela. The centrality of the system is aptly reflected in its name: "All our systems are named 'markets' (Tori in Finnish) – Dynamics 365 is known as Maintori, which means the main market", she adds with a smile.
Efima has been Lumon's strategic solution partner since the implementation of Dynamics 365 [Read the customer story from the early years of our collaboration]. The collaboration began in 2017, with the first implementation phases carried out in 2018 at the Kempele factory and several sales companies. The Kouvola factory followed in early 2019, and since then, the system's use has been gradually expanded, including to Canada and Spain, with Efima's support.
From the beginning of the collaboration, both parties have shared the goal of building unified and scalable practices around the system – to support international growth. "The biggest work was done in the initial phase when we laid the foundation for common practices. They have scaled excellently: today, the ERP solution is used in the same way everywhere," Toimela explains. "For example, the same practices that were built for the Kouvola factory years ago could be copied to the new factory opened in Spain two years ago."
A unified system supports not only internal processes but also the consistency of the customer experience. "Dynamics 365 works the same way regardless of where we are in the world – and it allows us to guarantee the same consistent customer experience regardless of where the service is ordered from," Toimela summarizes.
Over the years, the collaboration has deepened into a genuine partnership. "This is not just an order-delivery relationship. We can trust that Efima acts in our best interest – solutions are made with long-term business benefits in mind, not just the easiest way at the moment", Toimela emphasizes.
Challenges have also been encountered – and it is in these situations that trust is tested. "When we have needed additional resources, for example, during critical phases of implementations, we have always received them. This shows Efima's commitment to our goals", she continues. "Or if there has been a need for immediate technical support, we have experienced that Efima digs out all the necessary experts to find solutions and resolve challenges."
Efima's role is not limited to implementation projects – the partnership covers the continuous support, maintenance, and development of the entire Dynamics 365 environment. "The responsibility for the technical implementation and development of the system is almost entirely outsourced to Efima", Toimela explains.
Lumon's main task is to identify and prioritize business needs – Efima helps interpret them into technological solutions: "When we have development ideas, Efima's consultants help evaluate how the change should be implemented in the system. We greatly appreciate this kind of sparring and technical expertise."
Long-term personal relationships enable technological and business development to intertwine seamlessly: several Efima experts have been involved in the customer relationship from the beginning and know the system and Lumon's business needs thoroughly. "This brings perspective and depth to system development", Toimela comments, satisfied with the situation.
The collaboration between Lumon and Efima operates on many levels: monthly operational meetings, quarterly steering groups, and annual strategic reviews form the rhythm for development. "When system reliability is critical, effective collaboration models and regular communication are of immeasurable importance. I would encourage everyone to invest in this", Toimela advises.
In everyday life, communication is direct and straightforward. "I have a direct connection to Efima's service manager Henrika – she is always reachable. Her actions have been very important to us: Henrika not only listens but always brings solution options to the table", Johanna praises. "And although there is a process for submitting support requests, in critical technical matters, I can also directly contact Efima's technical architect – this brings security and speed to everyday life."
Although the system operates stably and supports business efficiently, there is always room for development. The semi-annual version updates of Dynamics 365 regularly offer opportunities for functional development, and Efima actively brings new development proposals for the customer to evaluate – even when an immediate need has not yet arisen. "We do not follow system development as a day job, so we greatly appreciate that Efima brings us insights into what is coming in new version updates and what could serve our needs", Toimela explains.
In the future, the parties are particularly looking at the possibilities of artificial intelligence – and expectations are high. "Business efficiency and continuous improvement of the customer experience are always relevant to us. There is no endpoint for development. Dynamics is the backbone of our business – and its development is a strategic priority for us", Toimela concludes.
Fortunately, a partner has been found who shares mutual trust, open communication, and a common desire to succeed. "These fundamental pillars are what our long-term collaboration success is built on", Toimela smiles and thanks for the morning interview session. In the afternoon, she heads to a strategic steering group meeting with Efima's management – continuing yet another shared workday.
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