Fastems delivers intelligent factory automation solutions for manufacturers of metal products. By outsourcing its basic IT, the company has freed up its IT team to support and develop the business. At the same time, Fastems has gained a scalable IT infrastructure and access to expertise not available in-house.
Tietokeskus has been Fastems’ provider of basic IT services since 2020. In addition to infrastructure maintenance and development, Tietokeskus manages Fastems’ Azure environment.
“Cooperation with Tietokeskus is close. I value a partnership where there’s time to discuss, and the partner genuinely cares about our success. We’ve always had architects and consultants available when needed.”
– Sami Teininen, CIO, Fastems
“It’s also positive to see the partner grow and develop. For example, we’ve been able to act as pilot customers for services Tietokeskus develops. This shows that the partner is moving in the right direction, staying current with trends, and monitoring its operating environment,” Teininen adds.
Collaboration supports everyday operations and strategic goals – without compromising security
The partnership operates on two levels: day-to-day tasks and forward-looking strategic planning. Fastems is a service customer of Tietokeskus and, when needed, obtains project-based support, for example, to enhance security.
“Tietokeskus has proactively suggested security improvements. With their help, we’ve switched security products and used them to implement our own security projects,” Teininen explains.
“Security is a built-in standard component in every development initiative. It’s always assessed and addressed. There must always be a solution. It’s important that our partner takes security seriously.”
– Sami Teininen, CIO, Fastems
On Tietokeskus’ side, a service manager oversees the account, reviewing operational and strategic matters closely. Fastems and Tietokeskus also review current tickets weekly, ensuring nothing is overlooked and potential issues are addressed promptly. Monthly meetings focus on meeting contractual goals, such as SLA metrics, NPS scores, KPIs, and statistics related to tickets and development requests.
“It’s important that we have enough joint meetings and discussion opportunities so that problems don’t escalate,” Teininen notes.
In addition, monthly development meetings focus on which improvements the customer should prioritise and what new expertise Tietokeskus could contribute. Time is also set aside for brainstorming.
Fastems shares its future plans during strategic meetings, presenting its IT strategy and roadmap.
“In these meetings, we show the direction we’re heading and upcoming projects. It’s important that the partner knows in advance, for example, about product renewals,” Teininen emphasises.
Broader expertise and scalable infrastructure
Through the partnership, Fastems’ IT team has leveraged the deep expertise of Tietokeskus specialists, gaining high-level knowledge in areas such as IT infrastructure architecture.
“We don’t have this expertise in-house, and it’s hard to find. The scope can be very broad, and it’s great that we can draw on multiple people’s knowledge. Thorough documentation ensures information is passed on efficiently,” Teininen explains.
The partnership frees Fastems’ IT department to focus on supporting and developing the business. In terms of core IT, nothing can fail.
“It’s important for us that IT infrastructure scalability is smooth and we can utilise capacity as needed. Everything in IT must be continuously monitored, and alerts addressed immediately. Tietokeskus handles necessary updates and technical features to keep systems available.”
– Sami Teininen, CIO, Fastems
“We’ve also acquired lightweight network device management and monitoring services from them, so Tietokeskus ensures the network remains operational,” Teininen adds.
Fastems is also satisfied with the smoothness of updates. Four times a year, updates are applied to the IT infrastructure and technology, introducing new versions, security improvements, and functional updates as needed.
“Updates haven’t disrupted our daily work, as they are usually performed on Saturdays when downtime isn’t an issue. The agreed maintenance window ensures our IT infrastructure and technology remain in good condition,” Teininen emphasises.
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