With the help of Tietokeskus consultants, Mould Mate moved from paper to tablets and from separate spreadsheets to shared files. A small investment in devices and automation improved efficiency and reduced the risk of human error. The use of Microsoft Power Automate also expanded the IT skills of Mould Mate’s staff.
When the Nokia-based technology company Mould Mate wanted to streamline its operations and automate workflows, it turned to Tietokeskus. Tietokeskus consultants helped Mould Mate automate workflows that previously required a lot of manual work. The suitable tools for automation were found in Microsoft’s selection.
Mould Mate already knew to contact Tietokeskus, as its staff had previously taken part in Tietokeskus webinars.
“We had gained useful information from the webinars and thought that Tietokeskus could help us more broadly.”
– Timo Ålander, CEO, Mould Mate
Automation brought tablets and removed paper
Previously, Mould Mate recorded production-related information on paper forms, which was later transferred to separate Excel spreadsheets. As there were several spreadsheets, their data often didn’t match. Tablets came to the rescue.
“We no longer store information in desk drawers – instead, we use Teams and OneDrive to share files. When everyone has access to shared documents, all employees always work with the same information,” Ålander explains.
Filling in digital forms on tablets has also made data move faster than before.
“Everything is logged on the same form. If someone at a workstation notices, for example, missing components, there is no need to write a separate email. The situation is recorded directly on the tablet, and the information automatically goes to production supervisors,” Ålander says.
According to Ålander, reviewing past information used to be laborious.
“Supervisors no longer need to walk around the factory floor to gather the information they need. This makes work easier and more efficient, especially as production runs in three shifts.”
Mould Mate works closely with several partner companies. In practice, the companies are responsible for different stages of the same product. Thanks to Power Automate, automated notifications now flow between the companies, showing where and in which company’s process each product currently is. The messages move automatically in Power Automate, without employees having to communicate about each workflow step manually.
“Thanks to the notifications, we can now track product progress much more accurately. We see when products have been sent, received, inspected, taken into use and so on. Automation ensures that every company involved knows where the products are at any given time,” Ålander describes.
All these changes have had a significant impact on Mould Mate’s operations.
Teams strengthened cooperation between companies
Automation did not remove human interaction – quite the opposite. Once Mould Mate fully embraced Teams, the companies developed a more collaborative working culture. Remote connections made cooperation smooth regardless of time, place or the pandemic. Meetings can now be arranged more easily and with a lower threshold.
“With Teams, we can sit at the same table and work on the same spreadsheet even when we are physically in different locations. Cooperation and communication between companies is now closer, clearer and better,” Ålander says with satisfaction.
Making more out of reporting
As part of the renewal, Ålander also adopted Microsoft Power BI, which can produce reports and visualisations from data collected on tablets. Previously, Mould Mate struggled to compile sufficiently useful reports from its data.
“Data collected with smart devices is easier to use in reporting. Now we can better follow the performance of each workstation and see how we are doing overall,” he says.
The goal is to start displaying reports on info screens at workstations as well.
“We want to show how we are succeeding. This makes the benefits visible, and everyone can make use of the information in their work,” Ålander continues.
Employees’ time redirected where it is truly needed
Ålander says the staff were initially unsure about the change.
“They were wondering whether the new system would create extra work – whether a new form would simply be added on top of everything else.”
But once the new working model was introduced, the staff welcomed it positively.
“Not all our workstations are using the new method yet, but we are gradually rolling out the rest. Some are already asking when they will get to switch to the new system,” Ålander adds.
Automation has not resulted in job losses. Instead, it has freed up supervisors’ time for tasks that cannot be automated and that genuinely require people.
“Our supervisors can now focus on more meaningful and useful work,” Ålander summarises.
A small financial investment brought major change
In the IT industry, challenges are often solved by developing entirely new software. This time, the solution was much lighter: instead of coding, Tietokeskus consultants trained Mould Mate’s staff remotely via Teams for a few days.
Mould Mate already had Microsoft Office 365 in use. With support from Tietokeskus, the tools were harnessed more broadly and effectively.
In addition to a few days of consulting work, Mould Mate only needed to purchase a few tablets to support the transformation and eliminate paper handling.
“We wanted to start small and see how this new way of working would suit us. We chose affordable tablets, and they have worked well – even in a factory environment,” Ålander explains.
Collaboration with Tietokeskus expanded Mould Mate’s IT skills
Ålander says the Microsoft tools and support from Tietokeskus have saved time, improved efficiency and reduced the possibility of human error.
He also values the fact that Mould Mate’s own IT competence has grown through the cooperation.
“Next, we want to learn to analyse tablet data more effectively so we can utilise it even better in supporting our business. And if we need help, we will certainly turn to Tietokeskus again.”
In Mould Mate and Tietokeskus’ project, workflows were automated in a factory environment, but the same solutions can be adapted to any workplace. We are happy to help streamline your work with Power Automate. Get in touch and we will tell you more!
