The Finnish Packaging Producers Ltd (SPT) is responsible for the producer responsibility for cardboard and paper packaging, glass packaging, metal packaging, plastic packaging and wooden packaging in Finland, enabling the collection, recycling and reuse of packaging for both producers and consumers. SPT works with waste management operators and authorities to ensure that packaging recycling targets are met and that recycling statistics are reliable and transparent.
The merger of four different packaging material-specific producer associations into a single operator under the name Suomen Pakkaustuottajat Oy also meant that there was a need for harmonised reporting. At the same time, the community saw opportunities for digitalisation and automation of manual work, which led to the development of a new system for collecting, managing and reporting information on recycled materials, which was essential for the business.
Fluentia was chosen as a partner for the project. The technology chosen was the Microsoft Power Platform. The platform's tools, such as Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI, enable the development of agile business applications and process automation to support the company's business processes.
"The advantages of using the Microsoft platform include the ability to manage data centrally for different processes. Platform solutions also enable agile low-code software development by providing off-the-shelf components. This allows us to work with our customers to find solutions that are right for them faster and more efficiently," says Fluentia's CTO, Tomi Leppälahti.
In a multifaceted data management project, the data model and data storage were implemented in Microsoft Dataware. The internal management interface was implemented as Microsoft Power Apps, and the external portal for collecting data from partners was custom-built using React and Node.js technologies. Microsoft Power Automation scripts were used for automation, and Microsoft Power BI for reporting and real-time dashboards.
"The project and cooperation with Fluentia has been smooth, and we are really happy with the development work and the user experience of our new tool. The new system is modern, easy to use and enables efficient data collection, business monitoring and statutory reporting in a more secure, centralised and less staff-intensive way. Our successful cooperation with Fluentia will continue with the Fluentia Care maintenance service," says Janne Väänänen, SPT's Chief Financial Officer.
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