Vestia, which manages the practical arrangements for household waste management in 16 municipalities in Central and North Ostrobothnia, identified the development of document management as its most important system development target for 2023. Previously, there was no actual document management system, but documents were stored in many places, for example on shared network drives and on the staff's own computers.
In addition to an efficient and easy-to-use document management system, Vestia's wish and goal was to define a clear and consistent process for document management and to provide users with support and training for the process itself.
"The amount of information and data in companies is increasing and, as a result, the importance of managing it is growing all the time. We started our development work from a rather challenging situation and the need for a unified and efficient process and system was great," says Riikka Saari, Development and HSEQ Manager at Vestia.
In this type of system development project, systematic data collection and a structured approach are important. This allows you to focus on what is essential to the project and to move forward smoothly as the data collection progresses and the details needed for the project become clear.
"These projects always progress step by step as the client clarifies the key issues involved in the development. Fluentia's service model in such situations is fair and cost-effective for the customer - the project moves forward, but there are no costs during the clarification. However, our expert is always there to support the customer if needed," explains Tomi Leppälahti, CTO of Fluentia.
The project was launched with extensive interviews. The interviews focused on the operational paths for the production, storage, access, retrieval and other use cases of different types of documents, taking into account the needs of the company and its organisational structure. On this basis, document management processes were defined and documented in a comprehensive set of guidelines.
Vestia uses Microsoft systems, so the document management system itself was a natural choice for a customized SharePoint site. The project also created clear models for the document lifecycle, including an automated archiving model using Microsoft's Power Automate.
The smooth implementation of the new document management system was ensured by training sessions that went through both the planned document management process and how the different parts of the process are carried out in the system on a practical level.
"The project met our needs really well. With a clear and efficient document management model and system, the information is now easily at hand when we need it. As well as improving efficiency, the model also helps us to keep our procedures consistent and establish clear lines of responsibility for the various documents. The new system also takes care of security and access rights to documents and takes into account legal requirements. The cooperation with Fluentia's experts was excellent and the project proceeded smoothly, taking into account our organisation's situation and time constraints. In particular, the systematic and efficient definition deserves praise", Saari praises.
Vestia is 100% owned by the municipalities.
The municipality is required by law to organise waste management for its residents. Vestia
carry out the practical tasks of organising waste management, such as:
- waste reception
- waste treatment and recovery
- the diversion of waste to beneficial uses
- the treatment of the reception and delivery of hazardous waste
- the organisation of waste transport under the responsibility of the municipality
- recycling advice.
