Stainless steel wholesaler Inox is replacing slow, manual processes with digital case management, providing an overview, and increasing the ability to follow up on deviations.

Inox is a stainless steel wholesaler based in Ry, Denmark. The company procures stainless steel and sells it to its 1200 customers, who are primarily engaged in the food industry.

The transition to digital case management was prompted by the limitations of manual workflows.

“It was difficult to know the status of individual cases. It often required a few phone calls or flipping through A4 folders. Now, we have everything related to the case in one place, and everyone can stay informed,” says John Søften Sørensen, CFO at Inox.

Smooth handling of deviations

The new tool particularly shines in managing deviations such as complaints, internal errors, or irregularities in the supplier chain.

“It’s great that we can store all relevant information on the case – photos, emails, documents, etc. And when we’re in Outlook, WorkPoint Express provides a quick way to archive emails directly onto the case. Additionally, we benefit greatly from task management, which makes it easy to pass the case on to the next person in line,” explains John Søften Sørensen.

Customer overview

Inox does not require an advanced CRM solution but finds value in some of the CRM features that is included in their case management tool.

“It provides a good overview to have all customer details in one place. We store meeting minutes and all correspondence related to the customer. Following up on agreements, such as payment terms, is much easier when the documentation is readily available,” concludes John Søften Sørensen.

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Growth, development, and fresh perspectives on daily routines prompted the Danish enterprise Andreasen & Hvidberg to prioritize an upgrade in the way they handle projects. 

The fresh eyes of new employees can bring improvements when feedback is welcomed in the organization. That was the case when Morten Balle, engineer and team leader at Andreasen & Hvidberg, as a newcomer, saw an opportunity for a more streamlined management of the company’s projects.

“When I joined Andreasen & Hvidberg, I noticed some inefficiencies in our document management process. At the same time, as a company, we have grown significantly over a relatively short period, resulting in larger projects with heavier documentation. We were not prepared for that, and I suggested a SharePoint-like solution. Others supported the idea, and I took the lead,” says Morten Balle, who has been the driving force behind the implementation of digitalworkspace365’s standard project management tool.

Simple project management for complex projects

Andreasen & Hvidberg is a geotechnical and environmental consultancy that conducts soil investigations for construction and infrastructure projects primarily in Northern Jutland, Denmark. While the projects are complex and require extensive documentation, project management doesn’t have to be. This was agreed upon during the initial meeting between Andreasen & Hvidberg and digitalworkspace365.

“digitalworkspace365 plitize advised us not to bite off more than we could chew. There are many additional options, but instead of overselling, their approach was pragmatic, which we really liked. They advised us to start with the standard solution. Now we are well underway, and they were right, it works brilliantly,” says Morten Balle.

Fewer errors and faster archiving 

Previously, Andreasen & Hvidberg had to create all projects twice, which was time-consuming and prone to data entry errors. An integration between Visma e-conomic, where time registration takes place, and WorkPoint means that all data in Visma e-conomic is now mirrored directly into WorkPoint, resulting in less wasted time and fewer errors. Additionally, a small Office plugin, WorkPoint Express, allows employees to quickly add new information to the project directly from tools like Outlook, where much of the project documentation originates.

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The employees’ daily routines at the theater, including access codes, work attire, and equipment, have become easier to manage for the theater’s administration, and the staff now enter and exit agreements more effortlessly thanks to a new HR tool.

With 16 in-house productions per year and a mix of 100 permanent employees and approximately 250 contract workers, there is a high turnover in the workforce at Aarhus Theater. The same employee may be employed under multiple contracts simultaneously, such as being an evening supervisor and an hourly paid theater teacher during the daytime. The complexity is high, but for the employees, it should be simple. Therefore, Aarhus Theater, in collaboration with digitalworkspace365, has developed an HR solution that simplifies the administration of employment conditions.

“GDPR was the reason why we started looking for a solution a few years ago that could meet the legal requirements for document archiving while making our daily lives easier. We went through a failed attempt with another provider before meeting digitalworkspace365, who offered the combination of technical expertise and understanding of our organization that we needed,” says Lene Christensen, HR Manager at Aarhus Theater.

Flexible solution that keeps improving 

The tool, based on Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online, currently handles contractual relationships while providing the flexibility that comes with a Microsoft 365 solution.

“We chose the tool because it is SharePoint Online-based, and we are pleased with it. It benefits us that it is continually updated and becoming more user-friendly. The integration with Outlook using WorkPoint is also a tremendous help. When a manager needs to hire someone, they enter data such as role, hours, etc., and in HR, we find the relevant contract and merge it with the information the manager has entered,” explains Lene Christensen regarding the work with employment contracts.

Valuable knowledge sharing in the user network 

For the HR team at Aarhus Teater, there has also been valuable collaboration in meeting other digitalworkspace365 customers.

“digitalworkspace365 has initiated a user network with some of their other customers, and it has been inspiring to see how they use their solutions and share how each of us develops our solutions,” says Lene Christensen.

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You may be considering joining the trend and moving all your files from the desktop to the cloud, but you hesitate due to the complexity and uncertainty involved.

We understand that. Therefore, our primary task is to show you all the benefits of the cloud and help you easily and securely achieve your project goals. At digitalworkspace365, we are experts in data migration to Microsoft Cloud.

Why you should move to the cloud

digitalworkspace365’s migration to the cloud is relevant for users of an on-premise document management system, such as DocuNote, who wish to access all their files online to streamline daily workflows.

We can mention many advantages of moving files from an on-premise system to the cloud in Microsoft 365, and here are the three most significant ones:

digitalworkspace365’s migration process is unique due to our user-friendly mapping tool that we have designed ourselves. It helps define a folder and file architecture that best fits your company’s needs.

After the migration, you will have tools and benefits that enable you and your company to work smarter and more efficiently in the future.

What you should consider

During data migration, there are several things to consider, as shown in the migration process diagram below:

Before the migration:

• Are all important files available for migration in usable formats?

• Who should have access to the different files?

• Which folder and file architecture best suits the company’s needs?

After the migration:

• How can the user adoption of the new solution be ensured?

If you keep these questions in mind for the migration process, you are ready for your cloud journey.

The Migration Process – Step by Step

The migration project consists of five steps, all contributing to achieving successful data migration, as described below:

You can learn more about how we can assist you in the migration process here.

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At the Danish enterprise Verdo, all cases are tied to specific addresses in the company’s case management tool. The overview is comprehensive in GIS, and Verdo’s employees can easily make changes and access the case history for each individual case.

Verdo’s department for district heating distribution is responsible for the extensive pipeline work that ensures the heat reaches the customers from the power plant. Fredrik Bentsen is responsible for all IT, including pipeline registration and support systems around the pipeline infrastructure.

“We need to be able to store all information about the pipeline work for each customer. We have long-term relationships with our customers, so we need to know everything about each case. It’s also important for legal and financial reasons that we have a history in case of damages or other unforeseen events,” explains Fredrik Bentsen.

Simplified documentation

Today, all data can be linked to each individual case, which is simultaneously an address in the city of Randers and its surroundings. Whether it’s about images, emails, agreements, or different types of specifications, it is easy for employees to document them.

Cutting-edge technology

Change seems to be a characteristic of Verdo, which has increased both its customer base and activity levels in recent years. The speed of performing daily tasks has increased, and the IT systems must keep up.

“We are in the process of breaking down our systems into atoms and reassembling them so that everything communicates internally. WorkPoint gives us the flexibility and is good at integrating. We look ahead and have high expectations. The potential is huge. Among other things, we want to automate more of our business processes, and it’s great to have something that is cutting edge. We get all the new tools from Microsoft for free because we have a WorkPoint solution,” concludes Fredrik Bentsen.

Learn more about how the choice of a new system became a longer and more arduous process than expected until WorkPoint proved to be the ideal solution that met Verdo’s requirements and complexity.

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The Ten Commandments

Throughout history, humans have always had a need to share their knowledge and experiences with others. We see evidence of this in the earliest figurative cave paintings created by our ancestors more than 45,000 years ago. 

One could argue that our need to share knowledge has had a decisive influence on our development, and the invention of writing has been the greatest accelerator of development in human history. 

With writing came the need to record, organize, and share our knowledge. This makes knowledge reusable, increases accessibility, and raises the level of information within the group. 

A good example is Moses, who made his knowledge reusable by inscribing his messages on two stone tablets, organizing the text into the ten Commandments, and sharing the Commandments among his followers. It has undoubtedly been highly effective as we still live by those Commandments today. 

Why fix it if it ain’t broken

One could say that we are fundamentally doing the same thing as Moses to this day. We have simply replaced the stone tablets with paper and binders. And in the digital age, paper and binders have been replaced by files and folders. But fundamentally, we are doing the same as Moses. 

One might ask why we should change an approach that has brought us so much success. We should do so because our environment and circumstances have changed. 

If information was the key, we would all be billionaires with perfect abs.

– Derek Sievers

Knowledge and information are not goals nor solutions in themselves. The solution lies in our behavior; in the way we acquire, process, and apply our knowledge. 

Today, we have the opposite problem of our ancestors. The difference lies in the amount of information we have to process and the way we consume information. 

We are drowning in knowledge and bombarded with information from all sides. This places new demands on our ability to sort knowledge, ensuring that it is correct, updated, and relevant. 

Metadata tagging: The path to dynamic search

We still do the same as Moses, but we can no longer settle for organizing information on stone tablets, in binders, or folders. Our needs are far too complex for that. 

We need to access information in so many different contexts that it is necessary to filter and display information from various perspectives. In modern document management systems, this is done by enriching documents, emails, cases, projects, and customers with metadata. 

Knowledge is more complex, and the group of stakeholders is larger. We can no longer be content with sharing knowledge only on request or accessing knowledge through cryptic folder structures or random file names. 

Knowledge must be available at all times, in the correct context, and targeted to the right users. Knowledge should find its way to users in the context they are in, and not the other way around. 

Automated processes provide a solid foundation

We cannot leave it to chance whether our knowledge is used correctly and in the right contexts. Therefore, it is important to incorporate our knowledge as a natural part of our work processes. This can be done through automatic approval workflows, control processes, or task management. It can also be done by providing instructions in the appropriate work contexts, rather than burying them in passive reference materials. 

Data collection and measuring effectiveness

Data collection from system inputs, emails, documents, actions, and reports is recorded and categorized, enriching the company with information that enables informed decision-making and activity planning. Measuring effectiveness allows the company to assess the impact of initiatives and activities. These are all necessary to ensure that the ship is sailing in the right direction. In a modern document management system, data collection occurs automatically or semi-automatically through features such as automatic email journalizing, document version control, action logging, and incident reporting forms. Effectiveness is measured through business intelligence reports, portfolio management overviews, and parameter-driven notifications. 

It’s really difficult to run a business with stone tablets. Are you also carrying around heavy “stone tablets”? 

Then contact us for a non-binding conversation about the possibilities of streamlining processes and accessing critical information. At digitalworkspace365, we deliver simple solutions to complex problems. You can also learn more about our standard document management solutions here: 

• Project Management
• Case Management
• Contract Management
• HR Management
• CRM
• Supplier Management
• Quality Management System (QMS)
• Board Portal

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Fixed procedures in an automated workflow and easy access to a consolidated overview of agreements make it simple for Verdo’s employees to manage their own contracts and cover for each other.

Verdo is a danish energy conglomerate that operates and develops sustainable critical infrastructure. Verdo is among Europe’s leading suppliers of sustainable, certified biomass for industry and district heating plants and Denmark’s largest operator and maintainer of street lighting. Additionally, Verdo supplies their customers with heat, water, and electricity around the clock, all year round.

“We have transitioned from an old-fashioned, manual system to everything now following predetermined automatic processes. I just know that I have everything I need and that it works professionally. Once the agreement is set up in WorkPoint, I know that nothing will slip through the cracks.”

– Henrik Degn Thomsen, Key Account Manager, Verdo Go Green

Contract management provides flexibility in the workday

For Henrik, the day should not revolve solely around the computer. Having a varied workday contributes to both job satisfaction and productivity. That’s where having the contract management system on the go comes in handy.

“I can do my work whether I’m driving, with a customer, or out on a service visit. I can easily find the information I need in the contract management system directly on my phone. It’s incredibly flexible,” says Henrik Degn Thomsen, Key Account Manager in Verdo’s department for electricity sales, Verdo Go Green.

Saving time using contract management and electronic signatures

As part of Verdo’s contract management, they have implemented digital signatures. Manual workflows have been eliminated, and only the individual’s clicking speed determines how long it takes to have all signatures in place and correctly archived on the agreement.

“Electronic signatures are just invaluable. It saves both the customer and me a lot of time. Besides avoiding the hassle of sending documents back and forth, the time from the start to a signed agreement is also much shorter. It used to take days and weeks, now it’s just a few clicks,” says Henrik Degn Thomsen.

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Technology and People

Many people use technological aids in their daily lives, and several of the technological tools we use have become so integrated into our lives that we no longer notice them. Technological development is growing at such a rapid pace that new possibilities, tools, and aids are constantly emerging. The constant progress in technology, and the opportunities it brings, shape us both as individuals and as a society. Analogue processes are being replaced by technological and systematic ones, often lifting efficiency to new heights. The interaction between people and technology is more important than ever before. Where interactions were previously “just” a smart feature, they are now more of a prerequisite for new technology.

”It is when we as humans interact with technology that the magic happens.”

– Jesper Kjærsgaard, Managing Partner

Digital Transformation

Analogue processes are outdated – digitalization is in. Technology is here to stay, and with it comes an increasing streamlining of both work and everyday processes. Digital transformation is about technology and evolving, opening the door for companies and organizations to advance technologically. Heavy, time-consuming, and resource-intensive processes that are manually performed and archived in an old-fashioned manner are craving digital transformation.

Digital transformation is an organizational and development project, and a key factor to succeed can be found in the leadership of the transformation towards the goal of involving all employees.

Digital Interaction

The synergy between people and technology is found in digital interaction, where interactivity is a capability of technology that allows for interaction in a different way. Digital interaction can help companies create interaction between employees, tasks, and technology. Digital meeting places open up the possibility for employees to interact with each other about specific tasks and cases. Tasks can be assigned to specific individuals in the company, important comments can be attached, and ongoing follow-ups and updates on the processes and individual phases can be made. This way, the company itself can contribute to shaping and developing digital interaction.

Microsoft 365

New technologies can enhance efficiency, increase quality, and drive innovation within a business area. If your company wants to gain a better overview of its customer database or document management or optimize work processes – internally and externally – there are effective tools available from Microsoft 365. Digital interaction is a recurring theme in all of Microsoft 365’s tools, creating new possibilities for both your employees and the company as a whole.

Read more about Microsoft 365 or have a look at our tool catalogue.

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What does the NIS2 EU Directive entail?

NIS2 is a revised version of the EU’s requirements for network and information security, which imposes measures on selected sectors to manage cybersecurity risks. The new directive aims to make European companies better equipped to deal with future cybercrime.

In general, the new and amended security requirements include:

1. Requirements for encryption, as well as risk assessment and mapping of internal processes and those of subcontractors.
2. Requirements for reporting IT security incidents to supervisory authorities.
3. Requirements for management’s awareness of the directive’s requirements and the company’s implemented risk management.
4. Sanctions directly targeting top executives in companies that fail to meet these requirements.

Many companies will therefore need to invest both resources and time in order to meet the requirements, and recommendations suggest getting started as soon as possible, as the deadline for implementation is mid-October 2024.

Who is affected by the new changes?

Previously, the requirements only applied to critical sectors, such as health, transportation, finance, IT infrastructure, energy, and digital service providers.

With the new changes, other socially essential and important sectors and entities are also covered by the requirements, including:

• Public authorities
• Providers of electronic communication networks and digital services
• Water, wastewater, and waste sorting services
• Manufacturers of certain critical products (such as medicine, medical equipment, and chemicals)
• Postal and parcel services
• Food producers

However, micro and small companies that are not deemed critical are exempted.

How should your company respond in practical terms?

digitalworkspace365 can support your company systemically through our Quality Management System, which can support NIS2 compliance in the following ways:

• Risk management of processes and suppliers
• Development and management of policies and instructions
• Management, planning, and execution of audits
• Reporting and handling of deviations
• Approval processes and change management
• Advisories, alarms, and notifications
• Automation of processes for reporting incidents to supervisory authorities within 24 hours (NIS2 requirement), as well as processes ensuring that you prepare a report within 30 days (NIS2 requirement), criteria for risk assessment, etc.

Read more about our QMS solution here.

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