Enersense’s data warehouse solution supports growth and data-driven management
Enersense needed a scalable data platform for use across the entire group. Epical’s strong technical expertise earned the company’s trust and delivered the desired results: Enersense is now ready for data-driven management.
The goal of the data warehouse and reporting solution was to support Enersense’s inorganic growth as well as its customer and business needs. At the group level, the aim was to standardize processes, and the business required up-to-date and reliable information.
– We wanted a scalable solution that wouldn’t create dependency on a single vendor. The solution also had to enable self-service analytics—that is, give the business the tools to build reports independently, says Einari Rännäli, Head of Data and Analytics at Enersens.
Enersense did not previously have a unified data warehouse. Building the solution therefore started from scratch, and its design required strong architectural expertise.
– Enersense wanted a flexible solution that enables agile and effortless development. The goal was to use the solution to provide comprehensive reporting services across different business areas. The Microsoft Azure Data Platform met these criteria. Azure provided the right building blocks for Enersense’s needs, and centralizing the technology has also made cost management easier, says Juha Rautala, Senior Consultant and Project Manager at Epical.
Data modeling in collaboration with business functions
Data modeling played a central role in the project. Concepts related to Enersense’s operations were precisely defined in collaboration with the various business functions. This created a comprehensive picture of what the solution was intended to achieve. The work was also guided by the upcoming ERP transition, which required flexibility. In addition, the data models had to account for potential mergers and acquisitions.
Enersense engaged business leadership in conceptual modeling and definition work at a very early stage. This gave Epical an immediate understanding of the business needs.
– The maturity of operations for reporting varied, so we applied different working models. When baseline data was scarce, we offered visions and presented use cases that demonstrated the added value generated by the data. On the other hand, when there was already a strong understanding of the reporting possibilities, we sought ways to produce better reports more easily, explains Erkki Piitulainen, a senior consultant at Epical.
The project required strong data modeling expertise. Epical had to understand Enersen’s business needs, create data models that matched them, and establish a common terminology for the company.
– This is how we built a cross-group conceptual data model that helped us understand the information flowing through our organization. The physical data models, in turn, defined which systems the data could be found in. Several of these models were created, the most comprehensive being the operational model, says Rännäli.
Once the data modeling was complete, the project moved on to implementing the data warehouse. For this, Epical utilized Qivada’s ADA tool, which, in combination with Data Vault modeling, simplified and automated the data loading process. ADA delivered cost savings to Enersense and improved data quality and documentation.
Flexible collaboration yielded the desired results
Employees from Epical and Enersense worked flexibly as a single team on the project. The collaboration went very smoothly.
– The team is made up of highly skilled professionals who take ownership of tasks and drive them forward independently, Rännäli praises.
Cooperation was also facilitated by Enersense’s active involvement, right down to providing guidance at the top level.
– Enersen has played a strong role in terms of business expertise, project management, and internal change management. Administrative matters haven’t slowed down the process; instead, we’ve been able to focus on what matters most: delivering benefits to end users, says Rautala.
Enersense now equipped for data-driven management
As a result of this collaboration, Enersense gained a flexible data platform that supports its business intelligence needs. Following its implementation, the company can now move forward with more advanced analytics that support its business operations.
– This collaboration has clearly increased our data maturity. We now have one of the best tools on the market and everything we need to take data-driven management to the next level. We can better analyze and forecast our business and open up new opportunities for it on the path to data-driven management. Most importantly, we are also better able to serve our own customers at the heart of the green transition, Rännäli says happily.
Enersense International Oyj is a provider of zero-emission energy solutions that is strongly committed to supporting the ongoing energy transition and enabling a zero-emission society. The Enersense Group’s revenue in 2022 was 268 million euros. The company employs a total of approximately 2,000 people and operates in Finland and internationally. Enersense’s stock is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki (ESENSE). The company’s investor website can be found at http://www.enersense.com/sijoittajalle.
