Vaasan Sähkö
Vaasan Sähkö Uses M-Files to Digitize Technical Documents, Improve Maintenance Planning and Ensure Compliance with Introducing AI Across the Company
Highlights
-
Scattered paper and digital records centralized into one accessible location.
-
Improved maintenance planning and fault resolution with digitized technical documentation and integrated Microsoft Power BI insights.
-
Stronger compliance and security ensuring the right version is always available across business units and partners.
-
M-Files Hubshare simplifies external collaboration, with safety documents and confirmations managed directly in M-Files.
-
AI tools like M-Files Aino and Microsoft Copilot now support daily work, helping employees find information faster and make smarter decisions.
Use Case
Enterprise Asset Management
Process Management
Quality Management
Industry
Energy & Utilities
Country
Finland
Share This Story
Company Introduction
The Vaasan Sähkö Group employs approximately 150 people and operates in electricity sales, district heating, and electricity distribution. The group includes the parent company Vaasan Sähkö, responsible for electricity procurement and district heating, along with two subsidiaries: Vaasan Sähkö Myynti Oy, which provides electricity sales and energy services to consumers and businesses, and Vaasan Sähköverkko Oy, which manages electricity distribution across eight municipalities in the Vaasa region.
Key Challenges Before M-Files
Prior to adopting M-Files, Vaasan Sähkö faced significant challenges in managing technical documentation and information across its business units. Initially, most documentation, such as technical blueprints, existed only as paper copies stored in physical binders. These documents were often outdated or difficult to locate, with multiple inconsistent versions circulating across teams and locations.
Additionally, digital information was fragmented across network drives, Microsoft Teams groups and Microsoft SharePoint. This fragmentation made it difficult for staff to find reliable and current information, a fact also noted in employee surveys. As a critical infrastructure operator, Vaasan Sähkö also had to meet high standards of data security, regulatory compliance, and traceability-something that the existing systems did not adequately support.
In the energy sector, where vast amounts of data are generated continuously, better forecasting has become essential. Rapid changes in the industry require timely access to high-quality data to support proactive decision-making and operational readiness.
"Information was scattered across systems-Teams, SharePoint, network drives-and often outdated. It was difficult to find the right document when needed," said Topias Katajamäki, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) at Vaasan Sähkö.
"It all started with yellowed paper drawings. Today, we have higher-quality data, and AI has become a daily work companion for many."
Topias Katajamäki, Chief Digital Officer, Vaasan Sähkö
"If items need to be reviewed afterwards, all data can be found in M-Files."
Topias Katajamäki, Chief Digital Officer, Vaasan Sähkö
The M-Files Solution
Vaasan Sähkö began its M-Files journey in 2017, starting with its Vaasan Sähköverkko subsidiary. The initial goal was to digitize technical blueprints and create a centralized, structured archive for technical documentation. The successful pilot led to a broader rollout across the company, covering maintenance inspections, structural data, and monthly safety reports. Integration with Microsoft Power BI allowed the company to visualize and act on data from inspections, improving maintenance planning.
Encouraged by these results, M-Files was gradually expanded across the Vaasan Sähkö Group. The first group-wide implementation focused on importing documentation related to the company's IT infrastructure and other structural data relevant to information management. It was then adopted in centralized functions such as the corporate management system, where it now supports deviation handling, process documentation, and other elements of the certified management system. From there, M-Files expanded broadly across business functions, adapting to the specific needs of different units.
To improve collaboration with external partners, M-Files Hubshare was adopted to handle safety orientations for district heating worksites. Contractors can access relevant safety documents and acknowledge their onboarding directly through Hubshare, with confirmations automatically recorded in M-Files. This setup simplified communication and documentation without requiring internal users to learn a new system, while also allowing the user experience to be customized as needed. Lastly the company introduced artificial intelligence into daily operations with tools like M-Files Aino and Microsoft Copilot.
The Results
Improved Efficiency, Traceability, and Maintenance Planning
The implementation of M-Files has significantly improved information management and operational reliability at Vaasan Sähkö. Previously fragmented documents-ranging from inspection reports to technical drawings-are now centralized, structured, and easy to access. This has enhanced everyday efficiency and ensured that up-to-date information is always available where it's needed.
Maintenance operations saw significant improvements with the adoption of M-Files. Technical documentation, inspection records, and component-level data were digitized and linked to related structural information, making them easily accessible to both internal teams and external partners.
This has enabled quicker fault resolution and more precise, data-driven maintenance planning. Power BI reports generated from the M-Files data provide clear visibility into inspection outcomes and condition monitoring, while lifecycle alerts help ensure that timely actions are taken as systems approach critical thresholds.
The electricity sales unit also streamlined its pricing process using a tailored workflow in M-Files. This setup enables automatic task and document creation based on metadata, ensuring consistency and full traceability for audits.
AI Improves Workflow and Supports Users in Their Daily Tasks
By April 2025, nearly half of the staff were actively using AI tools in their daily work. M-Files' AI assistant Aino supports onboarding and internal system navigation, making it easier for users to find and understand relevant documentation. Copilot is actively used across tools such as Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Outlook. The company continues to develop its AI capabilities through weekly feedback sessions and hands-on experimentation.
"It all started with yellowed paper drawings. Today, we have higher-quality data, and AI has become a daily work companion for many," Topias concluded.
Future Plans
Vaasan Sähkö's strategy looks ahead to 2030, with a strong focus on the growing role of data and AI. While the company has made significant progress, it acknowledges that the work is far from finished, the quality of the data is improving but not yet at the desired level.
As AI has already become a daily work companion for many employees at Vaasan Sähkö, a governance model is currently being developed to ensure its ethical and effective use. According to Topias, the role of individual systems is expected to diminish as AI agents and platform-level automation take on a greater role. The company recognizes that the rapid pace of AI development may require updates to its digital strategy along the way, but the direction is clear: the journey continues.
See M-Files in Action
Seeing is believing. Schedule a demo to learn more about simplified search, automatic workflows, intuitive user interfaces, and seamless interactions with existing applications and file systems.
