LVI-Pitkälä
How Information Flows Better - M-Files Helped LVI-Pitkälä, a Growing Building Services Company Improve Project and Document Management
Highlights
- Improved information and document management with standardized processes freed up time for project management
- Secure and high-quality monitoring of site-specific project manuals
- Improved customer satisfaction
Use Case
Customer Information Management
Contract Lifecycle Management
Project Information Management
Industry
Household Engineering Services
Country
Finland
Share This Story
Company Introduction
LVI-Pitkälä Group is an Oulu-based building services group that aims to provide the best and highest quality HVAC service in its region. Operating in the economic areas of Oulu, Lapland, Pirkanmaa and the capital region, the company serves all heating, water, ventilation and environmental needs. The group's turnover grew to more than EUR 24 million in 2023, and the company employs more than 120 HVAC professionals.
M-Files streamlined the management of information and documents in LVI-Pitkälä's customer projects and freed up time for project management.
Key Challenges Before M-Files
Aiming to Make The Flow of Information in The HVAC Contract Seamless, Secure and Real-Time
The construction sector is undergoing major structural changes. In the current market situation, the priority is to improve digitalization, customer service and cost efficiency. This is also the case in the LVI-Pitkälä Group.
The change in the operating environment and the growing number of customers created a need for the Group to streamline the documentation process related to customer projects. LVI-Pitkälä was looking for a reliable partner who could provide a service for managing customer, project and company documentation for all six of the group's regional companies. At the same time, the document management system should support, among other things, the monitoring of site-specific project manuals in a secure and high-quality manner.
Encouraged by previous positive experiences, Veikko Laitila, Chief Executive Officer of LVI-Pitkälä Group, decided to contact M-Files. After negotiations, the cooperation started at the end of 2023.
"At LVI-Pitkälä, we have grown and expanded to new locations in recent years. In the midst of hectic everyday life, the need has arisen to manage contract and customer information more intelligently across the LVI-Pitkälä Group. In building services contracting, the flow of information between the customer, subcontractor and buyer must be seamless, secure and real-time from start to finish," says Veikko Laitila, Chief Executive Officer at LVI-Pitkälä.
"At LVI-Pitkälä, we have grown and expanded to new locations in recent years. In the midst of hectic everyday life, the need has arisen to manage contract and customer information more intelligently across the LVI-Pitkälä Group. In building services contracting, the flow of information between the customer, subcontractor and buyer must be seamless, secure and real-time from start to finish."
Veikko Laitila, Chief Executive Officer, LVI-Pitkälä
"By working together, we minimize risks by ensuring that all relevant actors have access to the same correct information. There are no versioning problems or confusion about who is doing what. This also frees up management time to focus on the day-to-day running of the business."
Veikko Laitila, Chief Executive Officer, LVI-Pitkälä
The M-Files Solution
The Right Information in The Right Place at The Right Time
When the cooperation started, it was realized that the systems in use at LVI-Pitkälä did not offer a flexible enough solution to serve the document management needs of the entire group. Situations arose where it was difficult to ensure that all the documentation required for customer projects had been completed on time and correctly.
There was also a desire to make information more accessible. It was hoped that it would be more convenient to share tenders, plans, drawings and requirements with subcontractors and suppliers. There was also a desire to do away with the manual assembly and dispatch of final documents. The focus was on the need to scale up through automation.
"LVI-Pitkälä was offered a document management system where, for example, the basic information for new contracts is immediately available, site-specific tracking is easy, and the customer receives new quotations directly in M-Files. The system ensures that important information is backed up and always available to those to whom it belongs. We believe that our product improves customer satisfaction and brand image by ensuring that projects and contractual obligations are handled with style and on time," says a Senior Sales Executive at M-Files.
The Results
Real-Time Document Management with M-Files Hubshare Speeds Up The Turnaround Time of Contracts
The cooperation between M-Files and LVI-Pitkälä includes a project information, contract management and management support service, including M-Files Hubshare. M-Files Hubshare ensures secure information sharing and reception of documents with customers and external partners.
"By working together, we minimize risks by ensuring that all relevant actors have access to the same correct information. There are no versioning problems or confusion about who is doing what. This also frees up management time to focus on the day-to-day running of the business," says Laitila:
"Another key finding is the hidden sales pitches. These emerged when we found that a lack of contract monitoring leads to lost sales. Post-warranty annual maintenance contracts and contract renewals were unnecessarily left on the table. Now this process is also in place and the prospects for business growth are good. Receiving bids, monitoring contracts, making schedule estimates and final documentation are now all handled in one clear place. This is a good place to continue."
"Another key finding is the hidden sales pitches. These emerged when we found that a lack of contract monitoring leads to lost sales. Post-warranty annual maintenance contracts and contract renewals were unnecessarily left on the table. Now this process is also in place and the prospects for business growth are good. Receiving bids, monitoring contracts, making schedule estimates and final documentation are now all handled in one clear place. This is a good place to continue."
Veikko Laitila, Chief Executive Officer, LVI-Pitkälä
M-Files supports the smooth flow of documentation and business growth at LVI-Pitkälä Group in several ways:
- Cooperation and metadata-powered search improves business efficiency, as less time is spent searching for information.
- Real-time document management speeds up project completion and keeps tracking up to date.
- Project processes are standardized across all regional companies, reducing inconsistencies and mistakes.
- Active contract management and monitoring open up opportunities for additional business growth.
- Risks are minimized when all parties have access to the same information.
- Customer satisfaction and brand image improve when projects and contractual obligations are handled smoothly and on schedule.
- Data security is improved when data is backed up and continuously available.