CASE
Meira Nova Data Platform renewal
How AI Roots delivered a new data platform with strong collaboration and integration with the Meira Nova business
Meira Nova is one of the leading foodservice operators in Finland delivering food and restaurant commodities for S-group restaurants as well as external clients, including catering kitchens, workplace canteens, and the hotel and restaurant sector. The company’s turnover is 300 million euros and Meira Nova employs about 300 people, of which 200 are internal and 100 are external employees. Meira Nova is part of SOK (The Central Finnish Cooperative Society), which operates in the retail, travel and hospitality business in Finland and Estonia.
The cooperation between Meira Nova and AI Roots started 2,5 years ago when Meira Nova was renewing its strategy, of which central focus areas were analytics and data-driven decision making. During that time AI Roots had contacted Jani Kaski, IT area lead at SOK, who recognized AI Roots’s potential to help Meira Nova in forming the analytics business case. At the time Kaski operated as the development manager at Meira Nova and carried forward the project of data-driven decision making.
Once the roadmap was ready, Meira Nova started to prepare the renewal of its analytics capabilities, based on the roadmap. At the same time, the SOK group was finishing a reference architecture project related to analytics services. The aim was to harmonize the analytics tools and the platforms used in the group. To carry out the renewal project, Meira Nova needed a partner. AI Roots was already in a good position as they had helped to form the analytics roadmap.
In addition to renewing the technological solutions, the first phase of the project included involving the business functions to define specifications for the analytics tools and services and training them to utilize the new tools. It was also central to adopt a new agile way of working, of which Meira Nova had little experience. The successful implementation of the basic analytics capabilities in the first phase of the project laid a strong foundation for the continuation. Meira Nova had also formed a good working relationship with AI Roots, so it was easy to continue the journey together and keep on with the good practices. The second phase of the project is running smoothly, with tangible results and Meira Nova has now a fully functioning data platform in place for further development.
Once the roadmap was ready, Meira Nova started to prepare the renewal of its analytics capabilities, based on the roadmap. At the same time, the SOK group was finishing a reference architecture project related to analytics services. The aim was to harmonize the analytics tools and the platforms used in the group. To carry out the renewal project, Meira Nova needed a partner. AI Roots was already in a good position as they had helped to form the analytics roadmap.
In addition to renewing the technological solutions, the first phase of the project included involving the business functions to define specifications for the analytics tools and services and training them to utilize the new tools. It was also central to adopt a new agile way of working, of which Meira Nova had little experience. The successful implementation of the basic analytics capabilities in the first phase of the project laid a strong foundation for the continuation. Meira Nova had also formed a good working relationship with AI Roots, so it was easy to continue the journey together and keep on with the good practices. The second phase of the project is running smoothly, with tangible results and Meira Nova has now a fully functioning data platform in place for further development.
AI Roots consolidated the analytics needs from Meira Nova's business stakeholders, and from there we jointly designed the development roadmap and related milestone. AI Roots performed well in the tender. The price tag of their offer was also very reasonable and competitive, so it was easy to choose AI Roots as a partner. AI Roots' strengths were also a more agile approach and the high experience level of consultants they were able to provide for this project. It was a pleasure to see that the project progressed well and to notice how the end-user’s engagement and capabilities grew: Not only the ability to define the specifications but also learning how to use the system. The technical solution was well implemented but knowing how to involve people is not always self-evident for technical people. You can have good technical capabilities but finding developers with the adequate team and social skills can be more difficult. Culturally, the gains and well-working methods we have been able to achieve throughout the cooperation can be duplicated in other projects and activities. I can sincerely recommend AI Roots’ good developers and good organization and have already identified new tasks for AI Roots at SOK. Meira Nova has come a long way, and this one-team way of working has been quite unique.
Jani Kaski, IT Area Lead at SOK
Meira Nova
