In October 2023, the final implementations of the system were completed and thus all 56 Finnish Forest Management Associations use the LeafPoint ERP system.
LeafPoint is an ERP system that covers the entire operations of forest management associations and the services offered to forest owners. With the help of LeafPoint, the Finnish Forest Management Association is able to streamline white-collar work and improve the customer service experience without major R&D investments.
A few years ago, forest management associations felt that their current ERP system needed to be reformed. This challenge was taken up by the then PiiMega with software designed together with Bitcomp. Subsequently, PiiMega merged with Pinja, a company specializing in digitalization and industrial SaaS solutions, and Bitcomp, in turn, became part of Sitowise.
- At that time, PiiMega and we noticed that the software we had developed could cover the Forest Management Association's needs for a new ERP system, and we decided to start offering it, says Tapani Stjernvall, Business Segment Director, Sitowise.
LeafPoint has been developed in collaboration with forest management associations, ensuring superior system availability and productivity.
- We were in contact with forest management associations and developed and planned the program based on this. Our pilot partners were the Päijänne Forest Management Association and the Päijät-Häme Forest Management Association, says Stjernvall.
- Already in early 2019, we started to consider the possibility of renewing our ERP system to meet future needs. Bitcomp already had advanced AI solutions back then, and many of the features of their system directly met our goals. We decided to launch a project together, and as a result we now have the most advanced and competitive system in the industry, says Jari Yli-Talonen, Director of the Päijät-Häme Forest Management Association.
In recent years, Sitowise has proven to be an excellent partner for forest management associations. They understand our needs and how their technological solutions serve our needs. We believe that thanks to its innovativeness, Sitowise will be able to offer us a competitive advantage long into the future.
Jouni Tiainen, CEO of Metsähoitoyhdistysten Palvelu MHYP Oy
In 2021, the forest management association field decided to choose between two options for a new ERP system.
- In autumn 2021, a selection was made in the board of the service share association of forest management associations, after which the entire field of forest management associations made a unanimous decision to choose LeafPoint as the new ERP system, Stjernvall says.
This started an extensive implementation process, one forest management association at a time. Stjernvall estimates that reason for winning the bid competition was the system's modern solutions and cloud platform. Added value can be brought to the customer with the help of satellite data and artificial intelligence, for example. LeafPoint is also closely integrated with the forest owners' OmaMetsä service, which is the Finnish Forest Management Association's e-service with more than 60,000 users.
- The ERP project has had long processes and even challenges along the way. There are different types and sizes of forest management associations, and the old operating models are very different. I would like to thank the customer base for how together we have been able to complete such a large-scale project and find patience during the process, Stjernvall smiles.
- In recent years, Sitowise has proven to be an excellent partner for forest management associations. They understand our needs and how their technological solutions serve our needs. We believe that thanks to its innovativeness, Sitowise will be able to offer us a competitive advantage long into the future, says Jouni Tiainen, CEO of Metsähoitoyhdistysten Palvelu MHYP Oy.
The most sustainable: The LeafPoint system takes care of Finnish forests. A growing forest binds carbon efficiently and the system can be used to detect the necessary sites that require maintenance. This will boost growth. The development pipeline also includes an action scenario function, which enables forest owners with different value bases to increase biodiversity and manage forests through different goals, among other things. In addition, risks can be monitored in terms of forest health, climate change and various insect pests.
The most efficient: The new system can react to the rapidly changing business environment, as the cloud-based service adapts to changes in an agile manner.
The most innovative: We are a pioneer in utilizing satellite data and artificial intelligence in forest asset management and integrating smart data and operations into business processes.