Seure – How to get the most out of data

Seure, owned by cities and wellbeing services counties, offers personnel services to its owners, and has long relied on knowledge-based management in its operations. In operational management, Seure has become accustomed to utilizing business data as well as various research data. This can be seen e.g. in the form of advanced demand and supply forecasting analytics models. In addition to operational activities, information is used on a more strategic level to support decision-making. However, a clear opportunity for more effective utilization of information had been identified. The identified areas of development are familiar to most organizations: for example, there was room for improvement in the retrievability of information and sharing of internal information, as well as in the usability and the utilization of the collected information.

Based on these starting points, we initiated a research development project together. The first goal of the project was to specify what kind of needs and expectations business has in relation to research data and its utilization. The mapping of essential information was done through interviews, in which the strengths of the current operating method were identified, and development targets were defined. The overall picture and development items formed from the interviews were validated and prioritized together with the project team.

As the result a road map was formed defining the guidelines of the future development work for the next two years, considering the interdependencies of the development measures in addition to the priorities. Besides the practical implementation of research, the plan takes a position on the distribution of information, the management and resourcing of research activities, the definition of changes to systems, and the monitoring of the utilization of information. Alongside the definition work, we also carried out Seure’s annual customer and personnel surveys. In addition to the implementation, the work tested future methods of operation both in terms of the technical implementation of the studies, reporting and information sharing.

At the end of the project, Seure got a clear picture of how its research activities will be developed over the next few years. On this basis, information can be used in a more automated, systematic, and comprehensive way in business development than before. Seure’s strategy and brand director Ilari Viippola describes the importance of the project: “In its strategy, Seure invests in the power of leading with knowledge. The development of customer partnerships and employee experience is based on a precise understanding of the needs and expectations of the various parties. To us it is essential to produce usable information and to ensure that information is used throughout the organization.”