Developed for asset lifecycle management, the ERP system of Vitec ALMA is based on a SaaS delivery model. As typical for a SaaS delivery model, ALMA is effectively pre-packaged software. The harmonisation of software configurations gives end-users many general advantages, as well as industry-specific benefits based on Vitec ALMA's specific expertise.
The business idea of Vitec Group is to deliver standardised software products which meet the individual needs of customers in different industries. This is why the Vitec ALMA system, designed for the needs of the technical sector, is pre-productised and delivered on a SaaS model.
“We want to be a software provider, not a consultancy. We focus on product orientation, starting from the Group level, because our wish is to create software that can be deployed quickly and smoothly and that delivers customers the full benefit of our expertise,” explains Janne Lappi, the Sales Director of Vitec ALMA.
For customers, product standardization means less investment in customer-specific software development and faster implementation.
“Our entire operation is aimed at making the implementation of software as agile as possible and delivering the product to our customer as quickly as possible and in an immediately operational functionality,” Lappi continues.
The common economic justifications for the SaaS delivery model are quick and easy implementation, cost savings, regular updates, scalability, ease of use, reliability and high security.
These most frequently cited benefits also apply to the ALMA system. The SaaS model allows resources to be directed towards developing new software instead of customising, and this benefits all Vitec ALMA customers.
“This is probably what all SaaS provides say. But what sets us apart is that our decades of technical expertise are translated into a finished product, instead of spending product development time on customer-specific consulting or customisation. Our extensive industrial know-how is available to all our industrial customers," says Kari Trygg, our Business Manager.
The strategy of Vitec Group is based on the delivery of standardised software products to various industries. Vitec ALMA’s software is a versatile enterprise resource planning system for design, maintenance, documentation, and project management.
The customers of Vitec ALMA are mainly industrial companies who have large and complex plant environments with a high degree of investment and integration and very advanced plant automation.
Delivering an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system to a security-critical technical sector requires knowledge of the industry and the ability to integrate expertise into software features. This is why, at Vitec ALMA, software products and deployments are handled by industry professionals, such as design and maintenance experts, rather than IT specialists.
“Our project managers need to have a deep understanding of how the industry in general operates, what is done at the factory and why. They know how different industrial players have solved various issues. We export the knowledge and best practices gathered from both our own industry experts and customers into our software,” Kari Trygg explains.
The ALMA ERP system consists of separate, ready-made modules which the customer can use to assemble a complete solution tailored to the company’s needs. To further enhance the customer-specific solution, the SaaS package scales more flexibly with business growth, since different modules can also be rolled out in phases. The SaaS model also facilitates integrations.
“Each of our customers has integrations with other systems. The productisation of our software also lessens the pain of integration for our customers. Product harmonisation standardises integration as well. Once the product is standardised, we are on the way to standardising the interfaces,” says Trygg.
When software is delivered on a SaaS model and highly harmonised, this benefits the customer in many ways. Below are the main benefits:
1. Quick commissioning: because the software is standardised, it’s quick and hassle-free to get up and running. The user can start using the software almost immediately, without lengthy installation and configuration processes. We can take care of customisation with small configurations and the choice of modules to be used.
2. Lower costs: using and licensing a standard SaaS software is cheaper than developing and maintaining customised software. Users pay a monthly or annual fee that covers all necessary maintenance, updates and technical support.
3. Regular updates and improvements: the SaaS provider handles software updates and new features on behalf of all its customers. The user automatically gets access to the latest versions and improved features of the software without having to worry about installing updates themselves.
4. Scalability: the SaaS model allows the software to be made scalable according to the user's needs. The user can easily increase or decrease access or capacity according to needs without heavy investments into infrastructure.
5. Usability and specialized knowledge: pre-packaged software has been carefully designed and tested based on industry knowledge and best practices, making the finished software intuitive and easy to use. This reduces the need for training and improves the user experience.
6. Easy access and accessibility: the SaaS software is a cloud service, which means that users have access to the software anywhere and anytime, provided they have an internet connection. This increases flexibility and mobility.
7. Integrations and compatibility: a pre-packaged ERP system allows standardised integrations with other commonly used systems and services. This facilitates information sharing and process automation.
8. Data security and reliability: as a SaaS provider, we place a strong emphasis on security and data protection. Users can trust that their data is safe, and the software is protected against the latest security threats.