A. Ahlström streamlines financial operations with Process Mining

Thanks to BI Book, A. Ahlström can now monitor automation progress in real time. The project has resulted in significant improvements, including a higher level of automation and more efficient contract invoicing processes.

A. Ahlström is one of Finland's oldest family-owned companies, known for its long-term investment approach and focus on developing sustainable industrial and real estate ventures. To enhance their operations with data-driven insights, Ahlström utilizes BI Book along with its process mining capabilities.

“Responsibility and ambition are core values at Ahlström, driving our commitment to continuous learning and business development. With BI Book's process mining tool, we set out to improve our purchase invoice process. Our objective was to map the current state of the process and identify opportunities to streamline invoice handling,” explains Markus Laine, Business Controller at Ahlström.

Process mining uncovers bottlenecks in operations

For years, Ahlström’s finance team sought to optimize their purchase invoice process, but lacked visibility into the degree of automation and the extent of manual work involved. The BI Book process mining tool delivered the transparency they needed, revealing key bottlenecks and areas ripe for improvement.

“The tool was customized to suit our needs, and we established KPI metrics to steer our process development. It was eye-opening to see the costs associated with each step and the potential for reducing manual work. As a direct outcome of the process mining project, our level of automation has increased, and invoice processing is now significantly more efficient,” Markus summarizes.

Real-time data supports smarter decision-making

Markus describes BI Book's implementation as quick and seamless. The finance team now benefits from real-time data access, enabling them to accurately analyze purchasing and sales trends.

“With process mining, we can track automation progress in real time. The project has paid for itself many times over, bringing us substantial benefits such as increased automation and more efficient contract invoicing. Most importantly, we now spend far less time on invoice processing,” Markus notes.

Expert guidance fuels lasting improvements

Markus commends the BI Book team for their expertise, practical guidance, and a comprehensive final report that offered a clear path forward for future process enhancements.

“The BI Book team is highly skilled and provided us with invaluable insights. They helped us address critical process challenges. I can confidently recommend them to anyone looking to improve their purchase invoice processes. The project was efficient and well-executed, and the tailored tool delivers lasting value,” Markus concludes.

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