What an ERP overhaul looks like in the waste sector — where technology, the industry's special requirements and genuine partnership meet

The operating environment of waste management places special demands on operational systems. Legislation, strong building-level control, a diverse customer model and large volumes of data require flexibility, up-to-dateness and deep industry understanding from the system.

This post brings together the key observations and lessons from Lakeuden Etappi's ongoing J360° ERP rollout. The content is based on experiences shared in a joint webinar by Softera and Lakeuden Etappi, which explained concretely why the renewal was undertaken, how such a large whole is built in a controlled way, and what effects it has on the daily work of waste management now and in the future.

A renewal born of genuine need

Behind Lakeuden Etappi's ERP renewal is the company's goal of developing its operations holistically. The aim of the procurement was to make work smoother: reducing manual work, making use of real-time interfaces and increasing automation across the whole operational chain.

Central to the project has been starting from Etappi's real needs. The system's functionality has not been built as separate modules, but as one whole that Softera develops in close cooperation with Etappi.

A broad but unified ERP whole

The new ERP solution will cover Lakeuden Etappi's key operational and administrative functions. The whole includes customer management, building and product management, transaction management, the formation of billing data, customer-service tools, handling of feedback and deviations, digital self-service and reporting.

Broad integrations make smooth daily work possible. The system will have interfaces to billing, property information services, credit checks, BI reporting and Suomi.fi authentication, among others. In addition, key back-end systems are embedded within the ERP as their own views, so users can operate from a single interface.

One customer for the customer — a clear overview for Etappi

One of the most significant changes in the operating model is the move to a single-customer model. In future, a customer will have one customer number regardless of the number of properties or changes to them. This reduces duplication and eases both the customer's dealings and the work of customer service.

All customer contacts — calls, emails, chats and digital self-service — are centralised into one system, where they become tasks to be handled. The browser-based interface guides users, suggests suitable options and supports the standardisation of processes.

Buildings at the centre — the industry's requirements as part of the system

A feature typical of the waste sector is the central role of buildings in defining and monitoring services. In Lakeuden Etappi's new ERP solution, buildings act as the core of data management. Waste regulations are brought directly into the system by building type, so the availability of services and obligations can be defined reliably.

Data linked to buildings, their use and wastewater systems persist in the system even when the customer changes. In addition, shared waste collections are managed through roles, without separate customer cards. This improves the continuity of data and makes customer entities easier to grasp.

A controlled project and close collaboration

The ERP renewal has been a strongly led project from the start. The same project team has worked on the project throughout, which has eased the definition of requirements and the building of shared understanding. The project plan has served as a stable framework for scheduling and resourcing.

Collaboration between Softera and Lakeuden Etappi has involved plenty of workshops, steering- and management-group work, and phased test use. Test versions of the system are already in use, and staff are being prepared for the rollout in a planned way.

Toward rollout and continuous development

The project is currently moving on to reviewing implementations, further testing and refining data migration. The rollout is scheduled for the end of the year and will be carried out in a controlled manner according to the training plan.

The layered structure of the new ERP whole enables further development in the future too, for example as legislation changes. J360° is not a static solution, but a platform developed together with the customer according to the needs of the business and the operating environment.