CUSTOMER CASE | RETAIL
Epta digitalizes its operations with automation
Author
PAIJU KOIVULA
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Epta, a company specializing in refrigeration solutions and services, sought to enhance productivity and streamline its processes. The solution was found in process automation. To achieve this, Epta looked for a reliable and experienced automation expert and chose Sisua Digital as its partner.
The collaboration has already delivered results, and new automation projects are in the pipeline.
"Our goal is to minimize repetitive manual work and free up employees’ time for development tasks. Automation also reduces humane errors and improves process accuracy," says Jari-Pekka Pesonen, Epta’s Material Manager.
Automation enables three times faster data transfer
The first automation implemented by Sisua Digital was a procurement data transfer process, which previously required manual handling of Excel files. Now, automation transfers data from Freshdesk to Excel, which is linked to a Power BI report tracking ticket volumes and response times.
The automated process is run twice daily, providing more frequent and up-to-date data, significantly improving information flow. Previously, an employee spent 15 minutes completing the process, whereas now a robot completes it in just 4 minutes—a 300% increase in speed.
"Automation saves valuable working hours for the Order Desk, allowing employees to focus more on customer service," Pesonen explains.
Invoice processing automations save up to 75 hours per month
The second automation developed by Sisua Digital targets the finance department’s invoice processing workflow. The robot retrieves XML files from the invoice management system and compares the data with the ERP system. If the invoices match, they are automatically posted to accounts.
"This automation also saves working hours and frees up the purchasing team’s resources for other projects and development tasks. From a financial perspective, it’s crucial to post invoices as soon as possible to keep an up-to-date balance sheet," says Pesonen.
Epta processes approximately 50 invoices daily, and manually handling one invoice takes two minutes. With automation, 100 minutes per day — or 35 hours per month — are freed up for other tasks.
In addition, Sisua developed an Accounts Payable automation for Epta, which compares and complements data in the invoice management system with information extracted from PDF invoices and routes the invoices to the correct payment systems. This automation saves approximately 40 hours of work per month.
Together, these automations support order processing and simplify the work of the finance and procurement departments. The invoice processing automations together save about 75 working hours per month, depending slightly on the number of invoices received.
Expanding automation with AI-powered Document Understanding solution
Epta is actively expanding its automation portfolio, and a new AI-powered automation has already been deployed. This solution further streamlines the invoice processing and reduces the number of errors.
Epta works with around 200 different suppliers, whose invoice formats vary significantly. Now, invoices arriving in multiple formats are processed using UiPath’s Document Understanding technology. Read more about the new solution here.
"This automation will standardize invoice posting without requiring changes from our customers," Pesonen explains.
There is also significant internal enthusiasm for automation expansion.
"We want to explore all opportunities to increase efficiency and reduce manual work. We have already received multiple automation requests and process improvement suggestions. Before moving forward with automation, we carefully assess internally how our operations could optimized," Pesonen says.
Seamless collaboration with Sisua Digital: a solution-oriented approach
Sisua Digital has been responsible for Epta’s automation development and maintenance. Epta is highly satisfied with Sisua’s solution-oriented approach and expertise.
"The Sisua team is professional and great to work with. They provide excellent customer service and tackle challenges with confidence, regardless of the ERP system in use. Communication has been smooth, negotiations have gone well, and they have brought valuable suggestions to the table," Pesonen describes.
"We are also pleased with the RaaS (Robotics as a Service) model. We receive automation reports on time, and if there are deviations, we get a response within an hour explaining why. The support has been extremely fast," Pesonen continues.
While Epta’s automation projects are managed by Sisua’s Finnish service team, Sisua’s international service center has also been utilized to enhance development efficiency.
"Development has been fast and high-quality. Based on results, they have suggested different directions to take, and after every meeting, we have been satisfied with the progress," Pesonen concludes.
What was achieved
Automation benefits
- Automation saves about 75 hours each month
- More time for customer service and development
- 3x faster data transfer
- Improved accuracy in processes
- Increased employee satisfaction
About the company
Epta
Epta Finland is a leading supplier of refrigeration solutions and services in Finland, with several offices across the country. The company employs over 100 people in Finland and is part of the global Epta Group. Epta serves its customers by designing, installing, and maintaining refrigeration solutions throughout their entire lifecycle.
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