Lahti Energia’s ERP Project: A Story of Business Growth and Transformation

Digileaper
Sep 1, 2025
4 min read

From Technical Need to Business Development Journey

Lahti Energia had reached a point where its old enterprise resource planning (ERP) system had come to the end of its lifecycle. A new ERP system was essential, but a mere technical upgrade wasn’t enough. The organization wanted to ensure that the project genuinely supported business operations and their development.

Juha-Pekka Moisio, Director of Development and ICT, Lahti Energia Oy

"Initially, our goal was simply to update the system, but we soon realized that we should leverage the situation more broadly. We needed a partner who could guide us from a business perspective—not just technically," says Juha-Pekka Moisio, Director of Development and ICT at Lahti Energia.

Digileaper stood out with its approach. Its strongly people-centric and business-focused perspective made an impression, making the choice of partner an easy one.

Alongside Lahti Energia’s own project leads, Minna Härkönen and Harri Takala from Digileaper joined the project. Their roles were diverse, ranging from architecture and data development to project management, procurement consulting, and steering group collaboration. This holistic support ensured that the technical renewal was closely aligned with business goals and employee engagement.

Preparation and Requirements Definition: From a Blank Slate to a Shared Vision

In the early stages of the project, Lahti Energy’s staff modeled the business processes targeted by the project. For many, this was an entirely new way of working. The process wasn’t easy, but it forced the team to pause and thoroughly examine the company’s operational models. This detailed groundwork laid the foundation for the entire project.

"Process mapping was new to us. Digileaper played a critical role in clarifying our business objectives and creating a shared understanding among our people about what we wanted and needed from the ERP system. Without this participatory and business-focused guidance, we wouldn’t have achieved these results," Moisio states.

Procurement Phase: A Contract That Provided Peace of Mind

The public tendering process was demanding. Defining an ERP project isn’t done with the push of a button, and the terms of the competition brought their own challenges. However, with experienced consulting support, the tendering and contract preparation were successfully completed.

A precise requirements definition, target pricing model, and clear governance model prevented cost overruns and kept the focus on what truly mattered. "Digileaper’s support gave us strong backing in supplier negotiations and laid the groundwork for successful collaboration," Moisio notes.

Pre-Study: Heavy but Essential Work

The definition phase turned out to be more labor-intensive than expected. Resources were initially underestimated. The supplier’s usual review method was adapted to align with Lahti Energia’s detailed requirements definition, allowing for a deeper dive into the customer’s needs.

"Without Digileaper’s guidance, we wouldn’t have been able to align our requirements with the definition phase, which could have caused problems during implementation. By the end of the definition phase, we had strong confidence and understanding of what we were actually implementing," Moisio describes.

Implementation: Like a Train on Its Tracks

With thorough groundwork completed, the implementation progressed smoothly to the finish line. The schedule and budget were maintained, and there was no need for crisis meetings during the rollout.

"Good and thorough preparation enabled the ERP implementation to stay on schedule and within budget—something rare for projects of this scale. Minna and Harri kept the bar high with their strong commitment and ambition, ensuring high-quality execution, adherence to timelines, and comprehensive employee engagement from the definition phase to implementation," Moisio praises.

Results and Lessons: A Growth Story for Employees

The ERP project wasn’t just a system upgrade—it was also a growth journey for the employees. Initial uncertainty gradually transformed into strong commitment and ownership.

"At first, there was uncertainty and many questions—our people weren’t used to this way of working. Step by step, from the initial challenging push to the project’s conclusion, understanding grew, and everyone saw their role in the success. The result was an amazing development story—our employees grew along the way, and in the end, we earned that famous ‘thank you’," Moisio summarizes.

What Made Digileaper the Right Partner?

For Lahti Energia, what mattered most was Digileaper’s uncompromising approach and courage to uphold best practices, even when the project’s workload occasionally sparked criticism.

"Digileaper kept the bar high. They didn’t just aim to please—they defended what was necessary for a successful outcome. That’s rare, and it’s why the result was so good," Moisio explains.

Summary: A Foundation for Future Development

The ERP project was a long but rewarding journey for Lahti Energia. Thorough preparation and a business-driven approach ensured a successful outcome, along with a remarkable growth arc for the employees. The project not only delivered a modern system but also created readiness for future development.

Lahti Energia is an energy company owned by the City of Lahti, focused on responsibly developing renewable energy. Its goal is to provide customers with worry-free energy. The company is responsible for electricity, district heating, and cooling, and it also develops sustainable energy solutions through the circular economy and renewable technologies.