Oulun Energia’s Business Technology Unit Builds a Data-Driven Future with the Twin Tool
- Digileaper
- Oct 7, 2025
- 3 min read
Excel’s Limits Were Reached
Excel is a familiar and functional tool for many companies, but Oulun Energia's Business Technology unit began hitting its limits. Documentation was scattered, version control was unreliable, and getting a comprehensive overview was difficult."Excel is a good tool, but its limitations become clear when trying to extract data intelligently," describes Mika Sarén, Head of ICT at Oulun Energia.
In a data capital project implemented with Digileaper, documentation began to be built in the Twin tool."Twin served us well during the project, and as data accumulated in it, the choice became an obvious and easy decision for us," says Mira Juola, Head of Digitalisation at Oulun Energia.
Critical Infrastructure Demands Critical Visibility
Oulun Energia operates in a sector that is critical for security of supply. Services must function 24/7—without compromise. This places special demands on digitalization and business technology."As our CEO says, 'We stay awake so that the people of Oulu can sleep peacefully,'" Juola summarizes.
A Shared View, Shared Responsibility
Oulun Energia’s Business Technology unit uses a "lead user" model, where experts are responsible for the data of their own applications. Twin supports this model by providing personalized views that make data maintenance meaningful and efficient.
"We have dozens of lead users, and in this model, Twin is user-friendly and understandable. When the view is immediately relevant to the user, it’s easier to commit," Juola explains.
Tangible Benefits in Daily Operations
Twin has brought Oulun Energia multiple concrete benefits:
Real-time situational awareness – Applications, servers, and integrations are visually displayed with their relationships. In fault situations, the impact can be quickly identified.
Cybersecurity and risk management – Twin enables auditing and ensures that environments are in the correct network segments and that technologies meet requirements. NIS2-related matters can be reviewed comprehensively and in real time.
Cost efficiency – Twin has helped review the entire ICT environment—software, servers, and integrations—and identify unnecessary or overlapping solutions, leading to clear savings.
Smoother collaboration – Partners and new experts onboard quickly when information is in one place and in a visual format. Twin also serves as a platform for shared discussion and understanding.
Visibility of criticality classifications – Oulun Energia has clearly defined in Twin which systems are "mission-critical." This helps prioritize development and prepare for disruptions.
"Twin connects applications to capacity and shows their integrations. It reveals criticalities and responsibilities—who is responsible for what," Sarén summarizes.
Value from the First Meeting Onward
One of Twin’s key strengths is its rapid deployability. The tool does not require a heavy, long implementation project—value starts accumulating from the very first meeting. This makes it an agile and cost-effective choice for organizations that want to get started quickly.
Commitment Is Key—the Tool Doesn’t Do the Work for You
Twin’s benefits materialize only when the organization commits to data maintenance. Mika Sarén reminds us that no tool is enough on its own:
"Even Twin is ultimately just a tool. It becomes as good as you want it to be. Data integrity is such that even the best tool won’t turn poorly maintained data into gold. You have to commit and put in the effort to maintain that data." At Oulun Energia, commitment has been a key part of success, visible in smoother daily operations, supported decision-making, and enabled development work.
A New Foundation for Data-Driven Leadership
Twin is not just an IT management tool—it’s a platform that supports the development of the entire organization. Juola wants to expand Twin’s role beyond technical architecture: "Quality aspects, development perspectives, and process visualization—all of this is possible in Twin." Sarén sees Twin as a strategic tool that helps guide development: "Twin provides an overview of what we have and where we want to go."
"What You Can’t Visualize, You Can’t Lead"
Juola’s strong message summarizes Twin’s significance: "What you can’t visualize, you can’t lead. You need to understand the whole process and its components to develop and optimize." Oulun Energia’s experience shows that when data management is in order, better decisions can be made, responsibilities can be shared, and a more agile organization can be built—together.
About Oulun Energia
Oulun Energia is one of Finland’s largest energy companies, with core functions in energy and electricity production, electrical grid services, and various heat and energy solutions for consumers and businesses. The company strongly invests in the circular economy and operates responsibly as part of regional vitality and security of supply.
Want to See How Twin Could Work in Your Organization?
Contact Digileaper and request a demo—we’ll gladly show you how data-driven leadership becomes a reality from the very first meeting.
Or explore in more detail what Twin offers in practice.
