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Management of all equipment across the city

The biggest challenge was the lack of centralised information

Before the Trail Equipment Management system was implemented, the City of Pori’s equipment data was scattered across multiple systems and unit-specific spreadsheets. Some of the data had not been compiled anywhere. There was no centralised view of all equipment and their lifecycle information.

In addition to gaining a comprehensive overview, the City of Pori set the goal of standardising asset management practices and improving the efficiency of equipment utilisation. The aim is to promote sustainable development through the efficient utilisation of equipment, improved maintenance management, systematic planning of repairs, and predicting replacement needs.

“The goal is that these new practices will make it possible to make better use of recycled equipment that is still in good condition.” - Erja Haavisto, Finance Manager, City of Pori

From a risk management perspective, improved registration of equipment was also identified as a means of preventing the loss and unauthorised use of such assets, thereby strengthening internal control and risk management practices.

Trail provided a modern solution suitable for the city’s needs

After comparing various systems, the Trail Equipment Management service was selected as the City of Pori’s solution for equipment management. The decision was influenced in particular by the system’s support for tracking stock balance items and its item-based pricing model, which suited the city’s needs. In addition, the system was found to be user-friendly, technologically modern, and adaptable to identified needs.

The success of the implementation was the result of many factors

The City of Pori was successful in implementing the selected equipment management solution.

Several factors contributed to the successful implementation:

• Efforts were made at the city level to provide guidance and information.

• Sufficient staff resources were allocated to carry out the system implementation, and staff received extensive training in data collection.

• The implementation was well planned, and the groundwork was thoroughly prepared.

• The business units were committed to implementing the system, and responsible personnel were appointed

• Trail System’s key account manager and technical support team provided assistance during the implementation

One key factor in the project’s success was that the City of Pori was able to get its staff on board with compiling asset data and using the system. In this regard, securing the commitment of the various departments and appointing designated personnel were crucial components of the overall effort. The designated personnel were also provided with training and access to a shared support group to assist them in their work.

When the system was implemented, it was emphasised that each unit could go beyond the minimum requirements defined for their specific needs, and those in charge were given the freedom to decide for themselves how to use the system on a day-to-day basis. Initially, steps were also taken to ensure that responsibility was not placed excessively on any one person.

“We were able to build a strong sense of shared purpose among the admin users.” - Bettina Nirhamo, Lead Designer, City of Pori

Achievable benefits

The centralisation and standardisation of equipment management have increased visibility and awareness of the city’s entire equipment inventory. At the same time, the conditions for establishing consistent operating practices have improved, and equipment recycling and lifecycle management have also advanced. The goal is for the Trail Equipment Management system to eventually be in use throughout the entire city organisation.

Using Trail Equipment Management service is also expected to deliver financial benefits, particularly through increased equipment rotation between units and more systematic lifecycle management.

Achieved benefits:

• A comprehensive overview of the city’s equipment

• The ability to quickly check whether the city already has any equipment available for the task at hand

• The ability to integrate risk assessments and maintenance procedures into equipment data

Broadcasting operations supported by Trail

Yle's broadcasting equipment is efficiently managed using Trail. Trail offers comprehensive visibility into the location, reservations, upcoming productions, and maintenance status of the equipment, ensuring those responsible can maintain availability.

"After we implemented Trail, the equipment reservation process started to work," says Ville Venell, Head of YLE's Production and Design Department.

Trail plays a central role in managing Yle's broadcasting equipment. Behind every media production is a vast team of professionals, each responsible for a specific aspect of the project. The technical component is critical, and with Trail, those responsible for equipment availability can ensure all necessary equipment is ready and well-maintained for production.

Trail also facilitates smooth information flow within Yle's operations, especially concerning equipment management. Accurate location tracking is vital for coordinating logistics around productions.

"When we discovered Trail, it set a high standard for asset management. The production planning software couldn't match Trail's capabilities, so we decided to use different modules. As a result, equipment management and planning are handled in Trail, while production planning is managed in separate software," adds Ville Venell.

Yle's Trail users have always praised its usability. Juha Rinne, head of equipment pool in Yle Productions states "Our experience of Trail has been very positive and our employees give constant feedback of its intuitiveness" According to Juha, ease of use also cuts costs because now the warehouse workers' time is not wasted in searching for equipment and equipment information. "It has been a great relief that now all users can easily see who is using the equipment and what equipment is currently booked. It has never been easier to see where the so-called 'Lost' items are.", mentions Rinne.

The equipment used in Yle productions has to be serviceable and therefore continuous maintenance is required. Trail supports the maintenance activities and logging of maintenance for the equipment.

Achieved benefits:

• All required broadcasting equipment is right where they are needed at the right time and in good condition.

• Transparency and accountability through an easy-to-use system

• Integrations to key financial and production management systems

• Single sign-on for login

Senate Properties

Senate Properties is the work environment partner of the Finnish government. Senate Properties is responsible for the maintenance and development of the premises of government organisations and creates work environments that support customers' operations.

Trail was introduced to Senate Properties in 2018 through a public tender. As part of the implementation, a security and administrative audit of the system was conducted to ensure Trail's suitability for use by the state administration.

"The goal was to gather all the life cycle information of office furniture and AV equipment across different locations," says Jenna Mustonen, Adviser, Maintenance in Workplace and Maintenance Services at Senate Properties.

Efficient inventory

Trail is currently used to manage tens of thousands of Senate Properties' furniture and AV equipment throughout Finland. Physical RFID tags are attached to the equipment for individual tracking. The tags have basic item information and a QR code, enabling fast and effortless defect reporting through Trail's mobile application.

"We decided to label the devices with Trail’s RFID smart chips so that repetitive inventories can be completed using remote reader devices. In this way, inventories can be completed in a fraction of the time compared to before", says Mustonen.

Trail's mobile application and RFID reader are used to identify remotely readable RFID tags. In practice, a mobile device is connected to the reader, where Trail's application registers all RFID tags scanned by the reader, and then updates the system with the latest information.

A powerful RFID reader allows tags to be read from a distance of up to 10 meters, making inventory execution very fast. As an example of efficiency, about 800 articles from the entire floor were inventoried in less than 10 minutes in one of the Helsinki offices.

Gathering equipment information

Gathering equipment information into Trail works smoothly for Senate Properties as equipment suppliers provide the information in a system-readable format.

"With Trail, we finally have a comprehensive view of the locations we manage and the furniture and equipment used by different customers - and it's easy. In the past, compiling and updating such information was practically impossible," says Mustonen.

User rights management

All systems used by the Senate Properties must operate seamlessly and reliably in terms of user rights management. With Trail's comprehensive access control possibilities, information on equipment in different parts of Finland is only available to relevant personnel.

Achieved benefits:

• Up-to-date view of all equipment

• Efficient and reliable inventory

• Efficient equipment data collection

• Effective user rights management

Sustainable equipment management in Göteborgs Operan

”The benefits of equipment sharing are so obvious for the environment and for the economy. Now, the users have the possibility to borrow, rent, and share equipment that they can’t afford or do not have by themselves.” Håkan Jönsson, Facility Manager and Member of the Board, Göteborgs Operan

Håkan Jönsson, the Facility Manager at Göteborgs Operan, plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of this renowned Swedish opera house. His responsibilities include overseeing maintenance and services, logistics, and warehousing, as well as managing the complex stage machinery. In his role, he leads a team of around 30 professionals, from electronic engineers to cleaners.

The biggest challenge was the lack of control over the equipment

Before implementing Trail as their equipment management solution, Göteborgs Operan faced numerous challenges in managing their equipment. Håkan's team struggled with locating equipment, determining its usability, monitoring status, and tracking quantities. These challenges not only hampered operational efficiency but also made it difficult to deliver seamless services to their audience.

Trail Equipment Management provided an effective solution to these challenges. The decision to adopt Trail was strongly influenced by positive feedback from the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, which had already experienced significant benefits from the platform.

At Göteborgs Operan, Trail is central to their equipment management strategy. It helps maintain order across a vast inventory, simplifying the process of ordering and placing equipment both on-site and in storage. Additionally, Trail enables efficient equipment sharing among multiple theaters, including Göteborgs Operan, Göteborgs Stadsteater, and Folkteatern Göteborg. This collaboration not only streamlines logistics but also promotes sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

Sharing equipment boosts both the environment and the economy

The Trail Sharing functionality is highly valuable to Håkan and his team. They believe that equipment sharing offers numerous benefits, not only for their organisation but also for the environment, local economy, and broader community. By sharing resources, theaters can reduce their carbon footprint and ease the financial burden of purchasing expensive equipment. It also democratises access to high-quality equipment, ensuring that even smaller theaters and groups have the tools they need to deliver exceptional performances.

In addition to the tangible benefits of Trail's equipment management capabilities, Håkan highlights the exceptional customer-supplier relationship they've built with the Trail team. They have found Trail to be receptive to their ideas and responsive to their needs, making the system’s implementation and ongoing improvements a collaborative and rewarding experience.

In summary, Trail Equipment Management has elevated equipment management at Göteborgs Operan, providing a streamlined solution that enhances efficiency, promotes equipment sharing, and supports sustainability. With Trail, Håkan and his team can focus on what truly matters — delivering outstanding performances while ensuring that equipment is in the right place when needed.

Achieved benefits:

• Ability to maintain order and control over a vast array of items

• Simplified process of ordering and placing equipment in the correct locations on-site or in storage

• Improved logistics between venues

• Facilitate efficient sharing of equipment among partners

Martela & Trail Systems: Partnership of two Finnish companies with responsible values

Martela is a Finnish family business founded in 1945. Martela designs and manufactures user-driven workplaces and learning environments. Martela’s design and specialist services cover the entire lifecycle of a workplace.

Trail Systems supports the management of acquired equipment through a cloud-based asset management service. The data in Trail system is built on identifier labels attached to the equipment. Through labels, Trail digitalizes all fixed assets and centralizes all asset information throughout the lifecycle.

Martela and Trail Systems signed a partnership in 2018 to respond to the demand of equipment management services from the equipment supplier. Work is going through a transformation and so are working environments, and with that, the importance of equipment management is rising. Both Martela and Trail Systems are highly user-oriented and customer-centric service providers. Sustainability is also a common factor for both parties in this partnership.

Sustainable and cost-effective asset management

Together as partners, Trail and Martela, offer customers comprehensive equipment management service for work environments. Customers gain the ability to utilize equipment data in planning and decision-making. Most importantly customers gain the ability to make sustainable equipment investments based on proven need, and with that also the ability to control costs. A sustainable asset management culture can be built only when data-based decisions can be made regarding combinations of new and reused equipment.

Working well together

The partnership between Martela and Trail Systems is based on mutual appreciation, open communication, and added value for the end customer. There is a solid base to build the partnership on.