Sandviken Energi was finding the old ways of running integrations complex and managing IT architecture was becoming increasingly cumbersome, leading to dependency on individual expertise. The changes in GDPR rules also reinforced the urgent need to modernize the approach to integrations to prevent any compliance issues.

“We noticed that our old integration methods were starting to become a bit overgrown. It was a collection of fragmented components where you had to know where everything was to navigate, which in turn led to work being person-dependent,” explains Anders Lindborg, Solution Architect at Sandviken Energi.

Previously, Sandviken Energi heavily relied on Microsoft's Azure Integration Services for its IT infrastructure. Therefore, choosing the Frends integration platform was a logical decision, as Frends' iPaaS is natively built on the Microsoft stack and allowed Sandviken Energi to stay within the Microsoft ecosystem.

“We were looking for a solution that was as easy to use locally as externally, and that allowed the use of real code without hassle. That's when we happened to come across Frends. We realized it was a powerful platform that not only met our requirements but also offered additional benefits,” says Anders.

He adds that with Frends, he found a perfect balance between simplicity and advanced features. The ability to have agent servers locally also solved many security and GDPR concerns. With the energy company's limited resources, the choice to buy a platform as a service was also obvious.

“Frends seamlessly integrates with our existing BPMN-based process tools, which further facilitated the decision for us. Additionally, being able to place the agent servers in appropriate network segments allows the municipality's IT department to manage general operations without any problems."

The current solution with Frends, according to Anders, is both efficient and versatile.

“Currently, we have about 10 processes in production, with a mix of different functions that work incredibly well.”

The biggest improvement by using Frends is the difference in process speed. Previously, synchronization in the case management system occurred every five minutes. With Frends, this is now updated every other second.

“The new process is 179 times faster than the old one. It's a substantial improvement,” adds Anders.

The transition to Frends has been vital in solving Sandviken’s challenges. It has not only improved productivity and efficiency but has also opened up the possibility of creating more cohesive and integrated systems, as well as heavier integrations.

“Had we known about Frends earlier, we would have chosen it from the beginning.”

Anders concludes by sharing the end value he sees for customers:

“Many of the improvements we have aimed for require a close connection to real-time data, and now it's finally possible. Real-time processing of all cases makes a huge difference, and we are confident that moving forward, we will also be able to offer good solutions for our customers.”

5 benefits for Sandviken in utilizing Frends iPaaS:

1. Efficiency. Sandviken Energi has achieved high efficiency and versatility in its operational processes.

2. Real-time updates. Synchronization in the management system has significantly improved, resulting in real-time updates every other second.

3. Higher productivity. The new solution with Frends has greatly increased productivity, enabling faster and smoother handling of critical processes.

4. GDPR and security. The ability to have agent servers locally has solved many security and GDPR concerns for Sandviken Energi.

5. Seamless integrations. Frends iPaaS seamlessly integrates with existing BPMN-based process tools, facilitating operation and management.