How Vivicta’s Forest Center of Excellence accelerates digital transformation in the Nordic forest industry

Deep forest industry expertise built through long-term partnerships

Over decades of collaboration with Nordic forest companies, Vivicta has developed a strong, practical understanding of the industry. Today, a significant share of Nordic roundwood flows through environments supported by solutions and services delivered by Vivicta teams, and the company continues to support dozens of active engagements across the sector.

This experience spans the full forest industry value chain, from pulp and board to packaging, wood processing, machinery, and supply chain operations.

Key challenges shaping the future of the forest industry

The industry is facing multiple, simultaneous shifts:

• Transition towards fossil-free and sustainable materials
• Increasing regulation around land use and biodiversity
• Structural changes and market consolidation
• Demands for higher efficiency and cost optimization
  
  

These changes require more than technical delivery. They demand partners with deep business understanding, who can translate industry trends into practical, scalable solutions.

“The forest industry in Finland and Sweden is closely connected, with similar value chains and shared dependencies. When our experts in the Nordics collaborate across borders, we build a better understanding of how technology can support the industry,” notes Vesa Rantala, Head of Industry & Commercial.

Why industry knowledge is critical in digital transformation (ERP, SAP, Dynamics)

Digital transformation initiatives, such as ERP programs using SAP or Microsoft Dynamics, depend heavily on understanding the client’s business processes and industry context.

Professionals with forest industry expertise:

• Ask the right questions early
• Identify hidden dependencies across operations
• Navigate complex order-to-delivery processes
• Ensure solutions align with real business needs

This significantly improves both project outcomes and long-term value realization.

AI and data enable new value in forest industry operations

AI and data-driven solutions are becoming key enablers of transformation, but their success depends on strong foundations.

AI delivers business value only when:

• Data is structured and reliable
• Processes are aligned and optimized
• Solutions are designed with human workflows in mind
  
  

“Understanding where the industry is heading is crucial for designing scalable, AI-driven solutions that create real customer value,” says Mikko Tommola, Head of Industry Advisory.

Practical use cases of AI in the forest industry

The forest industry is highly process-intensive, with complex transaction flows, large data volumes, and legacy system landscapes. This creates strong potential for AI-driven improvements.

Examples of where AI can make an impact include:

• Improving predictability in production and supply chains
• Optimizing stock and quality management
• Detecting delays in manufacturing and logistics
• Automating document-heavy order-to-delivery processes
  
  

Vivicta has already supported customers with solutions such as:

• AI-powered order intake
• AI-assisted reverse engineering
• Anomaly detection in financial transactions
  
  

For example, an AI solution implemented for Södra helped save an estimated 200 hours per 10,000 transaction rows, significantly improving efficiency.

Customer-centric delivery model drives real business impact

A key differentiator for Vivicta is its customer-centric way of working. Teams operate close to the customer interface, often forming integrated teams that work seamlessly together.

This approach enables:

• Faster alignment between business and IT
• Stronger customer intimacy
• Continuous learning and improvement
• Solutions tailored to real operational challenges
  
  

Over time, this has created a combination of industry expertise + technology capability that is hard to replicate.

Forest Center of Excellence strengthens industry knowledge at scale

To further deepen its expertise, Vivicta has established the Forest Center of Excellence (CoE).

The CoE brings together over a hundred professionals working in:

• ERP (SAP, Microsoft Dynamics)
• Data & AI
• Supply chain and operations
• Industry advisory
  
  

Across Finland and Sweden, the community enables:

• Development of best practices
• Faster reuse of proven approaches
• Continuous learning around regulatory and industry developments

What this means for forest industry companies

For customers, the Forest CoE translates into tangible benefits:

• Earlier collaboration and stronger alignment between sales and delivery
• More consistent use of proven methods
• Teams that understand industry-specific requirements and regulatory changes
• Better readiness for future innovations and transformation
  
  

“Customers expect us to anticipate their needs. By investing in forest-specific knowledge and collaboration, we can support them not just in today’s challenges but in shaping their future capabilities,” says Julia Korhonen who leads the Forest CoE community.

Your partner for forest industry transformation

Digital transformation in the forest industry requires more than technology, it requires a partner who understands both the business realities and future direction of the industry.

Vivicta combines:

• Deep forest industry expertise
• Strong technology capabilities
• Proven delivery models
• A collaborative, customer-centric approach
  
  

If you’re looking for a partner to support your transformation journey, contact Vivicta.