Valmet: Staying Ahead in a Rapidly Evolving Industry
Valmet is a global leader in process technologies and automation systems for the pulp, paper, and energy industries,complemented by automation and flow control solutions. With a portfolio that includes pulp mills, tissue production lines, and bioenergy power plants, Valmet sought to understand how their customers perceived their digital offerings and identify the global trends that should shape their strategic direction.
Problem
As the digital landscape evolves, Valmet needed answers to three key questions:
- Customer Perception: How do end customers perceive the value and capabilities of Valmet’s IoT-based digital products? What is in top in customers’ priorities?
- Strategic Priorities: Which global trends should Valmet prioritize in their long-term strategic planning based on customers’ input?
- Competitive Benchmarking: How does Valmet’s digital portfolio measure up against its competitors?
These insights were crucial for Valmet when updating their strategy, enhance customer relationships, and maintain their competitive edge.
Approach
To provide Valmet with the clarity they needed, we adopted a multi-faceted approach:
- Industry Trend Analysis: We collected and harmonized data from various sources to identify the most relevant global trends impacting Valmet’s industry. This analysis was critical in pinpointing strategic priorities.
- Internal and External Interviews: We conducted in-depth interviews with Valmet’s internal teams to understand their capabilities, opportunities, and challenges. Simultaneously, we interviewed end customers to gather insights on their business needs, perspectives on digitalization, and their view of Valmet’s strengths and areas for improvement.
- Competitor Analysis: We performed a detailed SWOT analysis on Valmet’s key competitors, focusing on their digital portfolios and technological capabilities. This benchmarking provided Valmet with a solid understanding of where they stand in the competitive landscape.
Results
The result of this process was a detailed and practical report that contributed as input for Valmet’s strategic planning:
- Clear Strategic Direction: Valmet gained insights of their market, connecting relevant industry trends to customer needs and opportunities within their portfolio.
- Actionable Recommendations: Dain Studios provided concrete proposals and recommendations that were practical, prioritized, and designed to deliver impact.
- Roadmap to Success: Valmet received a draft roadmap that included a prioritized list of actions, an indicative timeline, and a recommendations for implementation.
Through this project-based assessment, Valmet has gained valuable insights into their market position and the key trends influencing their industry. They are now better informed about customer needs, which helps them remain focused on innovation.
“The insights were exactly what we needed. We got clear insights and a good understanding of the actions needed to keep us ahead in our market.”
Olli Luukkonen, Director, Analytics and Applications Development at Valmet.
