Continuous services

What continuous services are and why continuous development is important

Digital development does not end with releasing. Once solutions moved into production, the needs of users may change, the operating environment may evolve and data may reveal new opportunities to improve the service. Without a clear model, development easily becomes reactive, which means that the potential brought about by development work is not utilised.

Loihde’s continuous services combine operational reliability, support and continuous development into a single clear package. The development is guided by a common roadmap that is based on business goals, analytics and user feedback. In this way, technical reliability and continuous improvement go hand in hand, and the solution generates more value throughout its lifecycle.

How continuous services improve business efficiency

Continuous services are suitable for many types of digital solutions in which you want a long service life combined with reliable operations and continuous development.

In data and analytics solutions, the service helps keep reporting, analytics and data models up-to-date so that data supports decision-making even when business changes. In software and integrations, continuous services enable the controlled implementation of new features, optimisations and fixes. In digital services, the customer experience is gradually improved and the effectiveness of the service improves.

In AI and data solutions, continuous development supports the development of model performance, data quality and new use cases. When the solutions are business-critical, the services also ensures their stability, security and controlled progress.

How you benefit from continuous services

At Loihde, the same customer relationship team is responsible for the functioning and development of continuous services. The team knows the whole environment and is able to quickly identify development needs and implement changes without separate transitions between suppliers.

You have access to a multidisciplinary team of experts that combines technical expertise and business understanding. If necessary, the team is supplemented with cloud, integration or information security experts, for example. The cooperation is coordinated by a designated account manager, who ensures transparency of the work, prioritisation and monitoring of goals.

Oulu Energy became a customer of Loihde’s continuous services in a situation in which the state of the reporting environment was difficult and support was dispersed. Loihde assumed responsibility for environmental monitoring, incident management and technical maintenance, which freed up internal resources and improved responsiveness.

"The support and maintenance of the reporting environment requires a lot of resources. It is great that Loihde takes care of these things on our behalf." - Maija-Kaisa Kuoppala, Oulu Energy

The cooperation has been especially praised for its proactiveness and sense of responsibility. Once technical stability has been achieved, the focus can be placed on development and continuous improvement.

Read the full case study: Oulun Energia - Support services enabled focus on core business

How continuous services are implemented

Loihde’s continuous services cover the entire lifecycle of solutions, from maintenance to continuous development. The cooperation is based on a clear service model, where the account team is responsible for the functionality of the solution, agreed support practices and small-scale development.

New development needs are identified in cooperation with the customer and implemented in a controlled rhythm. The development is guided by a joint roadmap, with the help of which measures are prioritised based on business impacts.

The implementation proceeds iteratively. Improvements and new features are released in stages, and their impact is monitored through analytics and user feedback. This ensures that development work is constantly in line with business goals.

1. Determination of the initial situation

Continuous services are often launched after a project, in which case the further development needs and backlog identified in the project function as the starting point. The service can also be launched with a takeover, during which Loihde’s experts familiarise themselves with the existing environment and form development priorities together with the customer.

2. Mapping of the current situation

Next, we will go through the systems, integrations, documentation and the most important development areas. The aim is to form an overall picture of the environment, its needs and the areas where development generates the most value.

3. Taking over the environment

The team of experts examines the technical environment, development history and operating models in use. At the same time, the necessary access rights and cooperation practices are ensured so that continuous services can be launched in a controlled manner.

4. Launching the service management model

The service management model, support channels and reporting practices are deployed. This gives maintenance, communication and development a clear structure right from the start.

5. Continuous development according to a roadmap

When the service is running, development proceeds according to a joint plan. The work focuses on the things that have the greatest impact.

Why choose Loihde as a continuous service partner

Loihde combines technical expertise, service management and business-oriented development into a package that brings predictability and a clear direction to everyday business. We do not build operations around maintenance only, but we ensure that continuous development is part of the service from the start and that the actions have a measurable impact on business.

Our strength is multidisciplinary expertise. Data and analytics, software development, UX and service design, integrations, cloud expertise and information security can all be combined into a single package. For the customer, this means one partner who understands the environment as a whole and is able to develop it in the long term.

What do continuous services include?

Our continuous services include maintenance, agreed support and continuous development, which is guided with a joint roadmap. The content of the service is always defined according to the customer’s situation and goals.

How do continuous services differ from mere maintenance?

Maintenance focuses on operational reliability and disruption management. In continuous services, development work is guided in a goal-oriented manner.

How is the roadmap built and how does development proceed?

The roadmap is prepared together with the customer on the basis of the current state and goals. It is updated regularly on the basis of new data and in the event of changes.

How quickly can development be initiated?

If there is a project in the background, development work can be started quickly from the backlog created in the project. In a takeover situation, the start depends on the scope of the environment and the level of documentation. The aim is to get the first improvements started as quickly as possible

Are continuous services suitable for a multi-supplier environment?

Yes. The service can be structured so that the responsibilities and interfaces between different operators are clearly defined. This ensures that development and cooperation also work smoothly in a wider supplier environment.