Digitalisation is not just an IT project
When discussing digitalisation in a company, the conversation often quickly turns to software, equipment or specific technological solutions. In reality, successful digitalisation starts much earlier.
The first step is to understand how the company's processes currently work, what data is collected, how it is used and where the real bottlenecks lie. Only then can the company decide whether the next step should be improving a process, automating it, implementing new software or something else.
At the seminar, Wiseconsult OÜ expert Joonas Lindsalu will explore the links between digitalisation, data-driven management and organisational digital maturity. One practical topic will be assessing a company's digital maturity using the levels of the CMM model and identifying the next realistic development step on that basis.
The aim is not to digitalise for its own sake. An investment in technology should help improve productivity, management capability or the company's competitive position.
The costliest mistakes can happen before development begins
Implementing new software or developing a custom solution can be a significant investment for a company. Yet the success of a project does not depend solely on the technology or software partner selected.
At the seminar, Erkki Ergma, an expert in digital solutions for industry at Astro Baltics OÜ, will focus on practical examples from software implementation and development projects.
“Before starting development, does the company know exactly which problem it is solving?”
An inadequate project brief, unclear objectives and a poor fit between the business need and the technical solution can turn an initially good idea into a lengthy and costly development project.
Nor can software, on its own, fix a process that has not been properly thought through within the company.
A successful solution must bring together technology, the company's processes and the people who use the system every day.
A good project also needs suitable funding
Plans for digitalisation, product development and entry into new markets often raise the question of funding.
The seminar will provide an overview of European Union and national funding measures for 2026 and 2027 that may help companies implement their development projects.
The focus will include:
- product development grants;
- business model development;
- entry into new export markets;
- support for applied research and development.
Knowing the available measures is just as important as being able to assess when a particular grant fits a company's development plans and when it does not.
The seminar will therefore also cover project preparation and what funders look for when assessing applications.
Is the company actually ready for AI?
Artificial intelligence is currently being discussed in almost every sector, but for an industrial company, the first question should not be “which AI solution should we use?”.
- Are our processes clear enough?
- Do we have the necessary high-quality data?
- Is the problem we want to solve clearly defined?
- Do we actually need AI to solve it?
- Would conventional automation or analytics be enough?
In the seminar's panel discussion, Joonas Lindsalu, Erkki Ergma and Norman Sõnajalg from nodeSWAT will discuss where the noise around AI ends and real business value for a company begins.
Topics will include potential use cases, assessing the return on investment in AI projects, the necessary data and technological prerequisites, and situations where a company may not yet be ready to adopt AI.
A smart decision does not start with buying a solution
When it comes to digitalisation, the most important investment may actually be the time spent understanding the problem, processes and objectives before purchasing technology.
The “Smart Decisions in Industry” seminar will bring together practical perspectives on digitalisation, software development, funding and AI in a single day.
The aim is to help companies assess their current situation and take a more considered approach to their next development steps.