Husqvarna implements CANEA Improof globally

More effective deviation processes in close collaboration with suppliers lead to increased effectiveness and less friction. Husqvarna chose CANEA Improof for case management after a comprehensive evaluation.

Background and needs

Husqvarna is a company dating back to 1600 where product development and innovations are ingrained. For decades, the company has had an acquisition strategy that has created islands in the organisation, together with sub-optimisation. For a year now, global initiatives have been in progress to create uniform and optimised processes, and to further improve quality. The core values in the constant improvement work at Husqvarna are "putting the customer first, professionalism and teamwork".

Jonas Wallman, Global Improvement Agent, SQA&D at Husqvarna, explains: "Husqvarna Group previously had many different ways of working and systems for managing different types of cases such as product deviations, supplier deviations and customer complaints. There was a major need for a case management system that took an overall approach and facilitated management globally and that in the long term would capture the entire value chain. We named the project, and later the system, to CHANGEit. The true effects are increased traceability, quicker reactions and, as an end result, better quality. In addition we obtained a uniform global way of working and a reduced number of IT systems. In other words, a better business with reduced friction and more satisfied suppliers and customers!"

Procurement and introduction

The procurement of the case management system began in spring 2010 and Husqvarna carried out careful evaluation of the leading suppliers on the market. A requirement specification was developed, with requirements for items such as user-friendliness, flexibility, development potential and IT platforms. After several evaluations, the choice was between CANEA Improof and another system supplier. The choice finally fell on CANEA Improof.

"CANEA Improof had a flexibility in its design and configuration that few other systems could demonstrate. The shortcomings that we saw in the system have now been solved by CANEA in a brilliant manner and the graphical interface allows us to configure processes ourselves so that the system supports these perfectly - today and in the future", says Jonas Wallman.

The introduction of CANEA Improof began in autumn 2010. The first step was the process for production deviations which is currently only in Huskvarna. The implementation of the flow for supplier deviations began in May 2011 and will be rolled-out to 23 factories across the world and to a couple of thousand suppliers.

Important activities in the introduction were meetings where the processes were transformed to configurations in CANEA Improof. Integration has also been carried out with product databases so that all necessary information will be directly accessible from the cases. Now Husqvarna is investigating setting up more processes in the system, including PPAP issues, customer complaints and exemption applications.

Benefits and advantages

One of the major benefits with a global improvement tool is that Husqvarna can now create a better structure and more uniform way of working - which will truly be applied. Suppliers are involved and integrated in Husqvarna processes, and they deal with deviations and register actions directly in CANEA Improof.

At the same time the overview and follow up opportunities have improved.
The management obtains correct decision bases and the employees have access to a knowledge database that is constantly extended.

Jonas Wallman concludes: "CANEA Improof is a flexible and comprehensive case management system in the front line and CANEA has an aggressive development plan that we have been involved with to a certain extent. In addition, the connection between case management, document management and the project tool in CANEA's program family is excellent!"