Western Finland’s Diakonia Institute

Western Finland’s Diakonia Institute provides social and health welfare services for different population groups. The organization includes the Western Finland’s Diakonia Institute Foundation, which is a non-profit entity, and its wholly-owned PDL services limited liability company. Western Finland’s Diakonia Institute currently has about 290 employees in Pori and in dozens of other locations in western Finland.

A need to update the operation system

Western Finland’s Diakonia Institute is a diverse player which includes units of various sizes working in different fields. The organization's operating domain is relatively large, which creates demands on any operating system being used. The Institute's Director of Human Resources Tarja Pääkkönen explains that the need for an up-to-date operating system arose when it was desired to create common rules and frames for all units for a more seamless operation. For example, she mentions moving reclamations and client feedback into the same format.

The Diakonia Institute had a quality monitoring system which, however, was partly based on paper records and was tedious and time consuming to maintain. Creating their own electronic system would have been too difficult, so they decided to adopt a ready-to-use system to support their core business. The IMS operating system was chosen for its clear appearance and presentation style. Ease of use also contributed to the decision, as all of the workers are not IT professionals.

A clear and consistent building process

Building of the IMS operating system at the Western Finland Diakonia Institute began in the spring of 2009. According to Pääkkönen, the process was well scheduled, and timetables were maintained throughout the process. On workshop days, many processes were described and some small groups were able to also describe their processes in advanced ways. “Workshop days are essential in the building process," Pääkkönen describes.

The building process continues and the system is planned to be operational during spring 2010. Because of the nature of the Diakonia Institute's work, not every worker is able to use the operating system daily. However, every worker has access to the system so that corresponding modes of work can be preserved. Because of the IMS system, every worker knows where the information can be found.