Tempcon Group specializes in temperature-controlled logistics, and provides transport services in Sweden and internationally. The group is formed of 12 subsidiaries and it operates 21 terminals and a fleet of nearly 800 vehicles.
Tempcon has largely grown through acquisitions and mergers, which has led to a scattered system and data architecture. Previously group-level reporting was done in Excel, but as the volume of data kept increasing, manual data consolidation became unsustainable. This led to an urgent need for a centralized data platform.
“We have several data sources from order and finance systems to payroll and vehicle data systems. We needed a scalable single source of truth for all our subsidiaries’ data”, says Tempcon Group’s Central Controller, Henrik Kristensson.
Speed, Scale and Cost Efficiency
Norrin had previously worked with one of Tempcon’s subsidiaries on their data solution, and due to its success was an easy choice to deliver the new platform as well.
Norrin deployed an Azure-based Databricks solution quickly using its unique Velocity framework. The platform was delivered fully functional and integrated, accelerated by Velocity’s reusable code libraries, proven architecture patterns, established design standards and automated workflows.
Databricks was chosen as the technology because it aligned well with Tempcon’s workloads and could be delivered cost-efficiently without compromising scalability or functionality.
“We could see that Databricks worked exceptionally well for Tempcon and would be the optimal solution for them cost-wise as well”, Norrin’s Solution Architect Daniel Atighechi says. “Our Velocity delivery model has been developed to ensure fast deployment, and in Tempcon’s case, we managed it in only two weeks”,
Databricks became a Key Tool for Data-Driven Growth
Databricks unifies data across all of Tempcon’s subsidiaries, automating cleaning and processing to deliver analysis-ready datasets. As the new platform consolidates a lot of Tempcon’s business critical data, it has quickly become a crucial tool for the group’s leadership.
“We make extensive use of Power BI to visualize the data for various purposes. We use it to deliver key metrics to management and the board, support daily operations across our companies, and it plays a key role in our sustainability reporting”, Kristensson says.
Biggest impacts of the platform have been that it has removed the manual work from reporting which in turn has led to more comprehensive use of data productivity.
“It has made our job easier by giving us much better control of the business and letting us make decisions based on facts rather than guesswork or gut feelings – this has improved profitability across the companies”, Kristensson states.
While cost-cutting wasn’t a priority, according to Kristensson the deployment of Databricks led to savings as well.
“We've been able to shut down various local solutions that existed out in the individual companies. I don't have exact figures I can share, but it amounts to significant sums.”
Close Collaboration with Norrin Continues
The Databricks platform was built in close collaboration between Norrin’s and Tempcon’s teams, with Norrin handling all of the technical aspects of the project including integrations and data structuring.
“We have great collaboration with Norrin, mainly thanks to their expertise in data, but also because they are quick and agile and capable of helping us think through good solutions. The project was made a lot easier by the close collaboration as it allowed us to shift focus and reprioritize, which is important in a fast-changing environment.”
Tempcon and Norrin continue scaling up the platform to include data from more sources while simultaneously further developing Tempcon’s capabilities to lead with data, optimize operations and enable the use of AI.
