Citizen-built Solutions at KONE
KONE, the Finnish multinational known for its elevator and escalator manufacturing, has adopted the Power Platform to streamline its application development processes. This initiative has led the company to migrate numerous applications from two other platforms, including over 90 automation solutions. The primary objective was to simplify the development landscape and reduce dependence on specialized tools, thus allowing both IT and citizen developers to build, evolve, and run applications in a consistent environment. The move promises enhanced governance, security, and lifecycle management, ultimately lowering maintenance costs.
One of the first successful applications developed using Power Automate was a contract management solution, jointly created by a legal director and a performance manager. This application improved visibility into bottlenecks and cycle times, resulting in faster document processing and enhanced overall accuracy. Following its successful rollout, other regions within the company have begun to adopt the application, demonstrating its effectiveness across different operational areas.
A similar success story emerged in KONE’s factory warehouse, where a security guard, lacking any software background, utilized Power Apps and Power Automate to digitize processes that were previously paper-based. The new app has reportedly saved employees several hours each day and is now utilized by a team of over 50 people. “It’s a powerful example of what happens when people closest to the problem have the tools to solve it,” said Redford, an advocate for citizen development within the organization.
As KONE employees gain more experience with tools like Power Apps and Power Automate, they have started to create increasingly sophisticated solutions focusing on artificial intelligence. Leveraging capabilities from AI Builder and Copilot Studio, the company is advancing its automation strategies. While KONE employs various AI development tools, it finds significant advantages in the Power Platform, particularly its deep integration with the broader Microsoft ecosystem. “An important part of our AI strategy is integrating with applications that our employees use every day such as SharePoint, Teams, and Outlook. Power Platform makes this integration really easy,” stated Lulu Zhang, Director, Head of Technology & Services at KONE.
Among the notable projects is an automated multi-stage contract process that utilizes AI to extract text— including handwritten text—from documents stored in SharePoint. The system cross-verifies this data against existing SAP records, flagging any discrepancies through a user-friendly Power Apps interface. Users can edit and approve the content before the system automatically updates or creates contracts in SAP, significantly enhancing accuracy, speed, and compliance throughout the service contract cycle. This solution was developed using pre-built AI models in AI Builder for text extraction and document processing, negating the need for advanced AI training.
KONE’s transition to the Power Platform represents a broader trend in the tech landscape, where businesses are increasingly empowering employees to take an active role in problem-solving. By equipping non-technical staff with advanced tools, organizations can foster innovation and improve operational efficiency. As AI continues to evolve, the capabilities of citizen developers will likely expand, leading to increasingly sophisticated solutions that can adapt to the fast-changing demands of today’s business environment.
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