All Cases
ResearchAid improves research efficiency at Karolinska Institutet
ResearchAid improves research efficiency at Karolinska Institutet B3 has worked together with researchers from Karolinska Institutet to streamline research administration for some of the world’s biggest studies of inflammatory diseases. This has resulted in a brand new platform called ResearchAid, based on Microsoft Dynamics 365. For many years, research data collection and study administration have relied on simple databases or even researchers’ own Excel spreadsheets, which have then needed to be coordinated manually – increasing the risk of errors and duplicated effort. Thanks to ResearchAid, study management is now systematised and cohesive, resulting in improved data security and quality. Day-to-day research administration is also far more efficient. ResearchAid is available at several units, and multiple users can use the platform at the same time, meaning that data input, quality assurance and data extracts can be carried out simultaneously. Identifying randomly selected reference subjects is also easier in ResearchAid. The extract criteria are first entered, after which the extract is automatically produced via integration with the Swedish Tax Agency. The system’s automation for future patient mailings, sampling and reminders has made researchers’ workload much lighter. ResearchAid has completely transformed the way we work. SENIOR PROFESSOR LARS ALFREDSSON. Data collection is more cost-efficient and more reliable for the research team, and compilation and reporting are easier thanks to enhancements such as providing access to the activity logs for underlying processes. ResearchAid has been built to meet the requirements of GDPR, and is updated continuously to ensure ongoing compliance. Overall, the entire study administration chain has been made more efficient, resulting in significant time savings. ResearchAid has quickly become extremely popular, and the next step will see B3 Dynamics expanding the platform for more widespread use, including within other research fields. ”There is great demand to make research work more efficient, and to produce a more cost-effective, more secure platform for data collection and communication with study participants,” explains B3 project manager Mattias Starck. ”We’re now taking ResearchAid to the next level, developing the system for more users. We’ll be doing this in close cooperation with Senior Professor Lars Alfredsson.” ”ResearchAid has completely transformed the way we work,” adds Professor Alfredsson. ”When it comes to research administration, we need maximum control over all participant interaction and the data we collect. Every stage of the process needs to be documented. Security and data quality are of the utmost importance for participants, researchers and the research itself. Previously, we spent a great deal of time on many different time-consuming stages such as identifying control subjects and keeping tabs on who needs to receive the next reminder. These stages have now been eliminated entirely, thanks to ResearchAid’s automation. We know that we can rely on the system, and this has freed up valuable time for other work.”
B3 builds a new digital platform for Epiroc’s customers
B3 builds a new digital platform for Epiroc’s customers How can we make it easier for customers to get a clear overview of their machinery fleet, book servicing and maintenance, and introduce safety enhancements? These were the questions that lay behind Epiroc’s need to develop a digital efficiency solution. The result was My Epiroc, a brand new digital platform for the mining and infrastructure industry that makes machinery accessible via an interface and enables customers to see the status of machinery in real time. B3 has been Epiroc’s digitalisation partner on this journey. Epiroc is a leading global productivity partner for the mining and infrastructure industry. The company uses ground-breaking technology to develop and manufacture innovative drilling rigs and equipment for open cast mining construction. It has customers worldwide, whose machinery operates in environments that are often extremely demanding. This machinery needs to be checked and maintained regularly to ensure that it is working optimally and to prevent downtime. Epiroc wants to make it easier for its customers to stay one step ahead, get a clearer overview of the status of their machinery, and carry out tasks simply. The solution? My Epiroc. B3 is passionate about what Epiroc and I want to achieve. I can spend just the right amount of time on the project, and B3 understands what I want. The transparency gives me confidence that the delivery following every iteration in the project will create added value. NIKLAS FORSBERG, IT MANAGER AT EPIROC Epiroc is a leading global productivity partner for the mining and infrastructure industry. The company uses ground-breaking technology to develop and manufacture innovative drilling rigs and equipment for open cast mining construction. It has customers worldwide, whose machinery operates in environments that are often extremely demanding. This machinery needs to be checked and maintained regularly to ensure that it is working optimally and to prevent downtime. Epiroc wants to make it easier for its customers to stay one step ahead, get a clearer overview of the status of their machinery, and carry out tasks simply. The solution? My Epiroc. My Epiroc is a brand new efficiency solution for the mining and infrastructure industry. The platform has the machinery fleet at its centre, allowing customers to monitor the status of their equipment and view a full history of events, inspections, orders, documentation and other relevant information. For example, they can find out how many drilling metres have been drilled, how much fuel has been used and whether there are any warnings requiring action. Future features include the ability to get support and book servicing via the newly developed interface. My Epiroc gives customers control over the status of their machinery, enabling them to use it more efficiently. B3 Commit has been involved in the project from the outset. First, a pilot study was carried out to establish the needs, wishes and technical requirements. B3 Commit now provides Epiroc with an ultramodern cloud-based digital platform via an agile team, including UX, project management, development and quality assurance. My Epiroc is available in several different languages, and new customers and users are being added to the system all the time. Alongside this, B3 is also working to develop additional digital services to expand the My Epiroc offering. The aim is that customers should be able to use My Epiroc to manage their equipment and tasks around the clock, with ease and via a single interface, from any smartphone or computer. My Epiroc really is an exciting project, and working with Epiroc is both fascinating and rewarding. We’ve reached the first major milestone with the launch of an initial pilot version for selected customers. Now, we’re working to make My Epiroc a world-leading experience for Epiroc’s customers. OLOV LEIJONBORG, CEO OF B3 COMMIT Please contact me for more information. Olov Leijonborg olov.leijonborg@b3.se 070 714 00 67
B3 supports CTEK in developing innovative charging boxes
B3 supports CTEK in developing innovative charging boxes B3 contributes cutting-edge expertise in embedded development and supports CTEK in several areas, such as systems development, project management and test automation. Demand for charging boxes has grown substantially in recent years, while the requirements for functionality and user-friendliness have increased. CTEK is a world-leading company in battery charging solutions that has invested heavily in research, development and delivery of various EV-related charging solutions in recent years. B3 contributes cutting-edge expertise in embedded development and supports CTEK in several areas, such as systems development, project management and test automation. The need for powerful and easily accessible charging solutions increases as the number of electric cars increases. Today, modern charging boxes can communicate with the user through smartphone apps and web interfaces, which enables scheduled charging sessions, control of power consumption, load balancing, remote support and much more. CTEK develops innovative battery management solutions and has a wide range adapted to different needs worldwide. B3 supports CTEK by developing the software for the company's charging boxes. The focus has so far been on data security, storage and network solutions, as well as test automation. The work is organised according to the SAFe framework and is mostly carried out remotely by an agile team consisting of software engineers with a varied background in embedded development. We are very satisfied with the team from B3 who help us with key expertise in several deliveries. HENRIK PATZER, CTO CTEK
Sustainable and effective operating environment for Almi
Sustainable and effective operating environment for Almi In March 2020 B3 was entrusted with the responsibility for Almi's entire IT environment and since then a close working relationship has developed in several areas. In 2022 migration to a private cloud in Azure was completed, which has brought a number of advantages. Above all, Almi has gained a more effective, sustainable and secure operating environment. Almi offers financing, business development and risk capital to give small and medium-sized enterprises in Sweden the opportunity to grow and develop. As a creditor Almi needs an effective operating environment to ensure secure handling of commercial credit. Almi also has a major focus on sustainability, and by using the world’s most modern data centre halls in Sweden the company can reduce its climate footprint. In 2022, under B3’s project leadership, Almi migrated to a private cloud in Sweden to utilise the flexibility of Microsoft’s cloud services without relinquishing control of the operating environment. The ability to scale up or down depending on operational needs and business requirements was an important parameter that led to the move. The flexible environment also facilitates changes and tests. A team from B3 has supported Almi on its journey and in the work of using the right technology securely. The move started in the midst of the pandemic, so most of the work had to be directed remotely. With automatation and IaC (Infrastructure as Code) the focus was directed at creating value and opportunities together. We have a very good working relationship with Almi, which is informed by attentiveness and transparency. At an early stage the focus moved from a client/supplier relationship to a single team committed to securing Almi’s capacity to deliver a world-class service. At the start of a project there are always gaps in information, but by working in an agile and close-knit team we have come through challenges along the way. ENTERPRISE ARCHITECT AT B3 CLOUD The gains from the move to a private cloud have been numerous. Above all, Almi has gained a more effective and sustainable IT environment, with full control of security. The option of up and down scaling as needed makes it possible to pay only for the capacity needed, providing major efficiency gains. And the ability to minimise the amount of energy also creates sustainability gains, which are reinforced through Almi’s use of the world’s most modern data centre halls in Sweden. Almi now has a modern operating environment to continue to contribute to sustainable growth in Sweden. Please contact me for more information. Ola Löwing ola.lowing@b3.se 0768-66 05 70
Availability in focus for BRA airline
Availability in focus for BRA airline Continued focus on modernisation and high availability for the future when B3 started work on administration and development of the BRA airline’s system. There are many factors that have to come together when you book an air ticket. You want to see availability and times, compare prices and book your ticket, easily and quickly on your computer or mobile phone. Thus the airlines’ websites have to meet high requirements in terms of optimal functionality, integrating with several underlying systems and always being available. 2.2 million passengers travel annually with BRA (Braathens Regional Airlines) and a large proportion of them are business travellers. The availability requirements are very high. A natural part is of course that the flights must be on time, but it is also important to have a stable and constantly available website for easy booking of tickets. The booking site is an important part of the customer experience for all airlines and by simplifying travel it can also help to strengthen customer loyalty. BRA has an extensive system portfolio to support all this. BRA’s website consists of several parts. What the customers see, which is edited with a CMS (Umbraco), and the underlying technology with .net and databases. All of the systems are integrated with each other, as well as with the BRAbank and payment system, retrieving customer profiles etc. Apart from this there is also an important integration with the travel industry’s own system Amadeus, which supplies BRA with the actual booking flow after searching for a trip. The environment is complex, which imposes high requirements as regards both development and administration and their integrations. B3 partnered with BRA at the end of 2018. This is an ongoing project in which improvements and development are taking place all the time, based on requirements from different parts of the organisation, as well as on customers’ feedback. When the partnership with B3 started, BRA had just launched an entirely new website, which B3 now administers and develops. An important part of the work is to ensure constant optimal functioning of all integrations, so that no system is down. This requires that the developers have both depth and breadth and are able to work at all levels in a system. At present B3 supplies three senior full stack developers from B3 Poland, who work together with BRA’s Scrum Master and a senior architect in Sweden. This is a really inspiring partnership and our consultants are also keen to work with BRA. It is an exciting industry, with interesting technology and an open climate that welcomes new ideas and improvements. MARTIN NILSSON, CEO OF B3 POLAND