M365 Integrated Appointment Booking System to Support Employment Services

The Osaamo seervice in Rovaniemi is seeking solutions to the challenges of entering the labor market and raising the employment rate. The unique project aims to develop an ecosystem that promotes employment and bring together services that support employment under a single umbrella. The project, managed by the City of Rovaniemi, involves several partners, including the University of Lapland, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Rovaniemi Education Consortium REDU, the Lapland Employment and Economic Development Office, and the City of Rovaniemi’s employment services.

As the development of the ecosystem and the clarification of services are at the heart of the project, this thinking must also extend to the digital layer. Tietotalo built an appointment booking service for the project’s stakeholders that consolidates the available appointments of all involved organizations onto one platform. The system considers the user’s calendar in real-time, enabling both remote and in-person meetings.

– "In a multi-organization environment, implementing a shared system was, of course, a unique challenge. In such a situation, it is crucial to ensure seamless communication between different user groups and organizations, while also considering countless other factors,” says Antti Itkonen, digital development expert responsible for Rovaniemi’s digital development.

– “However, it’s clear that organizational boundaries should not diminish the quality of service a customer receives. Services should be available at a single point of contact instead of a service limbo. It shouldn’t matter which expert from which entity is assisting the customer,” Itkonen emphasizes.

– “The system has clearly shaped our operations already. We have reached customers who otherwise would have certainly not come, and the number of customers has increased despite the summer season,” says Joni Minkkinen, Project Manager responsible for leading the Osaamo project and network collaboration.

– “The system makes our services clearly visible and allows customers to book them with a low threshold. At the same time, our own operations have become more efficient. Creating the appointment calendar forced us to clarify our services and think about how to present them under different themes. This improves the service for the customer.”