Pioneers in AI

AI has become a key competitive advantage across many industries, but harnessing it effectively requires business-driven AI development. Finland’s leading producer of wines and spirits, Anora, chose to accelerate its AI adoption in partnership with Evolver. AI is already automating operations, improving business processes, and freeing up employees’ time, saving resources.

Rapid iterations for AI solutions

Traditionally, large IT projects demand months of planning and development before go-live. Anora and Evolver chose a different path: instead of aiming for a finished whole right away, they decided to start in an agile way and develop solutions through rapid iterations. The first solutions were put into use in just weeks.

Anora’s IT Manager, Juhana Ovaska, welcomes the decision to iterate quickly: “When people get to use a new tool right from the start and offer suggestions for improvement, you get the best results.”

According to Evolver’s CEO, Arttu Kataja, AI projects are best carried out in small, manageable pieces, because generative AI is still a new technology and even a medium-complexity project can quickly become complicated. At the same time, he reminds us that rather than mystifying AI, it’s better to talk about its benefits—the essential question is what you use it for.

“In the end, it’s about productivity and automation. First you look for the low-hanging fruit. You tackle them piece by piece, and these small streams add up to a big gain—a comprehensive productivity boost.”

At Anora, the pragmatic approach has been appreciated, and AI solutions have been boldly put to work for the business.

“We have identified many areas where AI can help, with Evolver’s support, and it is automating processes even now. With AI we can, for example, carry out concrete content analysis that yields guidelines and ideas for content creators to improve how they work. At no point have we mystified AI; instead, we’ve discussed the benefits through practical examples,” Ovaska explains.

“AI is one tool among many. Users don’t need to understand in depth what the AI is doing under the hood, but they absolutely should understand the benefits it can deliver,” he adds.

Applying AI to business needs

Capturing AI’s benefits hinges on embedding it in the business. According to Ovaska, if you want to improve operations, it’s crucial to understand the business and listen to employees. Anora has adopted a proactive stance in which technology is not an end in itself but a means to support the business.

Kataja praises Anora’s approach, as even a single conversation with the right people can produce results. Workable practices have been identified through smooth collaboration.

“When you have capable people around the table, as we do in our collaboration, it’s easy to find workable solutions. It’s been a pleasure to move this journey forward,” Ovaska sums up.

Despite the agile, business value–driven approach to AI development, security was non-negotiable. From the outset, the company’s data was kept encrypted and solutions were implemented in a secure, isolated environment.

Continuous improvement at the core

Combining rapid development with building a long-lived IT architecture requires embracing the principles of continuous improvement. According to Ovaska, the keys are focusing on one area at a time, having a clear long-term goal, and keeping development business-driven. When technology and features are built methodically to support business objectives, the result is a coherent and durable whole.

Kataja emphasizes clearly defining business needs and adhering to continuous improvement: “In AI development, it’s important to bring together business needs, rapid experimentation, and a technical architecture built piece by piece in such a way that the whole remains robust even a decade from now.”

Every organization has its own best ways of working—in Anora’s case, the best results came from a light and agile model. Clear documentation, close dialogue between the business and developers, and leveraging existing tools enable efficient and scalable development. The outcome is a continually evolving whole that supports the business.

Evolver’s Mylly-AI helps deliver tangible results

Evolver’s ways of working follow a continuous improvement model in which AI solutions are built together with customers. Projects start by mapping business needs, after which the solution is tried out in practice.

Mylly.AI, built by Evolver, can be spun up securely in a closed environment at the push of a button, which means a pilot with the customer can start quickly. The pilot is used for an agreed period, the results are assessed, and the solution is further developed together.

This approach ensures that AI delivers concrete benefits as quickly as possible—without massive IT projects.

An agile partner for AI development

Reliability, resourcing, and pricing matter, but above all, smooth collaboration, fast and expert communication, and a high standard of execution have made the partnership between Evolver and Anora a success.

Ovaska praises Evolver’s expertise: “Prior experience shows in everything they do—in problem solving, in understanding business needs, and in asking the right questions.”

Alongside a successful collaboration, business-driven AI development has delivered tangible benefits. The finance assistant has reduced the volume of inquiries people receive, which is important when organizations often have limited resources.

“Efficiency has increased significantly thanks to more consistent communication, and the phone, for example, no longer rings as much. Image generation has made content creators’ work easier,” Ovaska says.

According to Kataja, Evolver’s solutions often show up as improvements in internal work: “In Anora’s case, the finance assistant makes a specific task easier—in other words, it drives productivity. The general-purpose chat, on the other hand, serves as a communication tool and can open up new ways of thinking, bringing benefits that perhaps weren’t initially anticipated.”

“Now we have a sense of all that AI can do, and it already feels truly rewarding and makes many people’s work lives easier across the organization,” Ovaska sums up the benefits of the collaboration.