In the future, personal services may be found on a single platform

Vision of an ecosystem that improves well-being

M Room aims to expand its operations from barber services also to other personal service sectors. Its vision is that the customer will be able to, for example, enjoy a bespoke lunch, massage or facial in addition to barber services whenever they want.

M Room believes that smaller companies can benefit from data the same as large companies by joining forces and by sharing data according to common rules. This will result in more personalised service packages provided on a single platform.

M Room and its relation to data

M Room’s mission is to improve men’s well-being through the barber experience. Personalised orientation, ease and rapidity are central to the company’s customer promise. The company has a long history of data use, including in supporting staff management. Data-based knowledge has aided business development and customer service.

View to the future

The company already possesses a fairy large amount of data, but the aim has been to take data use to a new level. Data plays a crucial role in forecasting the development course of market environments and operational development. M Room participated in the IHAN business programme with the aim of using data in building new business operations and service packages.

Toward a co-operation platform for personal services sectors

The company’s main goal in the IHAN business programme was to gain support and insight for the development of their own cloud-based platform, with the aim of scaling up the platform comprising the operations management and cash register system and the operating model so as to be available for other personal services sectors. The goal is to build co-operation between different service providers that offer services from one person to another – such as barber, massage, beauty treatment and health services. The platform solution is based on the individual-oriented, responsible use of data.

Data sharing within the network as the next step

M Room has developed its data network concept during the business programme. In the data network, different service providers will start to share data transparently and under jointly agreed rules. The aim is to identify co-operation and new service package opportunities by combining and enriching data.

M Room will start sharing data with its partner companies one partner at a time. In January, M Room and Yeply, which is a company that provides mobile bike maintenance services, started to enter and combine their data repositories in one single location. The aim of the service is to offer data network members a better view on consumer behaviour and facilitate the everyday life of the customers. This solution will help service providers, for example, guide the selection of the place of business location and offer consumers services which suit their daily routes. As the services evolve, it’ll be possible to identify innovative ways of employing the collected data.

During the second phase of the data network project, Suomen hierojakoulut (Finnish schools of massage) will join the data sharing network. In this way, lessons learnt during the early stages can be utilised when the network expands.

Data is collected and shared in the new data networks responsibly and only for pre-defined and necessary purposes, while the emphasis is on the benefit to the customer. One of the tools used in the data network project is the Rulebook for a Fair Data Economy, which offers templates for the co-operation and, for example, creates savings related to legal services.

Why it is worth participating in the IHAN business programme

1. You get the chance to take a magnificent learning journey, to gain important insights and tools for building your own data-based business operations.
2.  Through hard work and commitment, you can achieve wonderful results, for example, through creating a new product or service.
3. You will have an opportunity to network and exchange experiences with other SMEs.