Kela, OmaKanta and Keva
Kela, the Finnish Social Insurance Institution, provides a wide range of social services, including health, family, and financial support. It offers benefits such as student aid, unemployment benefits, and family support. OmaKanta is an online service where individuals can access their personal health information, view medical records, and renew prescriptions. It also allows access to health documents like vaccination certificates. KEVA manages pensions for public sector employees. It provides information on pension accrual, retirement age, and future pension estimates. Together, these services play a crucial role in ensuring social security, healthcare, and financial stability in Finland.
During my time as a student, I used Kela’s services quite a lot. I received student aid, housing allowance, and also took out a student loan backed by Kela. Nowadays, we use Kela’s family services. I have to admit that I wasn’t aware of the European Health Insurance Card. I applied for it right away, and the process was incredibly easy!
I primarily use OmaKanta for renewing prescriptions when needed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the so-called “covid passport” was available in OmaKanta. I found it quite convenient to access health information there, and it certainly saved me time that would have otherwise been spent on phone calls or in-person visits.
As for Keva, I had never used their services before. It was quite interesting to look into my pension details. I had never paid much attention to these things before, but it was useful to check what my retirement situation looks like.
All services were very user friendly and I found what I was looking for right away. I have found the use of Kela online services to be really easy and clear, especially after the website updates. I remember that during my studies, I had to go in person to the Kela office and the online service was very confusing.
For all the services mentioned above, I used online banking authentication to log in, which made accessing the services smooth and secure.
Digital shop
I explored a few specialty stores focused on hiking and outdoor gear: outnorth.fi, scandinavianoutdoor.fi and varuste.net. Information for customers was easy to find on all these websites. Sustainability was a noticeable theme across all stores, which I really appreciated. Each shop seemed highly trustworthy and I have made purchases from each of these stores without any issues. I’ve never encountered any problems with orders.
Online stores make product comparison easy by providing detailed information, including customer reviews. Price comparison is also straightforward, allowing customers to quickly find the best deals. This convenience has transformed the shopping experience, offering more transparency and helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
I really hope that trustworthy, responsible online stores selling high-quality products maintain a strong position. Chinese discount chains, like TEMU, are clearly trying to bring copies of quality products to the market.
Proressional Online Store/Service
In my work, I use Onninen online store a lot. Searching for products on Onninen website is simple because you can use an exact product code, name or even industry-specific slang to find what you’re looking for. In most cases, the desired product appears right away. The payment process is also very straightforward, and during the checkout, I can input the necessary details if I want to pay by invoice. Additionally, almost all of the products in the store come with the necessary quality documents.
We are developing a procurement application for our company. The idea behind the app is that suppliers can register, add their products along with price and location details. When one of our employees needs, for example, new work shoes, they can type what they need into the app’s search field, and the app will suggest where to purchase them, taking into account the employee’s current location. The finished app will also factor in not only the price but also the time spent traveling and the emissions generated. The completed application will streamline the purchasing process for smaller items and will provide an excellent opportunity for local smaller stores to offer their products.
Digitalization and digital gap
People who do not use virtual services can face big challenges. One of the biggest issues is accessing banking services, medical information or submitting applications for different kinds of assistance, such as through Kela. Even communication with others is moving more and more to virtual platforms (which I personally find quite unfortunate). The importance of staying connected online became especially clear during the COVID-19 pandemic and I feel that social interaction has not returned to normal since.
Education is also now almost impossible without using virtual services. For instance, many schools have switched to remote learning meaning anyone who isn’t comfortable using digital tools may be left behind.
Another key factor is cost. People who don’t use online services often end up paying extra for things that would be cheaper or free online. For example, many companies now charge additional fees for paper invoices, which can add up over time. Additionally, digital services help reduce travel expenses, as tasks can be done remotely without the need to go somewhere in person. In this way, using digital services not only saves money but also makes processes more efficient and convenient. It’s clear that using online tools can lead to both financial and practical benefits.
Digital Competence test
I find the test and its results quite interesting. My own results reflect my personality surprisingly well. It was also really interesting to see the results of other students.
Self Reflection
This part of the course made me think about how I use digital servies. I was happy to see that I have kept up with the developments! After reading other students’ blogs (especially the internationals ones), I got the impression that Finland is one of the leaders in digital develpoment. It’s nice to know that our country is on the cutting edge in terms of technology, and I can clearly see the benefits in my daily life. The course has made me appreciate how digital services make tasks easier and faster.
Blogs I commented on:
https://blogi.savonia.fi/kainuunkorvessa