Digital Steps – towards customer-oriented digital business project supports companies of the South Savo region to improve their digital business capabilities. The importance of continuous capability development is emphasized in a challenging world situation where companies' ability to renew and make bold openings towards new markets is essential. The project applies and develops the agile training models created and tested in ‘Digital Steps – Growth to the business‘ (2018-2021) and ‘Digital Steps 2.0 - Paths for business growth’ (2021-2023) projects. The information collected from companies during the previous projects emphasizes the need for companies of South Savo region to develop their skills in the use of digital marketing and sales channels. However, technically oriented training alone is not enough, as in digital business, the guarantee of success is investing in customer experience. Sole entrepreneurs and SMEs often do not have a systematic way of taking account of customer understanding and managing customer experience in their business. The main objective of the project is therefore to improve the ability of companies of South Savo region to exploit digitality in developing and increasing more customer-oriented business. Keeping up to date in digital development and increasing customer understanding improving companies’ ability to anticipate changes in the operating environment. The aim is to support the use of digital solutions by companies in the region, to promote the expansion of online commerce in the region to international markets and to improve companies’ ability to change, especially through increased customer understanding. This will enable new business openings and the development of business products and services to better meet customers' needs. The project measures have been structured into six work packages: - TP0 Administration and communication - TP1 Competence mapping and development - TP2 Training digital skills - TP3 Business sparring for companies - TP4 Expertise and continuous learning of business advisors in digital business - TP5 Growth paths of online stores The activities focused on the development of customer-driven digital business will involve approximately 180 companies and 40 business advisors in South Savo region during the project. During the project, 150 courses will be carried out and 10 digital information sessions will be organized. Online retailers are offered a growth path that boosts growth and internationalization. As a result of the project, new expertise in the digital environment, the development of digital business and increased customer understanding will be created immediately for companies in South Savo region. The training materials produced in the project will be open to companies after the end of the project. In South Savo, business advice operations are directed based on the project’s experience and the results are used in RDI activities in the region. In the long term, the region of South Savo - Mikkeli and Savonlinna - will become the leading hubs of the online store in eastern Finland.