TRUST& QUALITY BOOK 2015 - Inspecta Norwegian operations profitable, started NDT operations in...
Transcript of TRUST& QUALITY BOOK 2015 - Inspecta Norwegian operations profitable, started NDT operations in...
inancially, 2014 started well in all of our
operating countries, but the second half
proved to be challenging, particularly in
Finland and Sweden. Norway, Denmark
and the Baltic States developed well
throughout the year, and also Poland
made an encouraging start as a new
Inspecta country. Market uncertainties and the postponement
of industrial investments in the second half of the year pushed
our group level results below our targets. Considering the
challenging market conditions, we managed to keep ourselves
on a moderate growth track.
Furthermore, we made many important operational moves
during the year. We expanded our operations to Poland,
turned Norwegian operations profitable, started NDT
operations in Lithuania and Denmark, expanded our real
estate services in Finland, signed new big real estate contracts
in Sweden, and appointed new country managers in Estonia,
Latvia and Finland. These are just a few examples of our
dedication to strengthening our leading market position in
the Baltic Sea region.
In order to take the next steps in the right direction, we
have set down a new strategy for Inspecta up until 2020.
We are calling our new strategy “Inspecta – the asset health
company”. It outlines our operations in three main business
areas: industrial assets, built environment and certified
operations. We have scanned our strengths, our customers’
views and the market situation and overall outlook. There
are great opportunities for us to gain further market shares
in all of our operating countries. In this Trust & Quality
Book 2015, you will find many exciting stories on how we are
moving ahead on our growth track.
BEST PEOPLE IN THE FIELD WORKING CLOSE TO CUSTOMERS
In order to grow sustainably, we must pay careful attention
to the factors that enable us to work effectively. In our new
strategy, our number one focus area is personnel development.
All our results are generated by our personnel. We will also
concentrate on improving our work order management using
digital tools and drawing on our internal spirit of cooperation
locally and between countries. We can only succeed by
working well together. Finally, we are going to use customer
feedback more systematically: happy customers mean a good
future for all of us.
An essential continuation of the strategy work is to find
a good new home for Inspecta, as our current owner’s
investment period is running out. We can expect our strategy
to form an excellent basis for the next moves in this respect.
During this year we will communicate our strategy to
everyone, looking forward to feedback and new ideas. Both
employee and customer feedback received so far tell us that
we are strong in our competence and quality. Our challenges
lie in setting up a clear direction and in leading the way for
everyone. Let us seize these challenges and turn them into our
strengths.
After the strategically important and operationally active year
of 2014, I would like to express my thanks to our customers,
personnel, partners and owners. In our home market, Inspecta
is the number one player. Thanks to all our hard work, we can
be proud of our company.
Inspecta maps out a new strategy
F
CEO
CEO, Inspecta Group
Kari Aulasmaa
The year 2014 was similar to 2013 for Inspecta, with much good
news, but also some difficulties. At the beginning of 2015, we
see ourselves at a turning point as we set down a new long-term
strategy for our company and move forward with it.
2
Kari Aulasmaa, CEO. “In order to grow sustainably, we must pay careful attention to the factors that enable us to work effectively. In our new strategy, our number one focus area is personnel development.”
3
Inspecta 2020 – the aGROWTH ENABLERSThe fundation of our strategy 2020 is our personnel – the best people in the field
working close to customers. Our target is to grow from about 1,500 people and
180 million euros in turnover to more than 2,000 people and 300 million euros by
2020. Sustainable growth requires effective people and modern tools, as visible in
the growth enablers of our strategy.
In everything we do, we want to reach superior customer experience
by paying full attention to customer needs. We have estimated
our market to be about 1,500 million euros now and about
2,000 million euros in year 2020. A strong service and
sales culture will make us commercially agile,
enabling us to push our current market
share of 12 percent up to beyond 15
percent.
GROWTH ENABLERS
GROWTH AREAS
COOPERATION CLIMATE
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT
PERSONNEL DEVELOPMENT
TARGET 2020
Best working place in the branch
TARGET 2020
Fully digital working environment
TARGET 2020
Feedback in full use across businesses
TARGET 2020
Collaboration as a genuine asset
TARGET 2020
Sustainable growth record
and view
INDUSTRIAL ASSETS
4
asset health companyGROWTH AREASWe are focusing our growth on four areas, all related to asset health. Industrial
assets form the most traditional part of our businesses, where we will keep on
growing in new areas and services. In the
built environment, we will look for new
real estate, infrastructure and construc-
tion assets to be inspected, moni-
tored and certified. Furthermore,
certified operations and new
markets offer attractive
growth opportunities.
Timo Okkonen, Chief Commercial Officer:
“During 2014, we renewed our strategy by taking a look at our full market and all
our operations in different countries. We wanted to find not just areas of growth,
but also the factors that make it possible for us to move sustainably forward.
The end result is our 4+4 strategy with four enablers and four growth areas,
which together define Inspecta’s development focus for the coming years.”
CORE SERVICES
TARGET 2020
New geographic positions
established
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
TARGET 2020
Strong market leadership in full offering TARGET 2020
Sustainability certification
services
CERTIFIED OPERATIONS
Testing, measuring & monitoring
Inspection, verification & control
Certification, assessment & audit
Consulting, technology & training
We want to work for the
success of all our key customer
segments by ensuring
compliance with requirements,
by minimizing risks, and by
creating information value for
our customers. In this way, we
are transforming our Testing,
Inspection and Certification
(TIC) services towards asset
health partnerships, including
consulting and training on
requirements and risks.
NEW MARKETS
5
Give them a laptop and they’ll work anywhere. Inspecta’s tech-savvy
Estonian road warriors work smarter and faster.
Siim Peetrimägi & German Vimb
OUR INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES
They drive up to 700 km a week, spending up to half their
working week on site. They’re on the road five days a
week, inspecting gas installations, elevators and pressure
equipment.
Tallinn-based Chief Inspection Expert Siim Peetrimägi and
Conformity Assessment Expert German Vimb have seen
their daily work revolutionized by digital technology over
the past five years.
“My everyday tool is my smartphone. I use various apps
and cloud services to access data and create notes that can
be easily transferred to databases,” says Vimb.
“A VPN connection allows me to work from home and be
more productive,” adds Peetrimägi. “We have received
very positive feedback from clients. By processing their
installation documents digitally, we save them the trouble
of printing files and traveling between offices. We have
saved a lot on fuel and paper – and many cubic meters in
our archives.”
Estonia is a pioneer in e-government and digital age
initiatives. This year will bring major changes to technical
inspection procedures. “Inspection reports will be done in
a government-managed digital environment. The digitally
signed reports will be emailed to clients automatically.
Reports can be filled in on site via a laptop or tablet, and the
report is in the client’s email before we even leave the site.”
If Inspecta’s ‘paperwork’ is location-independent, why
waste money and energy on rented office space? “I don’t
rule out the possibility of abandoning conventional office
space in the future. But there will always be a need for
face-to-face exchanges,” says Vimb.
“Being mobile, flexible and innovative is our future. It’s
what our clients expect of us,” concludes Peetrimägi.
SO LONG, OFFICE CUBICLES?
MOBILE EXPERT | FL0W OFFICER | OPEN MINDS | SOUND BUSINESS
6
raditionally, most of Inspecta’s operations are focused on Industrial
Assets. It is important that our industrial customers see us as a
frontrunner with the best expertise and tools. This is what we are
working for in all our daily operations, developing our offering and
reaching out to new geographical areas and industries.
Three main service areas form the foundation of our Industrial Assets offering:
component manufacturing, investment projects, and operations and maintenance.
By supporting our customers in these areas, we contribute to the health of Industrial
Assets throughout their lifecycle. Inspecta is predominantly a field organization. Our
customers know they can rely on our experts’ in-depth knowledge and competence. In
component manufacturing, we check the quality of components and welded joints, and
in investment projects, we help ensure a facility’s long lifecycle through high quality
supply control. During the operational phases of industrial facilities, we ensure that our
customers’ assets are safe and that the risks are under control.
For us, our fine reputation is the ultimate merit
and measure of how well we perform. We will
continue to grow in our Industrial Assets offering
by adding new areas and services to meet and
exceed our customer needs. In our current home
market of eight countries, we see opportunities to
gain market shares and support customer projects
also globally. Furthermore, we intend to expand
into new countries and industries.
INDUSTRIAL ASSETS
T
INTRO
SEE PAGES 8–11
An eye on Industrial Assets
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elders at times
need to have their
skills certified at
very short notice
so they can take on
new assignments.
For the past year,
welders have been able to receive
a welding certification swiftly at
Inspecta’s specially built Welding
Studio in Malmö, Sweden.
The Inspecta Welding
Studio makes it possible for
welders to acquire specialist
qualifications, and further their
professional skills. In addition
to completing a welding test and
receiving their certificate, they can discuss and evaluate
their work with a welding inspector. The service has
proven to be very popular with companies in southern
sparks the interest of small businesses
Welding Studio
Sweden, and over 150 welders
have already been certified.
“Our customers are very
satisfied with the Welding
Studio,” says Sales and Market
Manager Fredrik Johansson,
who heads the facility. “We are
among the first in the industry
to offer this concept, which
fulfills a definite need, especially
for small business owners.
Customers have been especially
pleased with the combination of
high availability, speed, service
and reasonable cost for the
service.”
The Welding Studio offers
both planned certification and certification at very
short notice, as well as evaluation of work samples.
In most cases, the welder can receive a new certificate
W
Fredrik Johansson on the right.
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immediately after the welding exam.
“Often welders will realize that they
don’t yet have the required skills for
a given assignment, and we can help
them take the necessary steps to acquire
those skills. This is where we are at our
best,” says Johansson.
Based on the first year’s success
in Malmö, Inspecta is already looking
to expand the Welding Studio to other
locations. “The service really brings a
lot of value to the customer, as welders
can evaluate their work objectively,
seeing what is good and what needs to
be developed. Ultimately, this allows
companies to improve the quality
of their products and deepen the
trust with their own customer base,”
Johansson says.
NDT testing,
Inspecta a forerunner in Norway
NEW TESTING METHODS IN THE PIPELINE Advanced non-destructive testing services
keep undersea equipment in top condition.
Non-destructive testing (NDT) is used as part of manufacturing or installation inspections to ensure quality demands are being met. For example, radiographic or ultrasonic testing is used to check the integrity of welded joints. Inspecta is an accredited player that offers a comprehensive range of non-destructive testing services.
In Norway, a lot of Inspecta’s non-destructive testing work is done for a particularly tough environment – on undersea equipment. “The testing can be complex, as installations typically include both new and older equipment,” says Runar Meland, Regional Manager, Inspecta Norway. “Furthermore, the welds can be combined with up to three different materials.”
For these demanding applications, Inspecta has had excellent results with advanced NDT methods alongside standard testing services. These methods include phased array ultrasonic testing as well as TOFD (time-of-flight diffraction) ultrasonics.
A phased array ultrasonic probe consists of several transducer elements that operate independently. By controlling the timing of the ultrasound pulses from each element, the direction of the sound wave emitted by the probe can be steered electronically. The method highlights the exact location and size of any defects using graphic color images. TOFD ultrasonic testing detects and calculates the depth of subsurface weld cracks using the diffraction patterns of ultrasound waves from the weld joint.
“This is quite a new way of thinking. Until now phased array testing hasn’t been used on the vintage welds found on much of the undersea equipment currently in service in the North Sea,” Runar Meland notes. “These advanced techniques have generated a lot of interest with some of our major customers.”
Meland predicts that in the next five to ten years, phased array ultrasonics may replace much of the testing that is currently being done with X-ray radiographics. “This will bring clear benefits also in reducing the radiological impact of these essential testing procedures,” he concludes.
Runar Meland, Regional Manager.“This will bring clear benefits in reduc-ing the radiological impact.”
9
I
“After a job well done, the satisfied customer is our best business card.”
nspecta inspects all kinds of pressurized equipment,
from small measuring devices to powerful pressure
vessels. At large power plants, boiler inspections are
typically scheduled every four years, and pressure
tests every eight years. Thomas Lorentz-Petersen is
an inspector with Inspecta Denmark. He has long
experience with demanding inspections of power plant boilers. “We
always work closely with our customers,” he says. “The first thing is
scheduling the boiler inspection at a time that is suitable for the client.
We will be there at whatever time they need it.”
The inspection starts with a review of the service history and
documentation of the boiler. “I want to have an overview of what is
going on with the boiler and power plant, including any repairs that
have been made in the last few years,” Petersen says.
The next step is a visual check inside the boiler, starting on the
water side. “We are looking for any signs of cracks and corrosion that
may be caused, for example, by impurities in the feed water system,”
says Petersen. “This is followed by an interior inspection of the furnace
side of the boiler, where we also look for corrosion.”
NO SHORTCUTSSafety is essential in this line of work. “Before entering the boiler, all
valves and pipes are closed and their position verified manually. As
a safety precaution, someone also needs to stand outside while I’m
working inside the boiler,” Petersen notes.
The visual inspections are followed by pressure testing of the
boiler, usually on the following day. Finally, the boiler is fired up and
the correct operation of the safety valves is verified. “This procedure
makes a lot of noise, so we need to notify the local authorities in order
to minimize the disturbance to the surrounding area,” says Petersen.
If any safety valves are to be reconditioned, the supplier of the valves
must be approved for this work.
Once everything is in order, the valves are marked with inspec-
tion seals bearing the inspector’s number. Finally, Petersen will write
his inspection report and discuss the results with the customer.
“This job calls for 100 percent honesty, even if the customer
doesn’t always like to hear it,” Petersen notes with a smile. “Everyone
wants to save money, but ensuring top-notch condition of industrial
boilers is not only critical for safety, but it is also essential for the long-
term financial benefit of the company. Ultimately, this is something
everyone can understand.”
Boiler inspections
Performance under pressure Safety, precision and integrity are essential
in power plant boiler inspections
Jouni Koivumäki, Inspecta Finland’s Regional Industry Director.
Going international with new services
10
ith over 300 services to
more than 75,000 customers
through offices in eight
countries, Inspecta can
support companies that are
extending their operations
internationally.
“We are still more or less a local company, but
international assignments are growing in fields
where we have special expertise,” says Mats Bergman, Manager of Advanced Testing for
Inspecta in Sweden.
One example is the inspection of recovery
boilers, in which Inspecta has long experience
in Finland and Sweden. Several major industrial
companies have shifted their home markets
from Finland and Sweden to the rapidly
growing paper and pulp industries of South
America and Southeast Asia. Inspecta has
been able to follow and assist with inspection
services in both new investment projects and
maintenance shutdowns.
By choosing Inspecta, the client not only
gets access to the latest testing methods, but
also benefits from an extensive knowledge base
of similar projects. “Clients do appreciate our
efforts to put new technologies into use. When
we are looking for a solution to a problem, it’s
a joint venture. Things tend to be easier when
you work with the client, not for the client,”
says Inspecta Finland’s Regional Director Jouni Koivumäki.
INTERNATIONAL BUT LOCALThe same technologies, test methods and
best practices can be utilized in each Inspecta
country, but the specific needs of companies
will also vary depending on the industrial base
in each country. “In Norway and Denmark, we
have a large offshore and shipping industry, but
not in the other Inspecta countries,” notes Mats
Bergman. “Sweden and Finland, meanwhile, are
distinguished by large pulp, paper and nuclear
sectors.”
The key to Inspecta’s success has been
to follow Nordic companies as they go inter-
national. “After a job well done, the satisfied
customer is our best business card. A good word
and good reputation spread rapidly within the
industry,” says Jouni Koivumäki. “Inspecta has
been going upstream, investing in equipment
and in the intellectual capital of its employees,
making it possible to deliver better, smarter and
more cost-effective services to our clients.”
WMats Bergman, Manager of Advanced Testing.“International assignments are grow-ing in fields where we have special expertise.”
Reaching new markets
11
In July 2014, Inspecta acquired the Polish testing and diagnostic company EPTSiL
from Polinex-Mostostal SA Group. Poland’s central location and the EU’s sixth largest
economy create significant growth opportunities for Inspecta and its customers.
Mutual respect and an attentive ear make for a seamless
merge of Inspecta and its newest family member, Poland.
When two companies from different countries and different
cultures merge, working together can sometimes pose
a challenge, but when the chemistry is right, the ‘flow
mode’ happens naturally. This was the case when Inspecta
acquired EPTSiL, part of Energomonta -Północ Ltd.
“It was a very good move for both sides. We gained a
stable owner, and we can, in turn, help Inspecta tap into the
opportunities of a market with a strong industrial base,”
says Warsaw-based COO Włodzimierz Adamik.
However, rebranding for this 62-year-old, highly respected
company recognized as Poland’s leading industrial
laboratory was not easy. “We had a very strong brand of our
own. Our history is of course important, but the integration
process has gone very smoothly,” says Country Manager
Tomasz Gawro ski, who leads a team of 85 in various
locations around Poland.
Unsurprisingly, there have been some hurdles, such as, the
full configuration of the IT systems and new HR programs.
MERGING TOGETHER NATURALLY
“But, Inspecta is always there to help us financially,
technically and in our daily work, as well as in securing
new clients,” says Adamik.
“I am personally impressed by the tremendous support
we have received from the very beginning. Our problems
are always treated seriously and with full attention,”
says Gawro ski.
As part of Inspecta, the Polish team acquires
a workplace that is safe, stable and rewarding,
with access to advanced technology and training.
“Having the chance to improve our professional
qualifications is highly motivating,” adds Adamik.
“We still face a very dynamic environment, so we must
work together to achieve business sustainability. But
so far, the respect we have received feels very special,”
concludes Gawro ski.
The acquisition of EPSTil opens a new geographic area
for Inspecta and continues Inspecta’s strategic expansion
around the Baltic Sea region.
OUR INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES
MOBILE EXPERT | FL0W OFFICER | OPEN MINDS | SOUND BUSINESS
Włodzimierz Adamik & Tomasz Gawroński
12
eal estate and infrastructure – or Built Environment as we call it
– constitutes a substantial part of every nation’s wealth. Keeping the
Built Environment in good condition is in everyone’s best interest:
ensuring the safety, quality and energy efficiency of buildings saves a
great deal of money and is a key driver to achieving sustainability.
Inspecta has long experience in many areas of Built Environment. Customers trust us for
certifying construction products and for inspecting real estate functions, such as, lifts, fire
detection, sprinkler, electrical and ventilation systems. In addition, we inspect, analyze
and monitor structures within real estate and infrastructure, both during construction and
maintenance phases of the asset lifecycle.
Built Environment services have much in common and many synergies with our Industrial
Assets offering. As a field organization we are close to our customers, providing effective
and fast help to keep the Built Environment in a good, safe condition. We can also
perform detailed inspections for critical structures, such as, bridges or demanding steel
constructions. We combine our many different areas
of expertise to ensure compliance, minimize risks and
create information value for our customers.
Built Environment forms a major growth area for
Inspecta in all our home market countries. We want
to be in a position where we can offer the full range
of inspection services for our customers. In the long
run, we want to certify the Built Environment for
sustainability and responsibility.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
R
INTRO
SEE PAGES 14–15
Sustainable future for Built Environment
13
n a market that
has long been
fragmented, and has
seen inspections made
by small specialist
firms – one focusing
on elevators, another on sprinklers,
a third on electricity and so on – the
one-stop shop idea makes life easier
for property owners.
“Customers clearly see both
financial and functional advantages in
having just one contact to deal with.
They can focus on their business,” says
Peter Ramstedt, Business Manager,
I
One-stop shop for real estate owners The concept is simple. Government authorities require certain
inspections be made. The real estate owner then turns to an
expert who knows exactly how to handle them.
Real Estate at Inspecta in Sweden,
“and we can focus on the inspections”.
TOWARDS DIGITALIZATIONAs a big player, Inspecta pioneers the
trend toward consolidation. Sweden,
for example, is a pretty mature market
for mandatory building inspections.
“There aren’t so many new
regulations, but new buildings require
a little more inspection than older ones
because they have more installations.
We grow through market share and
through new real estate production in
the country.”
“What really separates us
from the competition is our special
in-house expertise: our inspections
cover all assets and everything is done
by our own staff,” Ramstedt says.
As with any business, or
life today, the Internet and new
technological applications have
changed the way business is done.
But there is more to come.
“Our solutions are fairly
advanced, our customers can already,
for example, check the inspection logs
online,” he says.
“In the future, digitalization
will give us and our customers
everywhere new opportunities for
communication, so that the owners
and their tenants get real-time info on
the building’s condition,” Ramstedt
concludes.
”What really separates us from the
competition is our special in-house
expertise: our inspections cover
all assets and everything is done by our own staff.”
14
urrently, Inspecta
Group has more than
100,000 elevator
inspections per year in
its portfolio. Inspecta is
now entering the elevator
inspection market in Norway, where
elevator inspections have until now been
conducted by two organizations.
“The Norwegian government
wanted more competition in the market
across the whole country. Most of the
elevator inspection occurs, of course, in
the Oslo region,” says Åge Gjellesvik,
Region Manager, Inspecta Norway.
TOWARDS FULL SERVICEInspecta started up elevator inspections
in the fall of 2014, but so far Inspecta has
only been allowed to provide periodical
elevator inspections. Gjellesvik says that
a full service package should be available
by mid-2015.
“Basically, we will have a new client
base for real estate services in addition
to existing ones. Today, we have some
customers we already work with on other
inspections, such as, lifting equipment.
We have all the technical capabilities, and
we will use our lift and crane expertise to
gain market share,” says Gjellesvik.
COOPERATION OVER THE BORDERSTo get up to speed as quickly as possible,
Inspecta Norway has been utilizing the
experience and expertise of Inspecta’s
elevator specialists in Sweden and
Finland. Cooperation between Inspecta
countries has been active in industrial
operations and now it is expanding into
the real estate operations, in accordance
with the new group strategy.
“We are working also on a new
inspection system that will be more
mobile and can be used on tablets as well.
That will make us more efficient with
work order management and customer
interaction. I hope we can also have it
online by mid-2015,” says Gjellesvik.
Åge Gjellesvik, Regional Manager.
“We are working on a new inspection system that will be more mobile and can be used on tablets as well.”
Going upC
15
”We have high hopes for the microbiology
laboratory. There we can move
towards DNA-based methods.”
16
Timo Lauri, building inspection manager for Inspecta in Finland, can’t get away
from engaging in small inspections everywhere, at any time. Just standing in line in
a grocery store, he notices if the person in front of him lives in a house with a mold
problem. An occupational hazard, perhaps, but one that aims to prevent bigger
hazards down the road as he applies his skills to his work.
I
Take it to THE LAB
nspecta’s operations
don’t rely solely
on the strength
of Lauri’s sense of
smell, of course,
but also on his
team of inspectors
and the laboratories that specialize
in microbes, as well as concrete and
asbestos. Lauri and his lab team joined
Inspecta in the spring of 2014, when
Inspecta acquired Kiratek, a building
services company, where Lauri was the
CEO.
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING“Inspecta Finland had a dozen
building inspectors in-house, and
the acquisition added another 40
to the team. Our focus is on all
kinds of buildings: houses, bridges,
lighthouses, harbors, water towers,
and others. There’s even a ski jumping
tower we are about to have a look at,”
Lauri says.
Most of the lab services are
delivered through other services
conducted by Inspecta’s field
organisation. “This is an inherent part
of our full service”, Lauri says.
The whole business is fairly new,
says Lauri. Laboratory studies have
been used on a larger scale only in the
last fifteen years. But with both end-
users and customers getting a better
understanding of the hazards of, for
example, mold, advances in the field
have been rapid.
“We still culture microbial
samples, but we see a trend towards
using DNA-based methods, such as,
PCR (polymerase chain reaction).
However, Finnish authorities don’t
yet accept DNA-based methods as
evidence, and we will always use
methods that are admissible in court,”
says Lauri.
“It’s a sensitive business,” he
adds.
It’s a challenging business as
well. The public sector clients – the
owners of schools, daycare centers,
and office buildings – find themselves
in a financial crunch.
“These inspections will help
them decide how and where to
allocate their limited resources,” says
Lauri.
While five years is not a long
time for a building itself, a lot can
and does happen in five years in a
laboratory.
“We don’t expect major changes
in the methods used for concrete and
asbestos, but we have high hopes for
the microbiology laboratory, and there
we can move towards DNA-based
methods,” he says.
EXPANSION IN SIGHTInternationalization may be another
way to develop the operations.
“We don’t currently have any
international clients, but we have
considered an expansion to the other
Nordic countries and the Baltics
by providing lab services to other
Inspecta units. That’s something we’ll
have to look into in more depth.
“Actually, we would really like
to take this step,” Lauri concludes.
17
An open mind is receptive to new business opportunities and fresh
ways of working, says Inspecta Denmark’s Finance Director Gitte Bruun.
Gitte Bruun
Based in Nørre Nebel, Bruun’s typical workday begins with
back-to-back meetings. Her role is to support budgeting and
pricing negotiations – a task that requires more than ‘dry’
number-crunching skills.
“You need people skills and the ability to listen. My job is to
arrange funding for interesting new projects. And when an
idea is exciting, we find the money,” she says.
Denmark is one of Inspecta’s fastest-growing markets. The
Danish team’s openness to new opportunities in the green
segment is a key driver of its recent expansion, affirms
Bruun.
“The Danish government has set a target of 30 percent
renewable energy by 2020, so the future definitely looks
green in Denmark. There are huge opportunities to be
tapped in wind and solar power. One of our biggest recent
projects involves hydrogen-powered cars.”
“THE BEST IDEA IS THE ONE WE HAVEN’T YET HAD”
A knowledgeable, forward-looking outlook is vital to
building strong customer relations, Bruun adds. “When a
customer calls us, they must be confident that the expert
on the other end is years ahead of the competition in green
expertise.”
Keeping minds and doors open drives a continual learning
process at Inspecta Denmark. “We are always willing to
share knowledge and support our colleagues in every
department.”
A good example is the Navision system, which provides
employees and customers with instant access to any data
they might need, from boiler status to certification details.
“It’s a great system, but we have to develop it constantly
based on feedback from customers and employees.
We really strive to listen and never be afraid of the new.
Otherwise, we can’t be open to the customer either.”
OUR INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES
MOBILE EXPERT | FL0W OFFICER | OPEN MINDS | SOUND BUSINESS
18
CERTIFIED OPERATIONS
INTRO
oday, Certified Operations form a fairly limited part of Inspecta’s
operations. However, we want to grow fast in these services related
to non-physical customer assets, such as, management systems and
personnel certification. After all, the ultimate results in asset health
are affected by the operational practices and competences of our
customers.
With limited investments to check quality and reliability, health and safety, as well as
sustainability and responsibility, our customers can improve their competitiveness. Good
practices yield happy customers, happy personnel, and happy owners. Energy efficiency,
environmental safety and information security are interesting factors for all stakeholders.
While management system certification forms the traditional area of Certified Operations,
more insight can be gained with in-depth assessments of specific themes, such as, safety
practices in field work or the capability of contracted suppliers. Personnel certification and
high quality training are important in tasks where individuals perform critical safety and
quality duties.
Certified Operations offer many new opportunities for
Inspecta. We want to be proactive in areas where we
can support our customers in putting their operations
on a solid development track. This can be done by
taking a look at the operations and competences, and
by creating information that our customers can use
in their decision-making. The end result is a more
sustainable society.
T
SEE PAGES 20 –22
Solid improvements by Certified Operations
19
combination of experience and expertise is
essential to ensure products and services meet
the right standards, from the quarry to the
apartment block.
“In the building industry, quality and
safety are essentially the same thing,” says Gita Šakale, a product certification lead expert for Inspecta Latvia
whose focus is on construction products.
“We have to check the quality of real products –
structural elements and materials – to make sure they fulfill
the standards and requirements; otherwise, there can be
serious problems for the end-user.”
For Šakale, certification ranges from aggregates and
cement, ready-mixed concrete and structural precast concrete
products to construction timber.
That demands site visits to factories
or quarries to inspect production
facilities and products, check technical
documentation, and verify that
manufacturers test their products and
make the necessary corrections.
Certification activities in the Baltic
countries and the Eurasian Customs Union
A
Gita Šakale, product certification lead expert. “In the building industry, quality and safety are essentially the same thing.”
Inspecta experts also participate in laboratory
testing in some cases. The product certification portfolio
extends to elevators, pressure equipment assemblies and
even fuel. The prerequisites are in-depth understanding
and familiarity with the regulations and products. Šakale,
whose qualifications include a doctorate in engineering,
says the most important requirement from the client’s
perspective is trust.
“The clients are looking for an inspection partner
with experience, a professional approach, and detailed
knowledge of the product,” she says.
EXTENDING SERVICESCommunication is also crucial. Inspecta staff regularly
use their language skills, such as Russian, with clients
and on site visits. In addition to product assessments,
Inspecta certifies management systems, including
quality, environmental, occupational health and safety
management systems. Services also extend to personnel
certification, such as, welders and solderers.
“The scope really is quite huge,” Šakale says. “And it
will keep growing.”
For all goods that require certification, there are
issues to consider, such as, the environmental impact.
And researchers are always finding new ways to improve
products.
“Standards and regulations are changing all the
time and we must constantly check and keep up to date,
too,” Šakale says. “We have to keep our finger on the
pulse.”
Experience and expertise ensure quality and high safety standards
20
Tuulikki Lammi, Lead auditor.“The rewards of improving energy management systems are clear.”
M uch of our
everyday work
assumes a reliable
power supply
and electricity that will run high-tech
equipment faultlessly. Just recharging
a mobile phone requires the correct
electrical standard. Testing by Inspecta
energy quality engineers can help to
minimize problems.
“Modern technology is quite sen-
sitive to different aspects of energy
quality,” says Peeter Konjuhhov, an
engineer with Inspecta Estonia, who
conducts electrical energy quality mea-
surements.
“Exceeding the approved limits
can cause disturbances or failures in
the process, or cause unsafe situations,”
he adds.
That could mean major trouble
for a factory equipped with vulnerable
systems.
”By having the information
about their energy characteristics,
clients can take any necessary measures
to safeguard their equipment properly
and keep their operations on track,”
Konjuhhov says.
The engineers’ work ranges from
testing generation equipment used in
the power station itself to checking the
grid and on to the end-user.
In addition to measurements in
the field, Inspecta performs laboratory
tests on equipment to assess how it
reacts to power fluctuations.
Inspecta has delivered results for
clients throughout the Baltics and in
Russia and Belarus, drawing on the
quality and expertise of its staff, their
long practical experience, and their
drive to achieve the best results.
MANAGING ENERGY SYSTEMSExpert staff, extensive experience and
the desire to achieve the best are the
qualities that make Inspecta a strong
player in energy audits – assessing
the overall energy performance
of organizations as a whole, from
production and infrastructure to
products.
Lead auditor Tuulikki Lammiof Inspecta Finland is involved in
certification of energy management
systems.
“The rewards of improving
energy management systems are clear.
They save energy, they save costs,
and in helping the client to achieve
improved energy performance, they
have benefits for sustainability, too,”
says Lammi.
These improvements also show
results in environmental management
systems. A system-wide approach
helps companies make continuous
improvements in energy management,
down to individual processes in a
factory or a specific building It also
puts the issue on the business agenda
and helps organizations to change.
For Lammi, one of the best parts
of the job is seeing the improvements
for clients – some immediate and some
over the longer term.
“With some clients we have
had relationships for many years,
and we can really see and track the
improvements in their performance
over the years.”
Peeter Konjuhhov, Engineer.
“Modern technology is quite sensitive to different aspects of energy quality.”Keeping electricity clean
and costs down
Energy: quality, efficiency and management
21
n the Baltics, Inspecta’s certification
teams cover a variety of products and
processes, with particularly extensive
coverage in the building industry.
“Certification covers all
construction products, with the
exception of geosynthetics and road surfacing materials,
such as, asphalt or bitumen,” says Vladimiras Ravnialičevas, team leader for product and process
certification in Lithuania.
Inspecta’s certification experts are tasked to check
that construction products meet up to 165 harmonized
standards, by making sure the manufacturer gives
accurate details of their properties and ensuring that the
manufacturing technology and control systems guarantee
production quality. Manufacturers need to follow
regulations and meet their commitment to quality.
TWO-WAY COMMUNICATIONCommunication is a crucial part of the relationship,
according to Ravnialičevas.
“It is important that the certification expert is
able to explain to the manufacturer how meeting the
regulations can improve their position,” he says, adding
that this is one of the reasons Inspecta emphasizes the
need for its professionals to have very strong social and
communication skills.
“The client needs thorough, clear and consistent
explanations.”
I
Ravnialičevas says this comprehensive approach
is the most rewarding part of the job – explaining,
making assessments and suggesting error corrections
and proposals for preventive action.
Of course, providing the right services demands
the right skills and qualifications, and the ability to
work efficiently.
A major attraction for the client is Inspecta’s offer-
ing of a wide range of services.
“That means the customer can get all compliance
assessments, certifications and inspections from one
source, making the process more efficient, more reliable
and more cost-effective”.
Product certification
Ensuring products measure up to promises made
Vladimiras Ravnialičevas, team leader.“The client needs thorough, clear and consistent explanations.”
22
Country Manager Mantas Andriuškevi ius shares the philosophy that
has made Inspecta one of Lithuania’s most successful businesses.
Mantas Andriuškevičius
Last December, Mantas Andriuškevi ius took pride in
accepting an award from the Confederation of Industrialists
recognizing Inspecta UAB as one of Lithuania’s top
companies of 2014.
His pride is fully justified. As the company’s co-founder, in
only four years he has literally built it from the ground up.
Today, Inspecta UAB is solid, racking up an annual net sales
growth of 88 percent.
When asked how he pulled off this feat, Andriuškevi ius
fires back a confident reply, “It’s easy, because I like what I
do.”
Clearly, this engineer has a strong sense of what ‘sound
business’ truly means. A rock solid financial base is critical,
he agrees. Uncompromising quality, too, is vital for building
a good name. And no business these days can survive
without a strong commitment to sustainability.
“But the foundation of a successful TIC company is having
“IT’S ALL ABOUT PEOPLE”
the best team of experts to satisfy our customers’ needs.
The manager must strive to bring together the right
professionals, who need to understand the importance of
their role.”
Leading a team of 57, Andriuškevi ius is personally
responsible for everything from process management to
budget planning. “Because I’m responsible for our growth,
I’m constantly analyzing everything, always looking for
fresh angles.”
This applies especially to customer understanding –
what he cites as the second key cornerstone for a sound
business.
“We should constantly think about customers’ needs, not
only in terms of the services we already provide, but also
new requirements, because this is how new services are
born. Every day when I open my eyes and look around me,
I see endless opportunities for generating new business.”
OUR INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY PRINCIPLES
MOBILE EXPERT | FL0W OFFICER | OPEN MINDS | SOUND BUSINESS
23
Modern service built on a strong foundation of the best people, long experience and clients’ trust make us robust in Estonia”.
Though not the biggest player in the Norwegian TIC market, Inspecta has a great diversity of services with the best experts you can find. We bring Trust and Quality to the Norwegian industry every day.”
COUNTRY MANAGERS
Tõnu Roosaar
Country Manager, Estonia
Lasse Øvreås
Country Manager, Norway
Mantas Andriuškevi ius
Country Manager, Lithuania
Tomasz Gawro ski
Country Manager, Poland
The company’s strength depends directly on how strong the team is. In Lithuania we have a professional and innovative team that enables our successful growth in the market.”
“We are one of the biggest industrial NDT/DT laboratories in Poland also active in NDT inspectors and welders’ training. Additionally, we have a very strong Machinery Diagnostics Department. Inspecta’s newest technology gives us the possibility for further expansion.”
24
Inspecta’s strength is our employees: their thirst for new knowledge, their willingness to implement it in practice, their ability to find the best solution. These are the expert characteristics our clients are seeking for.”
Inspecta Denmark is a flexible and adaptable organization. We have employees who have more than 20 years’ experience. We work as well onshore and offshore. InspectaDenmark is known for Trust and Quality.
COUNTRY MANAGERS
Jens Bruun
Country Manager, Denmark
Jelena Pekale
Country Manager, Latvia
Jacob Lundberg
Country Manager, Sweden
Topi Saarenhovi
Country Manager, Finland
“Customer trust and the strong commitment of our people to deliver outstanding services are the biggest strengths of Inspecta in Sweden.”
Inspecta Finland’s strength lies in our highly competent
people – an asset also valued greatly by our
customers. Our people enable us to offer
superior know-how and services to
our customers.”
Finland
Sweden Estonia
Poland
Denmark Lithuania
Latvia
Norway
25
Taking into account changes in local currencies, our local revenues actually grew slightly in 2014. However, at the group level, we could not live up to our annual growth targets. Our core markets have remained
challenging during the past four years, with declining industrial production. This has forced us to be somewhat cautious. For future, our target is to leverage better performance by turning back to the growth track and keeping the overheads low.”
Sustainability in operation
IN NUMBERS
Sustainability – or responsibility – forms the heart of our business. In this part of this Trust & Quality
Book 2015, you can find the main principles of our sustainability policy that will be implemented
stepwise during years 2015–2017. During this journey, we will set up the key performance indicators
that measure our development. In what follows, you can find some first indicators as well.
SOUND BUSINESSFinancial performance creates the basis for
running a sound business. In the long run,
it always correlates well with the quality
of customer service and experience. In
our Testing, Inspection and Certification
(TIC) branch, integrity (neutrality and
independence) is an inherent part of service
quality. It is a corner stone of our brand and
reputation too. We can be relied upon to make
the best, unbiased asset health diagnosis.
We are good in measuring our
financial performance, yet we need to
improve measuring also customer feedback.
During year 2014, an independent survey
was conducted based on the Net Promoter
Score (NPS) methodology. This survey was
focused on Swedish and Finnish markets.
Our customers gave credit for our competence
and quality, and pushed us to get better in
reporting our work results.
Financial performance of Inspecta Group
MEUR 2011 2012 2013 20141
Group revenues 163.8 171.4 176.0 177.6
Gross profit 54.3 54.8 53.1 54.1
% margin 33.2% 32.0% 30.2% 30.5%
EBITDA 20.9 21.5 20.1 20.0
% margin 12.8% 12.5% 11.4% 11.3%
EBITA 17.1 17.5 16.0 15.2
% margin 10.4% 10.2% 9.1% 8.6%
1 2 Smart travelling is
necessary for us to be
able to spend most of our time
on asset health work. This is
more challenging for example
in rural areas, so there is no
way of bencmarking directly
different operations. However, our
experience shows that the ratio of
travel costs and revenues – and
especially its trend – may be used to
tell whether we are getting better in
our travel practices and proximity
to our customers. Even small
positive trends, in this respect, form
important signs of improvement.
1
Stefan Petersson,
CFO Inspecta Group
Travel costs per group revenues
2011 2012 2013 2014
200
150
100
50
0
20
15
10
5
0
Group revenues Travel costs % of revenues
9.4% 9.4% 9.4% 9.1%
163.8
15.4 16.1 16.6 16.0
171.4 176.0 175.4
1 = Pro forma
26
MOBILE EXPERTSOne of the key sustainability aspects is environment. Our own environmental
influence is dominated by travelling and offices, or in other words, use of energy.
We can work more sustainably by utilising new ICT technology for mobile work
and communication. Digitalisation benefits both environment and economy.
There are several ways of measuring our performance here. We may use our
travel distances and energy use as the basic information of our environmental
impact, and we may even use direct financial data to see how much of our turn-
over – or in other words our service value – is spent on travelling. Finally, we may
find action indicators such as number of electronic meetings in order to see our
progress in working smarter.
IN NUMBERS
OPEN MINDSOur services contribute to the sustainability of our customers’ operations and the
society as a whole. By keeping our minds open together with our customers and
authorities, we can constantly expand our service offering and value. The end
result is a more sustainable society and a stronger economy.
Basic information about this includes the market size and our share of it.
During year 2014, we performed a detailed study of our market size and share, as
part of our strategy work. Our performance may be measured also by the number
of new services introduced by us in a given year, or by the inspection decision sta-
tistics giving a view on how often we need to require corrective actions in the field.
Inspecta is growing steadily, as can
be seen in the growing number of
personnel. During year 2014, focused
steps were taken by acquisitions in Poland
and Finland, as well as recruitments
in Denmark and Lithuania. Personnel
development was more steady in
Sweden, Norway, Estonia and Latvia.
Approximately 1365 out of 1579 working
years (86%) were made by experts
in billable positions, and 214 (14%) in
supporting non-billable positions. On this
basis, we are well positioned to move
ourselves onto a stronger growth track.
Personnel in Inspecta countries (Full Time Equivalents, FTE) Finland 501
Sweden 626
Norway 115
Denmark 54
Latvia 73
Estonia 67
Lithuania 51
Poland 84
Group HQ 8
2011
1,383 1,406 1,429 1,579
2012 2013 2014
1,600
1,200
800
400
0
Group
Inspection decision statistics on selected assets by Inspecta Finland
Every inspection results in a report, and if the inspection
is based on a legally set or standardized safety level, an
inspection decision is made. In general, we want to see
these decisions as “asset health scores”, informing our
customers about the status of their assets. Traffic lights
may be used to convey that the asset is unsafe (red),
requires actions (yellow), or is in an acceptable condition
(green). Furthermore, even higher scoring levels could
be given to indicate a good lifecycle condition and even a
high asset user value.
ElevatorsFire detection
systems Electrical systems
FLOW OFFICERSCompetence and motivation of person-
nel are the main drivers for our quality and
financial performance. This requires train-
ing and development, health and safety,
and equality among all of us. Our tar-
get is to reach “a positive flow mode”, to be
spurred by all colleagues and leaders. We
want to be a safe and rewarding working
place.
Our profession, age and gender struc-
ture can be used as the basic information,
whereas our performance may be mea-
sured by employee feedback, training days,
as well as leaver, sick leave and accident
rates. In our personnel survey conducted
in year 2014, we got positive feedback on
our strong commitment and capability to
conduct high-quality customer work. Our
challenges lie in supporting both the daily
work and the development. For the same
reason, our new strategy pays a great atten-
tion on growth enablers.
3
4
2
3
4
Year
2011 1 55 44 1 89 10 1 90 8
2012 1 55 44 1 89 10 1 90 8
2013 1 54 45 1 88 11 1 92 6
2014 1 57 42 1 87 12 1 90 9
Inspection decision statistics (%) on selected real estate assets
in Finland (red = not accepted, yellow = accepted with corrective
actions, green = accepted)
We collect occupational health
and safety statistics annually
from our country organisations.
During years 2012–2014, sick
leaves were steadily below 3% of
total working hours at Inspecta
Group. Occupational accidents
were at 6–12 per million working
hours, with a declining trend
during the past years. Our target
is to head for improvements in
nearby accident reporting, to be
enabled also by our new digital
working environment.
27
Inspecta Group OyP.O. Box 1000
FI-00581 Helsinki, Finland
phone +358 10 521 [email protected]
www.inspecta.com
Inspecta is the testing, inspection and certification market leader in Northern Europe.
Inspecta’s office network covers Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
Annual turnover is about 180 million euros with more than 1,500 experts.