Building value through collaboration

“When a customer enters into an agreement from Valmet, they are looking for  predictability and an easier, more convenient way to operate,” says Mika Immonen, General Maintenance Manager, SER BTS Maintenance Operations Technology Unit, Valmet. “It’s important to remember that this has a personal aspect too – it’s also about being easy to work with. Customers choose to work with us because they expect the work to go smoothly and according to the timetable. They want to trust that what’s included in the agreement will be taken care of, and that trust is a big part of the value they are getting.”

Be there for your customer

“Collaboration is wider than just what’s in an agreement,” agrees Robin Ivarsson, Reliability and Performance Engineer, PES Agreement and Lifecycle Concept Development, Valmet. “It’s also on a personal level. An agreement specifies the services and actions that are included, along with the timetables. This enables us to allocate resources, make plans and be proactive. That’s the technical side of things; the part that’s on paper. But to make things happen, everyone has to do their part and work together,” says Ivarsson. “That’s why we’re always there to help the customer, responding quickly and doing what’s agreed. When you’re available and reliable, it builds trust and puts the customer’s mind at ease.”

Help the customer reach their targets

“I believe that the most important part of a collaboration is the relationship that our team has on site with the customer’s mill team,” says Ivarsson. “And being customer-centric, and having an open and goal-oriented personality, really helps teamwork to go well. Our aim is to get the best results for the customer and help them reach their targets, so we always look for a common way to operate together.”

Our aim is to get the best results for the customer, so we always look for a common way to operate together.

“The customer targets that are recorded in an agreement are also Valmet's targets,” says Ilpo Turunen, Business Manager, Board and Paper Agreements. “Achieving these set targets requires good two-way communication at every organizational level. Open dialogue enables efficient utilization of the core competencies of both parties. You get the best from both.”

Build a common understanding

“You need good collaboration whether it’s a one-off project or a long-term agreement,” agrees Ivarsson. “An important part of this is being able to listen and understand what the customer is actually saying. We make the effort to understand what they want and ensure we deliver it. This includes understanding the quiet signals, what’s going on underneath. When you really pay attention and understand, then you can be a bit ahead and anticipate needs.”

“Another worthwhile skill is being able to talk to and work with everyone from the team on the mill floor to the top management,” adds Turunen. “I really recommend talking to everyone and listening to the needs and issues at different levels of the mill, you can learn a lot. And, naturally, every customer is different, so we take the time to understand each relationship and think how to approach it in the best way.”

Work on improving your collaboration

“Having the right expertise quickly available plays a big role in supporting our customers, too,” says Turunen. “Technical developments have enabled us to improve our level of service, and digitalization and data analytics have become a very important part of developing our collaboration with customers. Our network of experts has extensive process and equipment knowledge and, combined with the information generated by our analysis tools, we can provide our customers with fast and efficient service for problem-solving situations. Providing this expertise and information is a key part of the customer relationship.”

Our aim is to get the best results for the customer, so we always look for a common way to operate together.

“At Valmet, we try to improve our collaboration all the time,” Immonen says. “Whenever we send someone to a customer’s site, they are very focused on maintaining a good relationship. It’s essential. We have a systematic way of operating and this makes it easier to have common practices with our customers. It also gives us a stable way of working and provides a framework for improving the relationship, as well.”

“One of the basic principles of good collaboration is continuous improvement, whether it is production efficiency, equipment reliability, cost efficiency or even personnel training. Valmet is willing to be the long-term partner that supports our customers in achieving and exceeding their goals now and in the future. We want to help them succeed,” Turunen concludes.