Enhancing cooperation
Valmet’s Pulp and Energy business line had been operating in leased facilities in several locations in Tampere for a long time. It decided to centralise its operations in the largest facility, which is located on Lentokentänkatu. A total of 190 employees moved there from the other facilities. Today, the Lentokentänkatu property houses around 1,200 employees. “Through careful planning, we were able to minimise the interruption to one or two days per employee. During that time, they worked from home or in temporary facilities. The same Martela team worked with us throughout the project, which made it easy to reallocate resources flexibly as needed,” says site supervisor Ville Virtanen.
There was no real need to renovate the office facilities, but the staff canteen was refurbished: the cafeteria lines were replaced, and the renovation also improved the acoustics, making the facility suitable for personnel events as well.
Participation supports change management
Before the project, a workplace specification was carried out on the work environment to examine employees’ needs, requirements and daily tasks.
Based on the survey, a work environment report was prepared to provide general guidelines for the project and enable the continuous development of the facilities.
Change management and timely communications, as well as ensuring employee participation, played a key role in the project implementation. Particular attention was paid to internal communications, and supervisors working abroad were also taken into account. The one-year project was scheduled carefully to address peak seasons and other special needs. This had a positive effect on the employees’ attitudes.
The project provided Valmet with an activity-based office tailored to the company’s needs. The project made a huge improvement to internal communications and cooperation between departments, and it also reduced the need to commute between locations, which improved time management and lowered costs. The refurbished facilities promote spontaneous meetings, face-to-face communication and a more consistent corporate culture, as all employees work in the same property. There are special facilities for various tasks and uninterrupted discussions, for example.
Sustainability is key
Martela took an inventory of the furniture used by around 600 employees in four properties. This furniture was taken into account in the interior design, and the excess pieces were recycled through Martela Outlet or donated to employees, sports organisations and other non-profit operators.
Valmet chose Martela based on previous experiences and quality considerations, as well as the significant roles of the project manager, interior designer and account manager in implementing the changes. “The installation team were extremely nice and customer-focused,” said Valmet’s project assistant about the removal. “They were pleasant and friendly and took care of everything. They thought about things from our perspective. Situations change, and you cannot plan everything in advance. You also need to be able to improvise.”
