Lindström stakeholder magazine
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Lindström is always close to the customer
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Workwear service adds ease to dayto-day work in India
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1 2014
Turvatiimi’s Aleksi Rapp knows good workwear
Eco-efficiency is the red thread running through textile services 8
Lindström stakeholder magazine
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1 2014
Growing demand for workwear services in India Modular laundry benefits the customer and the environment
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The Finnish coffee and spice company Meira marks its centenary with new workwear
IN BRIEF Lindström is a family business providing textile services for corporate customers.
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Lindström operates in countries in Europe and Asia. We have some 2,900 employees at more than 80 sites. Lindström provides workwear services in all its operating countries, mat rental services in 13 European countries, personal protective equipment services in Finland and Hungary, industrial wipes services in Finland and Estonia, and textile and hygiene services in Finland.
Lindström workwear is worn by more than
1,000,000
users.
1 2014
EDITORIAL
Lindström – today and in the past In the mad year of Europe in 1848, Carl August Lindström of Helsinki established a dyer's shop in the Finnish capital. This small dyer's shop established nearly 170 years ago has evolved into today's Lindström, a business partner that operates in 23 countries.
indström has always been a forerunner and innovative tester of novel ideas. Carl August's son Walfrid travelled in Russia and Central Europe to learn, and brought dry cleaning to Finland. The next owners of the company, the Roiha family, brought the concept of textile hiring from the United States in the 1930s. The Roiha family still owns the company, now in its fifth generation. Lindström is currently one of Europe's and Asia's leading textile service companies. Internationalisation started cautiously in 1992 with a container laundry set up in the Tallinn harbour. The small initial investment along with portability were aimed to reduce risk if the operations failed to get under way as planned. This single container evolved into the present-day modular operating concept. Lindström's strength lies in the individual textile care units which can be set up quickly at low cost and can be easily expanded as the clientele grows. The modular concept has taken us successfully to 23 countries so far. Lindström has evolved into a business partner which guarantees reliable service near the customer, always at high standard. Lindström’s strongest assets are its reliability and accountability: our customers know they can count on us to supply them with clean textiles exactly as agreed and delivered on time. Our service is easy to use, allowing customers to focus on their own core business. Our business relationships are long-standing partnerships benefiting both parties. Our operations rely on skilled staff. Each item goes through a pair of human hands, and the local staff know the needs of each customer. Our internationally attuned management and experts guarantee continuous growth and expansion. This magazine explores our day-to-day operations with customers around the globe, in various cultures. Read about our journey.
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Clear is Lindström's stakeholder magazine. It is published in Finnish, Russian and English. Publisher: Lindström Oy Hermannin rantatie 8 FI-00580 Helsinki www.lindstrom.fi Editor-in-chief: Tarja Hämäläinen Editorial board: Tarja Hämäläinen, Leena Kähkönen, Inka Kokkonen Layout: Zeeland ISSN 2342-3234 (print) ISSN 2342-3242 (online) Clear is issued twice a year.
Juha Laurio President & CEO, Lindström Group
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text Pia Heikkilä | photos Pia Heikkilä
M O N D E L E Z I N T E R NAT I O NA L
The road to India The use of a workwear service is still a novelty in India. Demand grows on a par with industrial modernisation.
he road to the factory of Mondelez International, an international food giant in Northern India, is a typical Indian main road: a bumpy dirt road crowded with the most varied of vehicles, from ox carts to tricycles – not to mention the cows. The non-stop blowing of horns and lack of traffic rules do not appear to bother Lindström's lorry drivers, who navigate amidst the chaos in a calm and composed manner to reach the customer in the city of Baddi. Lindström's lorries have travelled this road from July 2012, when cooperation with Mondelez International began. The cooperation covers all five food factories operated by Mondelez International around India: Mumbai, Gwalior, Baddi, Bangalore and Pune. At the Baddi factory, Lindström provides the daily workwear for more than 2,000 local workers.
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Now our workwear is waiting in our own locker as we arrive, and at the end of the shift we simply toss them in a hamper,” says Gupta. The foreman, Jitender Sharma, is also satisfied with Lindström. He gives particular praise to the locker service, which guarantees that no impurities are transferred from the worker's own clothes to the workwear. SERVICE MAKES LIFE EASIER
Sharma says that the workwear service has significantly improved the factory's hygiene standards. “We used to have our own laundry, but the quality of hygiene and washing result was spotty. Managing the changing of clothes was difficult, and losses would occur,” he says. Now the workwear is transported from the Baddi factory to Lindström's service centre in Panchkula, where they
LOCKER SERVICE RECEIVES PRAISE
The sweet smell of chocolate meets the visitor at the factory's door. The tidy locker rooms are bustling with people as the shift is just changing. Mohit Gupta is about to start his day's work on the assembly line. He says that getting changed into workwear has become notably easier since Mondelez International switched to Lindström's workwear service. “In the past we'd have to queue up for a clean set of clothes for a long time, and we might not get the right size.
Lindström provides the daily workwear for more than 2,000 local workers at Mondelez International's Baddi factory. Jitender Sharma PLGGOH LV VDWLVðHG ZLWK WKH VHUYLFH
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CLEAN WORK “Companies in the food and beverage sector are increasingly paying attention to workplace and workwear hygiene,â€? says LindstrĂśm Vice President, Design and Brand Management Anna-Kaisa Huttunen. At LindstrĂśm, hygiene is taken into consideration from the design stage. The designs and materials are selected with attention to ensuring that no foreign particles can reach the foods and beverages. For example, the clothes often have no pockets above the waistline. LindstrĂśm’s service representatives deliver clean clothes to secure lockers and collect used workwear for washing and maintenance.
are washed according to the required hygiene standard and any torn clothes are mended. The service makes life easier for both employees and the management. GROWING DEMAND
LindstrĂśm has operated in India since 2007. Besides Mondelez International, its clients in India include electronics, pharmaceutical and automotive companies in nine locations. There is demand for services offered since the challenging global economy requires that every Indian company aiming for international markets must pay more attention to workwear cleanliness and safety. Due to its unique operating model, LindstrĂśm is able to quickly respond to the growing needs of India's modernising industrial sector. “LindstrĂśm's model clearly departs from the traditional laundry service, where clothes are washed using low-quality detergents, hung outdoors to dry and transported to clients by rickshaw, which exposes them to impurities and dust,â€? affirms the director of LindstrĂśm's local unit, Manish Lodha.
CERTIFIED PROCESS
$ FHUWLĺHG TXDOLW\ PDQDJHPHQW V\VWHP DQG WKH necessary preventive measures ensure that workwear serviced by LindstrÜm is always hygienic. The service centres adhere to the European Standard EN-SFS 14065, which guarantees the desired level of hygiene throughout the service process. The employees have strict orders regarding clothing, personal hygiene and prevention of contagion, and these orders cover the entire personnel from production to lorry drivers. There is an in-house control system in place to control the washing temperature, pH values and dispensing of detergents to verify the effectiveness of disinfection. Hygiene tests are performed on outgoing customer workwear by way of spot checks. $V SDUW RI PLFURELRORJLFDO TXDOLW\ DVVXUDQFH EDFWHULD tests are performed regularly, and the samples are analysed by an external laboratory. �We are continuously developing the professionalism of our personnel. Each service centre has a hygiene RIĺFHU ZKR LV UHTXLUHG WR DFTXLUH WKH )RRG +\JLHQH 3URĺFLHQF\ &HUWLĺFDWH r VD\V Marjo Mäntylä, Manager, Process Development and Environmental Issues. COMPETITIVE EDGE
CONVINCING CLEANLINESS AND CONVENIENCE
“We may not be India's most inexpensive provider of workwear service, but when our customers see how clean the clothes are and how handily the locker service works, they are convinced of the benefits,â€? says regional sales manager Aarti Bhandari, who meets with potential customers daily. A busy day at the Baddi factory is turning into evening. LindstrĂśm's employees are still packing up the lorries with professional efficiency and in seamless cooperation. Once fully packed, the lorries are ready to take to the crowded road back to the Panchkula service centre. From the cabin window, LindstrĂśm's crew waves goodbye to another satisfied customer.
Garments wait to be picked up in our own locker. – Mohit Gupta, Mondelez International
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$ FHUWLÄşHG V\VWHP LV DSSOLHG LQ DOO RI /LQGVWUĂ“P V operating countries, also in Croatia, which recently joined the EU and became subject to the EU food hygiene standards. However, according to Mislav !@QHĹ?HÄš, Managing Director of LindstrĂśm Croatia, the PRVW VLJQLÄşFDQW FKDQJH UHVXOWLQJ IURP (8 PHPEHUVKLS involves the operating environment of food and beverage companies. “The competitive situation is now IDU WRXJKHU WKDQ EHIRUH )RU WKH ÄşUVW WLPH &URDWLDQ IRRG and beverage companies have to compete in the free market with other European businesses.â€? In order to compete successfully, Croatian food and beverage businesses need to be able to increase their SURGXFWLYLW\ DQG HIÄşFLHQF\ ZLWKRXW ORVLQJ FXVWRPHU FRQÄşGHQFH Outsourcing workwear care to EU-compliant LindstrĂśm gives Croatian companies a competitive edge and helps them focus on their core business without workwear concerns. “LindstrĂśm takes care of delivering compliant and K\JLHQLF ZRUNZHDU WR HPSOR\HHV ORFNHUV r %DULxLÄĄ concludes.
DEVELOPMENT text by Heli Satuli | photo by Junnu Lusa
WORKWEAR MADE TO MEASURE Lindström tailor-makes models for the European, Indian and Chinese markets. indström's basic product, workwear, has undergone a major shift. Lindström employees asked customers all over the world to propose improvements to workwear. They also analysed market developments and competitors' offerings. “It occurred to us that sizing could be continent-specific. Previously, all workwear was based on European body measurements. People's body types vary a lot, though, and good measurements are essential for product quality,” comments Anna-Kaisa Huttunen, Vice President, Design and Brand Management at Lindström. Workwear services decided to tailor separate collections for the European, Indian and Chinese markets, on the basis of regional average measurements. Statistical information existed on European measurements, but manual work was required to establish the sizes of Asian customers. A team of two Lindström employees, equipped with background information and measuring tapes, set off to measure the sizes of current and potential customers. First, sizes were taken with a measuring tape. Then people tried on different clothes to verify their fit and size. In China, body measurement data is available for the clothing industry, but the latest figures were based on measurements made 20 years ago. “We wanted to check the accuracy of the old data,” says Huttunen.
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USABLE CLOTHES ARE NOT DISCARDED
Modernising sizing was only one part of the extensive workwear revamp. The collections now offer a more comprehensive range of options, from which Lindström companies around the world can choose their own country-specific collections. All products have a fresh new look. The cuts are modern and the clothes have a stylish fit. Unnecessary looseness and pleating have been removed from women's garments, and good patterns ensure room for movement. Dimensions have been decreased by a couple of sizes. The new clothes will not be introduced overnight. “Garments will be phased in gradually. When a jacket coming in for a wash is worn out, we replace it with a new product. Workwear that is in good condition is not thrown away. Replacing everything in one go would not be economically viable or sustainable. The clothes of the old collection are safe and usable in every way,” Huttunen stresses.
People come in different shapes, and sizing is an integral part of the quality of a product. – Anna-Kaisa Huttunen, Lindström
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text by Helka Herlevi
Workwear life cycle
‘Â?‰ Ž‹ˆ‡ ƒÂ?† Â‡Â…Â‘ÇŚÂ‡ÂˆĎ?‹…‹‡Â?…› ƒ”‡ –Š‡ ”‡† –Š”‡ƒ†• ”—Â?Â?‹Â?‰ –Š”‘—‰Š –‡š–‹Ž‡ •‡”˜‹…‡•Ǥ
nvironmental problems and concern about limited resources have made material efficiency an important goal in both the public sector and in companies. Material efficiency means producing more with less, saving the environment. At LindstrĂśm material efficiency is based on a long usable life and lifecycle management of our textiles in a
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way that is best for the environment and the business. WELL PLANNED IS...
Everything starts with good planning. The amount of cutting waste in the pattern-making process is minimised. Buttons, press studs and zips are avoided to make garments more recyclable. Torn garments are mended, and only those beyond repair are
discarded as textile waste. When an employee leaves the company, the garments are transferred to another employee wearing the same model and size. This ensures that the raw material is efficiently used, high-quality textiles are passed on and garments are not discarded without good reason. REUSE IS STANDARD PRACTICE
When a product has seen its best days
,Q DQ HFR HIĂ°FLHQW WH[WLOH VHUYLFH FKDLQ ZRUNZHDU PDWV DQG KRWHO WH[WLOHV DUH VPRRWKO\ SDVVHG DORQJ LQ WKH F\FOH 7KH SURGXFWV DUH GHVLJQHG VHOHFWHG DQG DFTXLUHG LQ D ZD\ WKDW PHHWV FXVWRPHU QHHGV DQG XVDJH FRQGLWLRQV 7KH LQ XVH PDLQWHQDQFH DQG VHUYLFH SURFHVV PLQLPLVHV HQYLURQPHQWDO LPSDFWV )LQDO GLVSRVDO RI WKH SURGXFWV LV PDQDJHG LQ DFFRUGDQFH ZLWK WKH :DVWH $FW DQG VXVWDLQDELOLW\ UHTXLUHPHQWV
Design and product development We minimise the amount of cutting waste and use metal parts sparingly. We choose our materials to comply with sustainable development.
Manufacture We invest in responsible supplier chain and in optimising transportation and storage.
Manufacture of raw materials We use natural resources responsibly and utilise recycled materials where possible. In manufacture we use durable, high-quality cotton that withstands wear and tear.
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CASE FINNISH RED CROSS and is removed from customer use, it becomes reusable material. Textile waste arising in Finland is either combusted for energy or passed on to subcontractors for other reuse or for charity. Roll towels and some hotel textiles get a new lease on life as industrial wipes or soak-up sheets, rags and rug-making materials, or spun into recycled thread. In LindstrĂśm's other operating countries, some of the discarded textiles are combusted for energy and small volumes end up in other reuse, but a fraction still ends up at a landfill site. New sustainable alternatives are constantly being looked for in all operating countries. The goal is to raise the Group's textile waste reuse rate from the current 73 percent to 90 percent by 2016.
Linen as disaster relief he LindstrĂśm and Comforta textile services generate around one million kilos of discarded textiles a year. Torn textiles are used to make recycled products for industrial purposes. In the autumn of 2013, worn but intact linen was donated to the Finnish Red Cross, which uses them on its international disaster relief missions. The Finnish Red Cross packed recycled linen into sets containing an undersheet, duvet cover, pillowcase and towel. These are stored in the Red Cross depot in Tampere, and from there they are sent as disaster relief to 5HG &URVV ÄşHOG KRVSLWDOV DQG UHIXJHH camps.
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EFFICIENT AID
The Red Cross has tuned its logistics WR VXSUHPH HIÄşFLHQF\ 7KH RUJDQLVDWLRQ has permanent warehouses and depots
around the globe, which dispatch goods to areas in need. The basics are acquired locally ZKHUH SRVVLEOH EXW WKH VXUJLFDO ÄşHOG hospital of the Finnish Red Cross and other special equipment always come from Finland. An entire hospital with all relevant equipment can be transported to its destination, even by donkeys if necessary. 6WRFN WXUQRYHU PXVW EH DV HIÄşFLHQW as possible, which is why acquisitions are planned with utmost care. This way stocked goods are always “newâ€?, up to date and appropriate. q7KH OLQHQ GHÄşQLWHO\ PHW D JUHDW demand. Our aim is to always have 2,500 sets of linen in stock, so we can send them off as disaster relief with the ÄşHOG KRVSLWDOV :H SXW WRJHWKHU QHZ sets as stocks dwindle,â€? says project planner Outi Amanor from the Finnish Red Cross.
Use We take responsibility for product safety and extending the useful life of textiles. We minimise the environmental impacts of the maintenance and service process.
When a product has seen its best days and is removed from customer use, it becomes reusable material.
Disposal We discard textile waste responsibly or reuse it smartly.
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LindstrĂśm's modular laundry concept comprises not just the laundry service, but also business models, work methods and operating systems. text by Helka Herlevi | photos by LindstrĂśm
Near the customer The patented modular laundry concept is much more than a laundry on wheels. indstrĂśm's laundry operations are built on the modular laundry concept, which comprises not just the laundry service, but also business models, work methods and operating systems. The modular concept saves the environment and has many benefits to customers. The new operating model took off in the early 1990s, as LindstrĂśm
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considered expansion into Estonia. The company wanted to hedge the investment in case operations didn’t take off as planned, so they came up with a flexible solution. The then President and CEO Jukka Roiha, who is now Chairman of the Board at LindstrÜm, had heard of pulp mills sailing in the Southern Ocean which could relocate as needed. The idea of a modular laundry built on a chassis was
Service centres 7KHUH DUH FXUUHQWO\ RYHU VHUYLFH FHQWUHV DQG VDOHV RIĂ°FHV LQ WKH operating area. Finland has 21 branches, Russia and India nine each, and China four. Other operating countries have currently one to three service centres. In 2013 new service centres were set up in Zagreb, Croatia; Donetsk, Ukraine; Bangalore, India and in Minsk, Belarus. In 2014 new service centres are likely to be set up in Russia, Estonia, India and China.
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created, and the first modular laundries arose in Tallinn and St Petersburg. The modular laundry model is now functional in all operating countries. A transportable laundry alone did not fulfil the efficiency targets. The company also imitated McDonald’s, whose small units operate cost-efficiently and employees are trained under a fixed formula. “We have strongly expanded in the past few years, often to countries where textile services are pretty much an unknown business. The concept paves our way to a new market, since it is reproducible and creates a uniform operating environment wherever we go,� says Mika Hartikainen, Senior Vice President, Asia, Eastern and Central Europe. QUICK, HASSLE-FREE, EFFICIENT
LindstrĂśm's way of working is not just beneficial to the company itself, but also to customers and the environment: the
Short transportation distances VLJQLŷFDQWO\ impact our carbon footprint. – Mika Hartikainen, Lindström
New service centre set up in Ukraine
service centers are always close to the customer. The concept helps here as well: Lindström does not need to set up its own facilities, but can use the concept and set up business in leased premises. “Location is part of being hasslefree. We can offer speedy delivery in a situation where the customer needs more workwear. Short transport distances significantly reduce the carbon footprint, adding to cost efficiency,” Hartikainen says. TAKE ONE LOAD, BRING BACK ANOTHER
Lindström Group's lorries drove a total of 28 million kilometres in 2013. The growth of the business and production volumes was reflected in increased total mileage, but the distance driven per one kilogram of textiles was just 175 metres. The washed textiles are taken to customers using vans and lorries from
laundries specialising in different product groups. The trunk routes and local distribution routes are constantly optimised and the vehicles' utility rates are kept high. A single-vehicle principle is the norm: the same vehicle takes the clean textiles to the customer and picks up the laundry. At best, the same vehicle takes all of Lindström's service textiles to the customer in one go. An exception to this rule is made in big cities, where distribution trucks are filled with goods belonging to just one or two product groups. Service centres outside Finland typically serve a wider geographic area. For this reason the relative proportion of distribution distance per textile kilogram transported is higher than in Finland. Growing customer base and new service centres will cut down the distribution distances in future also in these countries.
Lindström has operated in Ukraine since 2006. The workwear service has aroused so much interest in the country that the Kiev service centre was not enough to satisfy rapidly growing demand. In the winter of 2013, a new service centre was opened in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine. In line with Lindström's strategy, the new centre is located near the customer. The carefully considered location minimises environmental impacts and keeps logistical costs in check. “One of our biggest customers, Metinvest, operates in Donetsk. The region has many industrial companies and workforce as well as an advanced infrastructure, which combine to offer many opportunities for business development,” says Konstantin Dovzhenko, Managing Director of Lindström Ukraine. Lindström currently employs 40 people in Ukraine. In the near future the number is likely to rise. Lindström has brought in the modular laundry concept used in every operating country. “All countries are encouraged to provide tips for improvement. Lindström's management looks into the idea and if it is approved, it is quickly adopted in all countries,” Dovzhenko explains.
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Workwear service ensures smooth operations
Minna Hietanen explains how LindstrĂśm's workwear service makes customers' life easier.
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What does the workwear service cover?
The service covers all workwear needs. LindstrĂśm selects the collection together with the customer, acquires WKH JDUPHQWV DUUDQJHV SHUVRQDO ÄşWWLQJV for all users and makes the required alterations so that everyone gets clothes WKDW ÄşW DQG VLW ZHOO At agreed intervals, a LindstrĂśm service representative picks up used workwear for washing and replaces
them with clean sets. When the garments are in for washing, LindstrĂśm's textile care workers also mend them as needed or change items which are worn out and no longer compliant with the customer's quality standards. LindstrĂśm DOVR WDNHV FDUH RI WKH VWRUDJH DQG ÄşQDO disposal of the clothes as required by waste regulations and sustainability principles.
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Who is the workwear service for?
The service can help any business, ranging from a two-man garage to a large corporation. If the company is big, ZH FDQ SHUVRQDOLVH ZRUNZHDU WR UHÄťHFW the brand image. 6HFWRU VSHFLÄşF UHTXLUHPHQWV ZLOO also be taken into account. In industrial
work, the workwear must protect from impurities, withstand wear and ensure that employees stand out in loading areas and warehouses. In the service sector, more attention is paid to the colours of uniforms and the materials used are lighter.
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How does workwear VHUYLFH EHQHšW a customer?
The customer's daily work is easier when LindstrĂśm takes over the washing and care of workwear. Most customers also use the locker service, which means that LindstrĂśm's service representative delivers a set of clean workwear directly into the personal locker of each employee, and the worksite and social areas are kept tidy. The workwear is on lease, so the customer does not tie up capital in purchases.
The eLindstrĂśm online service lets the customer manage the volume of workwear used and place additional orders as required. The service is also ÄťH[LEOH LI WKH DPRXQW RI ZRUNZHDU needs to be temporarily adjusted due to VHDVRQDO ÄťXFWXDWLRQV RU OD\RIIV LindstrĂśm's textile care workers mend any damaged garments while they are in for washing, which extends their usable OLYHV VLJQLÄşFDQWO\ 7KH FORWKHV WKDW KDYH reached the end of their usable life are disposed of, so the customer will not have unusable clothes lying around.
The customer's main duty is to ensure that the garments are left at the designated hamper for washing. They should not try washing the clothes themselves – LindstrÜm's service guarantees proper washing at the correct temperature. This is particularly
important in sectors which rely on strict hygiene standards. The customer must also ensure that the clothes are returned if the user's size changes or employment is terminated. Everything else they can leave to LindstrĂśm.
Minna Hietanen Manager, Sales Support
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What is the customer's responsibility?
text by Terhi Paavola | photo by Junnu Lusa
Clothes make a security guard The shift begins when Aleksi Rapp, security shift manager at Turvatiimi, puts on his uniform. he uniform is important for a security guard. It tells others who we are. It must work well but also look good,” Aleksi Rapp says. Rapp works at the Helsinki central railway station. He works in 12-hour shifts at a highly visible location. “Around 200,000 people pass through the Helsinki central railway station a day. When everyone can see you at work, you want to wear clothes that look good,” he smiles. “Most of our work is guiding people who need help. We are asked for the way to a shopping mall, for example. For these duties we are gentlemen who provide a helping hand. But our work also involves cases where we need to get involved. We have to be able to run, crawl, climb – and the clothes have to withstand that. When the situation is over, we go back to our gentleman's duties,” Rapp says. A security guard's uniform consists of a jacket, top, trousers, equipment belt, security vest and security boots. The uniform is clearly marked with security tags. Rapp, who has worked in the field for ten years, knows what a good uniform is like – and what it's not. “A good cut is really important. The trousers' pockets have to work with the equipment belt. If the cut is poor, you can't reach items in your pocket. Or if the top comes out of the trousers when I lift my arms, I get very annoyed. Clothes that don't fit chafe and make you uncomfortable. When you wear an item 12 hours in one go, you want to avoid chafing,” Rapp says. A security guard also needs to know all about dressing in layers – it's and indoor and outdoor job. On their first day on the job, new security guards are told how to wear their uniforms. Rapp approves of the current workwear. The uniform can be made more breathable by unzipping the ventilation flaps. The clothes may also get stained in ways that require washing in high temperatures. They must withstand these conditions. When the shift ends, it's time to change out of the uniform. “Clothes make a security guard. At home I wear what I like and do other things,” Rapp says.
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A security guard's job places big demands on clothing, says Aleksi Rapp.
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text by Joanna Sinclair | photos by Lindström The board game helps introduce new employees to the company and its practices.
The game will help a new employee quickly get a handle on the company.
Service development need not be hard work “You are a service representative. The day has been hectic, and you're on your way to a customer operating in a large industrial area to deliver a fresh batch of workwear. When XNT FDS SGDQD XNT jMC SGD CNNQ KNBJDC 3GD VGNKD @QD@ HR empty and you can't see a soul. Your schedule still includes many more workwear deliveries to other customers, and the clock is ticking. What do you do?” he above question is one of twenty tricky customer service situations for which Lindström staff members playing a board game are looking to find the optimum solution. The “At your service” game is part of Lindström's service culture development project. There are three ways to get ahead and collect points in the game. The question cards measure the participants' knowledge of Lindström, and the chance cards add a level of suspense. Most of the two-hour session is spent on service situation questions, which include typical real life, day-to-day service situations and hypothetical situations. First, the chairman reads out the card and each player has a short time to think about the right option. Then, everyone
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Players discuss the situations in good spirits. reveals their choice and discussion follows. In ten minutes, the team must reach agreement on how to solve the situation. The solutions are not entirely straightforward. For some answers you get minus points, for some you get moderate plus points, and for the best service solutions you win a large bonus. The game has been well received by employees. It helps players see
situations from different perspectives and consider how their own actions can impact the customer's service experience. The link of customer-focused thinking to practical work becomes clearer as the game progresses. But what do you do if you're stuck behind a closed door as a service representative? Do you call a service line for the customer's phone number and let them know by phone that the door needs to be opened so their delivery can be made? Or do you just let customer service know the situation and drive away? What about leaving the delivery of clean clothes at the door and letting customer service know it's there? Or should you just hurry on to make sure other customers get their deliveries on time? Lots of options, but what would be the best service? We will not reveal the right answer yet, as the game is part of Lindström's new employee induction and continues to be played at various branches. Meanwhile, our service standards continue to rise.
NEWS
.D]DNKVWDQ DQG 6HUELD MRLQ WKH /LQGVWUĂ“P IDPLO\ Rapidly evolving Kazakhstan, and Serbia, which began EU accession WDONV LQ DUH WKH QH[W WZR FRXQWULHV ZKHUH /LQGVWUĂ“P ZLOO RIIHU workwear services. A textile care service centre will be set up in Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan. Key employees are currently being recruited. Kazakhstan has not yet attracted widespread interest from international companies or investors, but the country has a lot of potential from LindstrĂśm's perspective. Professional workwear service is also new in Serbia. The country has a few international companies operating on its territory, and we will be able to provide the service familiar to them from other countries. The service centre will be set up in the capital, Belgrade. The recruitment of key employees is already well under way. The expansion decisions are based on thorough market research. For both Kazakhstan and Serbia, research indicated a demand and interest for workwear services.
1HZ WUDLQHH
SURJUDPPHV ODXQFKHG LQ )LQODQG DQG ,QGLD 7KH WKUHH SDUWLFLSDQWV RI WKH ÄşUVW WUDLQHH SURJUDPPH WKDW WRRN SODFH LQ FRQWLQXH ZRUNLQJ IRU WKH *URXS 7KH SURJUDPPH LV D JRRG way of drawing ambitious and talented new graduates into the house and offering them a career in a growing international company. Trainee programmes have already been set up in Finland, India, China and Russia. In Finland, Sales School started this year with a focus on service sales, and in India another programme was launched to train people for managerial positions. Risto-Pekka Rantanen ZKR VWDUWHG DV D WUDLQHH LQ LV QRZ head of the workwear services procurement team. “The trainee programme was a good introduction to LindstrĂśm and the services we provide. It prepared us for acting in a variety of roles in-Group.â€?
As much as 39 per cent of LindstrĂśm Group's turnover already comes from subsidiaries outside Finland.
% *URXS šQDQFLDO UHVXOW LQ JURZWK DQG LQWHUQDWLRQDOLVDWLRQ FRQWLQXH LindstrÜm continues on a path of growth in Europe and Asia. International operations bring in 39 per cent of the turnover, and the share continues to grow. Growth is particularly rapid in Russia, China and India. LindstrÜm Group's turnover increased by 5.3 per cent to 303 million euros. The growth did not quite meet the Group target in euros GXH WR XQIDYRXUDEOH FXUUHQF\ ĝXFWXDWLRQV However, the turnover grew in all business areas, and internationalisation continued strongly. Despite the challenging economic situation, the Group has achieved good SURĺWDELOLW\ LWV QHW SURĺW ZDV PLOOLRQ euros. The non-Finnish subsidiaries are showing an increasingly strong impact in DOO ĺQDQFLDO ĺJXUHV ,PSURYLQJ HIĺFLHQF\ LQ many operational areas has also brought excellent results. ,QYHVWPHQWV ZHUH PRGHVW WKH QHW WRWDO of investments was 11.3 million euros. This year the company will invest more in growth. The greatest investments will go to setting up new service centres in Estonia, India, China and Russia.
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MEIRA’S COFFEE ROASTERY WAS FOUNDED IN 1914. THE COMPANY’S SPICE FACTORY STARTED A YEAR LATER.
Meira’s new look exudes expertise he green spice jars proceed rhythmically along the production line at Meira, where each stage is carefully monitored by visual inspection. The wonderful aroma of spices wafting in the rooms and the employees bustling in their new khaki wear take the visitor to India’s sunny spice plantations, but the street view behind the paned windows reveals we’re still in Helsinki, Finland. Meira, a Finnish coffee and spice producer and distributor, celebrates its centenary this year. To mark the occasion, the company wanted to revamp its look to better reflect its expertise as the producer of Finland’s most popular coffees and spices. “Meira has been our customer for more than 30 years, and the previous workwear makeover was long ago. Knowing the customer and their business well really makes a difference in our cooperation. It was easy to bring up
text by Helka Herlevi | photos by Lindström
T
new ideas in the makeover, things that the customer might not think of,” says Sanna Olkkonen, Meira’s contact at Lindström for 10 years. CHANGE OF COLOUR SCHEME
Meira’s former workwear was navy blue, but now the wish was for a lighter collection, more typical of the food industry. “We ended up with white and khaki, perfect for the new brand image. An exception was made by creating a few differentcoloured special garments to help identify individuals with special duties, such as maintenance,” says designer Minna Hyrsky. WORKWEAR MUST FEEL GOOD
The starting point of designing workwear
is always to make sure the employee feels good and is comfortable wearing it. Nothing should come between work performance and guaranteering quality. “Hygiene factors are under scrutiny in the food sector. In Meira’s case the workwear was designed with hidden buttons, and pockets were placed below the waistline. These solutions, in part, ensure that no foreign particles enter the production process,” says Hyrsky. The collection is also modifiable according to the ambient temperature. Each individual’s workwear is personalised to ensure that employees learn each other’s names. Joint planning and a focus on details bore fruit once again: the new clothes are a hit at the factory.
The workwear was designed with hidden buttons, and pockets were placed below the waistline.