Companies and Challenges

SALPAUSSELKÄ SKI GAMES

Student event as part of Salpausselkä Ski Games

About company:

The Salpausselkä Ski Game is an international winter sports event held annually in Lahti, Finland. It is part of the World Cup  tour and includes events in cross-country skiing, nordic combined and skijumping. The event has been running since the 1920s and is one of Finland’s best-known and most traditional sports events.

In addition to the sport, the event have variety of entertainment programme and are an important part of the year for the people of the Lahti region.

The Games will be held at the Sport Center, one of the most beautiful sites in the Salpausselkä and Salpausselkä UNESCO Global Geopark. The ski stadium is also classified as a nationally significant built cultural environment.

Challenge:

We challenge students to design and conceptualise an annual student event for the 2025 Salpausselkä Ski Games.The solution should include a conceptualisation of the event and an operational plan as well as marketing plan.

Otherwise, students are free to come up with ideas and new ways to attract students to the atmosphere of the Games. Salpausselkä games wants to be also interesting event also to younger people and also for those who are not so much into skiing and winter sports.

The event should also attract students from other parts of Finland or even from other countries. It is hoped that the plan will be such that the event can be organised on an annual basis, in particular as part of the 2029 World Championships.

KEMPOWER

Unveiling Gen Z’s Workplace Wishlist: Exploring Expectations and Requirements for Employers 

About company:

Kempower designs and manufactures DC fast charging solutions for electric vehicles. We’re a team of electric vehicle enthusiasts with a deep understanding of the charging market and hands-on mentality. Our product development and production are rooted in Finland, with a majority of our materials and components sourced locally.

Challenge:

In this project, we would like you, the students, to delve into the expectations and requirements of Generation Z (Gen Z) regarding their future employers.  

As Gen Z represents the newest generation to enter the workforce, bringing with them unique perspectives, values, and preferences.

As such, understanding what Gen Z seeks in an employer is crucial for us and all other organizations aiming to attract and retain top talent. 

We would like you to conduct comprehensive research to explore various aspects of Gen Z’s workplace expectations.

We would hope that this project/assignment would not only provide valuable insights into the needs and expectations of the newest generation in the workforce,

but also offer practical recommendations for organizations to adapt their recruitment and retention strategies accordingly. 

Aspects including, but not limited to: 

• Desired company culture and values 
• Opportunities for career growth and development 
• Work-life balance and flexibility 
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives 
• Technological advancements and digital tools in the workplace 
• Social responsibility and sustainability efforts 

By identifying common themes, trends, and insights regarding Gen Z’s preferences and priorities when considering potential employers.  

RAMBOLL

Future Student’s Dream Trainee Program

About Company:

Ramboll is a global architecture, engineering, and consultancy company dedicated to delivering expertise and sustainable solutions. As a foundation-owned company, our mission is to create a thriving world for both nature and people, guided by our vision of responsible business practices. With 2,500 employees across 22 offices in Finland, Ramboll delivers innovative solutions in Buildings, Transport, Energy, Water, Environment & Health, Management Consulting, and Real Estate consulting.

Ramboll is recognized as one of the most attractive employers in the design and consulting industry*. But how can we become even more appealing to students? We want your help to develop the dream trainee program for 2030!

Challenge:
Design a “future student’s dream trainee program” that aligns with the aspirations of both trainees and Ramboll. Consider key aspects like timing, duration, content, mentoring, and goals to craft a program that attracts top talent and provides insights into what students consider the ideal trainee experience.

Possible Outcome:
A visionary “future student’s dream trainee program” that integrates these elements to meet the evolving needs and desires of both students and Ramboll.

*) Finland’s 10th most attractive employer among engineering students in Universum’s Most Attractive Employers ranking 2024.

PAST EDITIONS

LAHTI VENTURE PROGRAM 2023 VOL. 7

SHOPPING CENTRE TRIO

Trio is well located in a heart of Lahti. Trio has over 46 000m2 of leasable premises and it is diveded between retail (27 451m2), offices (9 549m2), hotel (6 040m2) and storages (2 620m2). 10 minutes cachment area is approximately 89 000 citizens and in total there lives a little bit over 120 000 citizens in Lahti. Footfall was 3.8 million in 2022 and sales 32 076 000€ in 2022.

Good variety of fashion, municipality (Service Square) and healthcare services and Food & Beverage. Property is combined  from 4 different properties that has built in different years and it makes Trio a bit complicated for easy wayfinding for customers.

Trio is owned by Citycon. Citycon is a leading owner, manager and developer of mixed-use centres for urban living including retail, office space and housing. We are committed to sustainable property management in the Nordic region with assets that total approximately EUR 4.4 billion.

Our centres are located in urban hubs with a direct connection to public transport. Placed in the heart of communities, our centres are anchored by groceries, healthcare and services to cater for the everyday needs of customers.

We own 40 centres and 1 other retail property. Of our centres, 12 are located in Finland &  Estonia, 17  in Norway, 11 in Sweden & Denmark.  Our centres attract approximately 170 million visitors annually.

Challenge and goal

Customer journey (visit from start to the end) in Trio.
– Many customers visits websites first to check opening hours or location
– Arrival to the center
– Spending time in the centre
– Wayfinding in the centre
– Departure from the centre

How should we develope our customer journey to meet expectations of the customer.
– Website notices
– Arrival. Is it easy? How to improve?What would be needed to increase dwell time?
– How to attract customer to spend more time?
– Guiding. How easy it is to navigate in the centre? What should be added and where?
– What would be the future customers needs?
– How to exeed expectations?

We know that our guidance is not functional at the moment.
– How to improve guidance in the center?
– How to use digital media for guiding?
– How to improve guiding in our websites?

We have empty premises in challenging places.
– How to increase usage of empty premises?

The ultimate goal is to have an easy and comfortable visit in the centre from start to the end by improving guiding, improving usage of empty premises. Final goal is to be a customers first choice, when leaving house for shopping.

https://www.trio.fi/en/?page=frontpa

Sharpcell and Hypap

SharpCell Oy is the only airlaid nonwoven paper producer in Finland and is part of Hypap Oy. SharpCell produces paper in Kausala, typical end uses are in health care, tabletop and hygiene sectors.

Approximately 10% of the production is converted to customer products at Hypap plant in Valkeakoski. Majority of the products are sold to health care, hygiene and specialty sectors under customer brands. We are actively developing our own consumer and professional products portfolio, Hyfeel and Hyfeel Professional, to be sold in retail stores and wholesalers in Finland in the future.

We are a 90 strong team with total turnover of 37 M€. We believe in sustainability, growth through innovation and natural raw materials. We believe that we have a hidden gem in the form of airlaid nonwoven paper, technically superior compared to other alternatives on the market today and still environmentally friendly.

Our assignment will be concentrating on Hyfeel brand. We believe that we have potential to challenge existing paper products at home, in restaurants and industry, just to name a few sectors. We are looking for fresh ideas on product portfolio and specifications, market entry and marketing.

Challenge and goal

Hypap Oy converts SharpCell manufactured paper into products that are mainly used in hospitals and hygiene sector. Reception from customers over the years has been very positive and we have had similar feedback from our friends and relatives who have had the opportunity to use them at home. In consumer testing in 2021 had 90%+ of people stated purchase intention.

Based on the above we have started developing our own brand, Hyfeel, which will be able to, we hope, develop into a significant brand. Currently the Hyfeel portfolio consists of two segments; Hyfeel Gourmet for consumers and Hyfeel Professional for restaurants, cleaners, automotive use, etc. Product specifications are based on our existing products to avoid complications in production.

Introducing a new product family with new type of materials and price points is challenging regardless of the industry. Especially in household hygienic paper segment people tend to use products they are used to and often make the selection based on 1) the brand they have always used, or 2) cost / sheet of kitchen towel as an example. Our products are slightly higher in cost /sheet but being reusable cost in use can be much lower. Some key elements of our products are: reusability, no skin irritation, low lint, compostability, food contact approved and high wet strength.

We are looking for a fresh and out-of-the-box view on

Our product portfolio
Alternative product specifications
How to increase consumer awareness in a cost effective way (social media, conventional marketing, show-and-tell, etc.)
Positioning of the products in the market

We aim high. As an interim goal we are aiming to reach 2M€/a turnover from Hyfeel sales by 2028.
https://sharpcell.fi/

Luhta Sportsware Company

Luhta Sportswear Company

Luhta is a leading Finnish clothing group, one of the biggest in Europe. Our headquarters are located in Lahti, the same city where the company was founded in 1907. The company employs around 1,240 people and in 2022 had a turnover of around EUR 245 million.

The Group specializes in the design, manufacture and sale of sportswear, sports, fashion and outdoor clothing, footwear and accessories collections. The range also includes home furnishing and pet products. The Group’s products are sold to wholesalers, major European retailers, as well as in its own bricks-and-mortar stores and online.

Active people around the world wear our brands, which represent our Finnish heritage and the know-how that has been passed down through our company for generations. In Europe, the Group is particularly known for its brands Luhta, Icepeak, Rukka, Dachstein and Torstai. In addition, the Group operates a multi-channel Luhta Brand Store for casual sportswear, a Luhta Outdoor Store for Finnish outdoor wear and a fashion multi-brand chain Aleksi13, Your FACE and Ril’s for women’s fashion, and Luhta Outlet stores for consumers offering low-priced collections and special offers from previous seasons.

The Group’s brand sales organizations are organized by business area to provide customers with high quality local customer service in each market area. Long-term business relationships and the local nature of customer service, together with a broad range of brands and categories, are strengths that deepen customer relationships, strengthen market positions and help to understand market needs and provide appropriate solutions.

The Group has sales in around 50 countries. In the main markets there are subsidiaries and in smaller markets sales are organized through agency and importer organizations. In addition to Finland, the Group’s main markets are Germany, France, Austria and the Netherlands.

Challenge and goal

Rukka – just add weather. Drawing on our strong Finnish heritage, cooperation with top athletes and the most demanding enthusiasts of various sports, Rukka creates high-quality, sport-specific clothing and footwear that stand out with their perfected details, weather resistance and functionality. Rukka encourages you to push your boundaries in your own sport, whether it’s running, cycling, cross-country skiing, motorcycling or your chosen outdoor activity – not to forget our four-legged friends.

We have noticed that the interest in our Rukka Sport collections, especially, has increased among students. Whether you are training for cycling, running or cross-country skiing or just enjoy outdoors in challenging weather conditions, you’ll find functional clothing and footwear from our functional Rukka Sport collection. We would now like to challenge you to think of innovative marketing solutions that would increase interest in the Rukka Sport clothing and shoes in particular, and make them even more attractive, especially to students.

• How can we raise awareness of Rukka Sport collections among students?
• What kind of visibility and actions would make our Rukka Sport collections more interesting and relevant to students?
• How do students want to be reached?
• What kind of events should we be involved in?

We also want to challenge you to make an innovative and attractive social media campaign plan for our Rukka Sport collection line. The aim is to reach the interest of students.

• Which channels should we be present in and how?
• How would you build an engaging social media campaign for a student that gets noticed?

The main goal is for you to look through the lenses of the students and think how to increase interest in the Rukka Sport collections among students by innovative marketing solutions and platforms. 

www.luhtasportswearcompany.fi

LAHTI VENTURE PROGRAM 2022 VOL. 6

NP Housukauppa (NP Trousers Store)

NP Trousers is a 103-year-old Finnish clothing company. The company is focused on trousers and wants to give an easy shopping experience to customers. NP Trousers is traditional family company, known by many.

The company’s distribution network includes 10 stores, distribution partners and online store, which also targets the international market.  Product development is done in Finland and manufacturing is done e.g. in Italy, Turkey and Estonia. Shopping habits have changed, people (especially young people) are shopping online nowadays.

CHALLENGE

Challenge to student teams: Today we talk about hybrid shopping experience, which is combining the best aspects of online shopping and traditional shopping in the shop/ in the mall.  Teams are ask to solve  how to combine the traditional  shopping experience and e-commerce shopping experience in the best way related to clothing shopping, especially trousers.

Lahti Glass Technology

Lahti Glass Technology is the leading Nordic specialist supplier in the demanding field of industrial weighing and dosing systems for the glass industry. The company is one of the most internationally significant suppliers to the glass melting industry. Lahti Glass Technology offers weighing and dosing equipment, mixers and powder transport equipment, individual components, automation and control systems. Lahti’s services are plant and process engineering, start-up and commissioning support, modernization audits as well as supply of spare parts, and online support.
https://www.lahti-glass.fi/

PROBLEM

“From machine supplier to solution provider” How to change the image of the company from a standard machine supplier to a partner capable to solve challenging demands in glass raw material handling whether the question is about a greenfield factory installation or upgrading of an existing facility.

CHALLENGE

LGT’s offering has been formulated to contain supply of machinery or a complete batching plant or cullet return system or upgrade of those. Typically there is an extensive amount of information to be gathered before anything can be engineered and supplied. The big players in glass industry specify the demand but still there is room for clever solutions, which lead to simpler and more cost-effective solutions. The newcomers in glass industry are lost in a forest, what comes to raw material logistics and handling a glass factory. They need a lot of guidance and have a real space for value engineering until an optimum plant is created by design. Lahti experience covering apt 300 projects is invaluable and available.

How to formulate the service packages supporting our transforming message?

POSSIBLE OUTCOME

Offering of services to be created so that clients realize the huge benefits of collaboration in early stage of the project with Lahti. Pre-inspection, solution clinic, value engineering, basic design package, pre-engineering package, 3d-scanning service etc. may be the words describing this approach but there is the need to define the contents.

Arcos Hydraulik

Arcos manufactures hydraulic cylinders, which are complex – oil operated, often heavy and large sized –  and require special skills from the team employed as well as the facilities and tooling.

We are in process of rebuilding our operations from big picture to detail. In order to work in a safe, ergonomic and effective way, work posts need to be thought through.

Individuals working with assembly, service and/or repair for the products, everyday practical challenges are many.

CHALLENGE

Arcos wishes to design and rebuild work posts that fulfill the above positive development criteria and make the working environment more enjoyable and effective.

As output from the challenge we wish to hear ideas from the students based on their own fresh thinking as well as change of ideas with our employees.

As result we wish to see model layouts and tooling inventory for the assembly and service posts.

https://arcos.se/en/

2021 – LAHTI VENTURE PROGRAM VOL. 5

IITTI GOLF OY

Company information
Iitti Golf is an 18-hole golf course in the municipality of Iitti, 45 km from Lahti. There is a cafeteria and a restaurant in the area. Target groups of Iitti Golf are families, club players and players coming for special events. There is enough course capacity and free time available for a significant increase in guest players.

In addition to Iitti Golf, there is a club called Iitin Golfseura ry that promotes golf as a hobby and other leisure activities in the Iitti area.

The following services and activities are available near the golf course: hotel with conference rooms and restaurant, holiday cottages, Kymiring circuit, Kimola canal, open-air theatre (during summer) and other activities such as stand-up paddling, archery, horse riding and swimming.

Problem
Iitti Golf wishes to get more revenue from guest players outside the Iitti area. They have prepared and tested services for different customer groups. A variety of services are ready to be offered for corporate clients, companies, and organizations. These customized services are produced together with other service providers in the region.

For individual customers, they have piloted a few joint product packages with other service providers in the region. This development work now seeks final direction. It is vital to find out what services different customer groups value and are willing to pay for.

Challenge
Iitti Golf needs to gain more understanding of the suitability and attractiveness of their service selections for individual customers.
– What services and activities are of interest to different customer groups?
– Are the services now available attractive, or do you need something different, something else? If so, what kind of service selections should be on offer?
– How should services and activities be offered and marketed?
– How should different customer groups be taken into consideration? For example, tourists from different countries (Finns vs. those from other Nordic countries or Europe), single players, couples, families with small children or teenager, groups of friends, work groups, young people, seniors.

LAHTI PRECISION OY

Company information
We say that Lahti Precision “Defines the Future of Weighing”. During the last years we have positioned to be a world leader in fast growing digital mobile weighing service called mScales. This combined with innovative weighing and dosing technology for various industries have given us an excellent position in being in front line of industrial weighing services also in future. Lahti Precision has history of over a century and our 85 experts are continuing this in the developing company.

Problem
Food industry has been relatively weaker industry area compared to many others and Lahti Precision has not been able to achieve that good market position in that. In some cases, it may be a question of technology but often that the large global companies will come to Finland and supply the whole entity including the weighing equipment and services.

Challenge
How could Lahti Precision improve its positioning in food industry through different business development actions? The group need to analyze whether the company’s offering and the customers’ expectations meet by the best possible way? What matters are important for the food industry companies today in doing buying decision and is this reflected from our marketing and offering? The group should also think about which kind of business model could be the best working today.
From Lahti Precision point of view all possible ways are free to use from desktop studies to food industry presentative interviews.

Possible solution/outcome
Do you recognize some new possible business possibilities in the food industry suitable for Lahti Precision considering the company’s technology and competences? Concrete recommended actions in areas of marketing, sales and business development for improving the market share and/or creating new business in food industry.

2020 – LAHTI VENTURE PROGRAM VOL. 4

ACCOUNTOR

Company information
Accountor specialises in software solutions and outsourcing services for financial and HR services. The group employs about 2.350 experts in seven countries. Our mission is to help our customers use the possibilities of modern technology and digitalization in their everyday work. The group’s headquarters is in Espoo, Finland. In addition to Finland, we operate in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Russia and Ukraine. The turnover of the Accountor Group was 245 M€ in 2019.

Problem
Accountor operates in traditional industry and business environment, where the new generation is entering the markets and working life. From a company perspective, the challenge is to ensure attractiveness among the new generation of job seekers and professionals in the future.

Challenge
The challenge is to provide understanding about the future competitive advantages in the employer markets and to find possibilities and ways for Accountor to achieve and remain them. Further, the challenge is to provide understanding how the next generation of job seekers values different work-related elements and how Accountor can communicate and present their values and culture. Based on these, the challenge is to increase understanding of future recruitment processes and how they will reach professionals.

Possible solution/outcome
What a future recruitment campaign could be like – proposal for content, language, and channels.

FERROPLAN OY

Company information
Ferroplan Oy is Finland’s leading company for planning and manufacturing conveyor solutions designed for handling piece items and bulk cargo. We supply different conveyors, such as belt conveyors, chain conveyors, roller conveyors, trough-belt conveyors and screw conveyors. In addition, Ferroplan offers solutions for solid waste management and always ensures the maintenance of its equipment with FerroCare.

Problem
Ferroplan FerroCare offers 3 maintenance-related services to its customers:

1. Maintenance survey
2. Maintenance service (contract, on-call, modifications)
3. Spare part sales

Maintenance services and spare part services have a life long history in the company, but maintenance survey is a new part of the service process. Maintenance surveys basic function is to make maintenance proactive and make sure that a technology solution of Ferroplan or other conveyor line is working without no sudden and time consuming stops to the customers production or other processes. And when the company promises to provide “Ferrari-class” solutions, that solution is a combination of a high class equipment and high class maintenance service.  We have now a need to define and visualize the core values of the survey to the customer and our company. We want to make sure that our customers get what we promise.

Challenge
The groups need to explore conceptualizing of services especially from the industrial company point of view in B-to-B -business. We need to see how it would be best to offer and deliver the benefits of our survey to our customers. We need help to the following tasks:

1. Visualizing our current survey process to a clear blueprint linked to the whole service process of the company
2. Explore new opportunities to deepen the service survey process to the next level
3. Productization of the maintenance survey into a clearer, value adding part of the whole service package, from the perspective of both the customer and the company

Possible solution/outcome
The solution is not just visualizing the current survey, but to give us new perspectives to develop it further as a crucial part of the hole Ferro Care service package. For example in a format of Service Design Blueprints. But content before the format.

SINUHE

Company information
Sinuhe is a Finnish private family owned bakery. Sinuhe bakes in Lahti and delivers to 1100 custromers each week. The company also has 7 cafeterias/lunch restaurants and employs around 130 people directly. Turnover was about 16M€ in 2019. Sinuhe specializes in sourdough baking and avoids using additives in its products.

Problem
Young people (aged approx. 20-30 years) in Finland do not have a sufficient awareness of the Sinuhe brand and its offering. This is partly because Sinuhe is not currently active in social media.

Challenge
The groups will develop a social media marketing program for Sinuhe. This will involve identifying the social media channels with which Sinuhe could best reach the target group of young Finnish people. Furthermore, the groups will identify, which unique attributes of the Sinuhe brand and its products are valued by this target group (i.e., “Points of Difference”) and develop a brand positioning, which will serve as the basis for marketing communications in the chosen social media channels. Based on this, the groups will develop recommendations for the content that Sinuhe could use in its social media marketing.

Possible solution/outcome
The solution will be a set of concrete recommendations about the social media channels and content that Sinuhe should use in its marketing to the target group of Finnish people aged approx. 20-30 years.

 

2019 – LAHTI VENTURE PROGRAM VOL. 3

ECOPAL OY

INFORMATION ABOUT ECOPAL:
Ecopal Oy company is specialist in real estate energy efficiency solutions supporting circular energy economy. Our speciality area is heat recovery from wastewater. We deliver factory-made Ecowec hybrid heat exchangers and complete Ecohybridi systems ready for installation to property owners and contractors.

PROBLEM:
Ecopal needs to find the focus for their business and their marketing strategy.

CHALLENGE:
Ecopal has excellent products. Challenge is to find the right market areas and targer groups for their producsts. 

POSSIBLE SOLUTION/OUTCOME:
Solution should highlight the advantages of Ecopal’s products and services. Target groups are identified and the groups have their individual marketing strategies.

HÄMEEN KAUPPAKAMARI / HÄME FINNCHAM

INFORMATION ABOUT HÄMEEN KAUPPAKAMARI / HÄME FINNCHAM:
Häme Finncham plays a significant role in promoting interests of the commercial and industrial companies within the regions of Päijät-Häme and Kanta-Häme in Southern Finland. Häme Finncham has approximately 1000 members.

PROBLEM:
The low commitment of the members of the Häme Finncham in its activities is a problem`. Majority of them, apart paying the membership fee, remains passive. Members would benefit from collaborating within the network, taking advantage of the export advice and the international Finncham network etc.

CHALLENGE:
How to activate and motivate the current members to participate in activities, and to take the full profit of the membership?

POSSIBLE SOLUTION/OUTCOME:
Identify the core benefits and make them visible to the members. The solution may include the benchmarking of the similar Chams for example in Sweden or other European countries.

JK PRO COACHING

INFORMATION ABOUT JK PRO COACHING:
JK Pro Coaching operates in coaching working with both individuals and larger entities. The company offers an extensive contact network and expertise in areas vital for building a sport ecosystem such as coaching, equipment and infrastructure. At the moment, JK Pro Coaching is focusing heavily on developing a culture and conditions for Nordic ski in China.

PROBLEM:
The company is involved in a ski tunnel project for a mall in China. In addition to sporting and coaching content, they have been asked to design content for the general public – a theme park for kids and adults, where one can get top-notch coaching or just have fun in the snow.

CHALLENGE:
Create content and business model for a snow world in the ski tunnel. What is interesting for general public in China and how to make that profitable?

POSSIBLE SOLUTION/OUTCOME:
A well-rounded concept for a snow world that has both appeal to potential customers and promising revenue model.

SOLITA

INFORMATION ABOUT SOLITA:
Solita is a digital transformation company driven by data and human insight. We create culture, services and tech solutions that help us reinvent businesses and society for the better. Our services range from strategic consulting to service design, digital development, data, AI & analytics and managed cloud services. The net sales (pro forma) of the company amounted to EUR 76 million in 2017. Established in 1996, Solita employs more than 750 digital business specialists in Finland, Sweden, Estonia and Germany. Located in Helsinki, Lahti, Munich, Oulu, Tallinn, Tampere, Turku, Stockholm, around 700 employeess out of which 300 in both Helsinki and Tampere.

PROBLEM:
Agile way of working requires close collaboration, team work, trust and transparency. Solita also puts a lot of emphasis to the wellbeing of employees, which is regularly discussed as one of the topics in the agile teams.

The biggest challenges for employee experience in multisite and virtual teams come from the daily communication and the barriers for ad-hoc discussions. The barriers are related both to technical environment as well as to people’s habits and ways of working.

CHALLENGE:
Solita is looking to support agile working methods and improve employee experience in multisite teams and virtual ways of working.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION/OUTCOME:
The solution should raise up ideas for new ways of communicating over the obstacle of physical location and in some cases sharing same time. The solution can include artefacts, ways of working, interfaces, equipment that help the agile team in working in in virtual environment.

VUOHELAN HERKKU

INFORMATION ABOUT VUOHELAN HERKKU:
– Gluten-Free bakery was founded in 2003
– Is the leading producer of gluten-free fresh bakery products in Finland
– Produces gluten-free breads and rolls, sweet pastries, deep-frozen products, cookies and flour mixes
– Exhibits a turnover €8,6 million (2018)
– Provides employment to approximately 80 people
– Has nation-wide operations in Finland

PROBLEM:
Customers see Vuohelan Herkku’s gluten-free products suitable for persons with coeliac disease or allergic persons only. Gluten-free products are also considered tasteless. Gluten-free products could, however, be an option for other (health-oriented) people as well.

CHALLENGE:
The current gluten-free product brand needs upgrading. The product could also be something new and innovative. What could it be? What are the current and future trends in gluten-free markets?

POSSIBLE SOLUTION/OUTCOME:
To develop new ideas for the gluten-free products based on the future trends. Perhaps something new, more than just a gluten-free bakery product

2018 – LAHTI VENTURE PROGRAM VOL. 2

VIKING MALT

Challenge: Viking Malt is looking for a more sustainable solution to deliver malt to our customers in a package that is easy to use and has an appealing design.

Viking Malt is a leading malting company in Northern Europe and a world-leading producer of speciality malts. We have malthouses in the Baltic Sea area in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Poland that produce 600,000 tonnes of malt annually. Over 60 different types of malt are shipped to as many as 65 countries around the globe. We service many of the world’s largest breweries but are also strong in supplying craft brewing.

Most of the malt is shipped in bulk containers but almost all malt for craft breweries is sold in 25 kg sacks, typically made of polypropylene or polypropylene-polyethylene plastics. The sacks are filled either with intact or crushed malted grains that should be protected against moisture, but the sacks should also tolerate moderate impact and light cuts resulting from logistics and handling at the brewery. Typically, the malt bags are palletised on 1,200×1,000 mm pallets with 4 bags in a layer, totaling 500-1,000 kg depending on the number of layers. Malt pallets should be compact and maintain their form to allow efficient logistics. Currently, the pallets may lose form in the logistics chain, requiring more space than what would be optimal. Eventually, the empty sacks are typically disposed by the breweries as energy waste.

The challenge for the students in Lahti Venture Program is to reduce the environmental impact of our small-volume packaging. This goal could potentially be reached in many ways: though the form and material of the packaging is not restricted, it should be easy to handle manually by brewers, durable enough, cost-effective, compatible with high throughput automatic packing and stackable on pallets. The total life-cycle of the packaging should be considered, and even new waste management strategy for the current packaging could make an impact. Finally, the packaging should not only be practical but also attractive, as we want our customers to be proud to have Viking Malt at their brewery.

OSUUSKAUPPA HÄMEENMAA

Challenge: Creating a customer acquisition concept around making young people customer-owners of a cooperative

Customer acquisition is a strategic focus area of every successful business, and as a business that seeks to advance we are constantly looking for more potential customers and customer-owners. The purpose of this project is to create a customer acquisition concept for Osuuskauppa Hämeenmaa, with the target group consisting of young people aged 18 to 25 in particular.

Young people are already consumers of the services offered by the cooperative, but customer-ownership does not yet speak to them to a significant degree. This customer group is important to our business, and we also consider them to be viable customers in the long term. They still have the most significant purchases of their lives ahead of them.

The starting point for this project is to determine how customer acquisition can be carried out in a way that pleases and interests this target group. Which media and situations would help us reach our target group the best, and how? What are the things that speak to them? We hope to gain answers to these questions from the perspective of young people themselves through this project.

MUOVIJALOSTE OY

Challenge: How to develop the service experience of customer companies in a customer-oriented manner while taking into account changes in the industry’s operating environment.

Founded in 1949, Muovijaloste Oy is a forerunner in multicolour-printed plastic packaging. Muovijaloste is still steered by the traditional values of a family business: a focus on the customer, high quality, a forerunner’s expertise and reliability. Muovijaloste is committed to the principles of sustainable development. All of our packaging materials are food-grade and suitable for either incineration or recycling. We are part of the chemical industry’s Responsible Care programme, a global voluntary initiative aimed at sustainable development. This is the most long-standing and well-established programme of its kind in the industry.

Now the company is seeking new inspiration for its operations and a boost to its sales. Muovijaloste wants to develop a service package to be offered to customers that will support the company’s acquisition of new customers and drive long-term customer commitment. The aim is to stand out from the competition primarily through the offered customer experience and quality of service.

Muovijaloste’s customers consist of food industry companies that use Muovijaloste’s products as part of their own products. The customers’ needs differ considerably depending on the size of the company, and expectations regarding access to information and the digitality of the purchase process, for example, vary significantly.

ILME OY

Challenge: How can we help bring together trainees and organisations and improve the job-seeker experience?

Ilme is a marketing and communications office operating in Lahti and Tampere providing everything a company might need to stand out from the competition. Ilme offers services for a wide range of needs, from ideas to implementation. The objective of the services Ilme provides and everything it does is growth, of the business and the working community.

Ilme attributes its success to its personnel, and day to day operations at Ilme are guided by how the employees feel at work. The company offers employees opportunities for growth and development both as individuals and as communities, and the company tries to make each day at work significant. The company welcomes new trainees on a regular basis, but the ways in which it looks for new talent are varied.

“Sometimes trainees contact us, sometimes we advertise positions and sometimes potential trainees are recommended to us. Unfortunately, our busy working schedule does not leave very much time for finding trainees.”

Now, the advertising agency is looking for input from students to solve its recruitment challenges.

“We hope that the student team will be able to come up with a solution that brings organisations in the creative industry together with trainees without geographical restrictions, restrictions related to personal relationships or other limitations. We hope to utilise recommendations and word-of-mouth within various channels more efficiently and we want to improve the company-specific job-seeker experience. We hope to be able to launch an operational model or process that could be productised for utilisation by other operators in similar fields.”

 

2017 – LAHTI VENTURE PROGRAM VOL. 1

LUHTA SPORTSWEAR COMPANY

Challenge: We are looking for concept ideas for our Torstai brand’s new men’s sportswear collection that is built on ethical arguments. The distribution of the collection will mainly be through digital channels.

Torstai is the world’s first sports brand to have a Fair Trade collection. Now Torstai wants to create a men’s sportswear collection (clothing, footwear, accessories) that is built on ethical arguments and complements the existing women’s collection. The distribution of the men’s collection should mainly be through digital channels (Luhta’s own webstore/customers’ webstores and platforms) with a creative and interesting communications emphasis on the ethical arguments.

The students’ task is to create a concept collection (moodboard, technical flats, material and colour suggestions) to be used as the design basis for the actual collection, as well as a suggestion for a supporting marketing and sales concept.

LÄHITAPIOLA WELLAMO

Challenge: LähiTapiola is introducing a new virtual service to Prisma hypermarkets that allows the customer to take care of their insurance affairs while going to the shops. We are looking for concrete suggestions on how to get customers to use the service.

LähiTapiola is introducing a completely new virtual service with the aim of giving the customer virtual access to services even when sitting on the sofa at home. The goal is to develop a personal service completely compatible with face-to-face service, but taking place via tablet.

There are still a lot of customers who are wary of using online services via computer or mobile devices. However, almost all our customers frequent the Prisma hypermarkets of our strategic partner S Group and welcome the opportunity to take care of their other affairs as well while in a Prisma. For this reason, there have been LähiTapiola service points at Prismas for providing service in acute issues and for pre-arranged appointments. The difficulty in this, however, is the cost of providing the service with a service advisor available during Prisma opening hours. For this LähiTapiola is introducing a new solution: we will bring to the Holma Prisma in Lahti a cube with built-in technology for the customer to contact our service advisor via video connection. This way we can continue to guarantee customers the opportunity to take care of their insurance affairs personally while doing their shopping.

The challenge for the students is how to get the customers to venture into the cube and press the button. During the pilot, we have noticed that when the customer receives guidance on how to use the new technology, there may be initial nervousness, but as soon as the service advisor appears on the screen, the customer relaxes and is very happy with the service afterwards. The students’ task is to design an easily approachable and exciting user experience and customer interface: how to attract and direct customers into the cube, how to market it and how to introduce LähiTapiola services to the customer inside the cube. The suggestion may include a design for the visual appearance and functions of the cube. The students will have the opportunity to interview customers and test their solutions during the project.

WIPAK OY

Challenge: We are looking for new solutions, technologies and ideas for recycling plastics. The ideas can be related to enhancing the collection of plastics or to new ways of utilizing the collected plastics.

Plastic as a material still suffers from the image of being unecological. From Wipak’s perspective, this has an effect on our image as an employer and on the attractiveness of the industry. However, the fact is that the packaging industry using plastics is constantly developing and searching for new, more environmentally friendly solutions for using and recycling plastics.

The separate collection of plastics in Finland started in 2016. Nevertheless, most of packaging continues to end up in landfills or energy production. The students’ task is to come up with new, innovative solutions for a more effective collection of plastic packaging and for new, higher added value products made of recycled plastics. Possible directions for development include new communications and marketing concepts, technological solutions and uses for plastics. Products made of recycled plastics may be developed for Wipak’s use, which would require observing the high hygiene standards of the industry. The students are also free to develop new products for other uses.

OILON OY

Challenge: We are looking for new channels and business models for the consumer sales of ground source heat products of tomorrow. What will be the sales strategy for HPAC products in the 2020s?

At the moment, Oilon serves consumers mainly through retailers (plumbing stores and ground source heat retailers). Oilon receives requests for quotes directly and quotes are given through the plumbing stores as a turnkey solution including the well and the installation. Plumbing stores also get inquiries about ground source heat products and they offer consumers one-stop solutions with a content similar to Oilon’s. Ours is a very traditional business and retailer relationships are typically long and based on mutual trust. New products are often introduced through a single retailer. The challenge in this for Oilon is that a valuable value-adding factor is relinquished to someone outside the company, leaving Oilon without a direct channel to the customers.

Oilon’s goal is to broaden and diversify its range of sales channels, with the help of digital channels, for example. At the same time, there remains the need to hold on to the company’s present, more traditional retailers, who are still of irreplaceable value in the business. Oilon cannot simply bypass the existing channels in selling its products and installation services. The challenge for students is to find a way for getting these many different sales channels and service models to work together. Are there, for example, new digital solutions available for this? The students’ task is to come up with new business models, service concepts and solutions for the sales of ground source heat products and installation services, while observing the prerequisites described above.