According to Business unit Director Jan Herranen, the changes in the operating environment and customer needs support Hedengren Security’s growth strategy. “Our vision is to be the leading Nordic security technology company and the most coveted employer in all our business areas.”
During the past four months, Herranen, who started as Hedengren Security’s Business unit Director in August 2022, has really immersed himself in the operations of the company, which conducts comprehensive product development.
“I’m really happy with what I’ve seen and very confident about what we’re about to do next,” says Herranen and smiles.
Herranen, who is an expert in business management and service development, considers Hedengren Security’s greatest assets to be the large human and trust capital, due to which the company has strong roots and good resilience.
“Not only do we have a great deal of experience and long careers at Hedengren Security, but we also have the ambition to develop and innovate that drives the industry. It’s great to be leading a company with such a strong foundation and significant growth potential as it enters a new era.”
Value judgements provide a competitive advantage
Herranen thinks that even though the company has a strong foundation, the rapidly changing operating environment and new customer needs also force Hedengren Security to rethink things and up its game. Nevertheless, evolving technology and increasing security risks are also creating new business opportunities in the industry.
Herranen points out that for Hedengren Security, the positive thing in the situation is that the changes in the operating environment support the company’s offering and growth strategy. The increasing importance of energy efficiency, sustainability and security has led companies to take a new interest in Finnish production and product development.
“Sustainability and energy efficiency are part of everything we do here at Hedengren Security, from product development to system use and maintenance, which is something we should be able to communicate more strongly to our customers already in the tender phase,” continues Herranen.
Herranen points out that the decision to focus on Finnish product development and production once made at Hedengren has proved to be a very wise one.
“Over time, the decision has required some serious strength of character and refusal to start competing with prices and compromising on system safety, quality and development potential. Now that the security risks related to foreign production have begun to materialise, Finnish production has become a significant competitive advantage.”
Listening to the customer leads to growth
In Herranen’s opinion, Hedengren Security’s greatest growth potential lies in product and service development, in which the customers and capacity for foresight are becoming more and more important.
“Even though the world is changing rapidly, we must be able to anticipate what people will need 10 years from now and create technological solutions that will last over a decade. We can only achieve this if the customers are an integral part of the development process in all our business areas. Moreover, it’s equally important to make sure that our development work supports the operations of our partners.”
According to Herranen, future product development will be determined by the exceptional decision to also open the security system interfaces to other system integrators.
“By opening the system interfaces, we enable data collection and service development throughout the industry and make sure that we – and our customers – constantly remain at the cutting edge. It also gives our partners the opportunity to develop their own service business.”
Resilience aplenty
According to Business unit Director Herranen, the current global situation has significantly hampered the construction industry, whereas, in the security business, the uncertainty is reflected more in problem talk and occasional delivery problems than in a bleak outlook for growth.
“It’s important not to stir up uncertainty ourselves. Last year was good in the industry, and the willingness of major customers to invest bodes well for growth this year, as well.”
Herranen thinks that the 100-year-old company also has enough resilience to survive in case the market falls.
“This company has been put to the test plenty of times and we’ve always managed to pull through, which is reflected in our long, strong customer relationships, for example.”
The most attractive company in the Nordics
Herranen believes that in ten years, Hedengren Security will be the leading security technology company in the Nordic countries and the most sought-after employer in each of its business areas.
“The work that creates the most value will be done with customers. Today’s professionals aren’t only motivated by money. Instead, they seek employment in companies that offer the most value for their time. We can offer our employees the most inspiring projects in the industry and the best opportunities for personal development.”
According to Herranen, becoming the leading company in the market requires closing ranks and investing even more in customer-oriented product and service development.
“What is more, cloud services also provide the opportunity to expand our operations to new business areas,” says Herranen.
Herranen believes that in growth – just as in all operations – the key is to make good on the promises given to customers.
“Our core business still involves offering expertise as well as products that make the everyday lives of our customers easier and the functionality and availability of which the retailers, contractors, property owners and end users can rely on.”