Arnon invests in international growth - standards provide a solid foundation

Growth is one of Arnon’s priority goals, and new investment in the Swedish market is part of the strategy. The Finnish company Arnon, working with automation and system integration in industry and shipping, is certified against ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001. According to HR Director Anni-Maria Kauppila, the standards are a basis for systematically working and communicating a path for employees, customers, and partners.

In Sweden, Arnon established itself on a larger scale in the year 2020 through a merger with a Swedish company engaged in automation and electrification in the industry. Jörgen Hedström, who has a strong background in various international companies, is the new sales director for the Swedish market. Arnon has a clear focus, he states.

– We are a strong, process-oriented company, and the management system standards and certification are natural parts for us. In other contexts where I have worked, I have sometimes experienced that the process-oriented approach is more words in Powerpoint presentations than a genuine approach. Here it is a part of our daily work, says Jörgen Hedström.

The company, which started in Finland in the 1970s, now has operations in Finland, Sweden, and Poland. The focus is on industries such as mining, shipping, and transport. The product portfolio includes automation and electrification of customers’ processes and system integration – in other words, everything from machines for automated management to apps and cloud-based services. The business area is highly topical in many industries. One example is the automation of inventory management in the many large warehouses that have emerged in the wake of the increasing internet trade. Another important business area is system integration.

– Traditionally, this has been a diversified industry with much smaller businesses, which means that there is a great need for integrating different systems, says Jörgen Hedström.

Arnon took a significant step into the Swedish market last year when the company acquired the Swedish B.O Park AB. The establishment in the Swedish market is part of the growth strategy.

The work with the management system standards for quality ISO 9001, environmental management ISO 14001, and occupational health and safety ISO 45001 is a help forward.

Arnon has worked integrated with the three management system standards for several years. The company’s different markets function in different ways, but according to Arnon, there is no doubt that “business is local.” But for Arnon, an expanding international group, a common ground is vital. Before the summer, the company conducted a training day on the standards for the entire group.

– On the group level, it makes it easier for us to be clear that we live according to the same principles in different countries. It allows us to support each other better. The audits ensure that we work systematically and according to our intentions in everyday life, Anni-Maria Kauppila says.

Three tips for working with management system standards

• Use and utilize the management system standards for systematic improvement work in everyday life.
• Use management system standards primarily for your benefit to develop the organization. Don’t focus on auditing.
• See the benefits of collaboration with all actors, from employees to suppliers. It is a way of communicating professionalism and important principles that guide the company.

The article was originally published in Svenska Institute för Standarder Magazine: Perspektiv #3.2021