Atea „r 52+4 EN

Control amongst the mountain peaks
15
Customer case
With views over oil rigs and mountaintops, Aker Kværner Business Partner works persistently on
developing IT solutions. The keyword is foresight. Through increased standardisation and rationalisation
they will continue giving customers what they want – value for money.
Stavanger (Norway) is home to several of the units in
Aker Kværner – a gigantic industrial group with
40,000 staff working on everything from oil and gas
to technical structures, boat manufacture and much
more. Aker Kværner Business Partner is a service
body which supplies IT-services to the various businesses
within the Aker Kværner group in Norway.
Instead of outsourcing its computer services, it thus
‘insources’. The unit was established six months ago,
and provides services for 9,000 users.
WHEN THE PIECES OF THE JIGSAW
FALL INTO PLACE
The IT department’s prime aim is control of all
changes. Close collaboration with the various offices’
computer centres facilitates a uniform IT solution
throughout the business, with the same benefit, quality
and price. Tor Håvard Sekse, deputy managing
director of Aker Kværner Business Partner, explains:
“As we are striving for a clear overview of the systems,
it is extremely important to agree as far as possible
on a standard for simplifying and rationalising.
Our computer centre allows us to consolidate the system
solutions. In a structured manner we can improve
quality, security and cost-effective operation. It is only
when everything can really be coordinated and can fit
together that the problems can be eliminated. The
pieces of the jigsaw must quite simply fall into place.”
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
In preparation for the future, Aker Kværner
Business Partner has set up several parallel targets.
Continuous follow-up of clearly defined KPIs (Key
Performance Indicators) facilitates constant followup
of status and initiation of corrective measures.
The most important future target is to use increased
standardisation to guarantee efficient project imple-
mentation and utilise information across the board
in the various units of the group.
“Better quality and increased foresight and flexibility
in our IT supplies will of course also be prioritised.
Value for money is what customers want, and
it’s what they’ll get,” Tor says emphatically.
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
“By far the most important thing is gaining insight
into variables, control over what affects them and an
overview of the interplay,” Tor says. “Implementing
new solutions, taking away more than we implement
and maintaining high security. It’s about change control
– about really being in control.”
How can one then continue to be successful in
future?
“In general I think the IT industry goes in waves,
so it’s a balancing act,” says Tor. “It’s about using
resources sensibly and investing in target-oriented
research and development – and accepting that we
live in a period when customers have an increased
rate of change. The companies which understand
this are the ones which will cope best. If you have
demanding customers you are also always forced to
do a better job. And that is the big challenge.”
THE STRENGTH IS THE CLOSE DIALOGUE
There were many reasons for choosing Atea as a
supplier.
“We needed to rationalise our finances and IT
solutions”, says Tor. “Atea also supplies products at
the right time and in the right place, quickly and
smoothly. For us it is naturally very important for
electronic routines to flow as intended so we can
supply our customers with good solutions.”
Atea currently monitors the infrastructure at Aker
Kvaerner and supplies hardware such as PCs, print-
ers and switches.
“You could say that Atea acts as an ‘internal supplier’,
together with ourselves,” says Tor. “We have a
very close dialogue with Atea. There is both praise
and blame – routines are constantly corrected in
both parties, and this works very well.”
NOT JUST ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY COMPUTERS
As regards environmental friendliness within Aker
Kvaerner, discarding is performed by certified companies.
Tor explains:
“Recycling of computers is of course very important.
But I think a good environment is also about
staff having a pleasant and healthy working environment.
There are stringent requirements regarding
results, adjustment, change and upgrading with new
skills. With everyday life like this, there must be
room for us to look after each other, above all if you
work as much as my wife claims I do.”
COMPUTERS, COMPUTERS AND… COMPUTERS
Tor admits he probably work more than average.
“You have to take the consequences of the fact that
we can always be reached, for good or ill. We are
online at the office, at the holiday house or via WAP
phone,” says Tor. “Having had my first holiday in
five years without my laptop, I have in any case
achieved one of my personal targets.”
Brief information
Name: Tor Håvard Sekse
Age: 43
Family: Married, with three children aged 8 to 19.
Hobbies: Practise running. Also like diving, fishing and
trips in my own boat.