The Almedals Blog 2015
Friday 2015-07-03:
The Almedals week continues with exciting seminars and interesting discussions. A theme that is addressed at several seminars is collaboration, and the importance of involving several public actors at an early stage. This way you can reduce costs and increase quality. An example of this is the work around the supplementary labor market. The DELTA Coordinating Union, Gothenburg Hisingen has developed a model that creates a larger labor market focusing on the needs of working life. By taking care of so-called "hidden" tasks (non-priority), ordinary staff can devote more to their core tasks. At the same time, more jobs are being created that can give more unemployed jobs. It will be a win-win for everyone; the individual gets out of work and becomes self-sufficient, and the employer gets a worker who performs tasks that they themselves have not been able to prioritize.
Today, system support is an important part of all businesses, but unfortunately, they are not always as well-functioning as they should be. Often an existing system is rebuilt in and out, and in the end, it is not possible to develop it anymore, which means that the business is locked. We often hear "it is the system's fault" as a result of this. Systems need to be adapted to the business rather than the other way around; that the business is adapted to the systems. A seminar brought up the idea of innovative procurement - that the customer presents what effect they want to get out of a system and that it is then up to the system supplier to give suggestions on how this can be achieved. Today, it is common for the status quo to be procured, that is, the business buys what they already have. The problem is that the outside world is changing and if you only think of the current situation instead of future needs, the solution is already outdated. Today's digitalization will not stop, rather increase and then we are required to follow the development.
Other seminars that we have been given the opportunity to attend have, among other things, dealt with value-based care, leadership for the millennial generation, LOU's impact on small business owners and, not least, party leadership in a lush Almedalspark. A solid mix of information and knowledge!
The Almedals week is now nearing its end and we have had rewarding days on site. We bring many new and exciting thoughts with us home, and look forward to using our new knowledge in the autumn project. Now we look forward to a long and relaxing summer and holiday. Nice summer, see you in the fall!
- Anna Segerberg, management consultant
Thursday 2015-07-02:
Can we afford not to get involved?
This question poses the real estate industry in Almedalen this week. Administrative and Technical management is a familiar concept for everyone in the real estate industry, but now also has the concept Social management and social investment have been high on the agenda for many real estate companies. The opportunities are great and the industry is ready to act.
Today we often read about social problems such as schools with low grades, high unemployment and crime. Often, a connection is made to a specific district or residential area. Many parts of society need to work together to solve the problem and the real estate industry is beginning to find its forms to influence and improve.
During a seminar in Almedalen on 2/7, Malmö Municipal Housing Company (EIA) told how they, in close cooperation with, among other things, FC Rosengård and Läxhjälpen, work to strengthen employment, improve school results and increase security in their residential areas. Rikshem, together with Jobblotsen and Läxhjälpen also talked about their joint initiatives of the same character. What we see is that real estate companies are no longer just investing buildings, they also invest in what is available into and about these buildings - the people who live there. This social form of investment is also seen as an integral part of the overall business model.
The time when social responsibility was spent on giving alms to social projects in exchange for making the company logo visible in a pleasant context is over. The initiatives we were told about in Almedalen have shown that real estate companies can play a prominent role in improving school results, employment and security. AND you as a property owner / manager should recognize, and not be ashamed, that it also generates a return in the form of increased attractiveness and increased property value. Value can thus be created for all parties involved; residents, real estate companies and society at large. Consultants, and other suppliers, who work together with real estate companies can and should also contribute to the work and highlight the need for social investment. In the future, further demands will also be made for this in the form of social clauses in public procurement.
In the future, we hope to read and hear more about neighborhoods and residential areas that make fantastic development trips. Both with the help of real estate companies and its partners, other companies and public organizations, as well as individual driving force.
How do you and your business work with social responsibility and social investment?
Those who wish to discuss social and sustainable development can join companies including Ekan Management, the City of Gothenburg and Sweden's Construction Industries and participate in the seminar Cities Growing to Greatness in Gothenburg / Marstrand on August 19-20.
- Rickard Johansson, management consultant
Wednesday 2015-07-01:
A recurring theme for today's seminars has been about healthcare and care, and the challenges the sector is facing today.
Health care in Sweden is currently facing a shift. Today's expectations of quality and individualized care are growing ever larger as the county councils meet an increasingly complex and more expensive population. This is because we live longer and that our behaviors and needs change.
Key issues we face are how we can get the most qualitative care with as little resource as possible and how we can improve governance and working methods in care and care. Today, development work is being conducted around the strategy of value-based care. One of the basics is about organizing care according to patient groups with similar needs and adapting treatment and monitoring to the individual. Several companies and organizations report on difficulties in developing effective quality measures in different patient flows, especially linked to the elderly care. There is a challenge in the low degree of collaboration that exists today, both between private and tax-financed operations, but also within all healthcare players regardless of ownership.
- Tobias Norbeck, management consultant
Tuesday 2015-06-30:
Almedalen is in full swing and Ekan is in place. From yesterday's seminars, very interesting was captured.
A major topic is the need for housing and thus construction is underway. SABO, with several parties, points out the importance of municipal politicians generally solving planning issues more quickly and producing constructable land. At the same time, it is emphasized from several directions that one must build cheaper. This can be achieved, among other things, through innovation, efficiency and regulatory changes. In this context, the procurement procedure is also highlighted as a success factor for reaching lower prices.
Digitized service innovation
Almega's technology companies highlight the digitized service production in Sweden. The border between goods and services is blurred, export services increase by 52 % today. It is important to keep up with and the need for new investment and R&D is in many places large in Swedish companies. The most important issue is that we see this "industry" as part of the new. In Sweden, there is a tendency to see the traditional manufacturing industry as the basis for the economy where the role of service companies is to serve the industry. This picture does not apply to the future. Questions were also raised about the need for rule changes in certain sectors so that one can open up networks, talk about network neutrality, and data access.
The Internet of Things, the Internet of Things, is already here (Read more) and influences us both in everyday life and at work and is the leading requirement for, among other things, better networks. Several companies talked about exciting developments in this area, including Semcon, Tyréns, Husqvarna, IBM and IP-only. This development takes place in all areas such as Construction and Real Estate, Consumer Products, Cars and other things such as clothing and food. Consider when the laundry itself sets the washing machine so that it gets the right temperature and program.
There is a need for new business models as an extension of technological development and, overall, technology is not seen as a limiting factor but rather as a driver of development. The big question is how to adapt one's way of working, organizing and leading companies and organizations in the world we see before us. This is where Ekan Management comes in, as a catalyst for innovation in management and organizational development.
Requirements are also made on the education side, which is not considered to be related. Karl the XII still seems to be higher in the course than knowledge of programming and IT. It does not seem to be sufficiently forward-looking. Furthermore, much stronger links between research and business are proposed in the future. In summary, it can be reported that companies' share of the total mass who want to reach out with their message seems to increase every year.
- Dag Larsson and Mia Svenheden, management consultants