Betker Oy started using the Piiri application: “Important information will no longer be lost in a flood of messages”
Betker Oy is Finland's leading producer of refractory materials. It is important for the company to take care of its employees, and according to CEO Antti Hautamäki, transparent internal communication is one way to show appreciation for employees. The company uses the Piiri application to help with internal communication.
Betker Oy, headquartered in Ylivieska, manufactures refractory materials mainly for the the steel industry. The company, which employs 35 people, is a leading player in its field in Finland.
— In recent years, we have invested heavily in exports and are also seeking growth through that, says CEO Antti Hautamäki .
Betker has been a pioneer in recycling from the very beginning. Founded in 1977, the company began making refractory mass from recycled bricks. The share of recycled material in the raw materials used is approximately 25%.
The company wants to take good care of its employees. Betker has been awarded the Great Place to Work® certificate four times in a row. The company also values its employees by investing in internal communications. The Piiri application was introduced last spring, so that everyone can get the same information at the same time.
"The implementation of Piiri was quick and the licenses are lighter than with Microsoft products."
WEEKLY LETTERS, REGISTRATION AND SURVEYS IN ONE APPLICATION
Before the Piiri app was introduced, WhatsApp was the main channel for internal communication. However, the problem was that important information was lost in the flood of messages.
— We used WhatsApp to provide information about changing employee benefits, among other things. However, we received feedback that the information was easily lost and forgotten in the messages, says Betkeri's Finance Manager Mira Piili.
Additionally, information boards and bulletin boards were used for internal communication. Internal matters are also still communicated in meetings and morning rounds.
The challenge with Betker's internal communications is that some employees work outside of Ylivieska and some do not use computers at work. Piiri's mobile application is well suited to the company's needs.
Before implementing the Piiri application, the company was considering using Microsoft tools for internal communication. For example, some news and files were shared in SharePoint.
— Piiri was implemented quickly and the licenses are lighter than with Microsoft products. We decided to implement Piiri after it had been tested and proved to be functional, says Antti Hautamäki.
— SharePoint also had the problem that not everyone could easily access the news. Some surveys were also made in Forms to be shared via WhatsApp. Now the survey tool can be found directly in Piiri, so we can centralize everything in one application, Mira Piili continues.
Betker has also introduced a weekly newsletter in Piiri, which contains a short summary of the week's events and is sent out every Friday. In addition, all personnel guides and other documents concerning all personnel, as well as ongoing and changing personnel benefits, have been uploaded to the application.
— Through the event calendar, we can open registrations to employee wellness days, Christmas parties, sports classes and other company events, Piili lists.
A DEVELOPING APPLICATION AND COMMENDABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE
According to Mira Piili, an admin user of Piiri, the application was easy to put into use.
— The application makes it really easy to create news and polls. I would like a bit more versatile features for text editing, Piili suggests.
The duo considers it a positive fact that small improvements are constantly being made to the application and there is a clear will to develop it further.
— Customer service is really fast and flexible, and it feels like Piiri has a lot of new things in the works, says Mira Piili.
Betker has made several investments related to employee well-being. How successful have they been from the CEO's perspective?
— People have long careers here and the personnel are relatively satisfied. There is little turnover. Of course, our indicators are quite sensitive and we know that we need to constantly work towards the well-being of our personnel, Antti Hautamäki summarizes.
Want to know more?
Do you want to improve internal communication in your work community? Great, we can help! Contact us if you are interested in the Piiri app.
Arttu Myllys | Commercial Director
