Infrakit’s Mission is a Sustainable Infra Industry

Summer of 2018 in Finland was unheard of – and alarming. With high temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius for weeks and weeks, the effects of global warming were becoming painfully apparent. My co-founder Matti and myself were spending time at my parent’s summer house in Sipoo enjoying our well-earned summer vacation. We had succeeded in getting Infrakit off the ground, we had surpassed the first million euros in yearly revenue. Some could say we had “made it”. Despite our success and the blooming nature around us, our mood was gloomy. Global temperature and CO2 emissions were increasing each year and world leaders seemed incapable of solving or even mitigating the impending doom of climate change the world is facing. We both have kids and fear for the world we are leaving for them. We felt helpless.

It was during that day that it dawned on us – we can make a difference. We must. We figured that as business leaders we have a leverage – and a responsibility.

As we have started to look more closely on the matter, we have realized that Infrakit is in a pivotal position to enable a sustainable infra industry, not only on an ecological, but also on societal and personal levels.

DCS Finland – Teemu Kivimäki

Infrakit works for a sustainable infra industry on three levels.

Firstly, on ecological level Infrakit reduces waste in the construction process – waste means errors and downtime. This means emissions and lost money. With Infrakit, the emissions impact of machinery and materials of the projects can be measured. What can be measured can be optimized, and finally eliminated – our ultimate goal is a zero-emission infra industry.

Secondly, on societal level Infrakit enables societies to effectively build and maintain their infrastructure, in addition to increasing transparency.

Last but not least, on personal level Infrakit enabled people working on this industry to gain control over their complex projects and gives them a peace of mind when their project is running smoothly.

I invite you dear reader to join us in our mission to make this industry sustainable, we can do it together!

What is meant by BIM? Thoughts for students and all BIM experts from our Infrakit Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg’s Country Manager Tiny Nuiten

As an active party in the world of InfraBIM in the BeNeLux, we often get the question: “what do you mean by BIM?” And that is quite a good question, because I often ask our customers. The abbreviation BIM has a number of different definitions and meanings. For example, I recently heard a few explanations for the abbreviation. I think Building Information Modeling and Building Information Management are the two we’ve all heard before.

Tiny Nuiten, General Manager, Infrakit Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg
Still, during the InfraBIM Open conference in Tampere, Finland, I heard some new ones: ‘Bad Information Management’, ‘Better Information Management’ and ‘Best Information Management’. For us at Infrakit these are the definitions we are working on, every day.

Now it is not the case that nobody thinks about this, on the contrary, entire teams are even being set up to see how they can best deal with all that data. Because it is quite a lot, from design to implementation and back. We are not only talking about 3d design files, but also about documents, photos, as built data, logistics files, asset management, approval cycles, reports, machine control files, but also about the link with external platforms that use the data in their own way. In short, everyone has their own definition, modeling and structure.

As InfraBIM experts, our goal is always to turn BAD Information management into BEST Information management, and we cannot do this alone.

As InfraBIM experts, our goal is always to turn BAD Information management into BEST Information management, and we cannot do this alone. Although our products play a central role in the overall process, we are left empty-handed without the necessary good files supplied. So InfraBIM is not something that one party can complete on its own, not even Infrakit.

Close cooperation between all parties involved is therefore essential for the success of a “BEST information Management” system. As Infrakit we do not dare say otherwise, we constantly talk to all possible suppliers and buyers (with a beautiful word stakeholders) of certain information to be able to tell in real time what the latest situation is.

These links ensure that the entire information flow is available in the right place at the right time, in the right version. We like to call this a “tool chain”. A good ‘tool chain’ is a chain of applications that all apply their own expertise to the same data set and as befits a ‘chain’, which is as strong as the weakest link.

Look, that ‘tool chain’ is of course important, we all realize that, but more importantly are the people who now learn and think about it in their studies and at work. People who are going to form and set the direction in the near or distant future. Information flows in the (sometimes confusing) world of BIM in general and that of InfraBIM in particular.

That is why it is so important for us to contribute to education where we can, to facilitate, support, inform, but also to hear everyone’s input and implement it where possible. That is the task that we constantly keep in mind, and adapt to the changing circumstances, the new ideas, the new insights and ensure that students and people already working in infra construction continue to play that central role. Your input, now or in the future, is of great importance.

Because together with you, all BIM experts out there, we can change the definition of BIM, be it Modeling or Management, as long as we can turn ‘BAD’ into ‘BEST’.

Because together with you, all BIM experts out there, we can change the definition of BIM, be it Modeling or Management, as long as we can turn ‘BAD’ into ‘BEST’. Everyone involved will be much happier.

Annika Helisvaara as a Communications Manager

“I am excited to become part of Infrakit’s professional team. Infrakit has a brilliant product for infraconstruction’s data management needs, and I am also eager to learn more from this evolving line of business.”

Annika Helisvaara joins Infrakit’s Marketing and Communications -team. Annika has done communications, campaigns, event organizing and general project management in her previous positions, for example at Suomen Mentorit ry. Annika has also experience in personnel assessments. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Science and is a Social Psychologist. Annika will strengthen specifically Infrakit’s internal communications, marketing and HR-functions.

Infrakit BIM Services team is growing – meet Manu Marttinen

My name is Manu, I’m M.Sc in Civil Engineering, and I just started working for Infrakit, as a Development Manager, on Monday! It feels great to be part of this excellent team, and to be able to develop Infraconstruction field with such a good product, that we got at Infrakit. I know Infrakit and many of the guys working there from past, so I know what I’m talking about now.

I started my career within Infra in 1996, when I was fifteen, at company called Lemminäinen, in my hometown Kotka. I really enjoyed my job, so I spent summers 1996-2002 in Asphalt and Infra works (while I was in school and in military service).

After starting my studies in the Helsinki University of Technology (nowadays known as Aalto University), I moved from Lemminkäinen to a contractor company called NCC, where I worked:
– with quality issues 2003-2006
– in maintenance, paving and infra projects 2007-2011
– in line organization; in own small unit 2012-2014 and part of bigger unit 2015-2016
– as developing and implementing NCC own software 2017-2020

“Infrakit is already a strong brand in the industry and will continue to grow. It’s great to be able to work with the top team and drive industry productivity together with our customers on a platform that takes into account the entire construction lifecycle!”

My first touch to BIM was, when I was building Vuosaari Harbor in Helsinki 2007-2008. That was first site, where we used e.g. total station guided 3D graders, and where we created automatically as-build model from our compactors data. After that, a big leap to my BIM knowledge was, when I participated Infra FINBIM project in 2011-2015 (I continued that work in Building Smart Finland after that).

In my free time, I do CrossFit, dance rock ‘n swing dances, and “work” in referee role in floorball fields (highest level in Finland, Salibandyliiga and in international games, e.g. World Cup in Prague 2018). I live in Helsinki with my wife and our newborn son.

So, in nutshell, I’m sporty BIM expert with 20+ years experiment of working in Infraconstruction field as a contractor / entrepreneur!

Meet our new General Manager of Finland!

As a General Manager of Finland, Janne Paitsola takes over the overall responsibility for sales and key accounts in Finland. Janne has extensive, over a ten-year-experience, in the infrastructure industry, and has previously worked at Avesco Oy / Sitech Finland.

“Project information management is a hot topic today and Infrakit is a pioneer in its field. It’s no surprise that the growth rate of Infrakit has been rapid in recent years”, says Paitsola.

As an expert in his field, Janne brings systematic approach to customer relationship management and sales development.

Welcome Janne, we are happy to have you as a part of our team!