How Soiltech became the exception that grew without growing pains
Growing pains are normal for fast-growing companies. Many come to terms with the fact that chaos, duplication and lack of control are a natural part of the growth journey. When Soiltech went from being a small player to an international growth company, they chose a different path: to build control and structure before growth took off.
Right from the start, Soiltech brought together processes, quality and documentation in one common management system - Business Online - instead of letting each discipline live in its own tools.
- "We had Business Online in place before our growth took off. This means that we can now scale without stressing the organisation. The structure is already there, we're just building on it," says Else-Karin Vådeland, VP HSSEQ & Sustainability at Soiltech.
The normal is not always the necessary
In many companies, growing pains occur when the volume of assignments increases. Teams work according to different routines and processes. Quality and documentation are scattered in different systems. With Business Online as a common backbone, Soiltech instead has one way of working, across countries, rigs and projects.
An important part of this foundation is quality control plans - practical checklists and managed flows that describe what needs to be done, in what order and who is responsible along the way. As the level of activity increases, this is the structure they can build on.
- "We realise that we're growing, which may mean that we need to build on and expand our structure. But then we have an established foundation, so we just need to build on it. We've found that to be quite easy," says Vådeland.
Instead of procedures taking on a life of their own in emails, spreadsheets and folder structures, they are now built into the actual execution of projects. As a result, everyone encounters the same way of working, with up-to-date documentation available whether they're in the office or out on a rig.
The result is a growth journey that is against normal for many companies - controlled, not chaotic. Soiltech has been able to scale the business, grow internationally and triple its turnover, while maintaining quality, collaboration and control in everyday work.
Business Online hasn't taken away the need for effort, but it has enabled Soiltech to escape the growing pains that many other growth companies see as something they just have to live with.
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