Kemp & Lauritzen

An aging Passat. Rock solid and certain, but a little dusty
That is how colleagues and customers described the electrical installation company Kemp & Lauritzen. A few years ago they were asked to describe the motor vehicle that best reminded them of the company.

”We always reach our goal, but the manner in which we achieve this can be improved. Our brand should be im- proved, and amongst other things, this includes the ability to better manage the skills of our staff. We have always been a business consisting of competent people, but we have never had an overview of this, and this is why we want a technological lift in this area,” says Carsten Bo Knudsen, Business Developer at Kemp & Lauritzen.

After entering into a cooperative agreement in 2007 with Symfoni regarding the IKA skill management system, Kemp & Lauritzen succeeded in obtaining a clear overview of what the company is actually capable of. All 1100 members of staff – spread in 21 locations - have their skills clarified in this unique system. Specifically, skills can be identified in the company, allowing the right person to be found for a specific task.

The system effectively manages and documents subse- quent training. Piles of papers and incomprehensibility have been replaced by a simple IT system and a clear overview.

”IKA has affected how the company views its staff, and the system supports our vision to always deliver the right man at the right place. We have moved relatively far in comparison to companies that we often compare ourselves with, and miles ahead in comparison to small installation companies,” says Carsten Bo Knudsen.

Supports the strategy
Kemp & Lauritzen is therefore well-equipped to gear-up and move even further away from the Passat image. This will happen with Symfoni HRM - a new skill management system that builds upon IKA, but in new ways supports the company’s personnel-related strategy.

Amongst other things, the new system will allow for GAP analyses and documented knowledge about the com- pany’s needs. It will be a deciding factor as to where staff training is required, giving the company the pos- sibility to be well equipped to best meet new business areas.

”If we decide to give the environmental area higher pri- ority, then we can quickly identify colleagues that, for example, have experience in heat pumps and intelligent control systems, and provide them with supplementary training,” says Carsten Bo Knudsen.

With predefined job profiles it becomes simpler for staff to clarify their skills in the system. Likewise the company can acquire a clear idea of the skills required to fulfill a specific job.

Smooth passage through control
An electrical installation company such as Kemp & Lau- ritzen must be capable of documenting staff skills so it can comply with the legally applicable Security Quality Management Systems guidelines. IKA has been a big help in this regard.

”If the Safety Technology Authority had reviewed us in the same manner three years ago, then we would not have passed. Some departments would have had their affairs under control, but the majority would not have been able to document their skills. It would have required tremen- dous manual work. Today we only need to say that we use IKA for skill management and that is sufficient for the authorities,” says Carsten Bo Knudsen.

About Kemp & Lauritsen
• Kemp & Lauritzen is one of the country’s largest electrical installation companies.
• The company has a staff of 1100.
• Kemp & Lauritzen has 21 offices in Denmark and Sweden.
• The company turnover was 1,6 DKK billion in 2008.

Attentive partner
Kemp & Lauritzen has worked closely with Symfoni regarding implementation of the system. Carsten Bo Knudsen emphasizes the attentiveness of the partners as regards their needs and wishes.

”We were told that it was not the system that controls us, but the opposite. Symfoni listened carefully to our needs, for example for a type of report generator that could quickly print relevant CVs required for building contractor prequalification. Previously this took a lot of time in Sales and Marketing, but can now be managed by the system,” says Carsten Bo Knudsen.

The technological and HR lift from Symfoni HRM, to- gether with other issues, has given the aging Passat a ”make-over” so it is several years younger and has more accessories.

”The cooperation with Symfoni has been a strong con- tributor to us succeeding in moving our external branding and on internal lines,” says Carsten Bo Knudsen.

About Kemp & Lauritsen
• Kemp & Lauritzen is one of the country’s largest electrical installation companies.
• The company has a staff of 1100.
• Kemp & Lauritzen has 21 offices in Denmark and Sweden.
• The company turnover was 1,6 DKK billion in 2008.

Symfoni HRM
• Creates an overview and documents a company’s skills.
• Is a ”comprehensive” skill management tool. It contains documented skills that match the company’s market segment.
• Links to courses.
• Is a strategic HR tool. GAP analyses, job profiles and core skills forms the basis for strategic decisions and skill development.