Open corporate partnership adds value to the final product



“It has been great to hear such a wide array of different views on collaboration between companies and the ongoing transition in the construction market. We have gathered a wealth of material for our analysis,” says Robert Ven, a Master’s degree student at Aalto University.

Robert Ven is writing his thesis for the Department of Civil Engineering at the School of Engineering. His thesis will be one of the four studies conducted under the Healing and modular healthcare facilities (HeMoHes) project. The purpose of the project is to investigate the applications, benefits and implementation of spatial and design solutions in healthcare facilities investments.

Ven began his thesis work in October 2016 by drawing up a research plan, followed by interviews with the project steering group, cooperation partners and stakeholders in November. The interviewees include both construction and healthcare professionals. Most of the interviews are now completed, and the work continues through spring 2017 with the analysis of the interview material.

As this is still a work in progress, Ven is reluctant to draw any conclusions. However, he personally sees three major observations emerging from the vast body of interview material. First of all, the interviewees repeatedly referred to the new type of collaboration between experts from different fields.

“The smart operating room InoroomTM is a good example of how openminded collaboration between three companies may end up adding enormous value to the final product. Three companies – Merivaara, Halton and Hermetel – joined their forces as co-developers to benefit from each other’s unique expertise, and the result is a state-of-the-art export product.”

Secondly, construction industry seems in Ven’s opinion to be in transition. Modular solutions, Inoroom as one good example, have been adopted throughout the world and are near their breakthrough also in countries such as Finland, where traditional processes in construction are still favoured.  The operation room module, which fits perfectly within the infrastructure of a new hospital and comes installed by the supplier ready for use, is an easy purchase decision for the customer to make.

And this ease of transaction is, in fact, Ven’s third observation. The modular solution is a clearly defined product and the testing of the final product, such as the hermeneutically sealed clean room, are usually included in the contract.

With single-supplier products, the division of responsibilities between the supplier and the customer is clear. On top of that, open communication throughout the ordering and delivery process helps strengthen mutual trust.”

Read more about the HeMoHes project >>

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