INCREMENTAL STEPS OR LEAPS?
Peikko's customers often must concentrate
on their core businesses, whether
it’s architecture, structual design or
construction.
“But we, as a component and solution
supplier, are in a position where we can
put our time and energy into imagining
and creating solutions that don’t exist.
Or in fine tuning the details of the current
products so that they are better than
before.”
Ideation is the creative part of the
process, where a lot of people like to be
involved.
“You don’t necessarily have to change
the game totally with your every product
launch,” Ján Bujňák points out. “But of
course, you can!”
If the new solution is 10% better
compared to the old one, that’s already
a significant and value creating step
forward.
The construction industry is heavily
regulated.
By having a
multicultural R&D
team, we are able
to understand
the market
differences better.
STEPS OF DEVELOPMENT
Identifying market needs
Assessing the technical and commercial feasibility
Creative development and prototyping
Tests
Approvals
Launch
But according to Bujňák, the field tests
showcase not so much the technical quality
of the product, but rather the practical value
of it.
“Most of our proprietary, innovative
solutions often fall out of the scope of the
current standards. This is where we need
approvals from the building authorities.”
OFFERING MARKET SPECIFIC
PRODUCTS OR CHANGING THE
MARKET?
Operating globally can be seen both as a
challenge and an opportunity.
Quite a few of the Peikko innovations
have been originally developed for the
Finnish market, where Peikko has stood for
speed, safety, and efficiency ever since the
company was founded.
“We want to offer the same advantages
in all the markets, but no other market is
identical to Finland, so it would be foolish
to offer exactly the same. We adjust our
offering to suit local markets where needed.
We also learn a lot in the process,”
Bujňák explains.
In addition to European R&D centres
in Finland, Germany, Slovakia, and
Lithuania, there are R&D functions also
in China, Canada, Italy, and Latvia.
“By having a multicultural R&D
team, we are able to understand the
market differences better. And experts
from different markets might have
different ways of understanding the
same problems. That brings up new
ideas.”
SHARING WHAT WE KNOW
Peikko is committed to sharing the
knowledge for the common good, be it
technical papers, webinars, seminars,
videos, or informal chats.
“We are always looking for ways to
make the industry better – faster, safer,
and more efficient. If you think of our
founder Jalo Paananen, you can see
that bringing up and sharing new ideas
is in our DNA”. ●
PEIKKO CONNECTIONS 1/2021 11