Home What’s new Networking for the first time at Kuntamarkkinat Networking for the first time at Kuntamarkkinat 01.10.2024 Blog Jaa: Emmi Kurru Marketing Manager at Systam Our autumn kicked off with a very welcome live event as we stepped through the doors of the Helsinki House of Municipalities last week. There was already a lot of buzz on-site – the recently started Kuntamarkkinat (municipal trade fair) brought together several thousand municipal decision-makers around Finland over two days. Alongside diligent networking, the days included interesting discussions and speeches that painted a picture of the current situation in the municipal sector and what to expect. But what did we take away from the event, and how do we see the future? Municipal buildings in transition The building stock of cities and municipalities is aging. Old properties and facilities can lead to indoor air problems at worst and are often impractical based on today’s needs. Discussions highlighted the need for municipalities to make more flexible and diverse use of spaces, but renovation projects require careful consideration. At the same time, new municipal building projects are being planned and initiated in several locations. This strongly indicates the ongoing effort of municipalities to develop their services and infrastructure. Municipal building concepts are also being designed today from a completely new perspective. A good example is the Lempäälä House, completed in 2021, which houses several functions under one roof for better service. Centralization also simplifies the daily lives of staff and overall administration. The Lempäälä House has also smartly utilized new technology that enhances work efficiency and often saves already tight resources. Savings in focus, also in municipalities The municipal sector is currently under pressure to make savings. The scarcity of subsidies and budgets drives the search for new ways to increase efficiency, which was strongly reflected at Kuntamarkkinat. Discussions included easing the workload of staff and finding new automated solutions. Savings are also closely related to the aging building stock. Due to budget constraints, there isn’t always enough money to renovate spaces. Even if there is a desire to do so. Efforts are also being made to optimize the use of spaces by renting municipal facilities to external parties. This raises the challenge of managing diverse customer and visitor traffic, as staff are rarely available outside office hours. Although optimizing and mapping out new cutbacks often do not have a positive ring, savings can surprisingly be achieved with small and simple changes. Solutions through digitalization Digitalization is taking over the municipal sector and helps to address budget shortfalls. Innovative solutions not only bring savings but also promote data-driven management. Take, for example, intelligent visitor management, which digitizes front desk services. Options include either automating all or some functions. This solution can enhance existing services or completely replace the need for front desk personnel. Residents and visitors can independently sign in and meet experts, receive guidance for moving within the premises, and access restricted doors during a specific time window. At the same time, it ensures secure processing of personal data under NIS2 and GDPR requirements. By integrating various functions, benefits can be increased by creating seamless systems. For example, visitor management can be linked to room booking, ensuring that each meeting has a suitable room already booked. This also eases the staff’s daily routines, as meeting room displays by the door indicate free and reserved spaces at a glance. Digital inductions can facilitate the training of substitutes or other staff. A standardized process, automatic invitations, and tests to ensure understanding ensure that onboarding is completed without additional effort. Data-driven management as the future captain One of the most interesting topics of discussion at Kuntamarkkinat was data-driven management. For instance, the Smart City concept illustrates how IoT and other smart technologies promote more efficient operations and better resource utilization in municipalities. Whether it’s visitor management at a municipal building or the conceptual design of an entire city, all digital and technological solutions ultimately aim to support data-driven management. The collected data serves as a bridge for improving the quality of life for residents and for more rational resource use by cities and municipalities. While many service units have started collecting data, they are not yet fully utilizing it. In the future, we can expect more advanced tools that will help with both data collection and analysis, making it easier to use the data for decision-making. Let’s network at Kuntamarkkinat next year! We are hoping to see you at the next Kuntamarkkinat. Until then, if new technologies spark interest (or horror), let us help you. We offer intelligent solutions that enhance the daily operations of the municipal sector in both data-driven management and the automation of daily tasks. Contact us Read also See all news Blog Coming of age into the new year 19/12/2024 Blog Smart municipal center: How visitor management enhances service and safety at Lempäälä House 03/12/2024 News Customer survey 2024 – results 31/10/2024 Blog Front desk automation – welcome your guests effortlessly 22/10/2024
