Escarmat provided a main switchboard for Outomatic’s project

Outomatic Oy, based in Rauma, offers electrical design and contracting services for both industry and residential customers.

In an interview with Escarmat, the company’s CEO, Tomi Koivisto, described how the business grew from small electrical installation jobs into larger electrical contracting projects. Their first collaboration with Escarmat was a success, involving the delivery of a main switchboard for Outomatic’s end customer’s new laboratory facility in Central Finland.

Outomatic had not previously worked with Escarmat, but Koivisto had come across the company’s high-quality switchboards in earlier projects, and the name had stuck with him. When it came time to request quotations, Escarmat stood out and was ultimately selected.

Project progress and challenges

– There are always challenges in projects; they are unavoidable, and this project was no exception. What truly matters, however, is how those challenges are managed and resolved, as that says far more about the project’s success. If a project is completed in a way that leaves all parties with a positive experience, then it can be called a success, notes Koivisto.

– In the original plans, the customers’ needs were carefully considered to minimize changes and approval rounds. In practice, however, things turned out differently. The end customer ultimately requested much more to be included in the project compared to the initial idea, and the size of the main switchboard essentially doubled from the original.

Of course, it is never ideal when a project undergoes numerous changes and additions along the way, with drawings needing to be revised multiple times. This naturally resulted in more work and an extended schedule, adding extra pressure to an already busy spring.

Collaboration in Practice

Despite the large number of changes and multiple rounds of revisions, the change management was handled excellently, and the end customer was also very satisfied.

– Both the design and production teams handled the project excellently: the design team responded smoothly to drawing updates, and production took care of ordering new components according to the end customer’s change requests, Koivisto mentions.

Koivisto states that communication with Escarmat was easy and smooth. Emails were always answered promptly, and he could easily reach them by phone. He also considers it is worth mentioning that the customer was able to communicate directly with the designer and the production manager, not only through the sales representative. Koivisto personally visited Vikby premises to inspect the distribution board, which was arranged without difficulty. Schedules were agreed upon flexibly, and the inspection was carried out without unnecessary delays. Outomatic delivered the main board to the end customer on time, and the solution has proven to be effective even under the demanding conditions of laboratory use.

Prospects for Future Collaboration

Koivisto clearly sees Escarmat as a supplier for Outomatic in the future.

– We have been well recognized as customers, and our needs have been met. From time to time, there are custom orders, and in those cases a request for a quote is also sent to Escarmat. Whenever a distribution board or enclosure is needed, we request a quote from Escarmat.

Also read the results of our customer survey.