With a commitment to stable expansion, the company is heavily investing in a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Oulainen, Finland, set to commence production in autumn 2024. The Group, formed in spring 2021 through the merger of four manufacturers, is in the midst of an ongoing integration process, with the Finnish integration involving significant investments.
Jukka Haapalainen, CEO of Leden Group, says the strategic shift means there’s now a clear target along with a heavier focus on the strategy execution part. What he calls the “strategy cornerstone” is the new factory investment in Oulainen, which will enable the company to increase its capacity and modernise its technology, along with improving customer service. Another focus of the new strategy is efficient Group operations, he says.
The objective of the 2021 merger was to enhance Leden Group’s capacity to offer customers an extensive array of services from a single source. And Haapalainen explains that when a customer gets the solution from one place, it saves them time. “Our operational framework is designed to optimise customer service, aligning with Leden Group's mission to simplify the lives of our customers,” he says. “This mission serves as the foundation of our strategy, which emphasises that a consolidated solution from a single source not only streamlines processes but also saves valuable time for the customer. This means efficiency in our operations.”
Haapalainen explains that the strategy execution process with Trailmaker began in 2021 with Leden Group now into round two. “If execution takes too long, we lose business, energy, euros. That’s why we’re working with Trailmaker, to ensure we don’t fall into this common pitfall.
“The Trailmaker process makes the business of strategy execution concrete. Our board, top management and selected persons have been involved in the work and are using Trailmaker’s tool. It’s simple and systematic and we can follow progress the whole time, so we don’t get sidetracked by daily life.
“Trailmaker has guided us on this growth path and helped us find the correct direction. The tool and whole philosophy will take us through this journey: mapping, defining, and executing the strategy. People must be connected to the strategy and must be part of it for it to work. There’s a saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast. That principle is always on my mind.”
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Higher Execution Power – Faster Strategy Execution
Execution Power is TRAILMAKER framework. Execution Power indicates how well an organization can execute strategic change. Execution Power consists of 3 elements: Commitment, Capability and Leadership.
Execution Power Highlights: Leden Group
TRAILMAKER Round 1
- Commitment: Board and owners’ commitment to shared strategy
- Capability: Leadership team strengthened
- Leadership: Strategy execution started
TRAILMAKER Round 2
- Commitment: Leadership team ownership to strategy execution
- Capability: Leden Finland integration, organisation & operations
- Leadership: Group level management system
