Arctia: Efficiency, Unity, and a Satisfied Workforce
Arctia consolidated its shore-based and maritime HR management into Panasoft’s system. The goal of this integration was to establish a unified HR management process across the entire group. The reform enhanced administrative workflows and simplified both recruitment and payroll operations.
Arctia safeguards Finland’s maritime traffic by maintaining navigable waterways, carrying out icebreaking operations, and assisting seafarers in challenging ice conditions. For this reason, the systems it uses must be among the best and most reliable on the market.
Arctia’s payroll system for maritime personnel reached the end of its lifecycle in 2021. At the same time, it was a logical step to integrate the HR management of both shore-based and maritime operations, ensuring that all five companies in the group would operate with a unified and efficient HR function. This would improve operational smoothness and enable better service for both maritime and land-based personnel.
Comprehensive Needs Assessment
The HR management systems previously used by the group could not support the integration of shore-based and maritime HR functions.
Arctia’s HR and Legal Affairs Officer, Janne Laitinen, together with HR Manager Mia Winqvist, began the search for a new partner by mapping the group’s requirements and compiling a list of all the capabilities the new system would need to meet Arctia’s standards.
“It had to serve the needs of personnel both onshore and at sea, account for various collective labor agreements, handle internal transfers between different group entities, record qualification data, and manage crew rest hours. And as the final touch, the system needed to function both online and offline while vessels were in operation,” Winqvist recalls.
A System Tailored to Arctia’s Needs
Arctia was already aware of Panasoft’s strengths in maritime HR management but did not know how well the system would adapt to shore-based HR functions.
“We benchmarked the onshore operations of Finnferries, a company specialized in ferry services. We were convinced by Panasoft. The system proved to be the best solution, and it quickly became clear that, with Amiko, we could further standardize group-wide practices,” Winqvist explains.
Once the collaboration was agreed, the project team gathered around the same table to document all Arctia’s needs. Alongside the unified system, the group also wanted to harmonize other organizational practices.
“We worked closely with the client throughout the process. Requirements evolved along the way, and new features were developed in the system to meet these updated expectations,” says Panasofts Jukka Karvanen.
One challenge in the project was the retiring of Arctia’s HR personnel. New employees had to step into a large-scale project midstream. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the organization of face-to-face meetings for the project team.
“We overcame these challenges thanks to the project group’s close communication,” Karvanen notes.
“Fortunately, all meetings could be conducted in Finnish. Explaining complex collective agreement provisions to an overseas partner would have been challenging, and I believe it would have prolonged the project,” Winqvist adds.
A Functional and United HR Management System
The long and time demanding system overhaul is now complete. Arctia’s HR management processes have been updated to meet group-wide requirements, and all functions have been centralized into a single system. Initial resistance from some employees has turned into satisfaction as the improved and more streamlined program has been adopted.
“The journey was worth it. We now have a functional and coherent HR management system for the entire group. We can handle payroll from a single platform, and most importantly, we have standardized information sharing across the organization’s different business areas,” says HR and Legal Affairs Officer Janne Laitinen.
The decisive factor in the project was selecting the right software.
“The system choice and the well-managed collaboration process were key to the project’s success and to achieving our objectives,” Laitinen concludes.