ANNUAL REPORT 2009
HiQ
4
HiQ i kortHet
RESULTS, RESPONSIBILITY, SIMPLICITY AND JOY.
HiQ’s values are no in-house slogan but simply the key to satisfied clients. Values have always
held a prominent position at HiQ, as they determine who we are and how we act. HiQ is a results-
oriented, responsible and committed team who does its best to simplify and improve the clients
operations.
HiQ i kortHet
Contents
HiQ 2009 in brief . . . 6
CEO – Lars Stugemo . . . 8
Introduction . . . . . . . 10
Business overview . . . 11
Values . . . 13
Areas of expertise . . . 14
Clients and sectors . . . . . 18
Cases . . . . . . . 19
Vision, business concept and goals . . . . . . . . . . 24
Strategies . . . . . . . . . . 25
Employees . . . . . . . 26
Delivery models, working methods and development of employees . . . . 33
Five-year review . . . 34
Risk . . . . . . . 36
The HiQ share . . . . . . 38
Directors’ report . . . 41
Consolidated income statement and report of comprehensive income & balance sheet . . . 45
Consolidated statement of changes in equity, . . . 47
Consolidated cash flow statement . . . . . 48
Parent Company income statement and balance sheet . . . . 49
Parent Company – Changes in shareholders’ equity . . . 50
Cash flow statement, Parent Company . . . 51
Notes . . . . . . 52
Auditors’ report . . . 74
Corporate governance . . . 75
Management . . . 78
Board of Directors . . . 80
Organisation . . . . 71
Definitions of key ratios . . . 82
History . . . 82
Addresses . . . 83 Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting will take place at 10 a.m. on 25 March 2010 at HiQ’s offices at Mäster Samuelsgatan 17, 9th floor, in Stockholm. Notice of the Annual General Meeting will be published in the newspapers Post- och Inrikes Tidningar and Svenska Dagbladet, as well as on the company’s web- site, www.hiq.se
Upcoming financial information The Annual General Meeting will take place on 25 March 2010.
The interim report for the period January–March will be presented on 27 April 2010.
The interim report for the period January–June will be presented on 18 August 2010.
The interim report for the period January–September will be presen- ted on 26 October 2010.
The year-end release for 2009 will be presented on 1 February 2011.
For more information, please
contact Annika Billberg, Head of
Corporate Communications and
Investor Relations Manager,
tel. +46 (0)8-588 900 15,
+46 (0)704-200 103,
annika.billberg@hiq.se
6
HiQ in brief
sweden’s most popular
employer among IT consultants.
HiQ was highly ranked in Universum’s wide-reaching survey in 2009 that was to identify Sweden’s most popular employer in the data/
IT category. We were ranked highest out of all IT consultancies and climbed four places compared with last year
HiQ is based on our values.
Our values have been key since HiQ was established. We want to create an IT consultancy that stands out from the crowd. That offer clients what they are lacking. HiQ was founded on val- ues that could be shared by employ- ees and clients alike. HiQ is a results- oriented, responsible and committed team who does its best to simplify and improve the clients operations.
sweden’s best IT-consultancy in 2009 and 2010.
HiQ was elected Sweden’s best IT consultancy 2009 and 2010 in a survey in which the magazine Veckans Affärer asked more than 600 buyers of consultancy serv- ices for their views.
p 10
p 1 3
p 8
p 8, 24
p 8, 24 HiQ in a nutshell.
We want to make life easier for people and help our clients to improve and simplify their operations. HiQ is an IT and manage- ment consultancy specialised in communication and software development. Our focus is on both the technology and how our clients can make money out of it. We are purely a consultancy, which means that we do not develop or sell any products of our own; we simply use all our time and expertise to help our cli- ents, providing them with the specialist skills they lack. HiQ has ten subsidiaries and more than 1,000 employees at 10 offices in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Russia.
HiQ makes daily life simpler!
In 2009 we didn’t set the world on fire, but nonetheless our results were very strong. Our sales amounted to SEK 1,057.7 million with an operating profit of SEK 145.6 million, giving an operating margin of 13.8 percent. The Board pro- poses a dividend of SEK 1.10 per share, totalling around SEK 57 million, as per our dividend policy.
We achieved our strong result for 2009 thanks to continued confidence from our clients, our extraordinarily responsible and results-oriented employees, and through HiQ being the strong brand that it is. In addition, HiQ has plenty of room for manoeuvre thanks to our robust financial status.
In 2010 we will be working with our clients to continue to develop products and
services that make life easier for people, says Lars Stugemo, President and CEO
of HiQ International.
HiQ in brief
HiQ’s top 10 clients account for 53 percent of sales.
sales to top 10 clients.
Telecoms 41% (49%)
Top 10 clients 53% (56%) Bank,
Finance &
Insurance 7%
(7%)
Industry & Retail 15% (13%)
Public Sector 11% (6%)
where are the results of HiQ’s work?
Who is behind many of the small technological mira- cles we encounter at home, at work, in transport sys- tems, in cities, etc.?
The answer? Our clients – and HiQ. We develop tele- coms networks and systems, internet-based services, your next mobile phone, and simulated environments for training JAS pilots. We work with systems for share trading, internet gaming and betting services, and test systems for producing new car engines.
p 14
p 8, 34, 41, 44
The operating profit was SEK 145.6 million.
operating profit
Net sales was SEK 1,057.7 million.
net sales
sales by business sector.
Our clients come from many different business sectors.
HiQ in figures 2009.
Turnover amounted to SEK 1,057.7 SEK million and op- erating profit amounted to SEK 145.6 million, giving an operating margin of 13.8 percent. At year-end the head- count was 1,014.
SEK million SEK million Year
Year
200 0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
09 08 07 06 05
09 08 07 06 05
25 50 75 100 125 150 175
145,6
193,9 182,3 154,9
148,3
1.057,7 1.181,5 973,7
801,4 720,5
8
Ceo - LArS StUGeMo
HiQ MAKES DAILY LIFE SIMPLER
In 2009 we didn’t set the world on fire, but nonetheless our results were very strong. Our sales amounted to SEK 1,057.7 million with an operating profit of SEK 145.6 million, giving an operating margin of 13.8 percent. The Board proposes a dividend of SEK 1.10 per share, totalling around SEK 57 million, as per our dividend policy.
It is difficult to make forecasts, particularly about the future, as Nobel Prize winner Niels Bohr said as early as the start of the 20th Century. But now, at the dawn of 2010, we feel that the worst of the financial crisis is over and that the situation in society is gradually stabilising.
We achieved our strong result for 2009 thanks to continued confidence from our clients, our extraordinarily responsible and results-oriented employees, and through HiQ being the strong brand that it is. In addition, HiQ has plenty of room for manoeuvre thanks to our robust finan- cial status.
At the start of 2009, the industry had become more or less stagnant. Many waited to see how the economy would pan out. As predicted, 2009 was a tough year, with the second and third quar- ters being the weakest. During the fourth quar- ter, we began to see increased demand for our services and ended the year on a high note. We feel that we have moved forward and won market share during a challenging 2009 and believe that we are well equipped to succeed in 2010.
2009 – HiQ continues to forge ahead even during the lull.
The doldrums – that’s what the areas just north and south of the equator are called. This is where, metaphorically speaking at least, we all were at the start of 2009, waiting to see what was going to happen – with the economy in general and the financial crisis in particular.
But while others are waiting around, you can get things done. It’s just a question of hard, methodical work and adapting operations to the prevailing conditions. Here are a few examples.
In 2009 we continued our work on broaden- ing the scope of HiQ’s operations, both geo- graphically and in market terms. Opening a new office in Västerås increased our presence in the Mälardalen region, and by forming HiQ Öresund, we created a new platform for growth in southern Sweden and Denmark.
We intensified our contact with major client companies because we know that, in a reces- sion, clients look to limit their partnerships to a few established suppliers of quality services – like HiQ. One result of this is that we were able to sign a new comprehensive framework agree- ment with Volvo Cars.
We also went all out to broaden our cus- tomer base. These efforts bore a great deal of fruit, for example in the finance sector, in which we signed framework agreements with SEB and NASDAQ OMX, and in other sectors such as the automotive, defence, industrial and public sectors.
We also identified several areas in which there is significant market potential for our services. One such area is IT systems that are crucial to our clients’ business operations – business-critical IT systems. HiQ’s offering includes quality assurance of IT system deliver- ies, an area that is strong in Finland and that grew throughout the Group in 2009.
After working so hard it’s always nice to get some praise, and we did – from both our clients and the industry. We were awarded the accolade of Sweden’s best IT consultancy 2009 and 2010 on the basis of a survey of more than 600 consultancy buyers conducted by business magazine Veckans Affärer. And we were also named Sweden’s most popular employer among IT consultancies in Universum Communications’
major survey, Karriärbarometern.
2010 – wind in our sails.
It feels good to leave the doldrums behind us.
We felt a light breeze as early as autumn 2009, and now it’s a fact: the sails are starting to fill out and it’s time to sheet home and pick up speed.
What technological developments will we see in 2010? Aren’t mobile phones as advanced as they can be and flatscreen TVs as flat as pan- cakes? Isn’t it time for development to grind to a halt? No, I think it’s safe to say that as things on our planet have carried on developing over millions of years, this development is very likely to continue in 2010.
The main area that will evolve in the future is
the way in which we use technology. Of course,
the hardware itself will also change and evolve,
for example the TV/computer combination, but
there is endless development potential on the
service side. For example, we are now seeing
Ceo - LArS StUGeMo
the emergence of new media services that allow for a whole new way of watching television.
Imagine a Formula 1 broadcast seen from five different angles that you can switch between – whenever you like. Switch from being in the driver’s seat to seeing what is happening in the pits of the various teams during the race, then move on to information about fuel consumption, tyre wear, etc. A motor sports nerd like me sees potential that we haven’t even dreamt of, and the exact same approach can be applied to several other media phenomena.
We’re now helping the world’s first member- based, advertising-financed mobile operator to set up operations. We’re helping the Swedish Tax Agency to develop systems that allow peo- ple to get their tax refunds more quickly. We’re helping a leading e-commerce company save 10 million euros through its new system. We’re developing platforms for interactive gaming that are used by 3 million people every week.
In 2010 we will be working with our clients to continue to develop products and services that make life easier for people. These are all around us – we use them for communication, for busi- ness and for pleasure.
During 2010 we’ll also be recruiting a large number of new employees who match our values.
And values are important. HiQ was founded on values that could be shared by employees and clients alike: results, responsibility, simplicity and enjoyment. They’re about taking responsibil- ity and being interested in the results of what we do, without complicating things and always with a sparkle in our eyes. Over the years, this has created a pleasant yet professional atmosphere when we collaborate with clients, an atmosphere that will also be relevant in 2010.
Today, HiQ is a significant player in the Nordic market, with a broad client base, strong geo- graphical presence and robust financial status.
We want to make life easier for people and help our clients to improve & simplify its opera- tions. With our heart in the Nordic region, we provide services in communications and software development to clients operating in a globally competitive environment.
We want to be the world’s best consultancy for our clients, employees and shareholders.
We have managed the worst part of the reces- sion. But this doesn’t mean that things will just happen by themselves. Results, responsibility,
simplicity and enjoyment are important in all parts of the business cycle.
Lars Stugemo
President and CEO, HiQ International AB,
26 February 2010
introDUCtion
HiQ IN A NUTSHELL
BUSINESS FOCUS
HiQ is an IT and management consultancy specialised in communication and software development. Our focus is on both the technology and how our clients can make money out of it.
We are purely a consultancy, which means that we do not develop or sell any products of our own; we simply use all our time and expertise to help our clients, providing them with the specialist skills they lack.
HiQ has ten subsidiaries and more than 1,000 employees at 10 offices in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Russia.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Our areas of expertise are telecoms, mobile telephony, simulation technology, business- critical systems, interactive gaming and plat- forms, and IT solutions for vehicles.
SECTORS
We work with clients in sectors such as telecoms, trade and industry, automotive, gaming and entertain- ment and media, finance and insur- ance, public sector and defence.
CLIENTS
In conjunction with more than 200 cli- ents, we develop a wide range of high- tech products, services, systems and networks.
Our clients include ABB, Ascom Sweden,
Bombardier, ComHem, Ericsson, GTECH,
Handelsbanken, NASDAQ OMX, Nokia,
Outukompu, PTS, Saab, SEB, Semel,
the Swedish Tax Agency, Swedbank,
Veikkaus, Volvo, Tele 2 and Telenor.
Greater need for specialisation
Just think back – how electronic were cars ten years ago, what could you do with your mobile phone, what equipment did you use when you watched a film or listened to music at home?
What did you have to do when you played poker or handed in your pools coupon? And how does all this work now? The list of high-tech innova- tions could go on and on.
Compared with just ten years ago, we are using technology that is significantly more ad- vanced, along with a greater number of sophis- ticated services – both in our daily lives and in industry. Today all organisations and companies also use IT as a support for their operations.
Many new companies cannot exist at all without IT, e.g. companies that offer streaming via Inter- net or mobile phone for music or film.
This accelerating technological development means that the process of developing new prod- ucts and services is becoming increasingly com- plicated. It is therefore becoming difficult for our clients to have all the expertise and the human resources needed to develop new items quickly and to compete successfully on the market.
Some companies simply choose to outsource re- search and development, while others do much of the development work themselves but bring in outside expertise as required.
One way of increasing competitiveness is to use a specialised consultancy such as HiQ. In order to help our clients in the best way we can, we have chosen to be specialists rather than generalists: we have decided to specialise in what we really excel at. This means we are able to support our clients and offer them the specific expertise they need. We at HiQ are specialists in what our clients lack.
Technology and business
Our focus is on both the technology and how our clients can make money out of it – a prerequisite for supplying the best solutions to our clients.
Essentially, our job is to help our clients increase their revenues or lower their costs, or both. The tools we have to achieve this are a high level of technical competence and lengthy experience in business and operational development.
Purely a consultancy company
We do not develop or sell any proprietary prod- ucts that compete with those of our clients, but devote 100% of our time and expertise to help- ing our clients. We are purely a consultancy com- pany that acts as an independent adviser with the client’s best interests in mind.
bUSineSS foCUS
SPECIALISTS IN WHAT OUR CLIENTS LACK
WE WANT TO MAKE life easier for people and help our clients to improve & simplify their operations.
HiQ is an IT and management consultancy specialised in communication and software development.
We help our clients with both technology and business, i.e. we develop high-tech products and serv- ices while offering advice on how clients can best improve their profitability using the new technol- ogy. We are purely a consultancy, which means that we do not develop or sell any products of our own; we simply use all our time and expertise to help our clients, providing them with the specialist skills they lack.
HiQ’s business is based on
helping clients simplify their
customers’ daily operations.
vALUeS
HiQ IS BASED ON OUR VALUES
OUR VALUES HAVE been key since HiQ was established. We want to create an IT consultancy that stands out from the crowd. That offer clients what they are lacking. HiQ was founded on values that could be shared by employees and clients alike: “We’ll create the company we always wanted to work for, and that clients want to work with”.
Over the years our values have helped make HiQ a company that is characterised by a mix of high-tech knowhow, a businesslike approach and a positive working atmosphere. Values hold a prominent position at HiQ, as they determine who we are and how we act in relation to our clients.
HiQ is a results-oriented, responsible and committed team who does its best to simplify and improve the clients’ operation.
Results.
We like results. The very essence of our lives as IT consultants is to deliver results. The work we do gives results in terms of our clients increas- ing their revenues or lowering their costs by streamlining the product development process, develop its IT-support systems or making daily life more pleasant for consumers, to name just a couple of examples.
We supply the things our clients want and are proud to be able to provide them with value. As employees we take an interest, ask each other how things have gone and measure results. We enjoy healthy competition.
Responsibility.
PSR (Personal Social Responsibility) is start- ing to become a buzzword. It has always been very much in fashion at HiQ, but in a broader social sense. Each employee is to be a good role model and take personal responsibility in both words and actions for his or her team, and for the company as a whole. This applies to everything from supplying the right services to the client at the right time to keeping the office kitchen neat and tidy.
Simplicity.
Some people like complicating things to make them look difficult. Not us. We like making dif- ficult things simple. We do not complicate our client relationships or our own organisation with hierarchies or complex administration. The key- words here are delegation of responsibility for results, small-scaleism and creativity.
Joy.
High-tech is exciting – developing as a company and as an employee and improving even further.
Our organisation encourages and supports com- mitment, personal growth and individual influ- ence. Working together with our clients is an enjoyable experience.
HiQ was founded on values that could be shared by employees and clients alike: results, responsibility, simplicity and joy.
HiQ was founded on va- lues that could be shared by employees and clients alike: “We’ll create the company we always wanted to work for, and that clients want to work with”. Over the years our values have helped make HiQ a company that is characterised by a mix of high-tech knowhow, a businesslike approach and a positive working atmosphere.
AreAS of expertiSe
14
Telecoms
Telecoms means communication between peo- ple – and between people and systems. Systems also communicate with each other without peo- ple being involved. In your daily life, this means that your computer, mobile, TV games console, TV, music system, etc. need to work together and communicate with the outside world.
HiQ has long occupied a strong position in the telecoms sector, working with most of the sup- pliers, operators and users in the Nordic region.
More than 200 million people are members
of social networks such as Facebook and Twit- ter. HiQ is now helping the world’s first member- based mobile operator to set up operations.
A leading Nordic operator is working on a business-critical optimization of its network.
HiQ has developed software to streamline the client’s information flows. The software is sav- ing more than 1,000 hours of work per year.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE RESULTS OF HiQ’S WORK?
IS YOUR MOBILE PHONE a TV? Is your TV a laptop? Is your computer a phone? Is your home a net- work? Increasing numbers of people are able to answer ‘yes’ to all of these questions.
In recent years, we have all purchased new, high-tech products that have changed our lives – for some people, only marginally and for others more susceptible to the latest innovations, completely.
But who is behind many of the small technological miracles we encounter at home, at work, in the transport system, in cities, etc.? The answer? Our clients – and HiQ.
We develop telecoms networks and systems, internet-based services, your next mobile phone, and simulated environments for training JAS pilots. We work with systems for share trading, Internet gaming and betting services, and test systems for developing new car engines.
We combine all these fields in six areas of expertise: telecoms, mobile telephony, simulation tech- nology, business-critical systems, interactive gaming and platforms, and IT solutions for vehicles.
Read more about how HiQ is a part of your life.
AreAS of expertiSe
Mobile telephony
What actually is mobile telephony today, you may ask. One thing is certain: it is becoming less and less about telephony and more and more about other things. Today we can access web pages on our mobiles as quickly as on a compu- ter, read our email, watch films, take photos and film videos, pay for products and services, con- nect our mobile to our hifi system and stream music from the Internet, use the GPS function or watch television programmes, to name just a few examples. For many years we and our cli- ents have been developing and combining ever- increasing functionality in mobile phones.
HiQ works with the major manufacturers and helps them to develop and quality assure new mobile phones, as well as mobile platforms and services. We also work with systems for most types of mobile telephony networks.
As well as being involved in developing sev- eral new mobile phones over the past year, we have also, for example, developed the game application Air Fight – an advanced flight game for the iPhone – and developed and tested soft- ware for managing images in mobile phones
HiQ has helped well-known mobile phone manufacturers to develop and quality as- sure more than 300 new mobile phone models over the past five years.
Simulation technology
One of the areas of expertise in which we have the longest experience is simulation technol- ogy. We are the market leaders in the Nordic re- gion in developing software for simulated envi- ronments and work with many different clients in the field.
Over the past year we have developed an oral surgery simulator for dentists in collabora- tion with Forsslund Systems, KTH Royal Insti- tute of Technology, and Karolinska Institutet.
The simulator is used by dentistry students to practice surgical procedures. And we are con- tinuing to work on high-tech simulators for pi- lots training to fly the JAS 39 Gripen, or refresh- ing their skills.
150 pilots have trained for 24,000 flying hours annually in the flight simulator for JAS 39 Gripen, meaning a saving of around SEK 2 billion compared with training in actual aeroplanes.
Business-critical systems
We all own shares or investment funds, have a
variety of insurance policies, and communicate
with government agencies and banks. What all
these sectors and public authorities have in
common is that many of them are clients of HiQ,
HiQ i kortHet
512,9
At HiQ, employees take responsibility for their teams and the work as a whole in partnership with the client.
and that they use systems that are crucial to their operations and business.
Systems with demanding specifications in terms of performance, reliability and availabil- ity. Often it is a case of systems that need to run 24/7, for example transaction systems for banks or case handling systems for public au- thorities.
One example is the Swedish Tax Agency, for which we have developed a system that proc- esses self-assessment forms more efficiently, which means in turn that tax refunds can be sent out earlier than previously. Other exam- ples are that we have helped NASDAQ OMX to develop a new trading platform and developed systems for several banks in the Nordic region.
Ten billion newspapers are produced annu- ally in 30 countries using systems developed by HiQ. These new systems have meant that the newspapers are delivered on time and that staff costs for processing and packaging have been halved.
Interactive gaming and platforms
Internet gaming and betting is huge throughout the western world. People now place bets on everything from horses, football and basketball to what will be the year’s most popular Christ- mas present. Demand for interactive gaming options is growing, particularly in the area of sports games.
We work mainly with interactive betting and sports games, which are designed to be played on your mobile phone or computer. We are the leading player in this area in the Nordic region and, together with our clients, develop and im- plement platforms for gaming, along with the games themselves. We also develop advanced solutions to handle security, accessibility and performance.
Our clients include well-known and established Nordic gaming and betting companies, along with GTECH, the world’s leading supplier of IT solutions and services to the gaming and lottery sector.
Almost 3 million people in the Nordic region play sports games and games of chance on the Internet each week. HiQ has been devel- oping platforms and games for Internet gam- ing for more than 20 years.
IT solutions for vehicles
The automotive sector is currently in the midst of a period in which new ideas are perhaps of more value than ever. Over-establishment and demands for new, ecofriendly alternatives mean that vehicle manufacturers are facing new chal- lenges.
We work with a number of global manufactur- ers of cars and other vehicles and help them de- velop software in cars featuring artificial intel- ligence for active safety, advanced infotainment systems and hybrid technology.
For example, we are working on quality as- surance of a new infotainment system for Volvo Cars. Infotainment systems are systems that control all communication inside the car, as well as between the car and the surrounding world.
We are also supplying two new production testing systems for quality assurance of engines to another leading vehicle manufacturer in the Nordic region.
HiQ has developed systems for active secu- rity for more than 15 new car models over the past five years.
AreAS of expertiSe
18
CLientS AnD SeCtorS
OUR CLIENTS are global or Nordic high-tech com- panies in the forefront of technological develop- ment. They are active in sectors such as telecoms, gaming & entertainment & media, automotive, defence, trade & industry & retail, public sector and banking, finance and insurance.
Telecoms
Ever since HiQ was founded we have held a very strong position within telecoms, and work with suppliers, operators, users and the regulatory authorities in the telecoms sector.
We work with leading clients such as Ascom Wireless Solutions, Ericsson, Nokia, Telenor, Com Hem, Glocalnet, TDC, Tele2, Telia Danmark, Teracom and 3.
Gaming, entertainment & media
Together with our clients we have been develop- ing and implementing platforms for online gam- ing for more than ten years. We are leaders in the Nordic region in this sector, which is constantly growing in terms of sales.
Our clients include GTECH, Veikkaus, Unibet, Betsson, Svenska Spel, Ace Interactive and De Lotto.
Automotive
HiQ works with project management, develop- ment and testing of software, communications so- lutions and simulators for future vehicle models.
Our clients include Volvo Cars, Volvo Group, Scania, Haldex Traction, Mecel, Alpine, Danaher Motion and NIRA Dynamics.
Banking, finance & insurance
HiQ works with banks, insurance companies and stock exchange trading companies. We are ex- perts in securities trading. Among other things we develop, test and administrate transaction- intensive systems for trade in securities.
Our clients include Handelsbanken, NASDAQ OMX, Neonet, Nordea, Orc Software, SEB and Swedbank.
Defence
HiQ has been working with clients in the defence industry since 1992. We are leaders in simulation technology in the Nordic region. Our simulation expertise derives from developing high-tech simulators for pilots training to fly the JAS 39 Gripen.
Our clients include FMV (Swedish Defence Materiel Administration), the Swedish Armed Forces, SAAB, BAE Systems Hägglunds, and BAE Systems Bofors.
Industry & retail
Our clients in industry and the retail trade hire us to get help with strategic decisions to ensure that they invest in the right IT solution. We also help them with management, further develop- ment and securing the operation of their IT solu- tions.
Typical clients in the trade and industry sec- tor include ABB, Atlas Copco, DeLaval, ICA and Vägverket Produktion (now known as Svevia AB).
Public sector
In collaboration with public authorities and or- ganisations we develop IT support and processes for some of society’s most important functions.
Examples of clients include the Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Police, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency), the Swedish Radiation Safety Author- ity, and Tekes in Finland.
OUR CLIENTS ARE IN SEVEN SECTORS
SALES TO TOP 10 CLIENTS
HiQ’s top 10 clients account for 53% of sales.
SALES BY BUSINESS SECTOR Our clients come from many different business sectors.
Telecoms 41% (49%)
Defence 9% (8%) Banking,
Finance &
Insurance 7% (7%)
Industry & Retail 15% (13%)
Gaming, Entertainment
& Media 7% (7%) Automotive
10% (10%) Public Sector 11% (6%)
Top 10 clients 53% (56%)
CASeS
DORO Background
During recent years, Doro has adjusted both its strategy and its product portfolio in order to be- come a niche player in the telecoms sector. This change has resulted in great success, and Doro is now able to title itself market leader in ‘care electronics’ with a broad, award-winning range of products for the growing proportion of older people in the population. The initiative to pro- duce user-friendly mobile phones will continue throughout 2010, with many new innovations and exciting challenges.
Assignment
Committed sales efforts and several meetings with the client resulted in a short assignment – a feasibility study that was to be carried out over a two-week period. Both we and our client be- came rapidly aware that the assignment would be slightly bigger than we had first anticipated.
Examples of areas we covered during that time are case handling, software customisation, de- livery management, new signalling platforms and new technological areas, to name but a few.
It is incredibly stimulating to work in an organi- sation with such a predominantly positive view of the future. However, the strong growth within the company and the new technologies that the mobile telephony initiative entails make new demands on technical comprehension and work methods.
My tasks have been extremely varied from day to day, but they are still linked to the areas identi- fied during the feasibility study, and we are still making use of the insights gained in it. To date, I have mainly supported product managers in evaluating new platforms for future products; the same applies to technical issues that have arisen during meetings with new Doro customers. I have also been involved in process work by develop- ing work methods and mentor programmes in the project manager group. Last but not least, I have done a lot of practical work in the areas where the technology has caused problems.
Mats Näslund HiQ Skåne
FIVE CASES
“We’re extremely satisfied with HiQ and, above all, Mats and his expertise. His positive attitude and understanding of our ambition to develop user-friendly products meant that he fitted in perfectly from day one and was able to deliver right from the start.”
Thomas Bergdahl, Deputy CEO, Doro
KUUSAKOSKI Background
Recycling is a process in which unnecessary ma- terials are redirected back into production. As there are only a limited amount of raw materi- als available in the world, recycling is becoming a strategic tool for us all to be able to maintain our high standards of living. Kuusakoski is one of the leading recycling companies in the North- ern Europe with recycling sites in 10 countries.
The family owned company has long roots since it was established in Vyborg in 1914.
During the recent years Kuusakoski has been very successful in developing their processes.
For example they have high volume junk car shredding and processing lines, which utilize several high-tech process steps to separate and
As the actual processes happen mostly on the recycling yards, the logistics is definitely very important. The yard operations are based on semiautomatic truck scales, which are connect- ed to their own developed ERP system. Besides weighting of the loads, the bespoke ERP system handles all the needed business processes from procurement to sales and invoicing, storage management and transportation planning. In addition to these basic operational processes the system provides the needed asset informa- tion for the corporate management to handle the inherent market risks of this business.
Assignment
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HiQ i kortHet
CASeS
“To be able to manage our business, the IT environment is a major business critical function. From the start HiQ has provided us with a highly skilled development team that has helped us ensure an efficient and reliable process from the yard operations to the administrative routines.”
Risto Pohjanpalo, vice president Communications Kuusakoski Oy ing Kuusakoski’s IT group in their software de-
velopment. We started by establishing some new processes and setting up new tools for change control, release management and sys- tem documentation. We have also suggested roadmaps for the modernization and modulari- zation of the software architecture to make it more ready to respond to new business needs.
During these two years we have completed two systems development projects. The first one was a generic material analysis and assay management system, which is currently used for storing the results of non-ferrous assays and aluminum analysis. The system was built generic in the sense that it enables the users to configure new assay types without any applica- tion changes.
The other project was a production manage- ment system for the aluminum plant in Heinola.
The plant produces secondary aluminum prod- ucts for foundries and steel mills by smelting
raw recycled aluminum in big electric ovens with batch capacity up to 60 tons. The new sys- tem greatly enhances the production planning process and integrates it with the ERP system’s storage management. It also makes it possible to fully optimize the usage of the available and coming raw material against the known sales or- ders every week.
For an IT architect this assignment gave a nowadays quite rare opportunity for hard core analysis work, where the peculiarities of alumi- num smelting process needed to be combined with straightforward LP optimization tech- niques. Without the good project team, HiQ fel- low Janne Jurvansuu, the smelting gurus from Kuusakoski and their knowledgeable IT and optimization professionals the project could not have been succeeded.
Ari Hakaste, HiQ Finland
TDC Background
TDC is a Nordic operator and system integrator with a local presence that has focused on the corporate market. Its customers include the Swedish Tax Agency, Vattenfall, Scandic, Volvo Cars, Clas Ohlson, Handelsbanken and SEB, to name just a few.
Not quite a year ago, TDC decided to develop the successful Danish service TDC Scale and launch it in Sweden.
TDC Scale is a highly scaleable telephony service. The service is based on a Centrex design (a virtual PBX) that is installed and operated by TDC. It offers major cost benefits in that TDC’s customers are not required to make any invest- ments in their own platform but at the same time are provided with the capacity and services they need. The customer decides whether to base its system on fixed or mobile telephony or both and enjoys the added benefit that the system can also be adapted over time.
Through TDC Service Online, the TDC customer
portal, the customer exercises total control over its services and can both order and change its service. This provides financial control, higher se- curity and flexibility.
The technology and platform used by TDC is open and offers total support for integrating telephony with customers’ existing applica- tions (including enterprise resource planning and backup systems). Small widgets and appli- cations have already been developed for social networking applications like Facebook and the sales support system Salesforce. Development is under way on a broad front for integration of more applications. Presence management and integration with Microsoft OCS is one such ap- plication.
Assignment
In this business-critical project, HiQ assisted TDC with project management, IT development and testing of the network service. The project
We like results. The very essence of our existence as IT consultants is to deliver results. The work we do gives results in terms of our clients in- creasing their revenues or lowering their costs by streamlining the product development process or making daily life more pleasant for consumers, to name just a couple of examples.
