Equipmentmanagementboostingsustainability

Sustainable equipment management in Göteborgs Operan

”The benefits of equipment sharing are so obvious for the environment and for the economy. Now, the users have the possibility to borrow, rent, and share equipment that they can’t afford or do not have by themselves.” Håkan Jönsson, Facility Manager and Member of the Board, Göteborgs Operan

Håkan Jönsson, the Facility Manager at Göteborgs Operan, plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operation of this renowned Swedish opera house. His responsibilities include overseeing maintenance and services, logistics, and warehousing, as well as managing the complex stage machinery. In his role, he leads a team of around 30 professionals, from electronic engineers to cleaners.

The biggest challenge was the lack of control over the equipment

Before implementing Trail as their equipment management solution, Göteborgs Operan faced numerous challenges in managing their equipment. Håkan's team struggled with locating equipment, determining its usability, monitoring status, and tracking quantities. These challenges not only hampered operational efficiency but also made it difficult to deliver seamless services to their audience.

Trail Equipment Management provided an effective solution to these challenges. The decision to adopt Trail was strongly influenced by positive feedback from the Finnish National Opera and Ballet, which had already experienced significant benefits from the platform.

At Göteborgs Operan, Trail is central to their equipment management strategy. It helps maintain order across a vast inventory, simplifying the process of ordering and placing equipment both on-site and in storage. Additionally, Trail enables efficient equipment sharing among multiple theaters, including Göteborgs Operan, Göteborgs Stadsteater, and Folkteatern Göteborg. This collaboration not only streamlines logistics but also promotes sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

Sharing equipment boosts both the environment and the economy

The Trail Sharing functionality is highly valuable to Håkan and his team. They believe that equipment sharing offers numerous benefits, not only for their organisation but also for the environment, local economy, and broader community. By sharing resources, theaters can reduce their carbon footprint and ease the financial burden of purchasing expensive equipment. It also democratises access to high-quality equipment, ensuring that even smaller theaters and groups have the tools they need to deliver exceptional performances.

In addition to the tangible benefits of Trail's equipment management capabilities, Håkan highlights the exceptional customer-supplier relationship they've built with the Trail team. They have found Trail to be receptive to their ideas and responsive to their needs, making the system’s implementation and ongoing improvements a collaborative and rewarding experience.

In summary, Trail Equipment Management has elevated equipment management at Göteborgs Operan, providing a streamlined solution that enhances efficiency, promotes equipment sharing, and supports sustainability. With Trail, Håkan and his team can focus on what truly matters — delivering outstanding performances while ensuring that equipment is in the right place when needed.

Achieved benefits:

• Ability to maintain order and control over a vast array of items

• Simplified process of ordering and placing equipment in the correct locations on-site or in storage

• Improved logistics between venues

• Facilitate efficient sharing of equipment among partners

Management of all equipment across the city

The biggest challenge was the lack of centralised information

Before the Trail Equipment Management system was implemented, the City of Pori’s equipment data was scattered across multiple systems and unit-specific spreadsheets. Some of the data had not been compiled anywhere. There was no centralised view of all equipment and their lifecycle information.

In addition to gaining a comprehensive overview, the City of Pori set the goal of standardising asset management practices and improving the efficiency of equipment utilisation. The aim is to promote sustainable development through the efficient utilisation of equipment, improved maintenance management, systematic planning of repairs, and predicting replacement needs.

“The goal is that these new practices will make it possible to make better use of recycled equipment that is still in good condition.” - Erja Haavisto, Finance Manager, City of Pori

From a risk management perspective, improved registration of equipment was also identified as a means of preventing the loss and unauthorised use of such assets, thereby strengthening internal control and risk management practices.

Trail provided a modern solution suitable for the city’s needs

After comparing various systems, the Trail Equipment Management service was selected as the City of Pori’s solution for equipment management. The decision was influenced in particular by the system’s support for tracking stock balance items and its item-based pricing model, which suited the city’s needs. In addition, the system was found to be user-friendly, technologically modern, and adaptable to identified needs.

The success of the implementation was the result of many factors

The City of Pori was successful in implementing the selected equipment management solution.

Several factors contributed to the successful implementation:

• Efforts were made at the city level to provide guidance and information.

• Sufficient staff resources were allocated to carry out the system implementation, and staff received extensive training in data collection.

• The implementation was well planned, and the groundwork was thoroughly prepared.

• The business units were committed to implementing the system, and responsible personnel were appointed

• Trail System’s key account manager and technical support team provided assistance during the implementation

One key factor in the project’s success was that the City of Pori was able to get its staff on board with compiling asset data and using the system. In this regard, securing the commitment of the various departments and appointing designated personnel were crucial components of the overall effort. The designated personnel were also provided with training and access to a shared support group to assist them in their work.

When the system was implemented, it was emphasised that each unit could go beyond the minimum requirements defined for their specific needs, and those in charge were given the freedom to decide for themselves how to use the system on a day-to-day basis. Initially, steps were also taken to ensure that responsibility was not placed excessively on any one person.

“We were able to build a strong sense of shared purpose among the admin users.” - Bettina Nirhamo, Lead Designer, City of Pori

Achievable benefits

The centralisation and standardisation of equipment management have increased visibility and awareness of the city’s entire equipment inventory. At the same time, the conditions for establishing consistent operating practices have improved, and equipment recycling and lifecycle management have also advanced. The goal is for the Trail Equipment Management system to eventually be in use throughout the entire city organisation.

Using Trail Equipment Management service is also expected to deliver financial benefits, particularly through increased equipment rotation between units and more systematic lifecycle management.

Achieved benefits:

• A comprehensive overview of the city’s equipment

• The ability to quickly check whether the city already has any equipment available for the task at hand

• The ability to integrate risk assessments and maintenance procedures into equipment data

Equipment management system successfully implemented

"The introduction of Trail has clarified our own processes and operating models." Pia Jänkälä, IT Support, Lappia

Lappia Vocational College operates across five locations in Northern Finland, providing education to approximately 4,500 students, supported by a staff of 340. Its operations span 30% of Finland's geographical area.

In addition to offering basic and professional degrees, Lappia provides a wide range of training and services for young people, adults, and businesses.

The school's IT department manages thousands of critical pieces of IT equipment. To maintain a clear overview and simplify equipment loans, Lappia adopted Trail Asset Management.

What changed after the introduction of Trail?

Before the implementation of Trail, item data was very scattered. "There were several different tables, purchase orders, and systems in use. Gathering the overall view of all IT equipment from various sources was a huge challenge" states Pia Jänkälä from Lappia’s IT support.

With Trail, all IT equipment was consolidated into a single register. Now, asset information is easily accessible and can be kept up to date.

"The introduction of Trail Asset Management has streamlined our processes and clarified our operating models. Today, Trail also helps us manage equipment loans, create budgets for future purchases, and maintain inventories," Jänkälä continues.

An intuitive system and proper preparation streamlined the implementation

Lappia's IT team thoroughly prepared for the implementation of Trail, carefully considering the users, items, and categories to be added to the system.

"We limited the item categories in Trail to keep the content more manageable. Additionally, we decided that access rights would be granted only to IT personnel and those managing loans, ensuring that the information in the system remains well-controlled."

Jänkälä emphasized that easy data input was crucial for a smooth implementation. Inventory data can be imported into Trail in Excel format, avoiding time-consuming manual entry.

Trail's user-friendly design further supported the implementation. "As a product, Trail is clear and easy to adopt. We also found the mobile app to be relatively intuitive."

Achieved benefits:

• All IT equipment information is centralised in one system

• Tracking equipment reservations and loans is simple

• Easy way to get a comprehensive view of equipment and its lifecycle

TV2 operations supported by Trail

Trail was introduced at TV2 to manage the production technology and camera equipment. The goal was to efficiently oversee the entire life cycle of assets, from acquisition to disposal.

“We were in need of a tool to support us in managing production technology assets more efficiently,” says Jon Eirik Olsen, production manager, TV2 Oslo.

Efficient equipment management

One of the reasons for implementing Trail at TV2 was to increase efficiency in equipment management. Trail was seen as means to reduce manual administration and improve control over the condition and usage of assets. An additional expected outcome was the reduction in the risk of asset misuse.

“Even though lost or stolen items was not a significant problem, Trail was introduced also to reduce that risk going forward,” comments Olsen.

Documentation and planning support

TV2 recognized the importance of storing equipment documentation and manuals in Trail for future reference. Trail also offered a flexible planning tool for systematic maintenance and repairs. Equipment usage reports were seen as essential for evaluating TV2’s future investment needs.

Self-service storage capability

One of the more important features Trail provided to TV2 was its self-service storage capability. This feature was designed to allow photographers to take responsibility for booking, collecting, and returning camera equipment themselves. For this self-service functionality to succeed, a simple user interface was required for both mobile and browser users.

“We wanted our staff to operate the equipment independently, and Trail provided us with the right tools. Our photojournalists are in and out of the office all day, so we introduced the Trail mobile app as their primary tool for self-service operations. They can now organise their camera equipment needs for their next assignment from anywhere, and they have an easy workflow for reporting damages or maintenance needs using the Trail QR code,” says Olsen.

Implementation

Trail and TV2 collaborated on a six-month implementation project to ensure TV2 could develop and roll out internal processes for better asset management alongside the system's deployment. During this time, the Trail team further refined the Trail Asset Management system to meet TV2’s specific needs.

“The implementation was a joint effort and included several training sessions, resulting in a lot of learning—not just about the system, but also about our processes,” states Olsen.

Achieved benefits:

• Improved transparency to all equipment information

• Self-service enabled for equipment bookings

• Improved control over equipment usage

• Ability to collect and return equipment through the mobile interface

• Reduced number of lost items

• Time saved in managing equipment more efficiently

• More control over equipment maintenance

• Improved visibility to equipment in personal use

Detailed overall picture of the equipment usage

“Trail is very easy and simple to use. We have been very satisfied with it" states Juha Hirvonen, Sound production unit, Riveria

Riveria is one of the largest vocational education and training providers in Finland. Each year, 17,000 students study at Riveria, which offers over 130 different degrees.

In the media and communications department, students use AV equipment owned by the institution daily for various projects. Managing equipment usage and reservations was very time-consuming and challenging without an adequate system.

The sound production unit was the first to adopt Trail at Riveria. Previously, the unit used paper forms to track equipment reservations, which were unreliable and frequently outdated. Much time was spent searching for equipment and reservation information.

AssetOps improves monitoring and saves time

With the AssetOps culture enabled by Trail, the sound production unit has significantly improved its equipment management. Thanks to Trail's reservation feature, students can book devices anytime and from anywhere via a web-based interface. As a result, the overall view of equipment reservations is continuously updated, making it easy to monitor equipment usage.

Trail also helps Riveria ensure that equipment is returned to its proper place after a student’s reservation ends. With booking history readily available, locating equipment has become faster. Since introducing Trail, no equipment has been lost, and the time spent searching for equipment has been significantly reduced.

Building on the positive experiences of the sound production unit, Trail's use at Riveria has expanded. Today, the Radio and TV, Photography, and Graphic Design units also manage their equipment with Trail.

Achieved benefits:

• Reduction of time spent searching for equipment

• Reduced equipment loss

• Easily available devices

• Improved tracking of equipment reservations and returns