“With nearly 100 companies, flexibility is a must”

We sat down with Digital Employee Experience Manager Martin Svensson, who shared how Skovik supports their complex structure while remaining simple to use.

Simplicity that speaks for itself

In his role, Martin oversees several systems that support different parts of the organisation.

On my first day, I was introduced to 25 different vendors I’d be working with. Skovik is honestly one of the simplest systems to understand, he says. It’s very focused. Other systems try to do everything and end up being complicated. Skovik does what it’s meant to do, and it does it well. There’s no unnecessary complexity.

For Martin, the silence speaks for itself:

“Generally, when you don’t hear anything, that’s a very good sign, and I hear very little about Skovik. When something works perfectly, people don’t call and say ‘wow, that was easy’. As long as it’s quiet, it’s usually very good. And it’s very quiet when it comes to you”.

He shares one example that illustrates the usability:

“We once tested it during a staff day. We had gone grocery shopping as we were going to cook together, and we had a receipt that was almost a meter long. We laid it on the floor and took a photo from above, and it captured every single line correctly. That’s how you want it to work. No bugs, no misreading. It just works. And that’s important, because no one wants to spend their time on this. It should be quick”.

Built for complexity

Another aspect Martin appreciates about Skovik is the system’s flexibility. With franchise operations and company-owned entities, OKQ8 consists of nearly 100 different companies. That structure makes automation challenging.

“Whenever we try to automate something, it easily becomes complicated because we need so many exceptions”.

This makes flexibility essential rather than just a nice-to-have.

Our Customer Success Manager supported us throughout the setup and handled most of the work in the system. We provided the necessary information, but you made sure everything was configured correctly and suggested ways to make our set-up more dynamic, he says. We didn’t have to manage it on our own, which made the whole process much easier.

One example is how the system is adapted to different user groups, such as board members and elected representatives, who have stricter limitations on what they’re allowed to submit.

“We explained the limitations we needed to account for and you helped us set it up in a way that made sense for us. It’s the same functionality, but configured to match how they work”.

OKQ8 has also configured the system with built-in guardrails that help users follow company policy.

“If you set the rules up correctly, you avoid a lot of errors. It feels like we’ve built a strong rule framework that allows people to do what they’re supposed to”.

More than just a system

To Martin, the way internal systems work says a great deal about an organisation.

“My goal is for OKQ8 to be perceived as a modern employer, especially when it comes to internal systems and processes”.

As organisations have digitised their internal processes, responsibility has gradually shifted closer to the employee. Martin emphasises that although employees may now play a bigger part in the process, it should still feel easier in practice.

What feels like a big step forward on the support side can feel like the opposite for end-users if they’re suddenly expected to do more themselves, he says. It doesn’t matter how good the system is.

He continues:

“A successful self-service solution is one where the business, support functions, and employees all feel that it’s better, and that’s something you’ve succeeded with”.

Martin is clear in his recommendation:

“I would absolutely recommend Skovik. The system itself is very good and saves both time and money”.

But equally important, he says, is the working relationship.

“When you’re a company of our size, you need suppliers you can have a dialogue with. You don’t want someone who just points to a standard solution and says ‘this is what we offer’. You want someone who tries to find a way forward together”.

He contrasts that with vendors that are more rigid in the way they work: You can’t expect that from just any vendor. I really appreciate that you listen and understand us.

He adds:

“For a company of our size, that dialogue is very important. It’s both the product and the supplier. And that’s why I would recommend you”.