The spider in the web of cooperation

Johanna Willander is project manager at Senab and account manager for SEB. She works at Senab's office in Stockholm where she sits together with the architect Stina and with her other colleagues Amanda, Ingrid, Karen and Mateja in the working group for SEB. But there are many more people involved in making all the simultaneous projects work. The question is how they manage to deliver efficiently year after year while developing both themselves and the customer.

THE SPIDER IN THE WEB OF COOPERATION

In her role as project manager for SEB, Johanna is responsible, together with her colleague Amanda, for keeping the team together and ensuring that everything works as it should. "A lot is about communication, partly with the customer, partly within the group but also with suppliers. There are many parties involved in a customer, often with several projects running in parallel.

- In the projects for the large offices, there are up to 30 people involved from us, the customer and external partners in different directions for each customer and project. Right now we have 4 projects for SEB running simultaneously. It's a challenge, but we solve it by taking joint responsibility and having clear communication," says Johanna.

When Johanna is not at work, she gets her energy from friends, family and exercise. Otherwise, Johanna says the workplace plays a big role in her inspiration and happiness.

- The fact that we have the opportunity to be in both an inspiring environment and work together with talented people does a lot. I notice how much the aesthetics and harmony of the premises play a big role, that it is wonderful for both the eye and the ear, but of course also for the other senses. But most of all, it's inspiring to experience the change we can bring about together with our customers. It's my greatest source of energy every day," says Johanna.

THE SPIDER IN THE WEB OF COOPERATION

Value optimization
for the customer

As a project manager, Johanna's most important role, together with her colleague Amanda, is to keep everything together and synchronize everything from employees to every small part of the projects, that nothing is forgotten and that other things do not take up more space than they should.

- "We have to be businesslike from our perspective, but first and foremost we have a mission for the customer to help them become more efficient and not least make good choices," says Johanna.

Johanna describes how she and her entire team are responsible for value optimization based on the budget, that good choices leading to good solutions should ultimately be economical.

- Value optimization is about prioritizing economy where it has the greatest value, function and sustainability where it is most important and appearance where it is crucial, even if the boundaries cannot be drawn so sharply, says Johanna.

A crucial role for the whole team to keep a project together along the journey, especially during order and delivery, are the project coordinators.

- Project coordinators take over once an order is placed and are responsible for all logistics. They coordinate with planning and assembly to ensure a smooth delivery. They are often in daily contact with the customer during the delivery phase and handle any complaints," explains Johanna.

Cooperation between project managers and project coordinators is close, and the boundaries between the roles can sometimes blur.

- In large projects, I am often also involved during the delivery phase. It's hard to let go completely because I feel responsible for the whole. We work as a team where everyone contributes with their expertise, and sometimes our responsibilities overlap to ensure the best possible outcome for the client," says Johanna.

THE SPIDER IN THE WEB OF COOPERATION

Communication and cooperation - the key to success

With so many parties involved, communication is key. Johanna emphasizes the importance of clear and continuous dialogue both internally and externally.

- There are many people involved in a project - from suppliers and installers to the client's own team and external contractors. Keeping everyone informed and communication flowing is critical. We try to keep everyone up to date and ensure that information is shared effectively between all parties," she says.

Working closely together in a small team facilitates communication and helps the project run smoothly.

- We often sit together, which allows us to quickly check things out and keep each other informed. It's also easier to pick up on any misunderstandings straight away. But it also requires us to be proactive and take responsibility for asking if something is unclear," says Johanna.

THE SPIDER IN THE WEB OF COOPERATION

Customer relations

An important aspect of Johanna's work is the relationship with the client. Building and maintaining long-term relationships is something she values highly.

- Commitment is key. We must not get comfortable and take the relationship for granted. It's about being proactive, accessible and really listening to the customer's needs. We want to make it easier for the customer, it's about working together as partners," she explains.

The fact that the customer, in this case SEB, sometimes works from Senab's offices also contributes to a close relationship.

- "Annika from SEB often sits with us, which means that we can have a close dialog and quickly solve any issues that arise. It strengthens our cooperation," says Johanna.

THE SPIDER IN THE WEB OF COOPERATION

Challenges and lessons learned

Johanna admits that working as a project manager can be challenging, but that's also what makes it exciting.

- There are many people and different projects all the time. You never know what might come up, and there are always new things to learn. It's never boring, and you can always strive to do things better," she says.

Johanna also emphasizes the importance of learning from experience and constantly improving processes.

- We are constantly learning and can take lessons learned with us to the next project, which makes us more efficient. Being able to work together and share knowledge is the most fun and most stimulating thing," Johanna concludes with an enthusiasm that is infectious.