For more than 150 years, Mälarenergi has provided various types of infrastructure services to Västerås and neighbouring municipalities. Mälarenergi's energy production has been free of fossil fuels since 2020 and has been engaged in ambitious renewal development of the production facilities in recent years.
Savings targets and lack of job descriptions
The Heat business area at Mälarenergi faced a major challenge in 2019. While working intensively on sustainability goals, they faced extensive savings targets and a lack of clear job descriptions. With the commissioning of a new production block, the Heat business area would enter a new phase, managing and refining existing facilities. The challenge was a fact and, as a result, the organisation and projects suffered because there was a lack of clarity and expectations. The way of looking at and managing positions, roles and responsibilities was not perceived as satisfactory. Job descriptions were missing or scattered in different places and were documented in different ways by different managers. With the reorganisation, the decision was taken to simultaneously develop new standards and ways of working on how to create new and clear job and role descriptions.
Clarity in the process stages created a positive working climate
The solution implemented in the Heat business area involved implementing a new organisational structure. This change included not only new job descriptions but also the creation of new departments, units and groups simultaneously instead of spreading the change over several years. In total, 42 new job descriptions and 65 new role descriptions were developed, resulting in over 250 staff members being assigned new positions and roles.
This reorganisation has clarified expectations and improved the working environment, providing greater security for each individual. In the large business area of Heating, which is facing continuous growth, the organisation has now clarified and prepared for further expansion. The new job and role descriptions have transformed the business area from something diffuse and inefficient to something concrete and effective. This means they can now focus on their core product.
Solutions in five areas
- New organisational structure, where Sigholm supported the development of the new organisational structure to match the new requirements.
- New standards were developed for how positions, roles and responsibilities would be handled in the new organisation and training of these to the relevant managers and HR staff.
- New job and role descriptions were developed that would apply to the entire new organisation.
- Sigholm identified, implemented and followed up the activities required to implement the reorganisation itself.
- To communicate the new organisation, communication materials were developed to explain and share the changes internally.
