Comprehensive Enterprise Risk Management Integrated Into Executive and Strategy Processes

Ponsse is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of forest machinery. Starting off as a small family-owned company in Vieremä, Finland, Ponsse has grown to become a global enterprise with several subsidiaries and an expansive service network in different parts of the world. Ponsse’s guiding principles include customer-centricity, innovative solutions and promoting sustainable forestry.

Risk management has an important role in the globally renowned Ponsse Group’s executive and strategy processes. Ponsse adopts a comprehensive and cross-cutting approach to risk management throughout its business units and functions.  

“Our co-operation with Inclus began a few years back, when we started a project to develop the risk management process of one of our subsidiaries” says Jani Heikkala, internal controller at Ponsse. After the first experiences with Inclus, the co-operation – and use of Inclus – has been expanded yearly to cover additional use cases and units.  

“Inclus has been well-suited to our needs, and the tool was found to be effective based on the first successful projects. Expanding the use of Inclus to Ponsse’s risk management more comprehensively has been a natural continuation of our collaboration”, Heikkala continues.   

Ponsse Beaver harvester (Ponsse.com)

This year Inclus is being used for the first time to implement Ponsse’s group-wide risk analyses across all units. “The first risk assessments implemented using Inclus during the strategy process in the Spring, show that the tool is suitable for wide use in the organization”, Heikkala states. 

As an experienced internal controller and risk management professional, Heikkala emphasizes that a risk management software should be flexible and adaptable to the company’s business context and needs. Additionally, he points out that risk management must be continuous and systematic to be effective. It is in these areas that he feels that Inclus has brought the most value to Ponsse’s existing strategy process. 

“Inclus’ flexibility and the possibility to expand the tool’s use into a wide range of use cases within risk management, is an important feature that Inclus has managed to keep while simultaneously taking huge leaps in developing the software.”  

Jani Heikkala, Internal controller

Ponsse Bear harvester (Ponsse.com)

Inclus improves the efficiency of risk management

Ponsse’s risk management process comprises a comprehensive annual risk assessment, and monitoring risks and mitigation measures. Additional risk assessments on different levels in the group are flexibly implemented in case of sudden changes in the business environment. Inclus is used to systematize the whole process and to include stakeholders throughout the risk management process. This ensures that Ponsse can monitor and analyse risks and the impact of mitigation measures from year to year. Heikkala states that the biggest benefit to them from using Inclus is found in systematizing the process and engaging stakeholders.  

“Managing a comprehensive risk management process creates a ton of data and organizing risk workshops is often burdensome. Without an appropriate risk management software in place, managing data and all the practicalities is difficult and time-consuming", Heikkala describes the practical challenges of risk management. Inclus improves the efficiency of risk management and makes it easier to gather risk assessments from different parts of the organization to identify differing views.  

Ponsse uses their assessment results and Inclus’ visual reports for different purposes. Inclus’ visualizations improve the awareness of risks and planning mitigation measures. “Inclus has made it easier to prioritize mitigation measures and decision-making", Heikkala states. 

“We are happy with our co-operation and Inclus’ development. We are confident that we will be able to use Inclus comprehensively in our risk management process. Inclus’ latest development items will further strengthen the tool”

Jani Heikkala, Internal controller

Jani Heikkala

Internal controller