The Challenge
Ekokem is aiming to be one of the best and most customer-oriented environmental
services and waste management companies in Finland and furthermore in the
Nordics. This means that they needed improved services and ways to market these
services. Waste handling facilities are challenging work places needing situational
awareness to protect staff and environment to avoid accidents when handling large
amounts of waste and complex machines. In the beginning, the security system was
analogue and consisted of different system that were not networked and not very
practical for modern requirements. Ekokem needed a harmonized system that enables
centralized monitoring, is user-friendly, and able to meet Ekokem’s expansion plans.
The Solution
Milestone Platinum Partner Empower Oy installed Milestone XProtect Corporate video
management software to enable central management of 80 cameras from Axis and
Bosch. The cameras are installed at the premises both indoors and outdoors to ensure
a comprehensive overview of all facilities. All video from the cameras is accessible
through the XProtect Smart client, an easy-to-use client application with an intuitive
interface for the surveillance installation’s daily operations.
Advantages
Ekokem has gotten a competitive advantage by introducing a new tool that has
enabled them to expand their services to raise customer satisfaction. Their customers
are offered external access to Ekokem’s video feeds to let them see how their waste is
processed in an environmentally friendly way as promised. The initiative has been well
received and has contributed to heightened customer satisfaction. With increased
situational awareness, Ekokem managed to improve the security level at their
premises keeping the staff safe while increasing efficiency at the same time.
Video Service Raises Customer Satisfaction
Ekokem, a Nordic environmental services and waste management company, was
looking for a way to become even more competitive. With the implementation
of Milestone video management software, Ekokem was inspired to use the video
management software to provide an additional service to their customers. Customers
have been given the possibility to gain external access to the video from selected
cameras through the XProtect web client to let them in on the waste handling
processes. The idea is to show transparency about how waste is recycled and
transformed to provide live documentation proving that the waste is processed in an
environmentally sustainable way.
According to Timo Kapulainen, Maintenance Supervisor at Ekokem, the innovative
initiative has been very well received by Ekokem’s customers: “Our customers are very
satisfied with the initiative and it has helped raise customer satisfaction. It sends a very
positive signal about us keeping our promises and being totally transparent”.
An example of companies that benefit from this service are those who need to
dispose of hazardous waste such as paint, refrigerators, and batteries. With hazardous
waste Ekokem makes sure to extract the parts that can be detoxified and reused
and convert the rest to energy by combusting it. Nordic Companies that need to
dispose hazardous waste are subject to strict rules and need to make sure that they
are followed in order to avoid government fines. With the live streaming service from
Ekokem, customers can check themselves that the rules are being followed. They can
also use video recordings as additional documentation for inspectors.
In the future, the service can also be used by Ekokem’s customers in their own
branding efforts to show that they are environmentally conscious. A producer of
bottled water, for example, can show how the plastic bottles are processed and re-
cycled by providing video footage of the processing on its website.
Ensuring Safety of Staff
Another key priority for Ekokem was to find a video security solution that could help
secure their staff at industrial sites in the best possible way. Their previous solution
consisted of different vendor systems that did not communicate with each other and
the security officers found it difficult to use. Ekokem has several premises located
in Finland and was requesting one centralized solution that would cover all of their
premises instead of having one solution for each facility.
Milestone Platinum Partner Empower TN OY designed and installed a centralized
solution with Milestone XProtect Corporate video management system to manage 80
IP cameras from Axis and Bosch for increased situational awareness. The cameras are
installed both indoors and outdoors for the best possible overview of the premises.
Video feed from the cameras are accessible through XProtect Smart Client ensuring
that the operator has an overview of all locations at once. The operator can access
video from all cameras through one single intuitive interface making it quick and easy
to check up on different locations. ”I’m very pleased that we can get quick access to
any camera anywhere in the system,” says Timo Kapulainen.
One way Ekokem uses their Milestone video system to ensure the safety of their
staff is by using a remote controlled camera to inspect slag heaps during the furnace
maintenance. They inspect the large slag heaps to find cracks and protruding parts.
The slag heaps are sometimes up to 10 meters high and two meters wide. They can
impose a great risk if they drop or collapse while the staff is in contact with them.
The video is also being used to monitor that all safety guidelines are followed. Ekokem
can use the video to learn from previous incidents how to become more efficient and
safer going forward. The embedded time line in the XProtect Smart Client makes it
easy to go back and investigate an incident. “In case of an anomaly, we can use the
system to analyze what and why it happened and what can be done to prevent it
happening again. Furthermore, we also use video from the system in discussions and
meetings with our subcontractors to pass on learnings,” says Timo Kapulainen.
A Future-Proof Solution
Ekokem is a company in growth and is expecting expansion in the next years, which
makes it important that their video surveillance solution can be scaled up and
adjusted to changing needs.
The Milestone solution can be expanded to include more cameras and facilities as
the company grows. Milestone builds its products on an open platform architecture
making it possible to integrate with third-party solutions. This gives Ekokem several
opportunities to broaden the functionality of their system. For example, it is possible
to integrate the system with license plate recognition software to ensure automatic
opening of gates for Ekokem trucks entering the premises. The latest expansion is
the use of thermal cameras to alarm for critical temperatures before an eventual fire
breaks out in the waste feeder. The open platform provides many options for the
future use of their Milestone system. The surveillance system grows with Ekokem
because it can be adjusted for different needs giving them the optimal system both
today and in the future.