VRP Etelä-Suomi Oy
VRP Etelä-Suomi Oy seized the opportunity and outsourced their procurement to Kospro
Imagine being able to outsource construction industry procurement to an expert and confidently trust that everything would run smoothly without you having to spend time and energy on it. How does that sound?
VRP Southern Finland did not just imagine but handed over the overall responsibility for procurement and its development to Kospro from the beginning of this year – VRP Southern Finland had the honor of being Kospro's very first client. The collaboration has gone smoothly, and Kospro has been integrated into the procurement group of the entire VRP corporation.
Matti Koivunoro, CEO of VRP Southern Finland, shares more about VRP's operations, the decision to outsource procurement, and the collaboration with Kospro.
VRP - Versatile Construction Across Finland
VRP's predecessor, Vaajakosken rakennuspalvelu, was founded in Jyväskylä in 1985. In 2008, VRP Rakennuspalvelut Group was established to continue its legacy and began expanding operations. Over the years, VRP Rakennuspalvelut Group has established three regional companies: VRP Keski-Suomi Oy, VRP Länsi-Suomi Oy, and VRP Etelä-Suomi Oy. Altogether, the VRP Group has about 140 employees and a turnover of approximately 75 million euros.
Koivunoro has served as the CEO of VRP Etelä-Suomi Oy since last September. Since its establishment four years ago, the Southern Finland regional company has grown rapidly: it now has around thirty employees, and this year's turnover has reached 30 million euros.
VRP Etelä-Suomi operates in the metropolitan area and its surrounding municipalities. Its operations are divided into three main areas: proprietary contracting (i.e., building and selling apartments), constructing entire apartment buildings for partners, and contracting residential and renovation construction.
Interesting projects are coming up this year. Koivunoro highlights the Helsinki Koskela apartment building project, which will deliver approximately one hundred apartments, and the Bulevardi 14 project, where old office spaces are being renovated into luxury apartments. Most of the near-future projects involve new apartment construction and renovation.
Procurement and Its Development Outsourced to Kospro
VRP Etelä-Suomi has its own project management and some construction workers but mainly uses subcontractors. The use of subcontractors is more the rule than the exception in the industry – for example, design work is almost always outsourced. However, Kospro Oy offered a completely new service area: procurement. Koivunoro was immediately interested in the possibility.
The collaboration began at the beginning of 2020 when joint goals were defined. Koivunoro explained what he needed, and Kospro tailored its services to meet these needs.
Now, Kospro manages procurement for various projects at VRP Etelä-Suomi and also guides other procurement personnel. Procurement and process development are also part of Kospro's responsibilities.
- VRP Etelä-Suomi is still a young company, and Kospro helps us develop our procurement operations to be as smooth and efficient as possible. This way, procurement responsibilities are clearly outlined, and the whole process works efficiently, Koivunoro explains.
Kospro has overall responsibility for VRP Etelä-Suomi's procurement and is also part of the entire Group's procurement team. Thus, Kospro is not only tied to top-level operations but is also involved in activities from management to construction sites.
- I wanted to seize the opportunity to outsource procurement when it was so easily achievable through Kospro, Koivunoro says.
- If we had not partnered with Kospro, we would have sought an employee responsible for procurement. Utilizing the services of an external procurement expert has proven to be a very effective solution, and it is a modern and efficient way to buy and provide services.
Reliable Expertise Garners Praise
Koivunoro and Kospro's CEO Juha Koskinen have known each other for a long time – from summer internships and thesis work to working as colleagues in the professional world.
- We have done a lot together, so I knew Juha's professional skills and knew I could trust him, Koivunoro states.
Koivunoro has been very satisfied with the cooperation with Kospro, and Kospro's operations have received praise throughout the entire group.
- Everything has went brilliantly – Juha works so smoothly on a practical level that he almost appears to be a VRP employee, Koivunoro praises.
- Kospro's experience and expertise help develop procurement processes effectively from the start and add value to the entire procurement of skills. Juha himself also has extensive networks in the industry – for example, among suppliers – which has directed new operators towards us as well.
- I can definitely recommend Kospro's services to everyone – especially to construction companies in the early stages.
