Esa Kranz Email & Phone Number

Helsinki

Good knowledge of business and personnel was the basis for my transfer to my current job. To strengthen business co-operation, a new CRM software was acquired, and my first task was to carry out implementation. Users had to be trained to use special web interface built to hide more complicated Microsoft Dynamics core. At the same time, a renewal project for the production control system (ERP) began in the Group, and the included bidding application was designated to me for development. As these systems evolved, I started comparing and updating data between Dynamics and Digia databases. While ERP was undergoing change, there was a need to define and describe internal processes within the house, so I participated in a workgroup that produced process descriptions and drafted flowcharts to support them.As a special challenge for 2018, I participated in the GDPR workgroup and acted as a contact person for the quality workgroup as the Group launched ISO Quality System Supplementation with the Environmental Management System. Auditing was completed in June.My mission was also the maintenance of the Group's own Conference Center AV systems. In June 2018, a fixed camera was added to the auditorium via fiber optics to a streaming platform, allowing real-time delivery of the events on the YouTube channel.This year, the questionnaire concerning the development discussions conducted by the Group was implemented internally using the Webropol questionnaire platform. Since I have the administrator user account, I created questionnaire, produced reports, and archived responses to SharePoint for each foreman.In Q3/Q4 of 2018 I got involved with two different projects aiming towards using mobile devices in BtoB and BtoC commerce. See Projects section for further details!Keywords: Quality System, Data Protection, Process Definition, Customer Management, Microsoft Dynamics database, Quote Calculation, Enterprise Management, Digia Enterprise, Webropol

Helsinki

Corporate decision was made to end operation of Hedcom and later merge it to mother company. While most of my colleagues sought new opportunities elsewhere, I was offered internal transfer to Hedengren Kodintekniikka department. They needed a Product Manager for Pro Display Products and at same time I could bring over some of the products in my portfolio. I supported field sales by producing marketing materials and training sales representatives of reseller companies. At this stage I also managed three different e-commerce stores, one of which was for clearing old stock. In addition, I was the main user of direct marketing software.Keywords: product training, marketing, direct mailing

Helsinki

By 1998, it became apparent that concentrating wholesale operations reduced opportunities for success of smaller IT importers. The group closed the Hedengren Data Department and I got a transfer within the house. Hedcom had already established its position as an importer and wholesaler serving transmission, production and post-production industries. My experience of computers and my knowledge of web technology was useful when networking and computer control started to affect the Audio-Visual business.I was assigned as Product Manager with own sales quota and gradually created my own product portfolio. In addition, I ended up playing a major role in communicating with the customer base using the eMailer direct marketing software. I also created an electronic trading site for the company and was later a webmaster of an actual web shop. Competence in site techniques led to the creation of similar trading venues for other departments of the Group. My communication skills led to participating in publishing “Hedline” – a customer magazine with a circulation of 14,000 at its widest.Keywords: communication, network technologies, SAN storage solutions, video digitization, voice digitization, video servers, web design, web shop design, project management, eCommerce

The Hedengren Group saw growth potential in the IT field, and the end of Elektrotel offered possibility to hire a complete team and to get promising representations as well. The company started with the name of “ET-Data”, but the name was later harmonized to “Hedengren Data”. The core business consisted of CAF computers and ADI monitors, but also various IT peripherals were sold to the same target group, which at this point already started to form reseller chains.At that time, a Product Manager was responsible for supply chain and logistics, collecting information about products, and training staff. There was no personal sales target yet, but sales were supported by production of brochures, price lists and manuals.The new know-how in the house meant that we helped the group start up with the introduction of IT technology and the construction of a local network. I also participated in the construction of the Group's first real web site.Keywords: import, wholesale, resale, product testing, training, instruction manuals

Elektrotel was one of the most prominent compilers of PC computers in the late 1980's. At that time, still relatively unknown, Acer was a promising growth company and a reliable partner in Taiwan. As a material manager, I naturally handled the order and logistics pipeline, but I also supervised the assembly as a team leader. Computers were assembled in small quantities according to customer orders, standard configurations were also sold as prefabricated factory configurations. My skills in software and IT expanded my mission to the direction that later became familiar in Product Manager role. Because we also serviced the equipment we imported, I also acted as a mentor and a supervisor for the service team. The assembly line was combined with the warehouse space, so as a manager I also responded to inventory tracking and inventory. Economic downturn alarmed the financiers to get more aggressive of their claims and the company's currency risks eventually led to the bankruptcy of otherwise viable business.Keywords: import, logistics, team leading, inventory tracking

I was hired from office equipment reseller company Archimedes to the Turku Mikrokoulutus, which had started importing computer parts. As the so-called IBM clones were the new trend, the company switched over from software training to the sale of computers and peripherals. Although I was hired from a salesman position, my technical knowledge was appreciated more. I was challenged to solve the bottleneck created by accumulated work in service. Having succeeded in that, my duties were further extended to other background tasks and the actual sales were left to the salesmen on the field. Eventually I found myself making inventory of a duty-free warehouse or getting import licenses from the licensing office. When marketing asked for help, I designed a logo for a product, translated manuals and brochures. Readiness to tackle any given task has ever since been the key to stay busy and employed.