Ease of use for everyone is key

We visited Bertelsen & Garpestad at their head office in Egersund, and heard about their unique history and, not least, their success in using digital tools in everyday life.

Simplicity is important to Bertelsen & Garpestad, and it was therefore important for the company to find a digital documentation system that reflects the same. The choice fell on SmartDok.

– SmartDok fits into BG’s culture, where simplicity is important and that everyone understands it. Here we all help solve problems and pull the load together, says Henning Lysgaard, HSE/QA Manager at B&G.

Henning also highlights the importance of the system being user-friendly for everyone.

– We experience SmartDok as an efficient system that is user-friendly from the individual user to us, who must analyze and draw out trends on the system, he adds.

Joakim Hansen is an IT administrator in the company and wants to highlight the following points that are important when choosing a documentation system.

– Simplicity, the availability for the whole organization and for the subcontractors. And that it must be proactive, and in continuous development.

Here SmartDok ticks all the boxes for Joakim.

If you didn’t already know, Bertelsen & Garpestad is the company that got the “trollpikken” rebuilt. The completely unique rock formation outside Egersund that has stood there since the Ice Age. In 2017, it had been vandalized, and the company took the initiative to have the magic wand erected again. This caused enormous interest from all over the world.

– Now we can take a weekend and say that it is in place! It’s a nice feeling. We have succeeded in a difficult mission that many said was impossible to carry out, Sverre Garpestad told NRK.

In addition, the company is behind the construction of the hairpin road between Lysebotn and Øygard, one of Norway’s most spectacular roads.

– B&G’s vision is that we move mountains, says Henning.

One can safely say that Bertelsen & Garpestad is building Norway.

B&G operates contractor services within transport that include roads and tunnels throughout Norway. In addition to power plants/wind farms and groundwork for the preparation of housing estates and commercial space.

With large projects from south to north, B&G has strict requirements for itself in terms of documentation, and especially in HSEQ.

As a member of MEF, B&G has been a user of their HSEQ system, KSMEF, for a long time, and on that occasion has taken care of the authorities’ requirements for documentation and compliance.

Safety for both the company and those who use the system on the projects is important to B&G, therefore a modern HSEQ system is essential.

It was a perfect fit when MEF’s HSEQ system was to be moved to a new and more modern platform at SmartDok in autumn 2022.

– We like the collaboration MEF has entered into with SmartDok. In the past, we have used KSMEF as an HSEQ system, but it has become outdated over time, and therefore the choice fell on SmartDok and their HSEQ system, SmartMEF, says IT administrator Joakim Hansen.

– SmartMEF has streamlined the way we work with HSEQ!

When the vision is to move mountains, it also means that borders are moved, both in terms of project size and geography. The aim of the company is to build a safe and sustainable business, which takes into account the demands made by society both in terms of economy/quality and not least climate and sustainability.

Continuous improvement is therefore extremely important to Bertelsen & Garpestad. Here, too, the company uses a digital system to make work easier.

– We use SmartDok for continuous improvement. All documentation is now inside SmartMEF, and our ISO documentation is there. So we can constantly go in and out and get the best out of SmartMEF, says Henning Lysgaard.

– The advantages of SmartMEF and SmartDok are that it is easily accessible to the entire organisation. It is proactive and it is easy to use unlike other systems. So we have good experience with this through our systematic work on continuous improvement, he adds.

– The biggest challenges in the industry are that we must have a good system that documents compliance. We must be able to prove that we have done a job according to requirements and drawings.

– At the same time, we must have an effective management system so that we can deliver solid projects, as well as focus on resources and finances, adds Joakim.

One such project could be the commitment called Go Green, which the management of the company has started. Within a few months, the company has put in place a plan that safeguards the company’s sustainable objectives in a qualitative and optimal way.

With the systems in place, Bertelsen & Garpestad can start their projects around the country with a clear conscience. Whether it is a crane to be erected or a road to be built in rough terrain, everyone working on the project must know that they are working in a safe workplace, which takes HSE to the next level.