The deal has been made. The Finnish manufacturer has gained a foothold in a new market. The device is on its way, the bill is paid, the handshake has already taken place. But orientation in export trade is often left undone: the device arrives, and someone opens the box and doesn’t really know where to start.
In the domestic market, this would not be a problem: the salesperson knows the customer, the maintenance man has visited the company before, and if something is on the mind, a familiar number is called. In the new market, there is none of this. No familiar maintenance man, no tacit knowledge accumulated over the years, no number to call.
The same product, but suddenly half of its value has been left at home.
Induction in export trade does not end with a signature
This year, the theme of the Subcontracting Fair (29.9.–1.10., Tampere) has been growth and internationalisation, and for good reason. A third of Finnish manufacturing companies are aiming for growth of more than 10 per cent, and many are looking for that growth in new markets. But finding a new market is only half of the equation.
The other side of the statistics shows ugly: 11 percent of the turnover of large companies disappears annually due to unplanned shutdowns, and 23 percent of them are due to a lack of expertise, not equipment failure. In the new market, this risk does not decrease. It increases because there is no local support and experience yet.
Source: Siemens / 2024
When induction accompanies the product in export trade
Kuopio-based Mobie has developed a solution for this together with Mining Finland : when Finnish mining technology is sold abroad, product training is included from the very beginning: not as a feature added afterwards, but as part of the entire export package.
On the CompetenceX platform, the training is built once and duplicated indefinitely: the same course works in a new market, in different languages if necessary, without the same expert travelling behind each time to explain the same thing again.
This is not just theory. The distribution agreement for the Coldest Chain refrigerated transport system will soon take the patented technology to Colombia, Mexico and Spain. The agreement also includes direct training: every driver, warehouse worker and quality controller will be trained and certified on the CompetenceX platform, using the same model and multilingual in all three countries as soon as operations start.
Growth requires repeatability
Growth is not born from a single successful transaction, but from the same model working over and over again in new markets. Induction in export trade is one of the few things that can be built once properly and duplicated indefinitely. That is why it deserves its place at the core of the export strategy, not on its edge.
Eyes on the Subcontracting Trade Fair
If your company is planning exports or new markets, we will meet at the Subcontracting Fair 29.9.–1.10. in Tampere, or book a 30-minute sparring session in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is induction often left undone in export trade?
In the domestic market, the salesperson knows the customer and the maintenance man has visited the company before. In the new market, none of this support is already available, but it is still not always noticed to build induction separately as part of the sale.
How is the skills gap concretely reflected in export trade?
11 percent of the turnover of large companies disappears annually due to unplanned shutdowns, and 23 percent of them are due to a lack of skills, not equipment failure. In the new market, this risk increases because there is no local support and experience yet.
How does the CompetenceX platform solve this problem?
The training is built once and duplicated indefinitely in new markets, in different languages if necessary. The same expert does not have to travel to every new customer to explain the same thing again.
Is this model already in use in real export projects?
Yes. The model built with Mining Finland is already in use in the export of mining technology, and the Coldest Chain refrigerated transport system agreement will take the same training model to Colombia, Mexico and Spain.
