Green Building Council Finland (FIGBC) launched

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Optimaze.net to attend FOSE 2010

Friday, March 19, 2010

Optimaze.net is attending FOSE 2010 Expo and Conference. As Optimaze.net is looking at expanding its operations to the U.S., it is important to have a presence at the biggest government targeted IT event of the year . When the government market gathers at FOSE, it brings together powerful federal buyers, mission-critical technology and $100B in spending power. It’s an unbeatable combination for any company doing business with government today and in the future.

Optimaze.net has a strong public customer-base. A partnership with Finland's largest property asset manager, Senate Properties, gives Optimaze.net a strong insight to government owned and operated building stock. Optimaze.net theme for the conference is "how to utilize the potential of space". Optimaze.net solution combines key information on space, people, environment and money.

If you're in town, make sure to visit us at our booth Optimaze.net #2515!

Rapal receives RSA-quality system certificate

Thursday, February 04, 2010

RSA –board has granted Rapal Oy a quality system certificate December 12th 2009. RSA –quality system is produced by RALA (a registered association for building quality) and is both widely recognized and known quality system evaluation and approval procedure. Its purpose is to enhance companies’ quality assurance level by clarifying processes, operations, structures and management. Regular follow-up, evaluation and development of these fields enables continuous quality improvement. RSA –quality system and its requirements also ease a buyers task in choosing planning and consulting companies for co-operation.

We offer our clients high quality expert services and solutions for managing the built environment. To us, quality means that our products and services are able to fulfil our clients’ needs, wishes and expectations. We make sure that our quality standard is set high and our goal is that there is no other product or service to the client in the market that exceeds our quality and quality standard.

Rapal Oy’s management has committed to continuous development of quality and quality standard. It controls and quides it according to the quality policy. Quality system is audited both internally and externally periodically.

For more information, contact:

Pekka Montin, Rapal Oy
pekka.montin(a)rapal.fi
+358 50 5401514

Rapal Oy buys a share of CC Infra Oy

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Rapal Oy and CC Infra have signed a contract, where the two companys become partners. CC Infra, founded 2008, is a company that offers expert and project management services for infrastructure projects.

CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto from Rapal and CEO Antti Haapalahti from CC Infra say: “The goal of the arrangement in the ownership is to provide customers management services, where high quality project management, advanced economic management and knowledge as well as modern ICT solutions are combined. As a result of our cooperation, a stronger service variety exists; it covers the whole life cycle of infrastructure”.

For more information, please contact:

CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto tuomas.kaarlehto(at)rapal.fi

CEO Antti Haapalahti antti.haapalahti(at)ccinfra.fi

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2010!

Monday, December 21, 2009

This year Rapal donates Christmas greetings funds to Luonnonperintösäätiö (Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation), who with the help of the donation, protects one hectar of Limberg Old-Growth forest in Lohja. Make sure you read our Christmas greeting by clicking the following link: http://kymppiserveri.fi/rapal/christmas/

One can find out more information on the subject at the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation’s web page.

The reasons behind our choice generate from our principle to support sustainable development and want to continue to decrease our carbon footprint. During the past year Rapal Oy has invested in decreasing environmental impacts by services offered to our customers as well as by reorganizing its own operations. We offer our customers services that increase profitability and enhance sustainability, so that savings are reached for the customer as well as for the environment.  The most concrete examples are our newest products: Optimaze.net Evironmental calculation and In-Infra.net infrastructure project’s CO2 calculation.

Our chance for remarkable reduction on environmental impacts took place in August with the intended move. An important criteria in choosing the new space, was the size of the carbon footprint caused. Make sure you read more on the subject on the Rapal Ways of Working -document.

Rapal’s operations were to cause a carbon footprint of 80 000 kgCO2 for the year 2010 before the compensation of the emissions. The Old-Growth forest we supported will, in the next 40 years, offset the carbon load equal to Rapal’s CO2 emissions in one year.  Our future goal is to be a carbon-free Rapal.

Also other operations and values of the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation are important to Rapal. These include conservation of the most endangered nature, life’s diversity and putting emphasis on the beauty and integrity of the forest.

Workspace and Rapal Oy to launch cooperation

Monday, October 19, 2009

Workspace is Finland’s largest architect and consulting office concentrated on developing facilities and working environments. In addition to traditional architect and interior design, workspace offers a wide variety of working environment development expert services, that also enhance corporate image. Services are aimed at both private and public organizations.

Starting October 2009 Workspace offers Rapal’s Optimaze.net environmental calculation service as part of their service selection. This means that Workspace customers have the possibility to determine the environmental impact caused by their premises by using Optimaze.net’s expert services. Customers receive information on their current environmental impacts caused by the use of premises and main sources causing them. On the other hand, they can calculate environmental impacts of their planned future spaces, compare different options and finally, after moving, verify changes in emissions.

This unique co-operation focuses on customer’s corporation or customer organization’s internal environmental communication. The fact, that every employee receives an individual evaluation on their carbon footprint, gives them a possibility to reconsider every-day choices and change their actions towards a greener way of doing them. Workspace’s Jyrki Yläoutinen also thinks, that most employees are interested in knowing the factor’s causing their carbon footprint. “There is a transfer on corporate level from annual report speeches to actual actions. It is a development easy to support.”

For more information, contact:

Jyrki Yläoutinen, Workspace
Tel. 0400 401 678

Kai Patja, Rapal Oy
Tel. 050 552 6646

Nordea expands the use of Optimaze.net service by adding the environmental calculation tool

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The calculation of environmental impacts was incorporated into a tool that is already used to aid corporate real estate management and for which all the required support operations data (e.g. space data) already exist. Nordea uses the environmental calculation tool to determine environmental impacts caused by their operations. These environmental impacts are reported annually e.g. in CSR-reports.

Optimaze.net will be used to calculate the carbon footprint of energy consumption in premises as well as the emissions caused by employee traveling. In addition, paper consumption, water consumption and the amount of waste will be taken into account. Finally, Optimaze.net will be used to report environmental performance indicators, information on space usage and the space costs for particular units in the global organization.

The aim for the project is to incorporate the environmental perspective into the same tool alongside other essential factors in corporate real estate management. As a result, Nordea can control and reduce environmental impacts caused by its operations.  Environmental calculation project is a part of Nordea's commitment to other sustainability issues relating to social and financial responsibility.

"Our goal is to add the carbon footprint reporting as part of our strategic corporate real estate management in the Nordea Group level as well as on different business unit levels during 2009. The project begins with determining initial data for 2008. Following that emission reports will be a part of reporting other corporate real estate management figures in the future" says Juha Olkinuora, Head of Premises Management, Nordea. 

Nordea Bank AB is a leading financial services group operating in Nordic countries and Northern Europe. Nordea currently serves 11 million customers of which 2,3 million are Finnish. Nordea has been using Optimaze.net service for corporate real estate management since 2007. Optimaze.net service contains information on Nordea's premises in the Nordic countries, which in figures means about 1 700 addresses and 1,3 million square meters of gross area. The goal is that all Nordea's premises, including 18 countries outside the Nordic countries, will be included in environmental reporting at the end of this year. After this reports on space usage and the carbon footprint apply to almost 35 000 people.

Rapal is Finland's leading company that specializes in the economy of investments and utilization of the built environment. We produce and develop products and services for the economy management of the entire lifecycle of built environment.

Optimaze.net represents a service for the environmental management of facilities

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Companies in the service sector account for 20 percent of environmental impact which is almost as much as manufacturing industries do. Facility activities cause around 70 percent of total environmental impact of  a service sector company which makes the role of facilities management significant in managing organizations environmental efficiency.

As general environmental awareness has increased, the importance of environmental management for the businesses has continued to grow. Optimaze.net is proud to present a tool that can be used to determine the environmental impact caused by various premise solutions. Optimaze.net environmental calculator provides real-time, transparent and factual data for the various levels of decision-making on environmental strategy. Supporting research for the tool is done in cooperation with Technical Research Centre of Finland.

Optimaze.net environmental calculator helps to set objectives and monitor results simultaneously with respect to both finance and environmental impacts, and supports property management that is in accordance with sustainable development. This supports the fact that space use efficiency has a major effect on organizations environmental impact and expenses. Reducing space use from 29 to 21 sqm/employee can lower the environmental impact by 15 percent. Same improvement in space usage efficiency reduces the annual facility expenses even 2500 EUR/employee.

Optimaze.net provides information in understandable organization or unit specific key performance indicators. Information can be used widely for the needs of corporate’s environmental management and responsibility as well as a part of comprehensive environmental management of facilities.

For further information, please contact:

Kai Patja
Head of Business Unit
Optimaze.net

Joona Nyman
Optimaze.net

email: first name.last name@rapal.fi

See also: www.azobuild.com/news.asp

Optimaze.net attended Build London Live 2008 event

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Rapal’s business unit Optimaze.net participated in the international event Build London Live in London June 24-26^th. It was a virtual design collaboration. Rapal was a part of Team Gravicon.

Build London Live is a 48-hour long innovative event that brings together the professionals of architecture, engineering, planning and construction. The challenge for competitive groups was to create plans for a virtual area in Greenwich, London within 48 hours. Information was exchanged in a web environment and modern design tools were utilized. The participants consisted of professionals from Europe, Asia, the US and South America. The schedule of this virtual design competition was challenging which resulted in long working hours in London as well as in the Helsinki back office. Rapal’s areas of responsibility were the project’s space use analyses, cost and profitability calculations and calculation of environmental impact, which were successfully carried out using the Optimaze.net software. Rapal’s Team Gravicon received an award for drama and excitement. It was awarded on grounds of sustainable development aspects and efficient consideration of area.

Other members of Team Gravicon:
Gravicon Oy
ALA Architects Ltd
Olof Granlund Oy
Ramboll Finland Oy
Solibri Oy

Rapal Ltd and Optimaze.net wants thank the team for all its hard work and efforts in a challenging competition.

For more information, contact:
Kai Patja
Rapal Ltd
GSM +358 50 552 6646
Build London Live web site:
http://www.buildlondonlive.com/

Olof Granlund and Rapal start a tightknit partnership to support facility and real estate management

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Engineering agency Olof Granlund Ltd and Rapal Ltd have made an agreement that will enable clients to have even better access to high-quality services that support facility and real estate management. Clients will now have the functional solutions of two experienced companies on hand and also the strong know-how to manage and utilize facilities.

The common service solutions are utilized by both separate projects and extensive analysis and management of facility portfolios. The use and maintenance of spaces and also the costs and environmental impacts are optimized from the viewpoint of the facility user, owner as well as the service provider. Using the Optimaze.net and RYHTI systems’ planning and ERP tools the clients may manage their space, costs and maintenance.

Along with the new service the clients’ risk management is enhanced because the quality of operations and service providers may be controlled better according to the requirements of the property user. The service includes a comprehensive reporting system that will benefit the executive and other levels.

Clients do not need to invest in their own IT software and equipment because the services are provided as application rentals. The clients use a web based service with their regular www-browser. Complete and defined interfaces exist for the clients’ financial and ERP systems.

The data model compatibility enables the utilization of information from the construction project stage to the use and maintenance.

For example, the clients’ facilities’ floor plan and space data may be transferred from Rapal’s Optimaze.net service straight to Olof Granlund’s RYHTI system for maintenance operations. The transfer works both ways; space data from RYHTI may also be displayed in Optimaze.net.

Engineering agency Olof Granlund Ltd is Finland’s leading consultant in building service technology and building management. The company’s main lines of business are building service planning, management consulting and development and sales of maintenance software. RYHTI, the application for maintenance has nearly 300 user organizations and thousands of users in Finland. There are also more than one hundred user organizations abroad.

Rapal Ltd’s business idea is to provide high-end consulting services for the economy management of built environment self-sufficiently and by networking. Optimaze.net produces services for the needs of strategic facility management and InInfra.net infrastructure management. There are more than 10 000 000 brm2 of facility portfolios in the Optimaze.net environment. There are approximately 1500 users in the service.

For more information:
Hannu Tuovinen
Engineering agency Olof Granlund Ltd, tel. 050 0444 744, http://www.granlund.fi/granlund_eng/ , www.ryhti.fi

Kai Patja
Rapal Ltd, tel. 050 552 6646, en.rapal.fi, en.optimaze.net

Tax administration implements Optimaze.net

Saturday, December 01, 2007

The Tax administration signed an Optimaze.net service agreement with Senate Properties January 8, 2007. The tax administration will implement Optimaze.net, the solution for managing space use and costs. This is Senate Properties’ 12. Optimaze.net agreement.

It was also agreed last March that it would be investigated if Optimaze.net could be applied in the space management of the tax administration.

The data collection stage included piloting Optimaze.net in the tax bureau of Western Finland in May-June and also a workshop-style business case –review in August-September.

According to the leading specialist Riitta Juutilainen, the business case process was a great experience for both parties: insights of facilities were discussed in the process and as a result, a report was compiled. The report includes factual basis for decision making, such as strategic connections, utility networks, investments needed, a progress plan… The tax administration will implement the service by August 31, 3007.

At the signing: (from the left) business unit executive Kai Patja (Rapal Ltd), president Kari Huhtala (Tax administration), data administration executive Antti Koskinen (Senate Properties), executive Jorma Heinonen (Senate), CEO Jukka Tammi (Tax administration), CEO Aulis Kohvakka (Senate), CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto (Rapal), product manager  Joni-Marko Laine (Senate) and leading specialist Riitta Juutilainen (Senate).

Uni. Helsinki will make cleaning services more effective in collaboration with Rapal Ltd and ATOP

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

University of Helsinki, Rapal Ltd and ATOP-TIETO Ltd have reached an agreement that will help the University of Helsinki in planning workloads and manage costs.

The university's up-to-date floor plans and space data will be transferred from Rapal's Optimaze.net service to the cleaning software of ATOP-TIETO Ltd. The compiling of cleaning workload information will become simpler because the data is no longer maintained in two different systems.

Using the Optimaze.net planning and reporting tools clients may optimize the use and costs of spaces. Clients may utilize the information in the system even more diversely when the new property of the service will be introduced. University of Helsinki was one of the first Optimaze.net users.

University of Helsinki is the largest and most interdisciplinary university in Finland. In 2006 the university occupied 589 000 square meters in 379 buildings in 34 localities. The technical sector of the university has been persistently developing real estate data and maintenance systems.

ATOP-TIETO Ltd is specialized in producing and developing database software for real estate services. Using the software plan workloads, calculate costs and give instructions for their own service products. The cleaning software ATOPs and the real estate maintenance software ATOPkh enable clients to plan and calculate all workloads of the industry. Software includes picture processing tools. The software is also exported overseas.

Rapal's mission is to provide high-quality services for managing the economy of built environment. Optimaze.net produces services for strategic facility management. InInfra.net provides services for managing infrastructure.

For more information:

Jaana Ihalainen, real estate manager, University of Helsinki, tel. 09 19122957
www.helsinki.fi/teknos

Tytti Immonen, CEO, ATOP-TIETO Oy, tel. 09 3505 800
www.atop.fi

Kai Patja, business unit executive, Rapal Ltd, tel. 050 552 6646
www.rapal.fi
www.optimaze.net

The hospital district of Helsinki and Uusimaa to improve their space management using Optimaze.net

Friday, October 05, 2007

HUS, the hospital district of Helsinki and Uusimaa and Rapal Ltd have agreed on extending the use of the Optimaze.net service. The agreement was signed May 16, 2007. Initially the service was introduced in the Peijas-Rekola hospital in 1997. The new agreement covers also other hospitals in the Helsinki district. The plan is to extend the Optimaze.net service for the entire hospital district.

Hannu Lähteenmäki, the real estate executive from HYKS hospital district, CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto (Rapal Ltd) and consultant Salla Parkkila (Rapal Ltd) were present at the signing.

According to Hannu Lähteenmäki the Optimaze.net service enhances the manage

ment of HUS’s space use and costs: “HUS can manage space use better and specify calculation of internal rents. Budgeting becomes clearer with this user-friendly tool”.

”The space use of units may be supported and space-related needs may be predicted better when the up-to-date space data is available in one place”, continues Hannu Lähte

enmäki.

“For Rapal, HUS is a very significant client because their facility use needs are extremely demanding. We believe that the Optimaze.net service has a lot to give to the healthcare industry that is struggling with economic challenges “, says Tuomas Kaarlehto.

F-Secure Corporation and Rapal start collaboartion

Friday, September 21, 2007

F-Secure and Rapal have agreed on implementing Optimaze.net.  At the first stage the service will cover F-Secure headquarters. Later, the goal is to include all facilities of the global organization in the Optimaze.net service.

F-Secure will use Optimaze.net for space solutions and arrangements and also to manage the space data of the organization. Ari Saari from F-Secure says: “Optimaze.net provides better opportunities for space management and optimization in a changing environment. Optimaze.net is a great management tool”. “F-Secure is a good example of how the service may be utilized in managing smaller facility portfolios. For Rapal the agreement is significant also because F-Secure’s data security systems will be utilized in the Optimaze.net service”, says Tuomas Kaarlehto.

At the signing, September 20, 2007: security and real estate executive Ari Saari (F-Secure), CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto (Rapal) and Optimaze.net business unit executive Kai Patja (Rapal).

University of Tampere and Senate Properties Optimaze.net start collaboration

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

University of Tampere and Senate Properties agreed on implementing Optimaze.net service March 3rd, 2007. Tampere University became the 8^th university/college to implement the space use and cost management solution that is provided by Senate Properties to its own clients.

The goal is to transfer the space register in use to a graphical space management system in the next three months. Tampere University has used internal rents since 1995 which speeds up the implementation of the Optimaze.net service and software. The management director of Tampere Uni. Timo Lahti stated at the early stages that in his experience, money is most efficient at controlling space use. With Optimaze.net allocation of occupancy costs becomes more accurate and the distribution of facility data to plan the core operations and decision-making becomes easier. Optimaze.net enhances Uni. Tampere’s ability to manage space data and speeds up space solutions and arrangements in managing organization changes.

University real estate executive Juha Lemström (Senate Properties),

management director Timo Lahti (Uni. Tampere), product manager Joni-Marko Laine (Senate Properties) and CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto (Rapal).

Nordea and Rapal start Optimaze.net collaboration

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Nordea and Rapal Oy have agreed on implementing Optimaze.net consulting service and its tools. The first stage of the service will be introduced in Nordea’s Scandinavian offices April 1, 2007. The implementation of Optimaze.net was confirmed at the end of 2006 and the service agreement was signed February 2, 2007. “There were some essential selection criteria when choosing Optimaze.net: the fact that Optimaze.net and its tools are browser-based, the management of occupancy costs and especially the passing of facility information to all parties concerned in a global organization”, says Juha Olkinuora, the person in charge of Nordea’s global facility management. In the first stage approximately 400 000 m² of facilities in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway are entered into the system. “Because Nordea has strongly invested in the processes and tools of its facility management, the implementation of Optimaze.net will be carried out in only tree months. It is a world record in this field”, states Tuomas Kaarlehto, the CEO of Rapal Oy.

Celebrating the signing of the contract at Rapal’s headquarters: executive Juha Olkinuora from Nordea, assistant manager Tero Merjomaa, the chairman of Rapal Oy’s board Matti Martola, CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto and business unit executive Kai Patja.

Rapal Oy starts business in Sweden?

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Rapal Oy and Expericon Ltd have agreed on establishing the business opportunities of Optimaze.net service in Sweden. The head of the project is Tero Kauppinen from Expericon Ltd. For more information, contact Tuomas Kaarlehto, the CEO of Rapal Oy, (tel. +358 500 601 725) or partner Jorma Nikunen from Expericon Ltd, (tel. +358 400 411 820).

Expericon Ltd is a growing company that provides experienced and responsible professionals for the use of businesses.

Tax administration implements Optimaze.net

Friday, January 12, 2007

The Tax administration signed an Optimaze.net service agreement with Senate Properties January 8, 2007. The tax administration will implement Optimaze.net, the solution for managing space use and costs. This is Senate Properties’ 12. Optimaze.net agreement.

It was also agreed last March that it would be investigated if Optimaze.net could be applied in the space management of the tax administration.

The data collection stage included piloting Optimaze.net in the tax bureau of Western Finland in May-June and also a workshop-style business case review in August-September.

According to the leading specialist Riitta Juutilainen, the business case process was a great experience for both parties: insights of facilities were discussed in the process and as a result, a report was compiled. The report includes factual basis for decision making, such as strategic connections, utility networks, investments needed, a progress plan… The tax administration will implement the service by August 31, 3007.

At the signing: (from the left) business unit executive Kai Patja (Rapal Oy), president Kari Huhtala (Tax administration), data administration executive Antti Koskinen (Senate Properties), executive Jorma Heinonen (Senate), CEO Jukka Tammi (Tax administration), CEO Aulis Kohvakka (Senate), CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto (Rapal), product manager Joni-Marko Laine (Senate) and leading specialist Riitta Juutilainen (Senate).

The State Treasury starts Optimaze.net collaboration

Friday, December 22, 2006

The State Treasury will begin using Optimaze.net space management system. The agreement was signed December 20, 2006 among the State Treasury, Rapal Oy and Senate Properties. It is the first Optimaze.net agreement for office spaces. For Senate Properties, it is the 11th client agreement. The office manager of the State Treasury Tarmo Repo states that Optimaze.net is just the kind of product they have been looking for. Optimaze.net meets their space management needs from the perspective of space users. Extensive renovations are about to begin at the State Treasury and the product will become essential at the space use planning stage of the project. Of course the product is also necessary in managing the existing spaces (e.g. internal rents, budgeting occupancy costs, key figures, managing future moves…)

Signing the agreement: data management executive Antti Koskinen, office director Jorma Heinonen, product manager Joni-Marko Laine (Senate Properties) and from the State Treasury, logistics planner Marko Tarvainen, office manager Tarmo Repo and data management executive Lasse Skog. Also Rapal’s CEO Tuomas Kaarlehto and Riitta Junnilainen from Senate Properties were present.