Financial and operational excellence

Implenia is able to stay competitive and make the most of market opportunities because it continually adapts its structures and processes in response to a changing market. Carefully weighing up opportunities and risks, the company exploits its entrepreneurial freedom and creates sustainable value for its stakeholders.

Content

Creating value Value Assurance BIM INSPIRE Cybersecurity Sustainable finance “Green” credit financing Lean Construction Quality strategy Customer satisfaction

Creating value

Since its formation in 2006, Implenia has developed into a strong group with a comprehensive range of services, a well positioned brand and solid local roots in the Swiss market, as well as in Germany, Austria , France, Norway and Sweden.

The following table provides an overview of the value that Implenia creates and distributes to its shareholders each year. Implenia works in line with the value-oriented management concept, focusing not just on earnings but also on the value of the company.

GRI 102-7, 201-1

Direct economic value generated and distributed, Implenia Group

 2016
1000 CHF		2017
1000 CHF		2018
1000 CHF		2019
1000 CHF		2020
1000 CHF		2021
1000 CHF
Output account
Revenues3'266'9863'859'4784'364'4734'430'8333'988'9463'764'670
Financial income2'9264'6432'7391'536    3'234 6'194
Other income6'1586'7794'8782'179122'21624’137
Business output

3'276'070

3'870'900

4'372'0904'434'5484'114'3964’060’298
Cost of materials

2'006'170

2'432'499

2'890'7742'861'2322'720'3702’258’492
Other operating expense

231'356

275'749

338'341268'957312’191280’153
Intermediate goods and services

2'237'526

2'708'248

3'229'1153'130'1893'032'5612’538’645
Gross value added

1'038'544

1'162'652

1'142'9751'304'3591'081'8351’256’356
Depreciation and amortisation

68'277

110'244

76'791123'261141'866109’959
Net value added

970'267

1'052'408

1'066'1841'181'098939'9691’146’397
Distribution account
Employees

869'434

984'174

1'050'5101'116'0551’083’4921’025’377
Creditors

14'921

15'541

15'01120'73620'22630’532
Public sector

21'459

13'660

15910'387-31'69726’532
Shareholders

59'817

35'779

-5'05929'651-134'70261’157
Group

4'636

3'254

5'5634'2692'6502’799

Value Assurance

The execution of large construction projects can have an impact on the success of the company as a whole; so it is very important for Implenia to plan carefully, exploit opportunities and control risks in every phase of its major projects. This is the only way to secure sustainable growth for the whole group. 

In 2019, therefore, Implenia introduced a Value Assurance approach. Every project now goes through a predefined process and is repeatedly analysed in detail to assess profitability. This approach is applied as soon as projects are selected and tenders prepared. It then continues across all the relevant stages through to actual construction. 

Projects are divided into different categories using parameters such as size, complexity and contractual conditions. The project’s category then determines which Value Assurance Committee (VAC) is responsible for it. These VACs are made up of different experts and decision-makers, who approve milestones and regularly review early warning indicators to determine whether a project is progressing according to plan. If problems become apparent, proactive measures are taken and recommendations made to prevent major losses.

BIM

It is hard to think of anything that has changed the construction industry in recent years as much as Building Information Modeling, or BIM. This new technology creates a software-supported 3D model that brings together all of the planning, execution and subsequent management of a building or structure.

Implenia has invested significant resources in its own BIM infrastructure and is introducing the technology across the whole group. In order to avoid duplication of effort, the company has established three organisational levels. At the highest of these, a global team consolidates the requirements of the different divisions and country organisations. This team looks for synergies, develops new BIM methods and documents examples of best practice. 

The second level consists of local BIM units which help the operational business to introduce BIM methods. These local teams train workers on our construction sites, provide support and develop the technology in collaboration with the global unit. 

Local BIM project engineers form the third and final level of the BIM organisation. These specialists apply standardised BIM methods on our construction sites, but they also bring practical requirements to the table when methods are being refined to make them ready for market. 

Implenia is constantly expanding its use of model-based work in the various phases and areas of its construction projects. Nearly all planning is done digitally these days, but the use of BIM on the construction sites themselves is less widespread. Implenia is now piloting its first paperless construction sites, with all the information needed to build the project only available on digital devices. 

Implenia is also working on integrating the environmental performance of the materials it uses into its BIM models. In future it will therefore be possible to record the grey energy of building components and whole buildings automatically, compare data and choose the most sustainable option.

INSPIRE

With project INSPIRE, Implenia is creating a digital foundation for standardised and integrated processes across the whole group. INSPIRE, which stands for “Integrated New Solutions for Processes at Implenia Reaching Excellence”, is a group-wide tool for progressing key digitalization steps. These steps include things like applications for artificial intelligence.

INSPIRE will be used across the Group as a global platform for harmonised, comparable data from 2021 onwards. The benefits are clear: greater transparency , universal availability thanks to cloud-based and mobile solutions, and increased efficiency. INSPIRE also allows systematic integration of BIM into our core processes, supports the Value Assurance approach, and improves digital collaboration with our partners, customers and employees.

Cybersecurity

As more and more processes become networked, the danger of hacker attacks and data theft increases. In response, Implenia uses state-of-the-art cloud technologies and is continuously expanding its cybersecurity strategy. This strategy is based on the international ISO 27001 standard and includes an integrated risk management approach that prioritises the protection of employees and systems.

Implenia works with internal and external specialists who support all projects from launch to introduction. A partner company monitors Implenia’s systems round-the-clock, identifies any irregularities immediately and responds without delay. Regular internal and external audits ensure that vulnerabilities are discovered and corrected.

Employees receive regular training to sensitise them to risks associated with the internet. They are presented with the latest cybersecurity topics to consider and practice how to deal with virtual attacks.

Sustainable finance

Sustainability is an integral part of Implenia’s business and value system. This makes the Group’s shares and bonds attractive to investors who take a responsible approach to investment. The way the financial sector perceives and rates Implenia’s efforts is very important, therefore. The company attaches great significance to transparent communication, in particular of its objectives and key indicators.

Implenia’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised over the years by a series of positive external ratings. For example, in 2021, Implenia received a rating of AAA (on a scale of AAA-CCC) in the MSCI ESG Ratings assessment. Sustainalytics and Inrate have also given Implenia excellent marks for sustainability. Various Swiss banks, including Zürcher Kantonalbank, Bank Vontobel (formerly Vescore) and J. Safra Sarasin, cover us in their sustainability research.

“Green” credit financing

At the end of June 2018, Implenia increased the credit facility it maintains with its existing Swiss bank syndicate, led by UBS, by 150 million to 800 million Swiss francs. Implenia is the first industrial company in Switzerland to link its applicable credit margin in part to its sustainability performance as measured by Sustainalytics. Thanks to its current good rating, Implenia enjoys better borrowing conditions.

In 2022, Implenia was awarded an outstanding 85 points by Sustainalytics, the world’s leading provider of research and ratings in the three dimensions environmental, social and governance (ESG) for its 2021 performance. This was a further improvement on the previous year’s rating (84 points). It makes Implenia the industry leader in all three dimensions, as well as a pioneer of “green” credit financing. The fact that Implenia’s many years of sustainability work are having a positive impact on its funding situation marks a very important milestone.

 

Lean Construction

Implementation of the Lean approach within Implenia is already progressing at full speed. By “Lean”, the company is referring to an effective, low-waste method of planning and controlling its projects. The primary aim is to increase cooperation, transparency and communication across the entire value chain. This has a positive influence on projects in terms of quality and meeting deadlines, and it reduces bottom-line costs. 

In practical terms, one of the most positive things about Lean is that all key stakeholders are involved in projects very early on and regularly kept up to date with well coordinated information. This prevents empty runs and conserves resources at all levels of the project. As well as improving material and energy efficiency, it also ultimately leads to greater safety and less stress for employees.

Based on initial pilot projects, internal Lean specialists put together a toolbox in 2019 that includes standards and methods developed specifically for the company. Implenia continuously evaluates the experience gained in projects and adapts this toolbox accordingly.

In an effort to further accelerate the application of Lean philosophy to its construction projects, Implenia decided to carry out all larger-scale projects using Lean methods and tools.  Lean experts within the divisions are responsible for this.

Quality strategy

In order to stay competitive for the long term, Implenia continuously adapts its structures and its management and control processes to market requirements, the latest academic insights and the latest technology. 99% of all business units are subjected to an ISO 9001 continuous improvement process.

Since 2018, Implenia has focused even more strongly on the quality of its activities, and has a developed a strategy as well as a specific group-wide organisation for this purpose. Before that, quality was covered by the health, safety and environmental (HSE) management system. The main objective of the reorganisation is to ensure the continuous development of all business processes. This should ensure that the company achieves its targeted results with regard to products and services, customers, employees and society at large.

Implenia’s new quality strategy is based on three pillars:

  • Excellent process management with clear processes and responsibilities 
  • Continuous improvement by learning from experience and maintaining a positive error culture
  • Increased quality awareness through training and a clear definition of responsibilities

 

The Implenia Management System (IMS), which has been a reliable reference for all standards (“single source of truth”) since mid-2020, is a central element of process management. Thanks to the IMS, all employees can access the relevant processes whenever necessary. Roles and responsibilities are clearly set out at the document level as well as for the different areas and processes.

Customer satisfaction

Satisfied customers form the foundations of Implenia’s long-term success. Implenia regularly assesses how its customers feel about its services. As well as talking to them directly about their experience, the company has for many years carried out systematic customer satisfaction surveys. Questions are asked through a web interface on the management system, thus giving customers a modern, user-friendly process and, at the same time, increasing the response rate. 

Implenia receives feedback from several hundred customers each year. Around 98% of the feedback is from professional clients, and the rest from private customers such as people who have bought apartments that the company has built. In 2021, 98% of business customers who took part in the customer survey said they were satisfied with Implenia’s services and would recommend Implenia to others (previous year: 95%). We are delighted with this outstanding result and with the increase on the previous year.

The highest marks given last year were for the commitment and skill of employees (91%), followed by compliance with quality standards (88%) and response to customer concerns (88%). Customers also said they were satisfied with project management (87%) and complaints handling (85%), as well as with the sustainability and innovation of proposed solutions (84%). 

Status: end 2021

Customer satisfaction

in % of satisfied customers that would recommend Implenia
*Data up to and including 2013 refers to the former Implenia Real Estate / Implenia Buildings.