An interview with Niklas Eriksson, a Swedish consultant at Idhammar, who held a course at Iðan
Swedish consultant Niklas Eriksson is one of those who has shared his experience and knowledge with Icelandic industrial companies through courses at Iðan Education Centre. He works at the Swedish consulting firm Idhammar, which specialises in maintenance management, operational development, and performance management.
“Idhammar essentially does three things,” explains Niklas. “We provide consulting in the field of production and maintenance, we offer a variety of courses, and finally, we provide temporary management assistance – for example, when companies need to bring in a maintenance manager or project manager on a temporary basis.”
He started at Idhammar in 2018 and says his first projects involved strategic maintenance development for a large paper manufacturer. “I started in a temporary management position, but since then I've done all sorts of analyses and projects – today I do pretty much everything,” he says with a smile.
From submarines to nuclear power plants
Before his consulting career, Niklas served in the Swedish Armed Forces as a marine engineering officer on submarines.
“I spent many years under the surface of the sea,” he says. “But when my youngest son asked me to come home, I decided to quit seafaring. Instead of being at sea for 150–200 days a year, I went to work at a nuclear power plant near my home.”
After four years there, he turned to consulting.
Fourth course in Iceland
This is the fourth course Niklas has taught in Reykjavík. “The course lasts for six days – for the first two days we worked together on-site, the next two via Teams, and finally we're finishing the course here in Reykjavík,” he says.
He has previously taught in connection with the European Certification for Maintenance Managers, which he describes as a very demanding programme. This time, the emphasis is on maintenance management, with a focus on performance and operational reliability.
“We go into the basics – what needs to be in place in a company so that it can truly manage its assets and ensure that production runs smoothly.”
From repairs to prevention
Niklas says that maintenance work has changed significantly in recent decades.
“30–40 years ago, maintenance was usually reactive – you fixed things when they broke. But as production became more complex, people realised that was no longer enough. You have to prevent failures before they happen.”
This ideological shift – preventive maintenance – was the first major revolution in maintenance management. But the development has varied between countries.
“The Nordic countries have been rather slow to change – there are strong traditions of craftsmanship ingrained in companies. But this is changing. Where people used to say they were a repairman, they now say they are a maintenance technician – which means they don't just work on fixing things but also on preventing failures.”
A smaller ecosystem in Iceland
When asked if Icelandic companies are lagging behind in this regard, Niklas shakes his head.
“It's simply because the ecosystem here is smaller. In Sweden, there are thousands of companies that can learn from each other, discuss things, and compete amongst themselves. Here in Iceland, there are maybe one or two companies in each sector – there are fewer opportunities to share experience and knowledge.”
This is where the importance of courses at Iðan comes in strongly:
“We bring methods, technology, and a mindset that has proven itself elsewhere. This helps Icelandic companies to develop faster.”Click here to register for the next course.