Facility Management keeps pharmaceutical plants running

“If Orion’s Facility Management stopped taking care of its duties, we would be in big trouble at the plants within just a few days,” says Veli-Matti Hautaniemi, Engineering Manager in Orion’s Facility Services construction team – and he is not exaggerating. 

 
This is because Facility Management takes care of things that are essential for the pharmaceutical plant’s operations. It is responsible for humidity and temperature which are critical factors in pharmaceutical production. 

“We must always know what kind of conditions the pharmaceuticals have been produced in. This is a matter of product safety,” Hautaniemi says. 

Every country that buys medicines from Orion has its own requirements that the plants must follow. Authorities from the different countries regularly visit Orion’s plants to inspect the company’s operations. 

Technical experts for every need  

A wide range of skills are needed in Orion’s Facility Management. It has several teams:   

• a team responsible for construction,  
  a team responsible for building maintenance and repair,  
  a team responsible for facility security, and  
  a team responsible for commodities, such as gases and purified water, that are needed in pharmaceutical production.   

The teams work closely together. Each team has specific technical responsibilities each with their own experts. Facility Management has specialists in construction engineering, building automation, electrical engineering and HVAC engineering, among others.

 
Antti Akselin, a HVAC specialist working in the construction team, is responsible for supervising HVAC engineering design and contracting in construction and modification projects.

 
“In these projects, existing facilities or systems are modified to meet the needs of pharmaceutical production or laboratories, for example. I make sure that the results comply with guidelines and building regulations for HVAC engineering and meet the pharmaceutical industry’s strict quality requirements,” says Akselin. 

Once the projects are completed, Akselin’s job is to ensure with other experts that everything is working properly in the modified facilities. He is also involved when partners or government authorities carry out inspections to make sure we are producing pharmaceuticals in accordance with their requirements.  

In addition to specialists, Facility Management requires a wide range of project engineers to organise and manage projects. The department also has construction and facility managers who lead their own teams. 

According to Veli-Matti Hautaniemi Orion’s Facility Management's specialists will, in the future, be required to have expertise of data models, in particular. It is also likely that completely new roles will emerge in this area. 

“In technical documentation, we are in the process of adopting data models. We previously used 2D drawings, but will now use 3D designs, to which all kinds of information can be added,” says Hautaniemi. 

He says that Orion has a positive attitude to the development and deployment of new digital tools. 

Problem-solving and collaboration skills are valued 

Facility Management mainly employs people with qualifications in technical sectors, such as HVAC, electrical and civil engineers. 

Although technical training and education provide a good foundation for the work, there are duties in the department that can only be learned on the job,” Hautaniemi says. 

“There are many things related to the technology of a pharmaceutical plant that do not need to be considered in other types of plant environments. This is a technically challenging and complex environment compared to many other industries,” says Hautaniemi. 

Hautaniemi and Akselin say that working at Facility Management requires problem-solving skills but also provides the opportunity to develop them. The ability to work with a team, which can include people from very different fields, is also an important requirement.  

“When we are solving a specific technical problem, each team member brings their own expertise to the table to help us find a solution,” says Hautaniemi. 

According to Akselin, it is precisely the successful teamwork that is one of the best things about his job.  

“We work with different departments and help each other. I really enjoy working with my team and we also work well with external designers and contractors,” he says. 

If you work at Facility Management you must also be able to tolerate stress, says Akselin. Schedules are often tight and it is important to react quickly. Attention to detail is also important, especially when ensuring that everything is working as planned in new premises. 

Helping others makes the work meaningful 

” Akselin has been with Orion for three years, Hautaniemi for 14. Before joining Facility Management, Hautaniemi worked with production equipment, but switched to his current role five years ago. Both enjoy working at Orion. One reason for this is that they feel that their work is meaningful. 

Akselin says that his work feels meaningful because the projects he designs and oversees allows Orion to produce medicines that people need. 

“It’s great to be able to make a difference to the lives of so many people indirectly through my work. People in Finland and around the world get the medicines they need and can rely on the fact that they have been produced in the right conditions.”