Best workshop: Roofit.solar valued learning through the experience of others as part of the strategy development workshop
As the developer of innovative metal roofs that produce electricity, Roofit.solar has been collaborating with Enterprise Estonia for years now. Export Manager of the company Helen Anijalg appreciates the variety of their services, which provide support and a much-needed boost to the various development stages of the company. “We found our way to the services offered by Enterprise Estonia after assessing the needs of the company and mapping our ambitions for growth,” Helen says.
By the beginning of 2019, the business activity of Roofit.solar reached the point where it was time to assess the long-term strategy and consider how to build a core team. The board of the company was inspired to join the training programme of the strategy development workshop because of the opportunity to learn about the experience of other practitioners and draw inspiration while keeping the bigger picture in mind. “It was time for us to sit down, reflect and talk things through, considering the fact that solar energy is one of the fastest growing sectors in the world.”
In light of the climate crisis, solutions for decreasing the level of CO2 as well as minimising the footprint caused by human activity are researched everywhere. The metal roof that produces electricity developed by Roofit.solar provides an opportunity to collect green energy in an elegant and aesthetic fashion, as the company likes to describe it. “Our strategic goal is to increase the production volume at least five times each year – just now we are in the middle of launching our automatic production line as well as introducing new products to the market.”
According to Helen, for a fast-growing agile company, everything must be agile, including the strategy. “Roofit.solar‘s strategy is more than agile, welcoming new ideas and opportunities every week in spite of the setbacks caused by the corona crisis in some export markets,” Helen says. “We are very thorough in developing the strategic plans of our company and are always ready to adapt in this changing world – we would describe ourselves as experienced surfers gliding in the right direction just before catching the wave.”
The set-up of the strategy team in Roofit.solar is reminiscent of a well-known classic in English literature, Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog. “The core of our strategic team is composed of our founder Andri Jagomägi, his dog Elli – Chief Happiness Officer, Head of Business Development Andres Anijalg and Chief Financial Officer Raimond Russak.” Not to mention the solar energy enthusiasts partaking in strategy discussions. In an open and flexible organisational culture, all employees of the company, from the sales team to production line operators, are encouraged to speak their minds in our discussions on strategic processes and at weekly team meetings.
According to Helen, one of the merits of the strategy development workshop was the opportunity to learn from a mentor. “We had a chance to work with Ardo Sildvee, and this collaboration grew into a truly inspiring journey, where the monthly challenges we set became obstacles to overcome as each new challenge arose.”
The strategy development workshop was necessary for the board of Roofit.solar to be able to discuss and arrange plans and hear stories of other companies. “The programme brought to life by Enterprise Estonia constantly pushed us to structurally rethink all aspects of the company’s development path. We were able to compare our ideas and challenges to the problems and opportunities of other companies; we learned to appreciate the strength and versatility of the team. As an added bonus, after the final presentation, some group members and trainers approached us with a request for a quotation,” Helen smiles.
We have continued working on the strategic development plan of the company since the workshop. Roofit.solar is actively looking for new investors to implement its ambitious plans – the strategic plan has become a valuable material that can be presented to potential investors with a deeper interest in developing the plans and ambitions of the company.
The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.