Stakeholder Cooperation

Bittium’s operations affect a wide range of stakeholders. Understanding their views and expectations is important for the company’s operations and success. Open dialogue with the stakeholders helps to develop Bittium’s operations, products and solutions as well as a goal-driven approach to finding solutions to social challenges.

Bittium works in cooperation with national as well as international stakeholders. The major stakeholders include Bittium’s employees, customers, various suppliers, cooperation partners, authorities and other parties regulating the operations, shareholders and investors, students and educational institutions as well as various communities. The company’s stakeholder-related activities are guided by good governance and the Code of Conduct.

Personnel

Bittium arranges several different staff events each year where employees get the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback. The opportunity to have open dialog and present questions directly to the management has formed a key part of communication. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all staff events were held online to safeguard the employees’ health and business continuity. In these events, the dialog between the management and employees was even more active than in on-site events, and the possibility to participate regardless of location significantly increased the number of participants. This is why it was decided that the events will be online events even after the COVID-19 pandemic subdued.

In 2023, the company underwent major changes in its operating practices and processes. Staff events and briefings related to the changes were arranged more frequently than usual to support the communication and implementation of the changes.

In addition to staff events, Bittium’s employees can give feedback through the annual anonymous employee survey. Equal treatment and open interaction are important to our employees. Employees expect us to offer interesting and meaningful work, and opportunities for professional growth. In addition to the annual employee surveys, the company obtains information on the well-being of employees through quarterly pulse surveys, which allows for any issues to be addressed more rapidly. The results of all surveys are available to the employees in the company intranet.

Customers

Customers feedback is received on a continuous basis, primarily by means of frequent communication and through various annual surveys. In 2023, surveys were carried out both by means of interviews and online. Feedback is collected from various levels of customer organizations, ranging from project personnel to senior management. The customer feedback collection method has proved to be effective and it will be continued in 2024.

The Scrum and Agile methods we use and the supporting online systems (as real-time as possible) allow ongoing monitoring and open dialog. This enables us to quickly react to potential problems.

Our customers value competitive and reliable products and services as well as our sustainable and real-time approach to our operations. Our major customers are leading international companies. Although the COVID-19 pandemic taught flexible cooperation via the internet, face-to-face meetings are perceived as delivering higher engagement and commitment. Product and project inspections and approvals, in particular, are easier to carry out face-to-face.

Suppliers and partners

When it comes to our suppliers and other partners, we have often worked with them in close cooperation for a long time following established rules and ways of working. Constant communication enables open dialog. Suppliers and partners expect fair and sustainable operations and long-term cooperation from Bittium. For its part, Bittium expects that the business operations of its suppliers and partners are sustainable, and this is monitored on a regular basis.

Authorities

Bittium maintains a regular line of communication with the authorities, for example, with regard to export control and information security issues. The company regularly monitors compliance with laws and regulations. Applying them to the company’s business operations requires open and ongoing interaction with the authorities.

Local cooperation

As part of sustainable corporate citizenship, Bittium actively cooperates with various communities. The expectations of different communities are met in a variety of ways. The company regularly supports educational institutions and schools to introduce young students to working life – and not forgetting the teachers. Thanks to this collaboration, Bittium is also able to recruit new and enthusiastic graduates.

Research and development cooperation with companies and research institutions broadens Bittium’s expertise and makes it possible to mutually promote development.

Shareholders and investors

Shareholders, investors and analysts expect that Bittium provides long-term value and acts in a sustainable manner. Analysts who follow the company are met on a regular basis, and the company participates in events organized for institutional investors. The Annual General Meeting, which takes place once a year, provides the shareholders with the opportunity to meet and discuss with the company’s management and Board of Directors.

In 2021, the company engaged in discussions taking place in a moderated discussion forum aimed at investors in order to increase and improve communication with investors. In 2023, this work was continued with the aim of improving understanding of the company’s strategy and business through open and transparent discussion.

In connection with updating its strategy, the company organized a Capital Markets Day for analysts and investors in 2023. The event was organized as an in-person event in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Following presentations, investors had the opportunity to meet representatives of the company’s management and largest shareholders, and learn more about the company’s products and services. Attending the event virtually was also possible. A total of 40 people attended the event in person, and 374 people watched the event online. The recording of the event had been viewed 786 times by the end of 2023.