A successful collaboration is about more than just delivery and satisfied parties. Through a 17-year partnership with Alfa Laval, System Verification has shown that cultural alignment, entrepreneurial spirit, and long-term responsibility can contribute to regional growth in Skåne and social change in Sarajevo.
System Verification is one of the Nordic region's leading and largest niche expert companies in software quality assurance and has been in existence for over twenty years, operating in Sweden, Germany, Bosnia, and Poland. System Verification works in partnership with Alfa Laval to ensure the quality of the digital systems Alfa Laval uses to support the energy transition in the product areas of heat transfer, separation, and flow management for customers in about 100 countries.
"For us, partnership is the key to the strength of our business, but also that we, together with others, contribute to a better society in the long term. This collaboration helps us continue to deliver the best possible service for our customers," says Susanne Thorskov Hansen, CIO of Alfa Laval.
Erik Björhäll, CEO of System Verification, expresses gratitude for Alfa Laval's support: "Alfa Laval is a global company that is happy to partner with young, local, entrepreneur-driven companies. They strongly contribute to nurturing, establishing, and allowing new players to emerge in the local business community. It shows that they truly practice what they preach, for which we are eternally grateful."
The collaboration has not only strengthened local business development in Skåne but also led to the establishment of a delivery hub in Sarajevo. With support from Alfa Laval, System Verification has been able to contribute to positive social development in Bosnia, a country that has struggled with a complex political system and lack of opportunities for young, well-educated people.
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"With an already established and well-functioning collaboration, we wanted to challenge ourselves by proactively reducing costs for Alfa Laval and creating new opportunities through an establishment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our founder and main owner, Hamdija Jusufagic, served in the Swedish UN battalion in 1995 when the country was at war and wanted to change the conditions for the country. He saw an opportunity in well-educated young people who did not get the right opportunities in the local labor market. The combination of Swedish leadership and corporate culture proved to be a perfect match," says Björhäll.
"In the IT organization, we have teams in India, Poland, and Sweden. We have employees of varying ages, genders, and years at Alfa Laval, with competencies ranging from solid company insights to experiences from other companies and new research from the university. If you combine this with valuable collaborations with partners from around the world, magic can happen," says Susanne Thorskov Hansen.
"Together with Alfa Laval, we established ourselves in Sarajevo in 2013. Today, about 80 people work at System Verification's office in Sarajevo, of which 50 are dedicated to deliveries for Alfa Laval. We have built the company with our Swedish work culture and benefits, such as parental leave and wellness allowances.
"This has had a long-term positive effect on the labor market and contributed to reducing 'brain drain,' so that the country is not drained of well-educated citizens. This group creates good tax revenues and has strong internal purchasing power in the country. In this way, we have also managed to attract many female engineers; today, about 60 percent of our staff in Sarajevo are women, and we have had a female CEO there for several years," says Björhäll.
The cultural match between Alfa Laval and System Verification is highlighted as a success factor.
"If you share views on right and wrong and have a common desire to contribute to something positive beyond your own business, a consensus is created that leads to a long-term successful relationship. It is a key to success," concludes Björhäll.
System Verification plans to continue developing the collaboration with Alfa Laval while creating more opportunities for employees – from Skåne to Sarajevo.
Read more about our Sarajevo office and our Nearshore collaborations.
