Transparency and trust are the cornerstones of sustainable competitiveness
The founding of Vastuu Group, the theme partner of the Subcontracting Fair, was driven by the desire to increase transparency in the construction industry. Today, the company’s services significantly support the fight against the grey economy, promote responsible business practices, and foster the development of sustainable operations across industries.
Vastuu Group is best known for its Reliable Partner service, which consolidates the most essential company information and key figures from the subcontracting chain into one easy-to-use location. Background checks are not only sound risk management but also a legal obligation in many industries.
Technology and sustainability create added value together
According to the Finnish Act on the Contractor’s obligations and liability, companies must ensure their partners fulfill legal obligations before entering into contracts, regardless of industry. When handled manually, this creates a paperwork burden for both the contractor and the subcontractor, especially since updates are required every three months.
The Reliable Partner service from Vastuu Group automatically retrieves all the legally required company information, compiles it into a report, and keeps it updated. With its latest version, the service database now includes not only contractor responsibility data but also information on company management, sustainability, sanctions, and financial status. The Valvoja service automates monitoring of subcontractors’ responsibility data and serves as a handy archive for these reports.
In short, automation saves time and allows companies to focus on billable work.
"When there's no need to hunt down information from authorities or websites or request it by email, a single background check can save up to 40 minutes of work time," summarizes Chief Revenue Officer Aleksi Hellman.
The right numbers indicate reliability
Although Vastuu Group has its roots in construction, its services now support 100,000 companies across multiple sectors. Public organizations also benefit from automated information management. During procurement processes, the service can be used to verify the entire supply chain and ensure public funds are used responsibly.
"Sustainability has emerged alongside the contractor obligations act as one of the most important drivers for the adoption of digital services," says Marketing Director Netta Paavoseppä.
Although pressure to adopt sustainable practices often still comes from external requirements, businesses increasingly recognize sustainability as a competitive advantage. It is no longer just an added bonus or a box to check, but a core pillar of modern business operations.
"As reporting requirements expand, the unfortunate reality is that those who can't meet the standards are eliminated from tenders," Paavoseppä continues.
"Cheapest is no longer the default choice – clients are willing to pay more for a partner with solid, easily accessible figures," adds Hellman.
In search of dialogue at the Subcontracting Fair
For Vastuu Group, the Subcontracting Fair is a new way to reach customers and increase brand awareness. Background checks are especially important in subcontracting chains and partnerships.
"We look forward to inspiring discussions and new encounters with professionals from various fields – the goal is to further develop our services together," says Paavoseppä.
One already identified area for improvement is helping SMEs meet sustainability reporting challenges. Keeping data up to date also supports occupational safety. For example, the system can be used to quickly find first-aid trained personnel or verify who holds the necessary qualifications for specific tasks.
The fair’s theme, "Sustainable Competitiveness," perfectly reflects Vastuu Group’s business mission.
"The theme naturally aligns with our services – we want to make responsible operations so easy that they actually happen," concludes Hellman.
