Digital transformation paves the way for a streamlined labor inspection

Introduction

New political agreements and an ever-growing complexity created challenges for the Danish Working Environment Authority's infrastructure, which over time had become difficult to maintain and difficult to adapt to new needs. The management therefore took the initiative for a comprehensive modernization of both the technological platform and workflows.

Case metrics

Key statistics

45,000

company inspections carried out annually

23,000

reactions per year on the basis of the annual inspections

The challenge

The Danish Working Environment Authority wanted an IT system that set a new standard for how technology could support a safe and healthy working environment in Danish workplaces. The goal was not just to replace old systems, but to create a modern and flexible solution that could meet future demands for digitalization and efficiency.

The heads of division Kirsten Brink and Allan Kjær Andersen in Digitalization and Data at the Danish Working Environment Authority have been in charge of the transformation. With their teams, they have navigated through a complex process where technological innovation and organizational adaptation went hand in hand.

The Danish Working Environment Authority conducts approximately 45,000 company inspections annually, where they ensure that Danish workplaces comply with applicable rules. In addition, the organization handles communication, campaigns and other activities that require flexible workflows and reliable IT systems.

One of the areas that needed to be replaced was the formation of visit reports. In 2019, it became clear that their old system could no longer keep up. A political agreement required a modernization of the visit report, including digital support for an English version aimed at foreign companies – both are key elements of the supervisory work. Inspectors should be able to generate reports directly in the field and deliver them to companies immediately after a visit.

"In terms of business and technology, we were on a burning platform. Time-to-market was far too long, and we had difficulty meeting new needs from the organization," explains Kirsten Brink.

The old solution for generating visitor reports required IT specialists to be able to adapt the visit reports to new needs and legislation. This meant that changes could take months to complete. After the functionality has been moved into F2, changes and adaptations can be made by the business itself.

Another area that needed to be replaced was support for the reaction area. Based on the approximately 45,000 inspections annually, the Danish Working Environment Authority issues approximately 23,000 reactions. Here, the supervisor must do case processing, and the company must follow up on the reaction(s) in question. "In our old solution for servicing the companies, the work processes were not stringent. There was a need for business development with other workflows and roles to be supported with the new system," Allan Kjær Andersen elaborates.

The solution

In mid-2021, the Danish Working Environment Authority chose to implement the standard system F2. The solution was initiated as a pilot project with a focus on better support and optimization of the visitor report. However, during the IT modernization, F2 also became a system component in the extensive modernization of the response area and the replacement of the Danish Working Environment Authority's old portal solution ADVI, both of which are core processes in the organization.

With F2, the Danish Working Environment Authority has a modern solution that supports the inspectors being able to show a completed visit report in connection with the implementation of an inspection. It works seamlessly with the Danish Working Environment Authority's other systems that support the inspection. F2 automatically draws on basic data, and the inspectors can register new information directly in the system. The result is a much smoother process, where the visitor reports are not only completed faster, but also more accurate and available faster.

"The flexibility we have achieved with F2 means that we can now quickly adapt templates and respond to new requirements from both legislation and organization," says Kirsten Brink.

The next step in the modernization with F2 was the reaction area. When a supervisor has been on an inspection visit, this may give rise to one or more reactions to the inspection. These are included in the visit report that is formed, but after the inspection, the reactions must be processed.

The previous support for the reaction area had end-of-life and a modern and flexible platform was needed. Furthermore, there was a desire from the Danish Working Environment Authority's management to rethink the tasks of the inspector. Thus, the reaction area became both an IT project and an organizational project.

F2, in close cooperation with the Danish Working Environment Authority's other core systems, supports the case processing of the approximately 23,000 reactions that come in annually. Here, F2 supports automatic and semi-automatic case processing, management of deadlines, merging when sending letters, orders, reminders and much more. F2also supports the Danish Working Environment Authority's case insight with a portal solution that allows companies to get an overview of their own cases and provide feedback on ongoing cases.

The result

The modernization of the Danish Working Environment Authority's IT platform, including the new workflows, has been well received by the organization. The implementation of F2 has fulfilled the business gains and the project has been delivered on time within the agreed budget.

"The transition to digital processes has been a success. It has been a benefit for the organization to get a simpler approach to the preparation of templates, which was previously a heavy and time-consuming task," says Kirsten Brink.

In addition to the original modernization of systems, the F2 platform has subsequently also been used to support the processes for Complaints and Criminal Cases. Both processes have been delivered in parallel with the modernization.

"We have reached the goal of our major IT modernization and have met the success criteria that were identified at the time, and we are therefore well equipped for the future," adds Allan Kjær Andersen.

The collaboration between the Danish Working Environment Authority and cBrain has been characterized by mutual trust and an open dialogue about requirements and solutions. The supplier's flexibility and quick response have been crucial in solving the challenges that arose along the way.

"We had a large and complex delivery in February 2024, where both operations and portal solution were challenged. But the cBrain team's dedication and ability to understand our needs ensured that after a hectic start, we reached our goal well," explains Allan Kjær Andersen.

Kirsten Brink also emphasizes the importance of the close collaboration: "We have had a partner who has not only delivered what we asked for, but has also acted as a valuable sparring partner. It has been important to us that cBrain has been able to collaborate with the other suppliers we have on our systems. cBrain's understanding of our needs has made all the difference."

The modernization has also been carried out in an environment with several suppliers involved, which has placed high demands on cooperation and coordination across the board. Here, cBrain has shown the ability to navigate in a multi-supplier model and at the same time keep the focus on the overall needs of the Danish Working Environment Authority. With collaboration characterized by flexibility, openness and holistic understanding, cBrain has not only delivered on its own tasks, but also contributed to creating a coherent and user-friendly solution across system sand involved parties.

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