Creative ideas in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic – Hotel reservation system and Finnish disinfection innovation as solutions for cabin key service

When the coronavirus pandemic hit the travelling industry in Finnish Lapland, YlläsAvain’s Entrepreneur started to develop her business. The reservation system used in hotels is being shaped for the needs of the cabin key service. At the same time, a disinfection device familiar from the hospital world was given a new role in YlläsAvain’s reception. As a result of the development measures, the company will save approximately 72 person-days per year.

– Only way to survive was to change the way we do things, YlläsAvain’s entrepreneur Tiina Walin-Jatkola recalls the time when coronavirus pandemic put a stop to the travelling industry.

The idea of business development was not new to the Entrepreneur. Walin-Jatkola thinks positively:

– It has been difficult to develop the business in the midst of the ongoing tourist season. Coronavirus brought a standstill to the industry and freed up time for development.

She is especially excited about the digital leap of her company. Hoist Group’s hotel reservation system is to be tailored to the needs of YlläsAvain. Hoist Group offers technology solutions for the accommodation industry. The system is in exceptional use, as YlläsAvain specifically takes care of handing over the keys and cleaning cabins and apartments in the Ylläs area.

Antti Käppi, Manager for Hoist Group’s software in Finland, is happy about the cooperation and describes the development work as a fun equation because the reservation system is being tailored for the needs of a company that does not have any hotel rooms.

– The solution would also be suitable for other fells and holiday resorts with similar activities, Käppi says.

With the introduction of the new system, the information on the reserved cottages will be easily accessible on mobile devices for the key, cleaning, and maintenance service. Vacationers will receive their keys even more conveniently when they arrive to Ylläs.

– The software and its development have made everyday life easier for YlläsAvain. Upcoming steps in the development work will give customers the opportunity to report the accommodation card information on their mobile phone, Käppi describes.

Effective disinfection

YlläsAvain takes care of the keys to hundreds of cabins and apartments in Ylläs. The keys to the accommodation facilities at the fell change owners on average once a week. Disinfection of the keys is important to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria.

Help with laborious disinfection was found in a Finnish disinfection innovation based on UVC LEDs. The WiSDOM DS surface disinfection cabinet, developed and manufactured in Finland by LED Tailor, which specializes in chemical-free disinfection solutions, was put to new use at YlläsAvain’s office.

– The disinfection cabinet kills all viruses and bacteria on the surfaces of the objects placed there in three minutes using ultraviolet light produced with LED technology, presents Harri Rautio, CEO of LED Tailor.

He explains that the disinfection cabinet was originally developed for the disinfection of small medical devices and equipment:

– Stethoscopes, blood pressure monitors and staff key cards are disinfected in hospitals and health centres. The device can be used to disinfect all small objects.

Steripolar, a reseller of LED Tailor’s UVC and blue light-based disinfection solutions for the healthcare sector, is pleased with this new conquest.

– Measures to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria must also take place outside healthcare. It is great that a company in the travelling industry has set out to cut off routes of transmission, for example with this particular UVC disinfector, to protect both domestic and foreign customers and employees whose sick leave is directly reduced by good hygiene practices, says Steripolar’s Infection Control Product Group Manager Hanna Nevalainen.

As a result of the development measures, YlläsAvain will save approximately 72 person-days per year.

– The time saved is used to serve our customers better and for business development, Walin-Jatkola sums up.

YlläsAvain’s development project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The project will end in June 2022.

 
Pictures of the media release can be downloaded here (2 pcs): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1QFg7sPUyMwCCTYNX-Hn8dL-IuyAmZJQ3?usp=sharing
 
Photo 1: YlläsAvain’s team develops the business together. In the picture, Marianne Koivumaa from the cleaning team (left), Jaana Saarinen, the cleaning manager, Tiina Walin-Jatkola, the entrepreneur, Pekka Lindstedt, the maintenance and project manager, and Anne Kallioaho, the happy customer service representative. Photo: Satu Renko
 
Photo 2: LED Tailor’s WiSDOM DS surface disinfection cabinet disinfects cottage keys. Photo: Satu Renko
 

More information:
Tiina-Walin Jatkola, Entrepreneur, CEO
tiina.walin-jatkola@yllas.fi
+358 40 827 7354
Ylläsavain Oy

Antti Käppi, Manager – Hotel Systems Sales, Consultation and Support Services
antti.kappi@hoistgroup.com
+358 (0)40 842 0916
Hoist Group – Vantaa, Finland

Jarmo Ikonen, Sales Director
jarmo.ikonen@ledtailor.fi
+358 40 849 61 17
LED Tailor Oy

Hanna Nevalainen, Infection Control Product Group Manager
+358 (0)40 502 8828
hanna.nevalainen@steripolar.fi
Steripolar Oy