In our blog series we introduce you to the key persons behind iKont. For the team, iKont is not just a job, but also a challenge to shape the future and provide solutions for sectors that are not yet digitalised. All colleagues have an important role to play in the creation of iKont smart containers and software, and thus in the development of digitalisation in the construction industry.
1. If you were to describe yourself in one sentence, what are you like?
I’m a practical and logical person ready to lead others, although you’d have to ask my colleagues. ?
2. What experience do you have in the construction industry?
After 12 years of experience in the banking sector, I switched completely to the construction industry, where I managed to spend 13 years as a contractor. In the first period, we were engaged in energy rationalisation projects that are easy to understand – partly within an ESCO model – and then we got involved in ‘hardcore’ building construction work, in complex general and small general projects. It was a challenging time…
In addition to the payment risks due to inappropriate client selection, the extremely difficult-to-control execution of the works caused many sleepless nights. Anyone who knows the construction industry well enough knows that the ‘everything is going according to plan’ idea is self-deception, there is always a change that needs to be managed. There are things that are less easy to manage (weather, general lack of materials, etc.) and other issues that are earier to avoid (poor quality work, ‘technical misunderstandings’, thefts, ‘unprofessional’ use of tools, etc.) In fact, it was the latter that I could not accept, I had many failed attempts to deal with these problems by traditional means. Once everything cleared up, my business partners and I started to develop a digital solution to address these problems. Effective control requires inputting and processing a volume of data that could not be done 0-24 by a manager sitting in front of an excel sheet and cameras. That’s why we created iKont!
3. What is your role in the development of iKont, who are you in the team?
I am the managing director. I am responsible for everything that no one else is. Since it is a startup company, I’m involved in a lot of things, but apart from the executive stuff that cannot be delegated, I’m involved in sales, expansion (organisation, partners), product development, manufacturing, customer side strategy and some operational tasks. On the one hand, it is because that’s what I really know how to do, and on the other hand, because that’s what I feel like doing.
I know it has a slight ‘hippy’ connotation, but I believe that if you do something that you enjoy, you don’t actually consider it work. I communicate this to my colleagues, within certain limits of course. As our organisation grows dynamically, we try to assign colleagues responsibilities geared towards the tasks they like.
4. What problems can be encountered during the construction works?
I agree with the complex list described in the interview with my colleague, Peter. What I would add to this is the main problem faced by a construction owner/company or responsible manager – which is the lack of real control.
At the beginning of my career in the construction industry, I thought that when I discussed with my external colleagues at the beginning of the day what they should do, how and using what materials and tools, and they were wildly nodding, I was the most competent leader and the emperor of life. I soon realised, when they looked at me with eyes wide open afterwards – when things didn’t go nearly as planned – that I was far from the former honourable qualities. There’s always an excuse or an explanation for everything. It takes an awful lot of energy to find the truth in the web of half-truths and pure lies, and to be able to decide and sanction. “I didn’t do it, it was like this before, that’s how I got it”, “no, that’s not what you said”, “it wasn’t delivered on time”, “you only smell the 2 beers I had last night” etc.
That material would be well enough for a comedian for a couple of seasons, but as a manager, and especially as an owner, it wasn’t so funny.
5. What other developments are planned for iKont?
We are working to integrate a number of existing digital technologies. The main difficulty here is that there are many solutions that work well on paper/in laboratory conditions, but are not or not effectively usable in the workplace. We believe in and develop solutions that are simple for the user (to the level of an unskilled worker) – without any significant training course!
6. Which of iKont’s current solutions is your personal favourite?
The iKontŐr service. This is already an excellent value-for-money service that is worth it on its own, but with the basic complex icon package, it is a service not to be missed. If we were also recording it on video now, I’d definitely ask for a flashing animation – with the slogan “Just for you, only today!!” with a genuine teleshop feel. All joking aside, it’s a smart, practical safety service that is revolutionising this ‘industry’ through a combination of human resources and digital technologies.
7. Where do you see iKont in 10 years?
We will be a digital construction platform working closely with a number of other excellent digitalisation solutions for the construction industry. We will be a subject taught at technical schools and universities. In the eyes of the next generation, it’s the platform that decides which company they want to work for. We will be an indispensable player in the digitalisation of construction.
This will certainly be the case in Hungary. If I am only moderately optimistic, I am also optimistic about Europe and Western Asia, not forgetting about other external markets, of course.
