12 quick questions – Stefan Stensgaard Nielsen

Project manager

Stefan Stensgaard Nelsen (1975), lives with Kimma. 2 kids, August (2010) og Asbjørn (2006)

E-mail: ss@rival.dk
Mobil: +45 5132 8025

 

Music:
I have a broad taste in music, everything from pop to hard rock.

Film:
Marvel’s universe and High Lander.

Drink:
Beer and good single malt whisky.

Book:
Lord of the Rings.

Actor:
Sean Connery.

Hobby:
3D print, speakers and working with wood.

Animal:
Dogs.

Holiday location:
Denmark.

TV programme:
Danish live stile programmes such as ‘Bonderøven’.

Person:
Danish comedian Anders Matthesen.

Craziest experience:
I have way too many.

Soccer team:
Gartner.

/by

“We add value”

The latest customer satisfaction survey shows just that. RIVAL’s owner and managing director Henrik Holvad is very happy about the results of the survey, as it is RIVAL’s first job to add value to the customers’ businesses.

In the fall of 2019, RIVAL implemented a customer satisfaction survey, which was completed by all buying customers. “We have improved on the overall parameters regarding our collaboration with the individual costumer, and we are close to scoring a 6,” Henrik Holvad says. “On a scale from 1 to 7, that’s pretty good.”

The same applies to two other important parameters in the survey – those regarding the quality and the delivery performance. On those parameters, the customers are still very satisfied with RIVAL, and that is the foundation for the many valuable collaborations, RIVAL has.

Overall solutions and skilful employees
RIVAL’s strategic focus on supplying overall solutions is recognised by RIVAL’s many loyal customers, who want RIVAL to take the full responsibility all the way through the production. The customers recognise that RIVAL is good at it, and they are satisfied with the coherence between service and price.

“Our employees play an important role in this matter, as they can take on responsibility for the costumers’ components as well as enter into dialogue with the customers, when adjustments are needed,” Henrik Holvad says. “At the same time, the survey shows that there is a great trust between the customers and our employees, which is crucial for a productive collaboration.”

Lack of awareness about mass-production options
Henrik Holvad recognises that the customers are not aware of RIVAL’s skills as a mass-producer even though RIVAL has made great investments in both new machines, robots and a two-sided production strategy.

More face-to-face communication
“I think, it is the price we are paying for communicating mainly through e-mail,” Henrik Holvad says. “That’s why Christian, RIVAL’s sales director, and I are paying much attention to telling our customers about our many competencies, when we meet them in real life.”

“Therefore, we are increasing our focus on meeting with our customers face-to-face to discuss our customer satisfaction survey in order to improve,” Henrik Holvad says.

Happiness, pride and new objects
The results of the customer satisfaction survey make Henrik Holvad happy and proud. “I am convinced that our strategic focus on overall solutions, our skilful employees and our trustful relation to the customers create means a great deal to our customers,” he says. “This has been confirmed from the results of the survey. However, that doesn’t mean that we rest on our laurels. We are constantly working to improve, so our customers will continue to “like” us.”

Se flere nyheder

/by

RIVAL in 2020

In January 2020, we adjust our name from A/S Maskinfabrikken RIVAL to RIVAL A/S, and we introduce our new logo.

We adjust our name, but everything else remains the same. We continue to be the same company with the same VAT number, we are the same owners, and we have the same employees.

Much more than just a machine shop
We are a modern company, and we adjust our name, because we want to signal that we are much more than just a machine shop cf. our previous name “Maskinfabrikken” RIVAL.

Through the last decade, we have continually developed our business, and today we are an international supplier of critical and costly components to demanding business.

We already refer to our company as “RIVAL”, because it is a more accessible name to both our Danish and international customers. Therefore, we adjust our formal name to fit the reality.

The history behind the name RIVAL
Back in the day, we chose the name RIVAL to our company because of the word connotes several meanings.

“A rival” is a Danish word for a precision tool in our industry and therefore a symbol of high quality. At the same time, “a rival” is a competitor, who wishes to challenge the existing framework and normality in the industry.

Therefore, the name “RIVAL” reflects our previous and ongoing role in the industry. Our customers recognise us as a company that has a unique focus on quality and an ability to think innovatively.

Se flere nyheder

/by

RIVAL awarded appreciation from InterForce

The Danish Defence is an important business to RIVAL, and the number of products we sell to our customers in the industry increase. Among other things, we produce components to the army’s new Piranha V armoured personal carrier as well as the Leopard 2 upgrade.

Furthermore, we are active within the framework of InterForce. Here, we work to establish an understanding and a relation between the Danish Defence and the private and public sector to encourage their interrelation.

Therefore, we are proud to receive InterForce’s shield as an appreciation of our cooperation. The shield has just been presented to RIVAL’s sales director Christian Aarup by the ambassador of InterForce, lieutenant-colonel Jan Hjortshøj

Se flere nyheder

/by

Logistics friendly “ready-to-go packages”

At RIVAL, the collaboration with every customer is continuously fine-tuned. Thus, the focus is also to mass-produce and deliver product mix to the customer – in one complete package – to facilitate the customer’s logistics.

It all starts with a close collaboration between the customer and RIVAL’s production engineering department. It will be considered whether it is possible to gather the customer’s different components in one serial production and subsequently deliver them in one complete package. This will not only facilitate the customer’s logistics, but also utilise the capacity at RIVAL – also doing the night.

Like a bag with LEGO
“To the customer, it’s like opening a bag with LEGO bricks, in which we have packed the components to the final product,” RIVAL’s sales director Christian Aarup says. “When we produce four different components to the driveline of a Piranja 15, the customer’s future work will benefit from getting all the components delivered at the same time – with the right amount.”

Construction of fixtures
RIVAL’s production engineering department and project manager Stefan Steengaard play important roles in the process. Stefan’s long-running work as a machine operator and constructor has provided him with solid experience in drawing those fixtures, which are used to make the right fixings of various components in one serial production. Stefan works closely together with RIVAL’s production team in order to decide the right processing methods and fixtures and he discusses the right set of tools with the customer’s tool supplier.

See everything through
Stefan is often responsible for seeing the customer’s project through. Therefore, he doesn’t stop supervising the project before all components are measured, approved and ready to be delivered. “It helps to ensure our well-known RIVAL-quality, delivery reliability and thereby security for the customer,” Christian Aarup says. “It’s important, we continually fine-tune and optimise the collaboration with our customers and evolve together.”

Se flere nyheder

/by

Welding robot opens up new possibilities for both RIVAL’s customers and Ole

,

Machine operator Ole Andersen works with RIVAL’s new welding robot every day. He has a great overview of the robot, when he solves complex welding tasks in all types of material.

It was not in the cards, that Ole and RIVAL’s new welding robot would make a good team. Ole had never worked with robots before, and he didn’t have any intentions to do so either.

Yet, he is one of the world’s best welders today, if you ask RIVAL’s sales director Christian Aarup, and his skills are very valuable for RIVAL’s customers in the defence industry.

Self-motivation has paved the way
Ole has gained great expertise in working with the welding robot, which can do both MIG/MAG and TIG welding as well as shifting fast between different methods. “With great enthusiasm, Ole has worked focused with the task and motivated himself to dig deeper into functionality and programming,” Christian Aarup says, and he has several customers, who benefits from Ole’s competencies and the welding robot.

Pride and competency boost
Recently, Ole couldn’t hide his pride, when an important Swiss customer pointed out how important his work is. “I’m very happy about the work and the daily challenges,”

Ole says. “It has given me a great competency boost, and it is a good feeling to know, that I have built it up mainly by myself.”

Increased quality and improved working environment
Today, Ole can complete welding tasks in under 20 minutes with the new welding robot. Without the robot, those tasks would take him at least an hour to complete, and they would demand full concentration and a steady hand. “In this way, we are ensuring equally high quality and fast processing of all components,” Christian Aarup says. “At the same time, Ole gets a better working environment, in which he doesn’t have to work in a tensed position. Instead, he can monitor the robot, enjoy its welding and prepare the next components.”

Complete solutions
Today, RIVAL can solve complex welding tasks in various materials in-house with the new welding robot. “We have experienced an increased demand on components produced in a combination between CNC-processing and complex welding,” Christian Aarup says. “We can now offer that to our customers in the well-known RIVAL-quality and with high delivery reliability. At the same time, the customer is left with a complete solution including a final test, end control and mounting. We look forward to experiencing many more customers benefitting from that.”

Se flere nyheder

/by