Ismo Penttilä, CEO of RKM Group, holds the Wiiste´s IoT moisture meter for concrete.

– A good many things can be achieved through
physical measurements, but the less unnecessary work needs to be done, the
better cost-efficiency can be obtained. At the same time, professionals can
focus on utilizing their real expertise, says Ismo Penttilä.

According to Penttilä, real-time remote monitoring of moisture and the
conditions of structures enabled by Wiiste's IoT sensors is an important tool
for RKM Group today.

– It streamlines our processes and improves our overall service delivery as our
customers can receive comprehensive real-time monitoring data at all times. As
I see it, this will become our prevailing practice, Penttilä says.

– Remote monitoring also reduces our carbon footprint as unnecessary visits to

sites in order to make measurements can be avoided.

"We quickly became convinced of the benefits"

RKM Group, which specializes in property condition and damage surveys and demanding renovation work, started using Wiiste's moisture sensors as early as 2015, as one of the first such companies.

– We definitely wanted to try out the new sensors when we first heard about them. We quickly became convinced of their benefits, says Ismo Penttilä.

Initially, RKM used Wiiste's SH1 sensors to monitor the drying of new concrete castings, as well as SHR borehole sensors, which were used to monitor the moisture of concrete structures that had become  wet. Both could already be read wirelessly at the time with the Wiiste’s RD1 handheld reader.

In addition, RKM has used SH4 sensors in which the probe and read head are separated by a wire. This allows the sensor to be installed even in cramped spaces at sites - for example, in insulated locations under floors.

For example, no borehole needs to be drilled at measurement points on a ground
supported, waterproofed and tiled washroom floor or on a living room parquet
floor.

A wired sensor can be passed sideways to the measurement point within or
under the floor insulation from an inconspicuous location, for example, from a
wardrobe or a from under a fitting. The advantage here is that patching the
sensor’s entry point is inexpensive and easy.

RKM is shifting to adopt IoT in borehole measurements

When Wiiste offered the IoT solution for remote
monitoring of conditions, it was immediately adopted by the RKM Group.

– There was a need for condition monitoring, especially in connection with the drying of water and fire damage sites, Penttilä says.

–  Today, we also use Wiiste's sensors in the moisture management planning and condition management of newbuild and renovation sites.

Recently, Wiiste has been developing an IoT solution for borehole measurement
in cooperation with its customers. RKM has played an important role in this
development. The company is also using new IoT versions of the wired SH4
sensor.

– They have proven to be very useful in the remote monitoring of the conditions
of concrete and stone structures and have reduced unnecessary borehole

measurements a great deal, says Ismo Penttilä.

Forerunner using top products

While Ismo Penttilä thanks Wiiste for its devices that have proved appropriate from the very beginning and for the ease-of-use of Wiiste‘s Relia cloud service, he nevertheless sees product development as the most important strength of the company.

– We have a vision to be the leading player in our field, and we want to use top products in all areas of our operations. Wiiste has delivered the promises that they made in their field. Of course, no one in the industry will question Wiiste’s position in the field.

Jari Salokangas, Sales Director at Wiiste, gives credit to RKM Group for its
direct and active feedback, which has helped Wiiste over the years in product
development.

– In addition, it is important that we have received not only the basic
feedback but also what is expected of us in the future. In addition, the
iteration has worked excellently in our collaboration. Whenever a customer has
come up with a new need, it has been solved together, Salokangas says.

A special feature of measurements made using RKM Group's equipment is the
possibility of Wiiste’s data being integrated into the company's own

information management system.

"The IoT moisture measurement gauge of wood is about to become a top product in the field”

RKM Group has also tested Wiiste's latest product release, a wood moisture measurement gauge ioT, together with Stora Enso.

– I believe that with the emergence of wooden apartment buildings, the volume
of use of continuous wood moisture monitoring will increase to a significant level in construction in a few years’ time, and that this will become a leading
product in its field.

RKM Group will also strive to grow towards being at the absolute forefront of its field.

At the beginning of 2021, the company took a step into the field of building management systems by acquiring a significant stake in LVI Kurikka Oy, which employs 26 people. LVI Kurikka specializes in plumbing renovations and heating network solutions,for example.

The turnover of RKM Group's own operational activities in 2020 was EUR 13.5 million. The company employs a total of around 150 professionals. In addition, RKM Group is a co-owner of Keski-Suomen Kuivaustekniikka Oy, which provides similar services in Central Finland.

As of 2020, RKM Group is one of Korpi Capital's portfolio companies, in which expert, research, maintenance and repair services related to real estate are offered comprehensively throughout the country.