Who are you and what does your company do?
I am Lucas Grankulla, CEO of Ab Tomaskin Oy, which is currently responsible for Cramo’s
operations in Kokkola. I have the main responsibility, but we are building the company together
with everyone else in the company. In 2019, we acquired Ab Tomaskin Oy, which was previously
responsible for Cramo’s operations in Jakobstad. After two years in Jakobstad, we were offered the
opportunity to take over Cramo’s operations in Kokkola. We accepted the offer, but the workload
quickly became too much. Therefore, we chose to sell the business in Jakobstad and focus more on
the Kokkola area, where we saw a growing market. Personally, I have made a complete career
change; I have previously worked in other industries, but I have a great interest in this business.
How has Dobra helped you?
Personally, I have no experience in bookkeeping, so it has been great to have experts to contact,
even for simple matters. There are many things to keep track of, but we have excellent
bookkeepers. I am quick to learn new computer programs, so using the program we currently use
has been easy, and Dobra helps with any settings or things I don’t understand. When it comes to
extracting data from the system, it usually takes just a day to receive the monthly report from
Dobra once all the figures are in the system. This has been very useful for quickly monitoring the
company’s profitability after the end of each month. It has also been a relief to be able to ask
questions about the laws and regulations concerning various matters. It has been reassuring for me
not to have to worry about such things and to be able to rely on everything being handled
correctly.
How was the transition to Dobra?
The transition to Dobra was very easy. I provided them with login credentials, and they continued
where our previous bookkeepers left off. The whole process has been straightforward and
continues to be so, which is something I greatly appreciate. With Dobra, we have had the same
contact person since the beginning, while many other places may have several bookkeepers in a
year. I understand that this works better in a small company, but I think Dobra has planned well to
provide the best possible service to their clients. So far, I have only had positive experiences with
Dobra.
How has the communication with Dobra been?
I believe the communication with Dobra has been excellent. If I didn’t receive an immediate
response, they followed up and informed us later. They have also informed me and provided
advice in a timely manner regarding any changes that should be made in bookkeeping or
operations. This could include things that would help us achieve the best possible results. A good
example of Dobra’s proactive communication is if we would deviate from the budgeted results at
the beginning of the year. Dobra would notify us in advance that we should adjust the withholding
tax to avoid a tax balance at the end of the year. They have also informed us when it has been
beneficial to make investments, among other things. This has been great, as it has allowed me to
focus on other tasks.
How has it been to collaborate with Dobra?
It has been reassuring to have someone to discuss matters with. Many times, as a manager in a
small company, you are alone in your role, and Dobra has played an important role in providing
someone to reflect on things from a different perspective. Ultimately, I bear the final responsibility
as the CEO, but it is still important to get ideas and contemplate different things with someone
other than myself.
I don’t feel the need to meet face to face directly. Therefore, we haven’t had many in-person
meetings, but we have had continuous communication through Teams and phone calls. I think it
has been convenient because it has worked well, and we have saved time by not having to travel
anywhere.
When the bookkeeper has been on vacation, we have been informed well in advance of our
contact person’s absence and who the temporary contact person would be. I personally think it is
important for everyone to have time off, so as long as the communication is clear and timely, it is
not a problem, which Dobra has managed very well.
If nothing changes, we will be very satisfied customers in the future, and we can highly recommend
Dobra.
