Risks | Mitigation actions |
Weakening of the global economic environment | KONE strives to continuously develop its competitiveness in all regions and businesses. KONE has a wide geographic presence, global manufacturing capabilities and supply network, as well as a balanced business portfolio with a high share of Service business. |
Geopolitical tensions impacting the competitiveness of KONE’s supply chain, leading to increased costs or causing potential disruptions | KONE actively monitors the development of the applicable and relevant regulations, policies and trade rules, prepares for alternative scenarios and evaluates the competitiveness and viability of KONE’s supply chain and sourcing channels. KONE is taking actions to mitigate the impact of tariffs, for example by applying for tariff exemptions when applicable. KONE also applies increased scrutiny over business operations that may be affected by international trade restrictions or other geopolitical actions. |
Changes in the competitive or customer landscape, customer requirements or competitors’ offerings impacting KONE’s competitiveness | KONE aims to be the industry leader with its competitive offering by investing in research and development and by taking an open innovation approach. KONE also closely follows emerging industry and market trends and actively monitors opportunities for industry consolidation. |
Increasing material, fuel and/or logistics costs weakening KONE’s profitability | KONE aims to offset cost increases by improving the margin of orders received and adopting dynamic pricing and contract models which allow KONE to pass on increased supply costs. Improving pricing, securing productivity gains and lowering product costs remains high on KONE’s agenda. |
A failure to secure and develop the needed organizational capabilities and competencies | KONE continuously evaluates the skills and competences required for the execution of the selected strategy and develops and/or acquires these from internal talent pools or externally. KONE also has extensive training programs in place to develop and retain critical talents. |
Risks related to component and subcontracted labor availability | KONE’s sourcing processes aim to identify critical suppliers and supply categories and implement alternative sources, long-term agreements, last-buy options and other measures to ensure the availability of the supply. KONE has also developed multinational subcontractor pools to ensure subcontractor capacity on a regional level. Subcontractors’ competences and capabilities are monitored and developed continuously, similarly as with own employees. The semiconductor market is monitored and the risk of shortages managed with dual sourcing and active involvement of supply chain partners among other actions. |
Product integrity, safety or quality issues as well as issues with reputation | To mitigate product risks, KONE has strict quality control processes for product design, supply, manufacturing, installation and service. In addition, KONE aims for transparent and reliable communication to prevent reputational risks and to manage potential incidents. KONE also has stringent corporate governance principles in place. |
Interruptions to KONE’s or its suppliers’ operations | KONE actively develops business continuity management capabilities to reduce the impact and likelihood of disruptions within its supply chain. Furthermore, KONE monitors the operations, business continuity management capabilities, financial strength and cybersecurity of its key suppliers. In addition, KONE aims to secure the availability of alternative sourcing channels for critical components and services. KONE also has a global property damage and business interruption insurance program in place. KONE’s global supply chain helps mitigate the risk of interruptions. KONE has 10 manufacturing facilities in 7 countries, multiple distribution centers and a large supplier network across the globe, which helps to mitigate the impacts from potential disruptions in individual locations or countries. |
IT system interruptions and cybersecurity risks | KONE’s cybersecurity management system is certified according to ISO 27001. KONE’s security policies define controls to safeguard premises, information and information systems which are both in development and in operation. The controls apply to both KONE’s internal IT systems and customer-facing digital services. KONE works with third-party security service providers and trusted technology partners to manage the risks and to detect cybersecurity incidents and to respond and recover in a timely manner. KONE conducts tests, reviews and exercises to identify areas of risk and to ensure the appropriate preparedness. The company continues to invest in its cybersecurity capabilities based on these findings. KONE also has a global cyber insurance program in place. |
Financial risks | KONE applies centralized risk management in accordance with the KONE Treasury Policy. More information on financial risk management can be found in notes 2.4, 3.2 and 5.3 of KONE’s Financial Statements 2023. |