A completely new solution in the world of data storage
A similar data warehousing implementation has never been seen in Finland.
“We were looking for a solution that did not require reinventing the wheel. The transition to wellbeing services counties is a major societal change that requires new ways of thinking and implementing . We did not want a point-based solution, but an implementation that serves everyone. This solution also benefits the taxpayer by saving time, money and personnel significantly,” says Tuomas Alivuotila, Head of Agile Data Engine at Solita.
He praised Istekki for its courage in choosing technology. “They believed that a completely new solution was possible.”
Solita’s extensive expertise was convincing
Maintaining the wellbeing services counties requires the implementation of various new solutions related to telecommunications and technology.
“That’s why we wanted a partner with the right resources. Solita is a good partner because it has a wide range of resources for a wide range of needs – data engineers, report writers, more experienced architecture experts and designers”, says Antti Koskinen, Group Manager at Istekki.
The project was a collaboration between Istekki, Solita and Productivity Leap. What did you learn from the multifunctional model?
“We had a lot of open discussions about different operating models in retrospective meetings – what went well, what is the best option? What things need to be corrected? We also found that it was important to have live workshops. In-person meetings have definitely improved collaboration. Boldly raising issues, discussing them and respecting others have been key factors in successful cooperation,” says Istekki’s Matikainen.
Istekki took a giant leap in agile development
With the partnership, Istekki also wanted to renew its working methods. The company had never used agile methods on such a large scale before.
“Agile development is the way to manage a company like this . The practices and roles of agile development were new to us. This has required the teams to adapt, as there are experts from three different organisations, each with its own operating culture. However, the cooperation has been good,” says Istekki’s Matikainen.
“Istekki made and wanted to make, a huge leap when they trusted Solita and they wanted to do agile data development with us,” says Solita’s Account Director Sanna Virkkunen.
Istekki’s Koskinen also thinks that the cooperation is going very well. “My image of Solita is that they are highly skilled and professional, and I know I can trust them to deliver what we have agreed.”
A little effort for better and more diverse reports
“With this project, the three wellbeing services counties will get a completely new kind of model for storing data, which will save resources and meet official requirements,” says Jukka Jääheimo, Data Architect at Solita.
From now on, it will be easy for the wellbeing services counties to monitor their management and finances with the help of this new solution. Once the data has been transferred to the data pools, it is easy and efficient for the wellbeing services counties to create reports. The solution developed by Istekki, Solita and Productivity Leap will also work for all other wellbeing services counties in Finland.
“I think others should consider this kind of cooperation – together we are more than the sum of our parts. Others should look for expertise in this kind of partnership model, where all parties contribute their best,” says Istekki’s Matikainen.
It will be easier for the counties to meet reporting requirements in the future. “ The solution clearly makes it easier to find resources in similar environments that operate according to the same principles. Documentation is easier if you don’t have to build everything from scratch. Similar operating logic will continue to bring clear cost benefits to society,” says Koskinen.
