Valtori
The state information and communication technology center Valtori provides industry-independent ICT services and information and communication services for government agencies that meet high preparedness and security requirements. Valtor’s services are used by tens of thousands of people throughout Finland.
”Contribyte has strong expertise and vision in product management, and has been able to convey it well to Valtori's product managers."
Getting to know the house of product management
The coaching began with a training program for product managers, the aim of which was to unify the product management framework for Valtori’s product managers. The coaching was based on Contribyte’s product management house model, which describes the work of a product manager and the skills and requirements involved. The model was used to teach product managers what product management is in practice and provided tips for developing their own work.
“The product management models developed by Contribyte have been eye-opening. They have also greatly strengthened the image of what is really important in product management. ”
Sparring and customized training
Valtori’s product managers manage the central government’s IT services and products and are responsible for the basic information technology of government agencies. The organization’s activities are more strongly guided by law than private operators, as well as by the Ministry of Finance, as Valtori’s task is to ensure that all government agencies continue to perform their tasks with the software and tools provided. However, the goal is for product managers to be able to focus more on product management in the future, just like on the private side, and Contribyte’s help has been used here.
The collaboration between Valtori and Contribyte began with training events, from which it has expanded into a comprehensive and long-term development of product management. Development activities included, among other things, product manager briefings, product strategy, and the facilitation of various tools for hands-on sparring by both teams and individual product managers.
– Contribyte has strong expertise and insight in product management, and has been able to communicate well with Valtori’s product managers. Thanks to long-term cooperation, Contribyte’s coaches have begun to understand Valtori’s specific context well and have been able to adapt the message to suit us. In addition, the trainers have acted as good sparring partners, with whom product managers have been able to ball up ideas and needs and ask for advice and tips, says Ilkka Kontio, Valtori’s product management supervisor.
"Everyone becomes blind to their own work, so it's very good to have an external partner who can look at things from a different perspective."
Long-term benefits
As a result of the coaching, Valtor’s product managers have shared a vision of what product management is and what is important in it. Thanks to coaching, doing so can in the future focus even more on issues relevant to product management, such as strategic choices, product profitability, and the maintenance and development of roadmaps. This will enable us to serve our customers even better.
– I have a rather positive feeling about everything that has been done. All product managers have been of the opinion that the training events organized by Contribyte have been interesting and will be of benefit to us for a long time. Younger product managers in particular have experienced the development and ideation of a unified operating model as a really good way to make sure that all product managers have the same ideas about what really belongs in the product manager’s work, sums up product manager Antti Närhinsalo.
Valtori has acquired Contribyte’s services through HAUS Development Center Ltd. HAUS is an in-house development partner for the state administration and a trainer for civil servants. Contribyte is one of the partners of HAUS Development Center Ltd.
"I have a positive feeling about everything that has been done - this will be useful for us for a long time!"
Contribyte’s services related to Valtor’s customer experience
Training for product organizations
Versatile training for product organizations. Training for the success of teams as well as product and service organizations at all levels.
Product and portfolio management development
Making product and portfolio management more agile and creation of innovation models. We provide tools and operating models for organizational development.
We get organizations to reach their full potential in developing solutions and products that take advantage of digitalisation
reference stories and customer experiences from our customers
Contribyte contact information
Lasse Mikkonen, Chief technology officer 040 543 9845
Harri Pendolin, product management 040 582 0865
Markku Nurmela, coaching services 040 501 5094
Timo Leppä, training services 0400 924 830
Niklas Tikkala, tool service manager 040 681 8585
Henri Hämäläinen, CEO 050 487 3291
Email – info@contribyte.fi or firstname.lastname@contribyte.fi