Rakettitiede supports Suunto’s core business needs
Suunto has worked with Rakettitiede since 2015. At the heart of their long-term collaboration is Suunto’s implicit trust in Rakettitiede’s ability to solve even the most challenging problems quickly, efficiently, and to the highest possible standard. Their no-nonsense relationship has forged a partnership that is now as durable as Suunto’s best sports watches.
Suunto – a well-known Finnish designer and manufacturer of top-of-the-line sports watches, dive computers and compasses – wants its customers to feel confident as they venture out into the great outdoors and experience life to the fullest.
Over the years, Rakettitiede’s developers have been a key part of this journey. They have helped Suunto craft increasingly better user experiences, usually in teams of one to six consultants; their latest collaboration centred around the Suunto Vertical watch, which sports the best battery life and offline maps in the business.
Petri Lehtovirta’s recipe for success is simple: the best experts, mutual trust, and an open line of communication. “Most of the time, we’re already rocketing at full speed, and Rakettitiede’s experts are always ready to pick up their tools and get to work,” Lehtovirta says.
“Rakettitiede’s experts are second to none, and our companies trust each other implicitly. We believe in maintaining an open line of communication and finding the best solutions together,” says Petri Lehtovirta, Suunto’s VP of Product.
Mikko Hiltunen, Suunto’s Principal Software Development Engineer, agrees:
“We’ve been happy with our collaboration from day one, and Rakettitiede’s developers have the years at Suunto to prove it. They’ve always been ready to go above and beyond the call of duty!”
A keen eye + top-quality work = time saved
According to Hiltunen, Suunto’s core business is all about making the company’s software and hardware sing in harmony – and, as it happens, Rakettitiede’s developers excel in that very area.
Petri Lehtovirta knows that he can always be frank with Rakettitiede about Suunto’s current and future needs, which also helps Rakettitiede’s developers understand what is expected of them. Lehtovirta appreciates Rakettitiede’s sales expertise, having the same contact persons year on year, and the fact that both companies equally value their long and fruitful partnership.
“Rakettitiede knows our business inside and out, so they understand what type of expertise we need. I can’t even begin to tell you how much hassle they’ve saved us by always finding the right person for each job. And if they really can’t help us with something, they would never try to line their own pockets by selling us something we don’t need,” Lehtovirta says.
Mikko Hiltunen has been happy with Suunto’s and Rakettiede’s collaboration from day one: “Rakettitiede’s specialists are always ready to go above and beyond the call of duty, and they’re wizards at making software and hardware sing in harmony.”
Above all, Lehtovirta praises Rakettitiede’s ability to patiently focus on what it knows best: top-of-the-line developers.
“They’re the ideal choice: they don’t need us to motivate them, and they’ve provided us with heaps of valuable ideas and suggestions,” Mikko Hiltunen says.
Petri Lehtovirta agrees:
“We’ve never had to monitor their hours or where they want to do their work. They’re professionals, and they know what they’re doing.”
Turbo-boost your development with a consultant’s help
Everybody knows how hard it is to recruit new tech experts with the right skills, especially if you’re in a hurry. In addition, most companies typically need the extra help for just a limited time.
“Rakettitiede is all about flexibility: if we need someone for a six-month stint, then that’s fine with them, no hard feelings. Most of the time, we’re already rocketing at full speed, and their people are always ready to pick up their tools and get to work,” Lehtovirta says.
Wait a minute, Lehtovirta makes it sound like a breeze. Let’s look at it from a coder’s perspective: how did it feel when you first started working for Suunto?
Rakettitiede developer Petri Harri considers himself a jack-of-all-electronics-and-embedded-software-trades. His work for Suunto’s product development team has included all sorts of tasks: “I’ve worked with heart rate sensors, and I’ve even had to trade my keyboard for a soldering iron every now and then. I’ve been involved in the hardware development side, and I’ve also had to keep an eye on how these devices are tested in production.”
Petri Harri, Rakettitiede developer and jack-of-all-electronics-and-embedded-software-trades, remembers picking up his jaw from the floor when he started his first Suunto gig.
“Look, I knew that Suunto’s products weren’t just simple gadgets and gizmos, but I was still blown away by the sheer scope of the ecosystem that powered them. It was a real lesson in how you can achieve things in different ways,” Harri explains.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of practical components, like heart rate sensors, and I’ve even had to put down my keyboard and pick up a soldering iron every now and then. I’ve even been involved in the development of Suunto’s hardware, and I’ve also had to keep an eye on how they actually test these things in production,” Harri says.
Harri heaps particular praise on Suunto’s ability to achieve a lot with a surprisingly small group of people.
“I love being part of Suunto’s team since they really value my ideas and opinions. It’s been a great opportunity to expand my skills and horizons,” Harri concludes.
Learning to dive, or solving the intricacies of Hebrew? All in a day’s work!
In addition to sports watches, Rakettitiede’s developers have had the opportunity to dive into Suunto’s other areas of expertise – sometimes even literally.
Embedded systems specialist Lauri Alanko has done a lot of work on Suunto’s diving products: developing their UIs, facilitating the coding behind their mobile apps, and supporting the work done by Suunto’s product developers and assemblers – who says coders can’t make a splash in the world of hardware? Alanko has also tried diving, to see how Suunto’s products really behave underwater.
“It’s almost exhausting to think about how many cool and inspiring things I’ve done for Suunto. It’s been an enlightening journey, and I’ve learned a ton: I used to think that software was my bread and butter, but now I see it as part of a greater whole,” Alanko says.
When it comes to diving products, safety, user experiences and customisation are at the top of every Suunto customer’s wish list.
Embedded systems specialist Lauri Alanko has done all kinds of work for Suunto’s diving products: developing their UIs, facilitating the coding behind their mobile apps, and supporting the work done by Suunto’s product developers and assemblers – who says coders can’t make a splash in the world of hardware?
“My work is often about creating the foundation for something greater. It’s not always the most glamorous job, but it’s important nonetheless. I get a real kick when I notice a tangible improvement in the user experience. One great example is when we got the dive computer’s depth meter to remain in sync even when we tried to confuse it with sudden motions.”
Alanko has also been able to apply his interest in linguistics and writing systems by solving issues related to languages that are written from right to left, such as Hebrew.
Swarm intelligence and open communication lead to better results
Petri Lehtovirta emphasises that a good programmer must be able to act as part of a team.
“You won’t get far toiling alone, and you can’t come up with any exotic solutions that are incomprehensible to everyone else. Rakettitiede’s experts know that they can rely on their colleagues when need be – their swarm intelligence is only a Slack message away.”
Harri and Alanko are also staunch believers in good communication and teamwork.
“Even with the best instructions, you’re still bound to have questions. Communicating with your team and partners is an integral part of the job,” Petri Harri notes.
Lehtovirta appreciates the level of communication throughout the companies’ collaboration:
“We’ve had our blazing-fast highs along with the occasional lows, but we’ve always been able to hash things out with a quick call. We don’t believe in making up any stories, since it’s not fair to anyone.”
Suunto’s and Rakettitiede’s partnership has taught Lehtovirta that a focus on longevity and integrity is worth the price, even in the sales phase. Above all, a buyer should know what they really need – then the people making the sale can succeed as well.