Wanted: All-around Software Developers for Versatile Challenges

Developing software that makes a real difference in the world – a dream job for many. At Vaisala, you can do this. You just can't be confounded by the multitude of products at different stages of their decades-long lifecycle.

Today, software is the straightest route to customer delight and superior user experience.

This is why Vaisala has over the years become a software company. Only in the past six years, the number of people developing software at Vaisala has grown from 80 to 125. And more are needed.

Vaisala's software developers are highly committed and talented, with a passion to get things done. "Working with great people who are genuinely interested in what they do, as well as seeing the result of my work makes the job motivating and meaningful", Software Engineer Timo Mannermaa says.

Turning Cutting-Edge Science into Elegant Applications

Vaisala has a large number of different products that contribute to the safety of people all around the world. The products are used to measure weather conditions, helping people decide whether to take the umbrella or, at the other end of the spectrum, avoid the ravages of hurricanes. The products can also measure road weather and help optimize the salting of routes, decreasing costs and decreasing its environmental impact. Just to name two applications.

This all requires software, from small embedded software to large-scale systems and system integration, with hosted software business and cloud services in the horizon.

"We have a surprisingly high number of software products, and they all need to be kept up-to-date, sometimes for more than a decade, and, of course, we need to keep on developing new products and services," says Timo Honkanen, Head of Information Services Product Area and Chief Software Engineer.

HR Manager Riku Huikuri believes this is at times an advantage in recruiting new people. Turning cutting-edge science into elegant applications for the end users is rewarding work.

"We are often not seen as a software company, but once we get to tell developers exactly what we do here, they are interested. We can offer them versatile work and difficult technical challenges", Riku explains.

"We have complex devices with many technologies, so you get a broad understanding from electronics to modern web tools", adds Timo Mannermaa. The team has experts for every technology, but still everyone has the possibility to learn new things outside of their own expertise: "Our job description doesn't limit what we can try."

High Quality and Wow Effect

Writing code for software is only one part in product projects. It is just as important to test it thoroughly and to make sure it is easy to use. Testing ensures quality, and high quality is what Vaisala customers have grown accustomed to and rely on in their own operations.

Vaisala test engineers have to take into consideration not just the software, but also the hardware, production as well as the installation and use of the product. They work in the same team with the developers and user experience experts, and give them feedback on the usability of the software.

User experience is the key to achieving the customer delight Vaisala is striving for. And this doesn't only apply to using the product, but everything from buying it to having it serviced. In Vaisala, UX designers are an integral part of the whole product design process.

"We need to find ways for the users to get exactly what they need and want in the most suitable format for them," says Design Manager Sauli Laitinen.

To do this, customers are involved in development projects. Visits to real-life customers, called safaris, give designers the possibility see how the work is done in a real environment. This insight is taken back to the design team to find the best solution for the customer. For instance, a safari proved that an airport control tower is full of light during the day and in the night it needs to be dark so the air traffic controllers don't lose their night vision. This had to be taken into consideration when designing the displays for the airport weather observation system.

Speed through Agility

To retain and attract the best talent, Vaisala develops its working methods constantly.

Today, agile methods, like Scrum and Kanban are used widely and routinely in software development. Software is developed in 3-week cycles or sprints, with the goal of having a working product at the end of it. This is then presented internally or to clients to find out if the product is on the right track. If not, agility makes it possible to change direction quickly.

Agile methods also entail self-organizing teams that can handle changes even when problems cannot be fully defined. Timo Mannermaa works as the Scrum master of his team. "In this role, my job is to make sure the team is working smoothly, and if something is hindering the work or should be developed, my job is to improve it."

Focus is on the ability to deliver quickly and to adapt to evolving technologies and changes in market conditions and customer requirements.