Valtori unified the expertise of product managers with coaching

"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."

Get 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 Eficode'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 have been eye-opening. They have also greatly strengthened the image of what is really important in product management. ”

Focus on product management

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 Eficode’s help has been used here.

Sparring and customized training

The collaboration between Valtori and Eficode 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.

– Eficode 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, Eficode’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, Head of Product Management at Valtori.

A shared vision helps in improving focus

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. Now they can focus even more on issues that are relevant to product management. These are for example, strategic choices, product profitability, and the maintenance and development of roadmaps. This will enable us to serve our customers even better.

"I have a positive feeling about everything that has been done - this will be useful for us for a long time!"

– 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 Eficode 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 Antti Närhinsalo, Product Manager at Valtori.