Codemen & Porkka

AtoZ’s Expertise and Experience for a Large IT Project

Porkka Finland Oy manufactures and sells refrigeration equipment for various sectors, including the hotel and restaurant industry, food industry, as well as the pharmaceutical and maritime industries, to both domestic and international customers.

Porkka's cooling solutions are environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, with an extensive product range covering equipment from cold and freezer cabinets to lines and refrigerated rooms. In addition to the technical design of their products, Porkka also handles installation and project management if required by the customer.

Collaboration Kick-Off through the Codemen Network

The collaboration between Porkka and AtoZ began through the Codemen network. Codemen is Finland’s largest ICT network, currently encompassing over 500 software companies and 4,000 professionals across Finland.

“Our network brings together software companies and experts, connecting clients in need of IT expertise with skilled professionals. Codemen acts as a contractual partner between the client and the expert, ensuring that everything is done ‘by the book,’” explains Codemen’s CEO, Juha Karjalainen.

“AtoZ has been part of our network for several years and is one of our longest-standing and most active partners at Codemen. We have worked with them across various areas, both in the private and public sectors. When Porkka needed a skilled project manager for their project, AtoZ provided a suitable candidate through our network,” Karjalainen adds.

Specialized Expertise and Experience Required for Leading the IT Project

In the summer of 2019, Porkka began preparing for a relatively large IT project aimed at developing a completely new, customized CAD system utilizing design automation, specifically for designing customer-tailored products for one of Porkka’s factories.

Additionally, the project involves implementing a product information management system that will be linked to the CAD system. This system will contain all of Porkka’s product information, serving Porkka’s other product areas and factories as well. The project required a skilled and experienced leader, a role that Porkka could not fill from within the company at that time.

“We decided to leverage external expertise for the IT project, so we posted an announcement in Codemen’s network of software companies. Codemen quickly presented us with a few highly qualified candidates, from which we selected the one best suited for the role,” says Markku Kukkonen, responsible for research and product development at Porkka.

AtoZ’s expert serves as the project manager for Porkka’s project, coordinating the project on behalf of Porkka and ensuring the company’s interests are maintained. According to Kukkonen, the development of the IT systems has proceeded smoothly despite occasional challenges.

“The project has sometimes required quite a bit of patience from our project manager, and in the middle of it all, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted things. However, AtoZ’s expert has managed to keep the project well on track, and we’ve stayed closely aligned with the project plan,” Kukkonen states with satisfaction.

“The project is set to be completed by the end of the year. So far, we have been more than satisfied with AtoZ’s expertise and collaboration. Everything has gone smoothly from the start, and communication has been seamless. We can definitely recommend AtoZ.”

AtoZ’s services for Porkka Finland include: