In the photo, QOCO Systems project team members Heli Kivisoja, Janne Kulmala, Laura Auhto-Savolainen and Valeriia Diupon.
Software house QOCO Systems Oy is an ICT supplier to the airline industry. For a growing company, Thinking Portfolio has provided much-needed consistency and structure in project management.
Growth created space for a new project management tool
QOCO Systems Oy is an aviation software house whose customers include airlines, maintenance companies and aircraft engine manufacturers. Growth objectives have created the need and opportunity for project management development.
Heli Kivisoja has been the project leader in the search for a suitable solution. She feels that QOCO Systems’ previous practices for managing customer projects have also been good. However, as the company has grown, the need has arisen for a more structured and standardized portfolio management system to monitor projects and measure their progress more effectively. This would also improve resourcing and future planning.
The options were carefully weighed. Among international and domestic companies, Thinking Portfolio was chosen for a few reasons.
Although Thinking Portfolio has its roots in Finland, support and the entire service is also available in English and a few other languages – this was a necessity for QOCO Systems, which operates around the world.
”Thinking Portfolio has a more straightforward, intuitive and streamlined system than many of its competitors.”
Heli already had good experiences with the Thinking Portfolio system:
”I dared to recommend that this is a really good system that is easy to implement. I knew from experience that the implementation projects would be smooth and that we would get a lot of support from Thinking Portfolio’s skilled and experienced consultants,” she says, adding that Thinking Portfolio also has a more straightforward, intuitive and streamlined system than many of its competitors.
All roses for the introduction of the Thinking Portfolio
The implementation was clear and smooth. The project team consisted of four people from QOCO Systems, who were able to influence what was done and learn how to use the system themselves.
”We had a planning meeting, put the workshops on the calendar and got to work,” says Heli.
The system was immediately perceived as flexible and highly customisable.
”Although Thinking Portfolio’s clients range from large corporations to smaller agile players and everything in between, you are able to adapt well to each client’s needs.”
During the implementation phase, Thinking Portfolio’s consultants receive positive feedback for listening to the client’s needs. The most relevant issues were highlighted in the discussions and changes were already made during the workshop.
I was also pleased that the Thinking Portfolio consultants described me what kind of successful solutions have been built for other customers, for example, in connection with report templates.
Successes encourage further development – next up is the Thinking Portfolio Risk Portfolio
Since its introduction, the Thinking Portfolio system has been easy to adopt, and even without training, the organisation has been able to get the hang of it.
The tool has made daily work easier. For example, the portfolio has report types built directly into it according to the requirements of QOCO Systems’ customers. As a result, there is no longer any need to maintain different PowerPoints, Excel and Word files, but the reports have been brought directly into the system.
”It’s a great thing,” says Heli.
”It’s great to have an overview of what’s happening and has happened in the company”
At QOCO Systems, the portfolio has brought a new level of visibility not only to the future but also to past projects. In fact, the portfolio contains all the historical data from the last ten years.
Heli says that feedback from the management team has been that it’s great to have an overview of what’s happening and has happened in the company.
The introduction of the Project Portfolio has inspired further development, and there are plenty of ideas.
Heli says that she got ideas for development from the annually held Thinking Portfolio User Day, where she was able to hear other customers’ success stories about the development of their portfolios. Next up for QOCO Systems is the introduction of Thinking Portfolio’s Risk Portfolio.
Based on an interview with
Heli Kivisoja
Customer Success Manager
QOCO Systems Oy
”QOCO helps the aviation industry thrive in a changing world by creating new ways to work, communicate and use data. We have been a trusted partner to airlines, MROs and aerospace OEMs for over 12 years. Our solutions significantly improve the industry’s complex processes. They help our customers achieve more by doing less and save time on labour-intensive tasks. We also bring visibility into our customers’ operations to support real-time informed decision making.” (https://www.qoco.aero/)
Text by: Tyyne Taunila, Marketing Specialist, Thinking Portfolio
