01 | 2025 Laura Riuttanen, Sales Director & Partner Kipinä
The planning and preparation phases of digital projects are invariably challenging and time-consuming. Complex architectures and solutions requiring deep technical expertise often become a source of headaches, introducing a sense of uncertainty into the procurement process. At worst, the process is fueled by the most toxic element of all—hurry. How do you choose the right partner for a digital development project? What external expertise is required? What will the total cost be?
Those are just a few of the questions on the minds of many executives; the digital transition touches almost every company in one way or another.
At Kipinä, we have been extensively involved in the digital projects of companies operating across various industries – from software development to construction, banking, and the energy sector, among many others. Along the way, our experience has brought many valuable lessons and insights that have helped both our clients and ourselves succeed in digital projects right from the start.
The seeds of the most successful digital projects are planted early in the project phase! That is why we have put together a list for you, the buyer preparing for a digital project, of the things we go through with our clients during the preparation of every project. Save it, share it with a colleague, or print it out as a manifesto for the breakroom. And when in doubt – give us a call, we are happy to help.
Do you know what you need?
Before you think about anything else, start with honesty. The first step in procuring quality software development is understanding what is truly needed. The nature and shape of the problems become clearest when the needs of all internal stakeholders are understood.
What problem are we actually solving?
Do we already have some sort of vision for the solution?
Is this a minimum viable product (MVP), additional features, a comprehensive project, or perhaps something entirely different?
A natural next step is to recognize what the company's resources allow and what kind of timeline is being worked with. Available resources make it easier to set realistic goals for the project and justify internally why the investment is worthwhile.
What timeline and budget are available?
Are there any aspects that are particularly critical to implement?
Do members of the project team have enough time to actively participate? Are there any bottlenecks?
The most efficient process is created when the dialogue with potential partners is opened as early as possible in the problem-definition phase. For example, an external architecture assessment or lightweight wireframing can quickly bring clarity to ambiguous situations.
It is completely natural for an organization to have multiple differing views on what is being built and how. To avoid future ambiguities, this deliberation should be given sufficient time. You should only start selecting a development partner once the organization has a clear understanding of what is being purchased and why. This also makes it easier for the partner to address the genuine need and present implementation insights.
Always involve the user
At the core of software development is always the human element – software is built for its users. If development fails to understand user needs, the project team can easily find themselves off track during the implementation phase, even if the execution itself is brilliant, functional, and even revolutionary. Here too, assumption is not knowledge; users must be genuinely involved rather than relying on the premise that user thoughts and needs are already well understood.
What problems do the users feel need solving?
How could user understanding be gathered more effectively than before?
Is there room for improvement in the actual process compared to previous ways of working?
"Taking a helicopter view" facilitates ideation beyond the original problem being solved and creates a meaningful user experience for the end customer. This allows the software to eliminate redundant work stages and increase user satisfaction and efficiency compared to before. On the other hand, users may have limitations that must be accounted for when designing the service. Therefore, it is important to determine:
What is the user's physical environment like?
What are the user's specific needs or constraints?
In what context will the service be used?
For instance, emotions, stress, fatigue, and time constraints easily affect users, leaving them with limited energy and time to learn a service, making every extra click feel excessive. Designing accessible services often benefits every user.
Take into account your organization's resources and operational methods.
Very often, companies possess valuable insights, contextual expertise, and experience regarding a project that vendors simply cannot have. When a project has the backing of the entire organization, this critical internal expertise should be identified and leveraged from the very beginning by involving the right people.
What technical expertise do we have in-house, and can it be utilized?
Have we ensured that the entire organization supports the project and is actively enabling its success?
In addition to the team delivering optimal value, an organization's internal workflows can either support or hinder a project. Every company has its own procurement practices and internal culture that influence the planning of a successful project.
What are our procurement habits? Do these same practices apply to this project?
What is our company culture like? Are we co-located physically, or is our work structured around remote management?
Integrating new team members can often bring human surprises. Therefore, it is important to pay special attention to the experience of contributors and the communication of organizational culture. This facilitates team formation and gives external contributors the best possible prerequisites to meet client expectations.
Technological constraints and boundary conditions
Every organization likely has technical constraints that impact implementation. Both internal teams and various stakeholders may have requirements that must be factored into service development. For example, requirements related to information security, data residency, and availability should be addressed during the service design phase.
It is also worth remembering that no service is ever truly finished today. A common joke in software development goes:
"A service is only finished when it is decommissioned."
Therefore, it is wise to invest time in pondering the future of the service as well:
What does the future of the service look like?
What growth targets are set for the service's usage?
What potential developmental milestones are targeted for the future?
When designing a service, it is crucial to recognize whether technological choices are being made that could be impossible, or at least highly challenging, to change later. Such choices may sometimes be unavoidable, but prudent architectural design can mitigate the associated risks. At the same time, it is beneficial to identify which technologies are most likely to require re-evaluation in the future.
A knowledgeable partner can help select the right technologies, but your organization is responsible for knowing whether there are constraints or specific requirements for the implementation.
Consider future costs as well
Every service incurs ongoing maintenance costs. The service must run on infrastructure, and it generally requires continuous development or at least upkeep to address information security and software updates. Lifecycle costs of the service should be evaluated before embarking on the project, considering how the service will be maintained in the future.
Someone must also be responsible for maintaining the service. Are the resources available internally, or is the preference to outsource maintenance? A good vendor does not build vendor lock-in, but instead ensures an open and clear system that is easy for others to maintain as well.
By integrating a forward-looking vision into the early-stage budgeting process, a development partner can help establish a longer-term roadmap and significantly improve the project's chances of success.
Surprises are an inherent part of the process, so leave room for change.
Few crystal balls are clear enough to foresee every potential development need, stumbling block, and idea that might emerge along the way before a project even begins. Therefore, one of the most crucial 'mental aspects' of preparing for a digital project is allowing sufficient flexibility for changes and giving the project team the space to react to them.
Regardless of the chosen project model, one thing is certain: every project involves surprises, whether large or small. The best foundation for success is to prepare in advance for how to handle these surprises from both a schedule and budgetary perspective.
Choose the right expertise and attitude
Once the aforementioned internal preparations are complete and the foundational requirements are sufficiently clear, the selection of a development partner follows. While it is easy to return to a familiar, trusted, and proven partner, every digital project warrants a careful evaluation of trust, the ability to challenge assumptions, attitude, and, of course, genuine technical competence.
Choosing a genuinely reliable partner is invaluable when surprises inevitably arise along the way. A collaboration built on trust provides the space for constructive challenge, which elevates the performance of the entire team. Alongside technical expertise, we value a mutual 'spark' in the early stages of collaboration, which is already evident during the proposal phase through fluent dialogue and the confidence that the work will proceed smoothly even in challenging situations.
Merely boasting an impressive roster of reference logos does not guarantee true technical competence or the capability to successfully execute a project. Therefore, the team's expertise and, above all, their attitude should be scrutinized with care.
Partnership is built on honesty
Regardless of tight budgets, a lack of internal expertise, or known challenges with legacy system integrations, initiate your collaboration with a development partner with complete honesty and transparency. Transparency regarding the actual baseline naturally steers the project in the right direction, as the entire project team starts the initiative and anticipates the future with a shared understanding.
The experience of solving problems together and sharing accountability for the end product consistently increases the probability of a successful project. An open and honest atmosphere yields the best possible results.
Good planning is key to success
Planning a successful digital project always involves a balance of hard facts and human elements. Transparency and honesty are essential—both internally and with partners—to ensure that the definition phase sets the right expectations and establishes a fertile foundation for the entire project.
We participate in our clients' digital projects right from their inception. We can help build more efficient processes, technically robust teams, and a streamlined, effortless procurement process.
If a new development initiative is on the horizon and you find yourself pondering a straightforward procurement process and the definition of technical requirements, our experts are delighted to support you and drive the project forward.
Laura Riuttanen, Sales Director & Partner, Kipinä
The author is a true powerhouse in digital project sales. Laura's gentle yet firm grip on the reins of sales is steering domestic digital development toward the future. Laura's influence can be seen and heard behind the most demanding domestic digital projects across various industries. Laura cools down the circuit with water runs and, like many other Kipinä people, seeks momentum from the handlebars of a racing bike!