Tana designs, manufactures and supplies machinery for landfill and recycling operations worldwide. As the company grew, it recognised the need for professional project leadership and a consistent product development project management model.
A gate-based project model was put into practice
“Previously, our mechanical engineers managed product development projects alongside their other responsibilities. As the company grew, we no longer had sufficient resources or project management capabilities, so we began looking for an experienced partner,” says Kari Rautakoski, Chief Technology Officer at Tana.
Tana selected Kumura, which has since become part of IQI, as its partner.
“We wanted to create a process that would genuinely support the people involved in product development without increasing their workload. IQI’s expertise convinced us, and we ultimately entrusted them with monitoring the schedules of practically all our product development projects and improving our product development process.”
Kari Rautakoski Chief Technology Officer
Before the collaboration began, Tana had been unable to establish a structured schedule for reviewing the project gates. The company also lacked agreed practices for where and how project documentation should be stored and what it should contain.
“We had outlined some promising ideas at a high level, but it was IQI’s expertise that enabled us to turn the project management model into everyday practice,” Rautakoski explains.
Effective scheduling keeps development projects moving
Tana builds the first two units of each new machine in its own prototype workshop. When IQI’s project manager joined the company, around ten machines were at the prototype stage.
Prioritising projects, monitoring schedules and ensuring that work progressed smoothly became the most important tasks, as the same people at Tana contribute to all areas of product development.
IQI’s project manager made the team’s shared working time more effective. Meetings were organised to ensure that essential information was exchanged without taking unnecessary time away from other work. Product developers also work closely with procurement and sales, so communication between these functions was improved to prevent delays and interruptions.
IQI remains Tana’s first choice for future project management support
“We do not have experience of other project management consultancies, but we have never had any reason to look elsewhere,” Rautakoski says with a laugh.
The collaboration with IQI has been exceptional in one particular respect: Tana has not felt the need to change anything about the way the partnership works.
Although the product development project management model is now firmly established and Tana is recruiting an in-house project management professional, the collaboration is unlikely to end.
“Tana is still growing strongly, and we will undoubtedly need additional project management expertise in the future. When that time comes, IQI will be the first company I contact.”
