Squad Leads Bring Top-Tier Banking Expertise Across the Globe
Samlink is expanding its operations internationally, bringing top-tier banking expertise to the global stage. Expanding operations requires a deep understanding of local markets and client needs. This enables the offering of tailored solutions to banks worldwide. Samlink’s expertise in banking shines brightest in complex and critical projects, including bank system integrations, development of new digital services, and enhancing risk management and cybersecurity.
A significant role in most of the international projects is held by Squad Leads, whose primary purpose is to act as a connecting link between the client and Samlink.
Jari Kokki and Simo Heikkinen have worked as Squad Leads in a customer project operating in the Baltic countries and India. They faced various challenges in each region, providing valuable experience for future endeavors.
Expertise Needed to Stabilize Customer Systems
Samlink specializes in improving system stability, efficiency, and usability in international projects. Challenges and issues often identified in client companies require assistance in resolving or enhancing them.
According to Simo Heikkinen, challenges often relate to system stability:
– The Samlink team can assist the client with various challenges and, for example, address stability-related issues. It is important to identify the problems and plan and implement measures to stabilize the systems and thereby the overall business situation. If there are problems and instability in the systems, it can also slow down the progress of new features and important fixes, further exacerbating the issues. Samlink possesses excellent expertise in analyzing challenges and making necessary changes, both in the application development pipeline and in production.
In practice, it is advantageous for success in these projects if the team can work together with the client in the same location, at least initially. This way, they become familiar with both working in the local culture and the specific details related to client expectations. Thus, it becomes possible to better serve customers in each target area in the future.
International Work Environment Demands
Working in an international environment brings not only opportunities for development but also challenges, especially concerning differences in work culture and practices.
Jari Kokki emphasizes the importance of the Squad Lead role in projects:
– The Squad Lead’s role is crucial in Samlink’s international expansion. Our task is to establish practices and ensure that everyone, regardless of culture, works towards common goals, taking local needs into account.
Considering cultures is a vital part of project success. Each country has its own leadership culture, which often differs significantly from Finnish culture. Work hours and self-directed work also vary between countries.
Nowadays, remote work culture can also impact the success of work between different teams if not adequately addressed and prepared for. Therefore, it’s essential for every project team member to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the destination country’s culture before the project begins to mitigate at least the most significant challenges arising from cultural differences.
Samlink’s Squad Leads play a crucial role in exporting top-tier banking expertise worldwide. Acting as vital links between clients and Samlink, their role is pivotal in understanding local needs and achieving common goals. Samlink’s excellence in banking shines brightest in complex projects, demanding profound knowledge of local markets and cultures. Leveraging this expertise, our international teams under Squad Leads’ guidance not only tackle challenges abroad but also enrich our domestic projects with valuable insights gained globally.