Software from Finland Showcase: VALA Group - Quality Software Built on DevOps Principles

About the Company:

Established in 2008 in Helsinki, VALA Group Oy has grown to become a beacon of software quality in Finland. With a journey that began with addressing immediate business needs, the company soon realized its true potential in the realms of software testing, test automation, and comprehensive software quality. Even as their team has grown to 120 members by 2021, the essence of VALA's intimate company culture remains intact. One of the hallmarks of VALA is its structure - a self-directed organization without supervisors, where everyone's voice is valued in decision-making.

The Happiness Ethos:

VALA's vision is not just about producing high-quality software but also fostering a culture that prioritizes happiness. Although the pursuit of absolute happiness isn't the endgame, VALA believes in giving its team the resources and environment to chart their own course towards contentment.

Vision: Inspiring quality, compiling happiness.

Mission: Cultivating meaningful experiences through a unique culture, sustainable impact, and foolproof software.

Values: Empathy, Transparency, Autonomy, Sustainability, Lifelong learning.

Strengths and Services:

Software Quality Assurance: VALA boasts a team of Finland's finest software quality assurance professionals, a claim made possible due to their rigorous recruitment standards. Their proprietary VALA Quality path ideology ensures a holistic approach to software quality.

Software Automation: VALA accentuates the importance of test automation, highlighting its role in savings, robust software development processes, quick feedback, better control over development cycles, and freeing up time for meaningful tasks.

Software Development: Rooted in VALA's quality path ideology, their software development service merges DevOps culture and practices. This approach ensures software quality starts from the grass roots - the code.

The Four Pillars of VALA’s Software Development:

1. Specification: Emphasizing the importance of clear, feasible, and testable requirements, VALA believes in thorough third-party specification reviews to ensure clarity and feasibility.
2. Design: Translating requirements into blueprints, VALA ensures quality control is embedded at the design phase, leading to improved productivity and minimized rework during coding.
3. Coding: VALA promotes a high-quality coding practice which is simple, efficient, and constantly tested against requirements.
4. Testing: VALA redefines software testing, positioning it not as the last line of defence but as an integrated, proactive process throughout software development.

Final Thoughts:

VALA Group stands out as a testament to how software quality can be harmoniously integrated with company culture, values, and vision. Their comprehensive approach, from specification to testing, ensures that software quality isn't just a by-product but the core essence of every project.