Section 9

Granite Insights: Irina Rekiranta-Luukkonen

project manager & responsibility expert

September 21, 2024

Irina Rekiranta-Luukkonen | Kokenut projektiammattilainen coaching-otteella/muotoiluajattelun taidoin

Share this post

Welcome back to the Graniitti Insights series!

In the Graniitti Insights series, we get to know different roles and Graniitti's experienced experts every month.

In the ninth part of the series, we get to know Irina in more detail and her work as a project manager and responsibility expert. Read how Irina combines responsibility aspects with project management and ensures the success of projects with effective communication and close cooperation.

1. How long have you been with Graniitti?

- I have been at Granit for more than 2 years.

2. What has been the best thing about working at Graniitti?

- The company tackled the development of responsibility processes on time, despite its size, and I was able to participate in this development right from the beginning. At the same time, I get to develop and develop processes. The best thing is that the company enables individual development, which helps me to create value. A forward-looking attitude and sustainability have been at the center of our own operations from the beginning.

3. What do you enjoy doing in your free time the most?

- I go hiking in the forest, picking mushrooms and berries. I enjoy listening to audiobooks and in the winter I ski or snowboard. When the dark evenings of autumn come, I start the northern lights bonga!

4. Describe your role as a project manager?

- My role is very versatile, which has given me the opportunity to utilize and develop my strengths and also bring a responsibility perspective into the activities. Currently, I work as a business analyst, Scrum master, process owner and facilitator. In this role, I get to see the process from many different directions and work with really professional people.

5. What are the key responsibilities in your role?

- I form a deep business understanding of the service to be produced, ensure customer understanding and monitor the operation of the process. In addition to this, I make sure that discussions with different stakeholders are carried out smoothly and efficiently.

6. What are the most common challenges in your role, and how do you overcome them?

- In accordance with agile development, iterations can bring completely new dimensions to work. In such situations, ensuring communication is paramount so that we can work as a team as productively as possible and ensure the right prioritization.

7. How do you ensure the success of projects?

- By maintaining cooperation and ensuring the continuity of communication and goal updating. This is also an important responsibility aspect; especially from the point of view of social responsibility, it is essential to ensure the well-being of the team and enable their success. My job is to make sure that the team has the necessary resources and that the dialogue is continuous so that the project progresses smoothly.

8. What should be considered in projects from the point of view of responsibility?

- From the perspective of responsibility, it is important to include clear responsibility goals and metrics in projects. Even if the company does not yet have comprehensive responsibility reporting or a strategy ready, it is good to start with small, concrete goals that allow you to gradually examine your own operations through responsibility. This can mean, for example, sustainable product design, taking into account the responsibility of the user experience, evaluating the responsibility of the supply chain or developing risk management. In this way, responsibility can be integrated into all phases of projects, step by step.

9. What do you enjoy the most about your role?

- What I like best about my role is bringing responsibility aspects into the normal project manager's work. This allows me to add value to the customer and at the same time promote an understanding of responsibility and sustainable development. Especially in IT projects, it is possible to emphasize the importance of responsible IT thinking, such as aspects of data management and storage. In addition to statutory requirements, such as GDPR, I also take into account the life cycle of the data - is it necessary to store all the data, and which processes in the background waste energy unnecessarily or increase the data load. For example, in requirements definitions, I try to apply ESG perspectives (environment, social responsibility, governance) to ensure that these three areas are taken into account from the beginning. Modularity, upgradeability, energy efficiency and efficient code writing are important when looking at project responsibility.

Take it contact us

Get in touch, and let's discuss how we can help you succeed in business transformations and IT projects, ensuring successful implementation.