Utilising software development skills as an asset for the Health sector
My name is Ari Ruotsalainen and I work as a People Lead at Solita. Besides the leadership work for twenty software development professionals, I like coding. That’s why I participate in various projects as a developer or in architect roles.
I have been working on the Omaolo.fi project from the beginning, for about three and half years as a Software Architect together with great colleagues and partners.
What’s your biggest passion(s)?
Passion is quite a big word but if I had to name something – in public – I would say following the NHL team Detroit Red Wings is my passion! And fishing!
What do you love about your job? How long have you worked at Solita?
I like to create something that has value for the customer and users. I like to solve technical challenges and build robust solutions that I can be proud of. Working with more skilled people than yourself is rewarding – thus, I have been working at Solita for 19 years.
How did you get involved with Health related projects? What inspired you?
I have been working in various domains and different types of projects in Solita. For me working in the Health domain is not so different from any other domain but when you are doing something, which might provide a lot of value for the end users and in the best case for the whole of Finland it is very rewarding.
What have you learned from working on Health projects at Solita?
My prejudice working on Health projects was that the Finnish health sector lives in the past and are exploited by some big vendors. There are all kinds of bureaucracy, which slows down the progress. And my prejudice was right – but I have learned that there actually is some will to change and improve things. Digitalisation is inevitable and it is nice to see that the end user experience is taken more seriously – services are designed more for the taxpayers.
What’s your most impactful experience at Solita so far?
I think the most impactful experience is actually from the recent COVID-19 crisis. Our team was able to implement the Coronavirus symptom check-up to omaolo.fi in a few days, and thus help Finland battle against the virus. I think that is something quite impactful and I’m happy to have been part of it!