Service Union United PAM

Design and technology go hand-in-hand for a great member experience at PAM

In 2022, Solita and PAM started a comprehensive cooperation to improve the understanding of the member experience, internal processes and IT architecture. PAM’s strategic goal is to develop the services to better meet the members’ wishes. As a result of the cooperation, valuable information about the members’ needs and a digital service development concept were created.

We’ve learned important lessons in the development of systems and services both for daily work and for the future.

Merja Westman Service Director, PAM

Results

A concept for a future digital member service for PAM
Development of PAM’s operations and mapping of the current state of the architecture
Increasing PAM’s understanding of its different members
Visualisation and concept design for union representatives’ support services and a digital member service
The cooperation laid the foundation for the digital service development and the upcoming competitive tendering and implementation phases

What are the needs of PAM members and what motivates them? What kind of value could digital services bring to PAM members? What is the role of technological capabilities in development? These were some of the questions that we tried to answer in cooperation with PAM.

“Our understanding of the members’ expectations towards PAM’s services has deepened significantly during the project. We now have a better understanding of the technical solutions that we need so that we can achieve the service experience we are aiming for,” says Merja Westman.

“Considering the entire scope of our collaboration, we’ve made significant progress with a broad approach and an open mindset,” says Jesse Virtanen, Digital Designer at Solita and continues:

We act as a guide continuously providing various suggestions, perspectives, and interpretations. Our task was to steer everything in the right direction and keep everything aligned along the way towards our goal.

Jesse Virtanen Digital Designer, Solita

In the early stages of the cooperation, it became clear that the existing systems didn’t support the development ideas that had been envisioned.

Technical and functional approaches combined in a rare way

At a later stage of the cooperation, the aim was to develop a comprehensive solution that would streamline the member service processes, improve the members’ digital service experience and enable flexible development in the future.

We approached things from both a technical and functional point of view and tried to understand the links between them. Such a perspective is rare. It wasn’t just a design or technical exercise, but a larger overall process where both parties were strongly involved.

Aila Kronqvist Enterprise Designer, Solita

A core part of the activities was the separation of processes and systems.

“In the past, the system forced us to act and do things a certain way. With Solita’s help, we broke away from the system-dependent operating model and focused only on the end result. This was really helpful,” says PAM’s Member Information System Manager Ruut Kosonen.

People-oriented and highly skilled collaboration

Solita is praised by PAM for its expertise and know-how, as well as for its people-oriented approach.

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Alongside their expertise, the Solitans worked with a warm, humane approach. It felt as though they were part of the organisation and quickly learned what being a PAM member involves. At the same time, they brought in a new perspective. It was a pleasure to work with them.

I liked how everyone’s participation was ensured and how all opinions were heard. Solitans knew how to activate us in the right way.

PAM’s experts were committed and wanted to achieve a good result. Through cooperation, it was possible. PAM has strong subject matter expertise without which we wouldn’t have succeeded.

Merja Westman Service Director,
PAM
Ruut Kosonen Member Information System Manager,
PAM
Nina Juuri Senior Transformation Designer,
Solita

Technology and design combined

What was special about the cooperation was the wide-ranging perspective, which takes into account both the experiences of members and employees as well as the IT architecture: Why and how are they related? Why and when does technology cause problems?

Solita helped PAM to identify service issues arising from technology, while also investigating the potential benefits that technological progress could bring to members and member service employees. As a result, a concept for a digital member service was created.

“Using service design methods, we identified user needs and the key factors that would motivate them to adopt digital member services. We validated value-creating solution ideas, facilitated co-design sessions, and documented the insights to support the upcoming system tendering process. Together with member service employees, we also explored and planned their needs for future tools,” says Juuri from Solita.

More tailored services

PAM’s member base is diverse, which poses challenges to the service. PAM represents 180,000 members working in various private service sectors.

Taru Lahnalammi Member Services Manager, PAM

Without new digital solutions, it isn’t possible to provide a personalised service.

“Personalised solutions take our service to the next level. To achieve an excellent service experience, we need new digital solutions. Good service isn’t enough for our members, it must be excellent,” PAM’s Westman adds.

Understanding the members is key in the development

PAM now feels that it understands its members’ different expectations better than before. This understanding will be a common thread in further development.

What do the members expect from us and what should we do to respond to the wishes of different members? Our understanding has deepened, and we are now better equipped to develop the right technical solutions.