Sako Oy expands into automatic weapons and utilizes Microsoft’s project tool to ensure successful cooperation with the Finnish and Swedish defense forces.

Sako Oy is a Finnish firearm manufacturer with a long history and a strong reputation for producing high-quality firearms. The company was founded in 1921 and has since grown into a significant player both domestically and internationally.

Now part of the international Beretta Group, Sako is best known for its high-quality sniper rifles and hunting firearms. The company’s product range has expanded, and through the Beretta Group, other types of firearms, such as shotguns and pistols, are also available.

One of Sako Oy’s most important projects is its collaboration with the Finnish and Swedish defense forces. This project focuses on developing and delivering new automatic weapon systems to both countries.

This large-scale project aims to ensure that both nations have access to the best possible small arms and defense equipment.

On the verge of new business

Inessa Taneli, a project manager in Sako’s Military & Law Enforcement business unit, explains that significant cooperation with the defense forces has taken Sako’s operations into new territory: “With this project, we have added automatic weapons to our product selection, which is a new business area for us alongside our traditional bolt-action rifles.”

The company’s factory in Riihimäki was expanded to enable automatic weapon production, and the facility will be further expanded in the coming years as the project progresses to its second phase.

With this new venture, it was the perfect moment to implement Microsoft’s project management tool, Project for the Web, now known as Planner with premium features. The tool’s deployment was carried out in collaboration with Solu Digital.

A million-piece puzzle

Inessa’s role involves working with Sako’s product development, production, and quality control teams, as well as departments responsible for product safety, verification, configuration management, and providing instructions and training related to product use.

There are many parties involved, and the progress of the project depends simultaneously on the output of different departments: if one department’s work does not proceed as planned, another part of the project cannot be completed. Inessa describes the project as “a million-piece puzzle” and laughs.

“There are plenty of stakeholders, and with a new product range, there’s much to be done and learned.”

Visualization in project management

The new project management tool has proven valuable in project planning and scheduling, particularly with features like milestones, dependencies between various phases and tasks, and the ability to define critical paths.

According to Inessa, the user-friendly Project for the Web has helped visualize the different phases of the project as a whole: “Especially now, with a new product and its extensive list of requirements, Project for the Web helps us learn along the way what has been done and how much time each phase has taken.”

“I think Project for the Web has been very useful in a strategic sense. The visual layout helps to grasp the full scope of tasks, making the work clearer and easier to understand,” she explains.

In addition to project management, Sako also uses a tool for time tracking and Power BI-based reporting, which Inessa utilizes to report project progress to clients.

Effective collaboration is key

In a project that requires close cooperation and constant communication between different parties, it has been essential that tools and processes are as efficient and clear as possible.

Inessa emphasizes that smooth collaboration with Solu Digital’s experts has played a major role in the successful implementation of the new tool, particularly in terms of communication, responsiveness, and a supportive attitude overall. She stresses that effective collaboration is the foundation of any tool deployment project.

“I would recommend Solu Digital as a partner because they respond quickly, listen carefully to your needs, and always strive to meet them in the best possible way. If more challenging situations arise, they immediately start investigating and exploring solutions – I’ve found this especially valuable.”

Read the whole article about the collaboration between Sako and Solu Digital here