KONE and VALA – Focus on quality
Our collaboration in a nutshell
VALA has provided software quality services such as test automation implementation, test planning, quality assurance team management, maintaining and developing CI/CD infrastructure and training services to KONE since 2016.
Our relationship with KONE has remained rock solid over the years; some +/- 10 people from VALA have been helping KONE continuously. In November 2024, there were nine people from VALA working on various KONE projects. VALA specialists have been highly appreciated as the overall feedback average for VALA individuals (N=38) is more than 6,4/7!
Robert Taylor from KONE’s software engineering team shares:
“VALA have consistently provided us top notch professionals who have added value to our team and other teams we work with. They’ve brought with them good practices, varied levels of experience and in many cases innovative ideas.“
Why KONE chose VALA?
Key factors in KONE’s decision included VALA’s ability to provide the best people with the necessary skills and to respond to KONE’s changing business needs in an agile manner.
Additionally, positive long-term feedback about VALA’s experts and strong references from other VALA clients played a significant role.
VALA’s input for KONE
VALA’s software quality services ensure that KONE achieves better quality and a faster time-to-market for its services and products. We create cost savings through building efficient CI/CD infrastructure and test automation, which enable experts to focus on the most critical tasks. By ensuring that the scope of quality assurance services and test coverage meet KONE’s high standards, VALA helps KONE deliver the exceptional quality that its customers expect.
“We’ve done our part in ensuring KONE delivers well-tested, quality software in good, concise cycles. We have managed the build and test infrastructure, while also transitioning to modern systems like GitLab and Yocto. These improvements enhance security and productivity, and future-proof KONE’s solutions.” says Niko Myllymäki, Senior Test Automation Engineer, VALA.
VALA’s work in KONE Linux Platform
A key area of focus for VALA in this has been the CI/CD infrastructure of the platform development process. VALA specialists have had an important role in maintaining and developing this infrastructure, including a significant migration from Jenkins to GitLab. This transition empowers KONE to build, test, and deploy software updates with greater efficiency and reliability. Additionally, through the development and maintenance of test automation, using Robot Framework + Python, VALA speeds up the feedback loop and enables KONE to identify and address defects early in the development process.
By taking care of the quality and reliability of KONE’s Linux-based software, VALA contributes directly to KONE’s ability to deliver innovative, high-quality products and services to its customers.
VALA’s expertise in technologies such as Bash, Python, Robot Framework, Docker, Git, and AWS fits well with KONE’s software development environment. Besides tech fit, similar to VALA, quality is one of the KONE’s core principles. To further enhance an already strong quality culture, VALA specialists work actively to ensure that quality and quality mindset are ingrained in every step of the development process.
“We’ve recently undergone a major migration from Jenkins to Gitlab and our team members from VALA have helped get us there. They’ve improved our processes, challenged our methods and been pragmatic day-to-day,“ continues Robert Taylor.
KONE in brief
As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization. KONE moves two billion people every day!
In 2024, KONE achieved annual sales of EUR 11.1 billion and employed over 60,000 people, operating in close to 70 countries across the globe. According to its new strategy for 2025-2030, KONE aims to lead in employee and customer experience, sustainability, innovation, growth, and profitability. To reach this ambition, KONE has defined four strategic shifts, one of them being “Accelerate digital to fundamentally transform how KONE does service.”
KONE’s purpose is to shape the future of cities.
