FIAtoZ & Sandvik in collaboration
AtoZ and Sandvik in collaboration in Finland
Sandvik Mining and Construction Oy, which develops and manufactures machines, equipment and digital solutions for the mining industry, is part of the Sandvik Group's Mining business area. Software plays a central role in today's dumpers, loaders and underground drilling rigs.
In the 2000s, Sandvik began building a new, computer-controlled generation of machines. It soon became clear that assuring quality also required genuine expertise in testing and test processes.
This is where Tommi Puonti, a software testing and test process professional already known to parts of Sandvik's product development organisation, entered the picture. Puonti, who now works at AtoZ, came to Sandvik in 2007 as an expert from a subcontractor. The first software platform team was formed at that time, and simulator testing of software began in various product projects.
"I first evaluated testing in Tampere and Turku. When development got going, I was the test manager in the platform project. Current AtoZ colleagues Juha Heikkilä and Jari Puonti soon joined the team as well," Puonti recalls of the early days of the collaboration.
When AtoZ was founded in 2017, the trio continued their work at Sandvik as AtoZ's representatives. Today, more than ten AtoZ testers and several software designers work on Sandvik's projects. They are responsible for software quality assurance and for developing both the software and the simulators used in testing. AtoZ has its own team at its Finlayson office in Tampere testing remotely for Sandvik's Turku unit. AtoZ experts also work at other Sandvik sites, for example at the Myllypuro test mine in Tampere.
Simulators play a key role
Software for Sandvik's machines is tested mainly with simulators in which the operation and behaviour of real machines have been modelled as accurately as possible.
In addition to testing, AtoZ's experts take part in developing simulators and configuring them in Sandvik's test environments. A sign of how close the collaboration is: AtoZ has its own Sandvik simulator at its office.
"We develop the product and the simulator at the same time, because the simulator has to be as close as possible to what the product really does. The better the simulator, the faster the product development team can move from installing software on a prototype machine to testing the machine itself," Puonti says.
Expertise and flexibility
Esa Vikman leads the software team of Sandvik's Underground division. He originally started working with Puonti to develop testing.
That was also when software development became more systematic. Intelligent control systems arrived in mining equipment, which began to evolve into highly software-intensive products. Development work required new kinds of expertise.
"Sandvik cannot master all the necessary technologies on its own. This is a unique domain with its own requirements. That is why we commit to suppliers who understand the specific characteristics of this product area," Vikman emphasises.
"Working with AtoZ has been easy. They know how Sandvik operates, and they know how to listen to the customer. We have received suitable experts for our projects from them, because AtoZ understands the requirements of this industry."
Development ideas welcome
AutoMine® is Sandvik's software product for automating mine logistics. The machines move autonomously while people monitor them from control rooms. Development of the system aims at ever stronger autonomy.
Olli Snellman heads the AutoMine® product development department. AtoZ experts in his testing team test with simulators as well as with real machines in Sandvik's test mine.
"AtoZ has shown the agility to adapt to constantly changing priorities and situations," Snellman says.
"In the partnership, AtoZ's experts are active and present in what is happening. That is needed to stay up to date in the daily interaction between the different parties."
"Buying subcontracting is increasingly about acquiring company expertise through people. A partner with a foot in the door of the right industrial sector can help us develop, too."
Long-term joint development
AtoZ's team tests remotely from Tampere for the needs of Sandvik's Load & Haul department in Turku. The team manually tests the control systems of wheel loaders and trucks. It also develops test automation and configures the simulators used in software testing together with Sandvik's people and the simulator supplier.
Consultants are often brought in as extra "muscle" for specific needs. Juhana Kousa, head of Sandvik's testing team, sees the collaboration with AtoZ differently.
"We have long been developing shared ways of working. We streamline our processes and look for better ways to do our work. AtoZ has also brought its expertise to exploring how we could make stronger use of AI in our operations and products."
Sandvik Mining
Sandvik Group's Mining business area is a world-leading supplier of equipment, spare parts, services, digital solutions and sustainability-enhancing technologies for the mining and contracting industries. Application areas include surface and underground drilling, mechanical rock excavation, rock construction and quarrying.
In 2025, revenue was approximately SEK 69 billion and the number of employees was approximately 18,000.
Sandvik in Finland
Sandvik employs approximately 2,700 people in Finland in Tampere, Turku and Lahti. Over 95 per cent of production is exported.
Tampere manufactures underground and surface drilling rigs and is home to a technology and digitalisation competence centre, a test mine and automation operations. Turku makes underground loading and haulage equipment and hosts an equipment and technology competence centre. Lahti has a factory producing hydraulic breakers and a competence centre for screens and feeders.
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