Adopting Norwegian Practices in Ukraine

How flat company structure is helping Vector Software to conquer the Norwegian tech market

In 2018, Norway became a country with the fastest tech ecosystem in the Nordic region. Preventing the oil and other natural resources exhausting, the Norwegian government decided to support startup development and create comfortable conditions for business by continuous investment and support. Therefore, Oslo is ranked as one of the most business-friendly cities in the world. ITID talked to Ihor Vershynin, CEO of Vector Software, Ukrainian company with offices in Oslo and Lviv, to find out how to immerse into a different business culture and what makes working with the Norwegian market special.

Vector Software is a custom software development and outsourcing company. The main markets where the company delivers its services are based in Norway and Finland. Vector Software shows extreme growth by the last few years: over 80% annual growth few year in a row. Vector Software is building products for Stingray, which provides optical delousing solutions for fishing industry; SmartDok with planning, tracking and reporting solution for construction industry; Carus – self-service kiosks for transport passage automation, ferries booking solution; Vissim – sea surveillance and port information management solutions; Ecohz – green certificates trading solution for energy sector; ArtistNextDoor – marketplace for entertainment professionals.

Norwegian market specialties

Norwegian market is pretty closed. To successfully work with Norwegians, you really should have a deep understanding of Norwegian people. When we were making our first attempts to work there, outsourcing was a new approach for Norway. It took time to win trust of our clients. At that time, only a few big companies were using outsourcing services, while among small and mid-sized companies it wasn’t popular. Fortunately, for the last ten years, the situation has changed as many new IT companies have opened, and there is a lack of qualified personnel among 5 millions of Norwegians.

Considering the decision-making process, Norwegians are mostly guided by their personal preferences. As the market is small and everybody knows the main players the important aspect of decision making is trust and loyalty. The interesting thing is that money is not the main priority. Loyalty to the product, quality, and personal views come first. Simple “I like it” is a very powerful argument for Norwegians.

The future of Ukrainian tech market

Norwegian market is pretty closed. To successfully work with Norwegians, you really should have a deep understanding of Norwegian people. When we were making our first attempts to work there, outsourcing was a new approach for Norway. It took time to win trust of our clients. At that time, only a few big companies were using outsourcing services, while among small and mid-sized companies it wasn’t popular. Fortunately, for the last ten years, the situation has changed as many new IT companies have opened, and there is a lack of qualified personnel among 5 millions of Norwegians.

Considering the decision-making process, Norwegians are mostly guided by their personal preferences. As the market is small and everybody knows the main players the important aspect of decision making is trust and loyalty. The interesting thing is that money is not the main priority. Loyalty to the product, quality, and personal views come first. Simple “I like it” is a very powerful argument for Norwegians.

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