Implementing AI at OVL Containers
OVL Containers is shaping the future of the container supply industry with smart, data-driven solutions. Since 2007, OVL has been building technology that is transforming the global containership industry.
Recently, Toughbyte helped OVL hire an AI Developer for their team. We talked to OVL's managing director, Osmo Lahtinen, to learn about their intentions, challenges and experience with hiring AI developers.
Why did the company decide to adopt AI?
As a container leasing company, we operate in the logistics industry. Even though there are many discussions about blockchain, in reality, the industry is based on EDI messages. In our case, we receive container movement reports in different formats. We also have many emails, WhatsApp and WeChat chats where business is conducted. All of these require manual work. We recognized that AI could address these challenges, automate time-consuming and repetitive tasks and free up employees for more strategic work.
Another potential use for AI is enhancing customer service. AI could help respond to some customer queries more quickly and accurately, improving the overall customer experience.
What made you choose us to help with this role?
Last year, you helped us find our first in-house technical hire, so we were already familiar with your company. You supported us with conducting interviews to evaluate candidates' technical skills. Since we had no experience conducting tech interviews for an AI Developer, such support was beneficial.
Recruitment takes a lot of time and effort, so having help from experts who not only source and present CVs but can actually test the relevant capabilities was the best idea.
How did you approach recruiting an AI developer?
The key point for us was technical capabilities. We wanted to hire someone with strong programming skills and experience in AI technologies. It was an independent role — we don't have any other AI developers yet.
Since Toughbyte screened for AI skills, our task was to screen for base technical skills and cultural fit. We wanted the person to be interested in the tasks and generally in what we offer. While the technical side was our main focus when choosing a developer, communication skills were also crucial. We didn't expect the person to be overly social, but the role involves optimizing work and providing support functions. The developer needed to have soft skills to some degree.
Who did you hire in the end?
All the candidates you presented were good. There were two finalists and we made an offer to one of them. He has been working with us for a few weeks now and he has already shown great results.
What stood out was his understanding of the "big picture." and his startup attitude, where you don’t try to design the perfect system from day one. You build a minimal solution that may be a bit rough around the edges, but it allows you to get feedback quickly and then iterate on it. This is the right approach for us.
An interesting fact is that the new hire started working in China before returning to Helsinki, where he met our colleague for a brief chat. It’s often underestimated, but being able to talk to non-technical colleagues or even customers helps developers feel connected to the team and the product.
What would you advise to other companies that haven’t implemented AI yet?
It could definitely make life easier for your employees and improve your business. However, several things need to be addressed before adopting AI:
The importance of clear goals: it’s crucial to clearly define the tasks and processes you want to automate before implementing AI. Without a clear objective, it would have been difficult for the AI developer to understand what needed to be done.
The need for well-documented processes: AI systems perform best when they have well-documented existing processes to follow. We spent time documenting our existing workflows, which will ensure smooth integration of AI and better results.
If you don’t have data to analyze, it’s like buying a Porsche when maybe a tractor would be a better fit.
AI adoption can be daunting, but it’s worth the investment. Initially, there was some uncertainty about adopting AI. Today, AI is like a big black hole — interesting but open to doubts. However, once a company understands the goals and sees the benefits, it will be more confident in its decision to explore AI solutions further.
Hiring the right talent is crucial. The recruitment process was key to finding the right AI developer, someone who could not only bring technical expertise, but also understand the business’ needs and culture.
What advice would you give to those hiring AI developers?
I'd say that your goals should be clear to the developer as well. They must understand what the job is about and what tasks and challenges they will face. If the goals sound interesting, the developer will get excited and think about what contribution they could make. When looking for any developer, technical skills are important, but the desire to use those skills to contribute to a common goal is essential. This will make the process fair and easier for both parties.