Engineering work looks different depending on whether the goal is to deliver a project or build a product. We asked Riikka Puustinen, HR Manager at CoreHW, what changes when teams move between these two.
“In project work, the focus is often on solving a specific customer need within a defined scope,” says Puustinen. “In product development, decisions are made with long-term performance and scalability in mind.”
At CoreHW, both perspectives are part of everyday work. Alongside customer-specific IC design and engineering projects, teams also develop the company’s own RTLS product. This changes how work is approached.
In projects, speed and adaptability are critical. Requirements evolve, and solutions must be delivered efficiently in real-world conditions. In product development, the emphasis shifts toward consistency, maintainability and system-level optimization over time.
“The biggest difference is in decision-making. In products, you must consider how today’s choices affect the system months or years ahead.” The value comes from combining these perspectives. Experience from customer projects brings practical insight into real use cases and constraints. Product development, in turn, strengthens long-term thinking and system design discipline.
For customers, this means working with teams that understand both immediate delivery needs and long-term system performance. For engineers, it creates a broader perspective on how technology is designed, built and applied.
“When you work in both, you don’t just solve problems. You learn how to build solutions that last.”