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I help companies in the EMEA region secure their open-source environments. 

It's my job to make sure our communication is seamless, and your pain points are being addressed. 

Please feel free to contact me if this touches your everyday life. 

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Life is an adventure, and I'll do my best to ensure my curiosity remains on high alert.


connect. follow. learn. share. love. secure. 

/ Ari

Ari Kärkkäinen

Metso

As a Master Thesis Worker in Metso’s IT Architecture team, I am conducting research focused on the integration of IT Service Management (ITSM) and Enterprise Architecture (EA) data models, using the Common Service Data Model (CSDM) as a unifying framework. My thesis also incorporates Application Portfolio Analysis (APA) to support application lifecycle visibility, rationalization, and strategic alignment across Metso’s IT landscape.

The goal of the thesis is to develop a scalable and repeatable framework that improves data quality between CMDB and EA tools (e.g., Ardoq), enhances governance, and supports Metso’s digital transformation and automation initiatives.

Key focus areas:

- Harmonizing CMDB and EA data using CSDM
- Enhancing APA with lifecycle classification and capability mapping
- Supporting application consolidation and IT cost transparency
- Aligning IT assets with business capabilities and strategic goals
- Delivering value to Metso’s IT Architecture and Service Management Office

Master Thesis Worker, IT and Data Architecture

Tasks:

- Updated and maintained business application data in Metso’s Configuration Management Database (CMDB) and Ardoq.
- Collaborated with portfolio managers to ensure accurate representation of application lifecycle and ownership.
- Mapped application dependencies and integrations to support strategic IT planning and risk management.
- Assisted in the standardization of application metadata to improve data quality and reporting.
- Participated in portfolio governance activities, including documentation and process improvement.
- Supported the preparation and facilitation of workshops focused on application portfolio management.
- Engaged with cross-functional teams to gather input and validate application information.
- Contributed to internal communications by creating visualizations and summaries of portfolio insights.
- Learned and applied Ardoq modeling techniques to visualize IT architecture and business capabilities.
- Documented best practices and lessons learned to support future onboarding and knowledge transfer.
- Participated in the Metso AI challenged and designed an AI agent and tools for Metso

Takeaways:

- Gained hands-on experience with enterprise architecture tools like Ardoq, CMDB systems and AI tools.
- Developed a deeper understanding of IT portfolio management and its role in business strategy.
- Improved data analysis and visualization skills through real-world application mapping projects.
- Learned more on how to facilitate and contribute to workshops, including PI planning, agenda setting and stakeholder engagement.
- Enhanced communication skills by working with diverse teams across IT and business units.
- Learned the importance of data governance in maintaining reliable and actionable portfolio insights.
- Strengthened project management abilities by balancing multiple tasks and deadlines. Utilized Agile and Scrum methodologies.
- Grew professionally by contributing to meaningful projects that support Metso’s digital transformation.

Summer Trainee, Lead Portfolio Management

CDO Palvelut Oy

Tasks:

- Project Management and Consulting regarding ERP-system implementation projects for customers from various fields.
- IT-systems Project Management and Consulting
- Planning and executing improvements to CDO Palvelut Oy's marketing
- Improving the various materials of CDO Palvelut Oy
- Having sales meetings with possible customers/sales leads
- Budgeting for ERP and IT-systems projects
- Plannign and executing the projects with the project teams from start to finish.
- Communication between various stakeholders
- Facilitating various current state analysis and ERP requirements workshops for companies
- Interviewing executive board members, managers and employees and analyzing that information
- Creating different kinds of analyses and presentations regarding the projects
- Creating the long term time schedules
- Preparing, arranging and facilitating meetings and materials (steering group, status, ad hoc)
- Managing the various project task with the project team
- Gave lectures and trainings about different softwares and technologies, which I prepared and created materials for myself.

Takeaways:

- Became a successfully Project Manager that managed successfully various projects with different backgrounds
- Project Management and Consulting skills greatly increased
- Vast experience from different IT-projects and companies from different industry fields
- Teamworking skills increased
- Managing, facilitating and lecturing skills increased
- Got more insight about new technologies and solutions
- Confidence, leadership and communication skills improved
- Became more active and I now have a more commanding presence

Projects:

- Project Manager: ECM project for a component manufacturer
- Project Manager: ERP project for a Project and Construction management company
- Assistant Project Manager: ERP-project for a maritime company
- Assistant Project Manager: ERP-project for a food company

CDO, Project and Service Expert

UPM - The Biofore Company

I was part of the 15 month UPM Graduate Programme. The UPM Graduate Programme included face-to-face and virtual learning days. All participants also had their own development plan and a personal mentor. Experienced and inspiring UPM manager mentors provided coaching for the trainees throughout the programme.

Tasks
- Supporting UPM businesses and support functions in ICT sourcing as part of the IT Sourcing team.
- Leading RFx’s and contract negotiations as well as supplier relationship management. 
- Actively participating in development projects related to sourcing processes and tools.
- Identification of potential suppliers and analyzing IT market intelligence
- Contract management and internal stakeholder support
- Supporting in preparing RFx materials
- Analyzing spend and procurement data and identifying optimization potentials 
within spend and supply base
- Reporting on UPM's suppliers, spend and contracts
- Tactical RFx management using sourcing platforms
- Supporting in sourcing and procurement processes implementation
- Leading a project related to expiring contracts and updating the contract database
- Doing a 3 month rotation inside UPM's IT organization.
- Hybrid Cloud dependencies between prospect & decision project
- Covering the synchronization of Architecture vision / IT App Roadmap / Cloud targets / Portfolio Roadmaps
- Project on project gate templates improvements in 2023

Takeaways
- Got a holistic learning about the whole RFx process regarding IT services
- Excel, reporting and Sievo skills improved
- Was responsible for successful RFx processes
- Was responsible for successful improvement projects
- Learned about cyber security and cloud technologies
- Contracting and negotiation skills improved
- Teamwork and supplier management skills improved
- Helped all of UPM's businesses find new IT services and solutions
- Learned more about project management and improved my project management skills
- Successfully completed the UPM Graduate program

Graduate, IT Sourcing

KONE

KONE Marine

Tasks
- Monitoring material planning and managing end-to-end purchase order cycle with tools as SAP, Servigistics, PDM, Salesforce, etc
- Material availability trouble-shooting 
- Contacting clients and keeping relations
- Replenishment between warehouses
- Participating in process development projects
- Receiving orders and purchasing materials
- Monitoring and controlling material deliveries from supplier to distribution center/customer
- Sourcing support
- Handling suppliers invoices and clarifying differences in invoice verification process
- Managing suppliers data
- Monitoring and handling small volume shipments/deliveries and required freight documents

Takeaways
-Multitasking skills improved significantly
-SAP knowledge increased. I know how purchase products and parts and also plan the delivery with SAP. I also helped to develop SAP in a project regarding material management. Making the process of using SAP smoother, more streamlined and automated.
-Experience in customer relations
-Got an excellent overview of the procurement process
-Experience in Material Management

https://www.kone.com/en/

Purchaser

Did my Master's Thesis at KONE Industrial Hyvinkää. Topic of thesis was Outsourcing Framework for Delivery Planning Team.

Tasks
- Main task was to research an outsourcing process that is ongoing in KONE Industrial and come up some solutions on how to improve the outsourcing processes and how to finalize them in a successful way
- Thesis problem was how to implement outsourcing in a successful way
- Researched the problem
- Used many sources such as articles, book, videos etc...
- I interviewed 16 KONE Industrial employees to gather further information
- Wrote an 95 page Master's thesis and provided a framework with suggestions to KONE Industrial

Takeaways
- Received excellent feedback from KONE and from my university, Jyväskylä School of Business and Economics. My thesis provided an excellent big picture of the outsourcing process and detailed recommendations on how to do successful outsourcing processes.
- Grade 4/5
- Learned a lot about outsourcing, communication, collaboration, management and core competences/capabilities. Learned how outsourcing can be done successfully.
- Written English skills, analyzing, information gathering and interviewing skills improved.
- Managed to create a thesis which has excellent recommendations for KONE and which is very useful to KONE
- Got to interview many people and got new perspectives
- Overall the thesis was an positive experience and it was a good conclusion to my studies

https://www.kone.com/en/

Master Thesis Worker

Tasks
-Planning and execution of Logistics in accordance with Global Trade Compliance
-Data based analysis and optimization of logistics chains
-Finding the best logistics solutions for the projects
-Supplier performance monitoring in daily activities
-Logistics cost control, optimization and management
-Executing RFQs within KONE contract logistics partners
-Managing logistics development projects
-Continuously improving supply chain processes by focusing on service and value
-Ensuring that deliveries to KONE country units are handled, stored and distributed safely, cost-effectively, and on time.

Takeaways
-Gained a deeper knowledge and understanding of supply chain management, import & export operations, international trade, trade compliance (AEO etc.) and cost management
-Analytical and problem solving skills improved, since I had to solve different shipping and document related problems as well as ad hoc problems.
-Gained more knowledge of optimization and consolidation of different logistics chains
-Got experience in working in a global work environment
-Developed a more customer focused mindset
-Communication, teamwork and collaboration skills improved.
-Gained more knowledge of the logistic chains as a whole
-Got experience in project management. I was helping with a project that aimed to improve logistic processes
-MS Office tools and SAP skills increased significantly. I know how purchase products and parts and also plan the delivery with SAP.
-Learned about new project and logistic processes

https://www.kone.com/en/

Logistics Coordinator

KONE Corporation

Supply Operations Finland

Tasks
-Planning and execution of Logistics in accordance with Global Trade Compliance
-Data based analysis and optimization of logistics chains
-Finding the best logistics solutions for the projects
-Supplier performance monitoring in daily activities
-Logistics cost control, optimization and management
-Executing RFQs within KONE contract logistics partners
-Managing logistics development projects
-Continuously improving supply chain processes by focusing on service and value
-Ensuring that deliveries to KONE country units are handled, stored and distributed safely, cost-effectively, and on time.

Takeaways
-Gained a deeper knowledge and understanding of supply chain management, import & export operations, international trade, trade compliance (AEO etc.) and cost management
-Analytical and problem solving skills improved, since I had to solve different shipping and document related problems as well as ad hoc problems.
-Gained more knowledge of optimization and consolidation of different logistics chains
-Got experience in working in a global work environment
-Developed a more customer focused mindset
-Communication, teamwork and collaboration skills improved.
-Gained more knowledge of the logistic chains as a whole
-Got experience in project management. I was helping with a project that aimed to improve logistic processes
-MS Office tools and SAP skills increased significantly. I know how purchase products and parts and also plan the delivery with SAP.
-Learned about new project and logistic processes

https://www.kone.com/en/

Summer Trainee, Delivery Planning

Konecranes

Tasks
-Responsible for the purchasing of end carriages for Konecranes Q-series lifts.
-Contacting clients and keeping relations
-Was part of the subcontracting team. In the team we researched new processes for the purchasing team.
- Monitoring material planning and managing end-to-end purchase order cycle with tools as SAP, Specto, Aton, Qlikview, etc
- Material availability trouble-shooting
-Managed storage levels
-Monitoring delivery accuracy

Takeaways
- SAP skills significantly improved. I know how purchase products and parts and also plan the delivery with SAP.
- Got an good overview on the crane industry.
- Got a good overview on how to purchase items to a factory.
- Team and multitasking skills improved.
- Technical knowledge improved
- Excel skills improved

https://www.konecranes.com/fi

Summer Trainee, Purchasing

Global Spares Supply

Tasks
- Monitoring material planning and managing end-to-end purchase order cycle with tools as SAP, Servigistics, PDM, Salesforce, etc
- Material availability trouble-shooting 
- Contacting clients and keeping relations
- Replenishment between warehouses
- Participating in process development projects

Takeaways
-Multitasking skills improved significantly
-SAP knowledge increased. I know how purchase products and parts and also plan the delivery with SAP.
-Experience in customer relations
-Got an excellent overview of the procurement process
-Experience in Material Management

https://www.kone.com/en/

Purchasing Trainee, Materials Management

Did my Bachelor's thesis at Kone Global Spares Supply Hyvinkää. Topic of thesis is collaboration between teams in Material Management.

Tasks
- Main task was to research the KONE GSS as a whole and come up some solutions on how to improve the collaboration between the teams
- Thesis problem was that the team collaboration was not on the required level
- Researched the problem
- Used many sources such as articles, book, videos etc...
- Made a survey to gather information from the employees
- Based on the survey answers I interviewed the KONE GSS employees to gather further information
- Wrote a 60 page long thesis based on the information

Takeaways
- Received excellent feedback from KONE and from my school Tampere University of Applied Sciences
- Grade 4/5
- Learned a lot about communication, collaboration, management and purchasing
- Created an academic text
- Written English skills improved
- Managed to create a thesis which has good recommendations for KONE and which is very useful to KONE
- Got to interview many people and got new perspectives
- Overall the thesis was an positive experience and it was a good conclusion to my studies

https://www.kone.com/en/

Thesis Worker

Hämeenlinnan Osuusmeijeri

Worked as an storage worker

Tasks
-Collecting and packing milk products
-Preparing and distributing freight documents 

Takeaways
-Good overview of the dairy industry
-Good overview of logistics and SAP

Storage worker

Alexandria Pankkiiriliike

Banking Company. Worked as an sales assistant

Tasks
-Contacting clients and making appointments for investor advisors
-Maintaining client relationships

Takeaways
-Sales always requires patience
-Not to giving up is essential at sales work
-Got experience on customer relations

Sales Assistant

MSc in Business and Economics. Currently working in Metso, Lead Portfolio team and writing my Master Thesis about using AI in Supply Chains. Also trying to learn and use as different AI tools as possible. I am capable of combining business knowledge and IT knowledge together and creating new innovative solutions for companies. Specialized in Project Management, Management Consulting, Leadership, Sourcing and Strategy. I understand the big picture, how to improve and organize it. Interest in project management, business management, business development, information systems, cyber security and strategy. Passionate about helping others succeed, be they customers, partners, colleagues, friends or any other people.

I have lead multiple ERP-projects successfully and also an M-Files implementation project. I have negotiated with suppliers and sourced them for SaaS and Cloud IT services. I have created project frameworks, market entry plans, outsourcing frameworks, marketing strategies and have improved different logistical, purchasing and sourcing processes. I want to leave my mark by improving processes, leading with an innovative approach and continuously learning about new things. I am a passionate thinker. I always do my best. Helped clients and worked in industries such as Elevators & Escalators, Cranes, Logistics, Retail and Manufacturing, in areas such as growth strategy development, project management, transformation implementation, delivery planning, procurement excellence.

Hobbies include watching films, comic books, cigars, watches, weightlifting, men’s fashion, boardgames.

Core Strengths:
- International Business knowledge
- Leading projects successfully and being responsible for project management
- Teamwork and communication between stakeholders
- Analytical skills regarding IT and Business problems
- "The big picture"
- Strategy
- Information Systems
- Information Management
- Systems Theory
- Business Development
- Business Models
- Procurement
- Sourcing
- Negotiation
- Supply Chains
- AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot)

IT-skills:
- MSOffice
- SAP
- Odoo ERP
- Oracle Netsuite
- Microsoft Dynamics 365
- Azure
- SQL
- Python
- DevOps
- ITIL, TOGAF, ITSM
- Atlassian
- JIRA
- Qlikview
- Integrations
- Database, information systems and IT-architecture development and improvement, Enterprise Architecture

Keywords:  AI, Consulting, Business Development, Digital Services, Digital Service Design, Market Entry Plans, Process Improvement, Business Plans, Strategy, Business Growth, Scrum, Agile, Service Management, Change Management.

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Ari Kärkkäinen

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