Jari Tiirikainen
Digital Transformation Expert
About Me
I am very positive, energetic, and inspiring influencer working towards better tomorrow. I have many skills built around digitalization and process development. I consider my greatest strength to be my ability to make digitalization easy. I understand IT and business operations and can combine these worlds in the need of creating understanding of business needs, technical possibilities and development needs gathered in the between of these.
People who have worked at the projects with me often describe me as problem solver, optimistic thinker, innovator, creator of positive atmosphere for innovation and thinking outside of the box. This describes me very well. I do believe that things can always be evolved, processes can be improved, and digitalization can help us more.
We just have not figured out how and that requires a lot of different approaches and endless drive for better tomorrow.
That is what I bring to the table.
Having worked for over a decade in transforming analog processes to digital, I have gained significant expertise in helping organizations to develop their business.
Working in many different organizational levels and with a large variety of different people from ground-level operational employees to financial and accounting experts as well as top management leaders has provided me with in-depth understanding on what are the most common bottlenecks and and show-stoppers in digitalization and process development.
I am highly skilled in helping organizations to identify processes that should be transformed, assessing the maturity of those processes toward automation or digitalization, build business cases for the change as well as managing the change team conducting the change.
I am also skilled in onboarding new technologies to the business and creating strategic approaches for these technologies. Working in service industry managing and digital development has helped me in creating very broad view of digitalization on national and global view.
Food for thought
With the help of new technologies companies can reduce the risk of injuries, cut back on emissions, onboard new employees easier, automate anomality detection, hand over mundane tasks to automation or robotics, use automation to create faster frontline services and so on.
Most common problem in digitalization for any business is to convert the input-material to preferred data-model.
By creating re-usable, responsive webforms, most of these entry-level difficulties can be sorted out.
Use of Digital Building entities can lead to lower runtime costs of the building as well as better utilization rate of the facilities in the building by creating a data model of the building, it´s consumption, and user preferences based on data.
With the help of machine vision it is possible to identify selected items in images or video streams. But training the machine vision can be carried out easily when deploying existing models. Also, when deploying machine vision on an edge-computing device, no person-related data would be saved.
By using technology, companies can automate un-necessary working in hazardous places making the workplace safer, mandatory inspections faster and increase employee wellbeing as well as reduce emissions by replacing heavy, towable person lifters with light-weight drones.
Work Experience
Head of Digital Excellence, ISS FINLAND
09/2020 –
As the Head of Digital Excellence I am responsible for new digital development in ISS Palvelut. I maintained the catalogue of all digital solutions used by ISS Finland in services. Digital Excellence is also the point of contact when in need of new solutions or digital development needs.
My unit, Digital Excellence, utilizes tools such as RPA (Robot Process Automation), AI (Artificial Intelligence), IoT (Internet of Things), Advanced Analytics, Intelligent Automations and many more.
Most important task is to make people’s lives easier with the help of digitalization.
I am responsible for creating roadmaps and strategic approaches to digital solutions. I am also responsible for providing solutions to our customers needs and wishes around IoT, process efficiency, RPA and AI.
Head of RPA, ISS FINLAND
2017 –
As the Head of RPA for ISS Finland I built the RPA-function in 2017, created the Center of Excellence to support it, created operational frameworks and runtime models for the RPA as well as processes on idea gathering, creation, validation, and approval.
Within this role I built the whole RPA-capability for ISS Finland. As a part of this, I also managed the technical evaluation of different RPA-platforms and vendors, created business cases for the initiative and acted as the project lead in the build-up project of RPA for ISS Finland.
Business Process Development, ISS Finland
2012 –
Through-out my whole career in ISS Finland I have been carrying out different projects around business process development. I carried out various improvement projects on process, team, and unit levels. Simplest improvements were re-building current an existing process by changing the ways of working and tasks carried out within the process to meet the current needs with elements of lean. Largest improvements were re-building the whole function and the unit executing the function in total.
Process Digitalization, ISS Finland
2017 –
As the part of RPA-build up I started a function that utilized simple digital tools in converting analog processes into digital processes. These tools included web-forms and simple chatbots. These tools were very important when digitizing processes where the legacy is heavily analogue. Easiest process developments carried out were simply creating a webform that changed information input from “pen and paper” to a digital form and connected this digital flow to an existing system thereby automating the whole information flow.
Head of IoT, ISS FINLAND
01.01.2018 –
As the Head of IoT for ISS Finland I created an understanding on how digitalization will change the facility management business in Finland and how this will affect ISS. My unit also created digital solutions for ISS Finland for utilizing IoT. With these created functions ISS could connect various data sources from multiple vendors easily. We also created AI-based functions such as ability to identify and calculate amount of people and their direction of movement, occupancy predictions and environmental changes.
All development was built to be in line with ISS Global IoT as well as Platform of Trust, which is one of the largest national drivers of digitalization in Finland.
Member, Global RPA Core Team, ISS Group
2019 –
As a member of the core team of RPA globally, I assisted in starting the ISS Global RPA initiative.
I was a part of the vendor-selection, helped in creating frameworks and operation models for the RPA and participated in creating the necessary steering actions. I was also one of the pioneers and spokespersons for RPA in ISS globally.
Interim Head of RPA, ISS GROUP
01.02.2021 – (will end in June, 2021)
In January 2021 I took over the global responsibility of RPA as the RPA was being migrated to new set-up.
Within these couple of months, I created a plan for recovery and a plan on being able to achieve goals for the RPA set by Global Steering Group of RPA.
I also created plans on how to create better community around RPA and how to showcase RPA-automations and need for RPA.
Member, Global Digital Excellence Core Team, ISS Group
09/2018 – 12/2020
As a member of the Global Digital Excellence Core Team I was a part of the global team creating IoT use cases for ISS Group. This Core Team created use cases for ISS´s Global Key Accounts and ISS Countries. Core Team also created the IoT-strategy and roadmap for ISS Group. Core Team was also responsible for finding best suitable sensors and applications for ISS as well as ensuring that selected solutions are inline with ISS Group IT policies and Information Security compliance.
Unit Director, Customer Contact Center, ISS Finland
01/2015 – 01/2018
As the unit director of the customer contact center I was given a task to transfer the unit from one organization to another and re-build the unit both operationally as well financially. Unit did not meet the response times or levels demanded by the business and it was not performing within the budget. I planned a two-year change plan which included many parallel actions. At the end of the change-project, unit was able to fulfill the operational needs set by business units as well as keep the budget assigned to the unit.
Project Manager, ISS Finland
08/2013 – 04/2015
I was a project manager on a WFM-system build-up project, a system used in one of the largest business units in ISS Finland for workforce rostering and workforce management. My role in this project was to clarify the need for ISS as well as build the business case for the process, participate in selecting the vendor and system, constructing necessary project teams around the build-up, help creating the centralized unit for workforce management and planning, lead the technical build of the system.
Administrator / Developer in online task management, ISS Finland
06/2012 –08/2013
I started my career in ISS as an administrator for online task management software (Mobilog by CGI). I also operated as the administrator for several other systems such as vehicle positioning system (GPS-based), customer survey system, risk assessment tool.
Manager in service, Security Department, Palmia – City of Helsinki
11/2010 – 06/2012
I worked as a manager in service, responsible for three different units.
My responsibilities were budgeting, recruiting, customer management/development and business development, HR-development etc.
Head of Alarmcenter, Security Department, Palmia – City of Helsinki
07/2010 – 11/2010
Within this year I started to renew most of the IT-infrastructure in the alarmcenter.
I continued within this project even after my promotion to a Manager in Service.
Project contained renewals of alarm receiving and dispatching system, cctv-systems, callcenter-system and several smaller components within this larger picture.
Security officer and security foreman at different public events and festivals
2004 – 2011
I worked as a security personnel and group leader / foreman for security personnel for several years in event security around Finland.
Mostly I was responsible for safety in festival bar-areas.
Security Guard, area security
01/2010 – 06/2010
I worked briefly at a industrial facility as a security guard. This short experience gave me a good insight view of the versatility on securitytasks.
Shift Supervisor, Security, Shopping mall
09/2007 – 01/2010
I worked as a second-in-charge in a ratherly large shopping-center.
Within my shifts I was responsible for daily activities, customer-satisfaction, employees, co-operations between law-enforcements etc
Resource Planner / Coordinator
06/2005 – 09/2007
I was responsible for maintaining, planning and rostering workforce for more than 200 peoples.
I was also the first point-of-contact for employees when in terms of labor-law and union agreements, employees’ rights and responsibilities etc.
Security Guard, Shift Supervisor, Supermarket / Shop Security
04/2004 – 06/2005
I worked as a shift supervisor, managing daily operations in six grocery stores.
Under my responsibilities was employee-satisfaction, making sure that daily routines were carried out properly, reporting to our customer and to my supervisors.
Sergeant, 3rd in command, KFOR, Kosovo
04/2003 – 04/2004
Squad leader of remote unit. Units most important task was to ensure the safety of the international airport of Pristina.
Other tasks: leader of search team, leader of convoy´s, VIP-protection head, co-operation officer to other countries at the airport, liaison person for the British and American Forces acting at the airport, leader of the Quick Reaction Force.
Special trainings: venue-training (close combat), vip-transportation, person protection and bodyguarding, search trainings (weaponry and drugs), surveillance and capturing of wanted criminals.
Dispatch department, Near-delivery, Scanfil Oyj
08/2001 – 04/2003
As a dispatcher I was responsible for all outgoing items from the factory. I maintained the warehouse inventory for outgoing items, shipped items accordingly and helped on near deliveries when necessary.
Factory produced 3G mobile links, slot machines and other mechatronic instruments.
Corporal, Finnish Defence Forces
07/2000 – 07/2001
Mandatory military training for all Finnish males.
Within my training, I overtook non-commissioned officer training and training for international peacekeeping missions.
Earlier occupations
Before military service I worked as a cleaner in the fair center of Helsinki, baker at one of the largest supermarkets in Vantaa, a cleaner in Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and other short occupations.
Top Traits
Digital transformation of business processes
Building and running RPA-functions
Business process transformation
Digital development
Change management
Project management
Team management
Agile development
IoT and Digital Twin
Disruptive and agile use of technologies
Achievements and accomplishments
RPA
Starting the RPA-initiative pilot (ISS Finland).
Setup of RPA Center of Excellence (ISS Finland).
Building RPA Frameworks, ways of working, operating and runtime models (ISS Finland).
Creating processes for idea gathering, evaluation, and approval for automation (ISS Finland).
Creating a change-positive atmosphere and supporting functions, implemented to production (ISS Finland)
Leading the creation of reporting KPI´s and success indicators for RPA (ISS Finland).
Part of vendor evaluation for global service vendor for RPA (ISS Group).
Participate in Planning and executing RPA CoE and the Way of working (ISS Group).
Reshaping global operational models and global community around RPA (ISS Group).
Leading the creation of reporting KPI´s and success indicators for RPA (ISS Group).
Leading the creation of workflows for re-usable RPA-automations and global scalability (ISS Group).
IoT
Successful Digital Twin-pilot combining AI and IoT in 2017 (ISS Finland).
Designing IOT strategy, capabilities, and use Cases (ISS Finland).
Creating technical solutions for predictive services (ISS Finland)
Creating use cases and scenarios for advanced analytics and AI (ISS Finland).
Part of the IOT global strategy planning (ISS Group).
Innovating and designing Business uses cases for AI (ISS Group).
Other
Facilitating over 50 innovation and process development workshops
Planning and executing Security Drive-program to all mobile security guards. Program cut back 10% on fuel consumption and emissions while creating faster routes and safer driving (Palmia).
Significant improvement of functions with better and more effective utilization of existing resources (Palmia).
Creating new functions, implementing them into production and transforming them into profitable within one year (Palmia).
Updating alarm center system infra without interfering the daily operation (Palmia).
Education
eMBA, 06/2020 – ongoing
Status: 50%
Course: Executive Master of Business Administration (Finland, HAMK)
Faculty: Faculty of Business, Law and Politics
School: Hull University Business School
Subject Area: Organisational Behaviour and HRM
Time: 06/2020 – 2024
Other: Writing my thesis
Specialist qualification in management, 2015 – 2017
Status: 100%
Subject Area: Specialist qualification in management
Field of study: Business Administration and Management, General
School: Management Institute Finland
Time: 2015 – 2017
Networks
RPA Roundtable, co-founder and member
Platform of Trust, Steering Group, member
Smart Workspace Ecosystem -roundtable, member
Other skills
I have been building websites as a hobby for ten years. This has provided me with skills around frontend web-technologies, such as CSS, HTML, PHP and jQuery. Also building websites requires basic understanding in SQL and databases.
I have created roughly around 150 webpages, mostly on CMS-platform WordPress.
I consider this hobby to be important to me by forcing me to keep myself up to date in web-technology development.
Presentations and appearances
EMBA Global Student Forum: Looking Forward to 2021: Leading Yourself and Others Through Change
University of Hull
Keynote: How Covid19 change facility industry
Topic: How Covid19 has influenced the facility management and what will the future look like
IDC, Future of Work Finland, 21.10.2020
Keynote: How will work change for people working in facility management
Topic: How Covid19 has influenced the facility management and use of office buildings
Wirepas GO, 10-11.06.2020
Panel-conversation: How to choose the right ingredients for the end-to-end solution?
Panelist, conversation consisted important aspects to consider when selecting best suitable solutions for IoT-solution
Webinar by the Governmental Research Institute of Finland – The transformation of industrial work: Inspiring work tasks and wellbeing at work through digitalisation
(VTT Webinaari – Teollisen työn murros: Innostavia työtehtäviä ja työhyvinvointia digitalisaation avulla) 11.2.2021
Keynote: Future of work, how technology will change the facility management industry (Työskentelyn tulevaisuus, kuinka teknologia muuttaa kiinteistöpalvelualaa)
Topic: How technology has changed working in ISS
Haltian IoT-webinar, Smart Buildings and Facilities, 26.05.2020
Keynote: Smart Building in ISS Finland
Topic: How ISS uses IoT and digitalization in supporting it´s business
TTK Webinar, Digitalization and work safety, 07.11.2019
Interview: Effects of digitalization in work safety and employee wellbeing
(Digitalisaation vaikutukset työsuojeluun ja työhyvinvointiin työpaikoilla, työpaikkaesimerkkejä)
Topic: How technology can be used to enable better and safer working environment.
Sofigate Automation Café, Use of RPA in finance, 07.11.2019
Keynote: Automated finance in a service company (Automatisoitu taloushallinto palveluyrityksessä)
Topic: How RPA can be used to automate processes in finance.
Digital X, 27.08.2019
Keynote: Digital Building – Powered by sensors, AI and cloud
(Digitaalinen kiinteistö – Vauhdittajina sensorit, tekoäly ja pilvi)
Topic: How ISS created it´s digital solution combining IoT, AI and cloud.
Luonnonvarakeskuksen työpaja ”Teknologia-arkkitehtuuri” 4.9.2019
Keynote: Experiments, successes and failures – How to make innovation as a part of companys culture
(Kokeilut, onnistumiset ja hylsyt – Kuinka innovaatiosta tehdään osa yrityksen toimintakulttuuria)
Topic: How to build innovation-friendly environment in a traditional company and how to cater it.
Alma Talent – Smart Automation & RPA 2019, 07.03.2019
(Älykäs automaatio & RPA)
Keynote: How to combine humans and automation?
Topic: How to create best possible combination of automation and humans in the need of being able to create most efficient processes.
KiRA-InnoHub – Open Data Flow! 11.12.2019
(huoltokirjat auki!)
Keynote: Importance of open data
Topic: Why it is crucial for facility management companies to participate and contribute to open data sharing, what can be gained and what to take into notice.
Alma Talent – Compairing RPA´s, 25.9.2018
(Ohjelmistorobottien vertailukoulutus)
Keynote: To Saas RPA or not to Saas
Topic: Why did ISS choose to Saas RPA, what are the benefits and what to keep in mind
CGI Internal Success Days, 17.08.2018.
(CGI Kesäpäivät)
Keynote: Innovations guiding the business – How to add value with RPA
(Innovaatiot liiketoiminnan ohjureina – kuinka luoda lisäarvoa ohjelmistorobotiikkaa hyödyntäen)
Topic: How to leverage innovations as a tools for development, how to create added value to the company with RPA
Various internal and customer-specific keynotes, presentations and interviews
I am a very fluent speaker and presenter. I can give out presentations in English and Finnish, online and on-site.
I have carried out hundreds of different presentation, keynote-speeches and appearances in ISS internal events as well as customer events.
Experts who I have worked with
I have been working in mutual projects and initiatives for several years. Nada also owns the Global RPA in ISS. Nada has taught me a lot about global processes and group compliance.
Sam Lavers, Head of Global IoT, Global Support Solutions, ISS Group, sam.lavers@group.issworld.com
On the Global IoT Core Team I reported my actions and innovations to Sam. We also created many ideas for global IoT-development in ISS. Sam has given me the possibility to test my innovative boundaries, challenged me and guided me.
Markku Arvekari, Solution Architect, ISS Palvelut, markku.arvekari@fi.issworld.com
Markku is one of the most versatile IT-experts I have encountered. He has exceptional skills in making IT-solutions serve business needs. Markku is also a technical expert in ISS Group RPA.
Lauri Pihlajasalo, Solution Architect, ISS Palvelut, lauri.pihlajasalo@fi.issworld.com
Lauri is one of the people in ISS Finland who I have worked with the longest. We have innovated and developed various different projects. Lauri is also an excellent IT-expert and innovator.
Mikko Kaasinen, Director Consulting Services, CGI, mikko.kaasinen@cgi.com
Mikko has been a part of my RPA-journey since the very first steps and has been following my development closely on RPA. Mikko has also become one of my mentors and trusted innovation partners.
Sam Salonen, Senior Business Manager, Digital Business Solutions – Telia Robotics & AI, sam.salonen@teliacompany.com
Sam is one of the persons who I have the most fearless innovation sessions for years. Sam inholds significant views on digitalization and has been challenging me and my ideas since 2019.
Allan Christensen, Practice Partner Business, DXC Consulting, Northern Europe, achristense8@dxc.com
Allan and I joined paths on ISS Global RPA. We share common drive in making the world better. Together with Allan we were able to make great transitions in very short time.
Mikko Punakivi, Senior Sales Manager, Enfo Sales, mikko.punakivi@enfogroup.com
Mikko is one of those senior-level IT-professionals who are really needed in this world. Mikko is not afraid to jump head first into something new and is always ready to pitch in with his ideas and views. Mikko has been one of my valued contacts since 2017.
Lars Albäck, CEO, Vastuu Group, lars.alback@vastuugroup.fi
Lars is one of the most innovative and inspiring digitalization forerunners in Finland. Our paths have joined in creating a better future for digital buildings and environments.
Vesa Ilmarinen, CIO, Platform Of Trust, vesa.ilmarinen@oftrust.net
Vesa and I have been working side by side on various IoT- and Digital Building -projects since 2017. Vesa is a brilliant influencer and innovative thinker and we have created really interesting concepts together.
Markus Mannila, Senior Key Account Manager, Lindström, Markus.Mannila@lindstromgroup.com
Markus has been one of the digitalization forerunners and pioneers in facility management in Finland for years. we have worked together on various projects and innovated also different scenarios on the effect of digitalization for facilities.
Tom Lindgren, Digital Solutions, Haltian, tom.lindgren@haltian.com
Tom is a brilliant and innovative solution provider. Tom has the ability to create concepts for sensor-solutions in any need in just matter of days. We have created some really unique solutions for better future together with Tom.
Contact Me
Easiest way to get a hold of me is through digital channels such as LinkedIn and email. I would love to reserve a dedicated time for a video-call or a face-to-face meeting.
Just send me a quick note and I´ll arrange the session for us.