Uutiset

Mirko Kaarnakoski – Driving focused development in modern supply chains

The way Mirko Kaarnakoski talks about supply chains closely reflects the way he works: with clarity, logical thinking, and a strong ability to understand complex wholes. When describing his own career path, he keeps it simple: 

“ I was drawn to how processes, systems, and people come together in a logical and tangible way. In supply chains, cause-and-effect relationships are visible almost immediately – and that’s what I find fascinating.” 

Leading the centralization of industrial warehousing operations 

Mirko’s latest assignment with an international industrial group has been a large-scale transformation: planning, executing, and further developing the centralization of spare parts warehouses and related services. 

He led the initiative end-to-end, from strategic planning all the way to hands-on change facilitation. The goals were ambitious yet clear: improve service levels, increase operational efficiency, clarify processes, and reduce costs. At the same time, the organization wanted to establish a modern, future-ready approach to supply chain management. 

From Excel models to 16-hour site days 

Mirko’s role was fully comprehensive. His responsibilities covered project planning and scheduling, day-to-day leadership, progress tracking, and stakeholder communication. In practice, the work ranged from analytical modeling to physically being present on-site. 

“The initial scenario analyses and calculations could largely be done remotely. Once we moved into building the distribution center and executing the physical warehouse transfers, the days became long. At their peak – including travel – workdays stretched beyond 16 hours.” 

His responsibilities included, among other things: 

• profitability and efficiency analyses for different scenarios 

• design and implementation of the Distribution Center 

• sourcing, selection, and negotiations with operational partners 

• physical transfers of inventory from multiple warehouse locations 

The demanding pace and a strong lead-from-the-front approach came with challenges, but they also delivered results. 

From decision to full implementation in just seven months 

One of the most notable achievements of the project was the accelerated timeline: 

“Less than seven months passed from the centralization decision to the point where all spare parts warehouses in Finland had been consolidated into a single location. The original plan was eleven months.” 

Speed was not an objective in itself, but a natural outcome of clear planning, decisive leadership, and disciplined execution. 

What value did the change deliver? 

The impact of the transformation became visible quickly and across multiple dimensions: 

• improved service levels 

• significant cost savings 

• a modern, unified quality assurance process 

• clearer workflows for sales and customer service 

• more flexible operational capacity 

• increased organizational understanding of modern supply chain management 

• a solid foundation for organic growth 

In everyday operations, the change was particularly evident in customer deliveries: spare parts are now shipped from a single location instead of four separate warehouses. 

Key supply chain development themes today 

“Digitalization and process automation across the entire supply chain are front and center right now. Among the most advanced players, algorithms and AI are already part of daily operations. Sustainability, alongside Lean principles, continues to be a major focus as well.” 

Mirko highlights three areas organizations should pay particular attention to: 

• High-quality strategy work and scenario planning to cope with global volatility 

• Shifting focus from silos to true end-to-end process thinking 

• Fixing processes and data before making major investments in digitalization 

“If the underlying processes and data aren’t in order, digitalization won’t fix them.” 

Key elements of strong project leadership 

Mirko’s approach to new assignments is both analytical and uncompromisingly focused on client value: 

“As external experts, we need to earn our place from the very first meeting. Keeping the client’s overall best interest in focus is absolutely essential.” 

His key strengths include: 

• the ability to quickly grasp large and complex systems 

• strong prioritization skills 

• leading by example and taking full responsibility 

• direct, proactive communication 

• realistic, well-communicated plans and targets 

Mirko thrives especially in international environments, growing or transforming organizations, and projects where the challenges are significant—and therefore genuinely motivating. 

In need of external project management? Semat offers professional project managers and directors for long and short assignments, part-time or full-time. Read more about our services.