fi gb

BlackSmith Consulting Oy

BlackSmith Consulting Oy was established in 2018 with a strong sense of purpose: our aim was to launch a competitive industrial and management consulting business that combines three basic principles: we achieve the desired results in close collaboration with clients, we do not limit our contribution to strategic level but participate intensively also at the floor level through “hands on” approach; we apply a holistic and synthesizing strategy to address the challenges.  

Our company provides services related to welding and workshop technology, operational and qualitative development of organizations, as well as strategic and sales leadership towards the industry and educational consortia.

Our focus is on analyzing and developing the quality and productivity of industrial manufacturing processes. Here, we leverage the Industry 4.0 model and digitalization in strong and open collaboration with our customers and key partners. We aim to drive meaningful change and to create lasting impact.

Competence

Pertti Kaarre

  • Managing Director of BlackSmith Consulting Oy.
  • Contract Auditor / Lead Auditor: management systems, welding quality management systems and load-bearing metal structures, DNV.
  • Worked in expert positions and technical sales globally. Responsible for more than ten major project deliveries and several smaller deliveries in the APAC region, Europe and South America. Deep domain expertise and strong knowhow of welding quality management and digitalization.
  • Served as a project manager in a large-scale Sheet metal technology project, focusing on weight reduction of paper machine structures and components by leveraging advanced sheet metal technology. Also, developing technological expertise in cooperation with a subcontracting network and other experts. In-depth understanding and strong expertise in project planning and project management.
  • Worked as a project manager in a large-scale food factory relocation project and in the construction of a new factory, as well as in factory renovations and repairs.
  • Worked as a training manager, trainer, subcontractor workshop manager. Strong welding and sheet metal technology expertise: welding coordination, auditing, manufacturing control, welding procedure and qualification management, welding process development, welding economics and welding digitalization, welding and joining technology problem solving.
  • Extensive experience as a foreman in the food, steel, paper machine and forest industries as well as in subcontracting workshops. Construction of new factories and factory renovations and repairs.
  • Strong practical experience in welding and installation tasks, in the food, steel, paper machine and forest industries, as well as in subcontracting workshops.  Construction of new factories and factory renovations and repairs.
  • Also worked in installation and maintenance tasks, preventive and corrective maintenance e.g. food and steel industry.

Dr. Juho Partanen

  • Chairman of the Board of BlackSmith Consulting Oy.
  • Contract Auditor / Lead Auditor: management systems, DNV.
  • Has led several international SME and listed company transformation processes involving multinational teams and networks.
  • Several international assignments, including successful M&A’s, demergers, carve out projects, transformation of aftermarket manufacturers as OEM qualified Tier-I suppliers to the automotive and off-highway industries, and the turnaround management of unprofitable business units into profitable ones.
  • In-depth understanding of the technology industry, the automotive and off-highway industries, and the company's financial planning, analysis, and steering.
  • Extensive experience in leading organizations and developing business on a global scale. Besides mature markets, extensive professional networks covering key emerging markets such as China, India and the Middle East.
  • Diverse experience of different cultures, gained by living and working in leadership positions in Finland, Sweden, France, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Spain. Sales and R&D, CEO and President positions also serving international listed companies.
  • Optimizing purchasing processes and supply chains to achieve working capital improvements and sourcing cost savings: multiple millions annualized savings achieved in several international organizations and projects.
  • Has served as both production and plant manager, advancing Total Quality Management (TQM) and 6-Sigma, Toyota Production System (TPS) and Lean, as well as preventive and reliability-centered maintenance strategies (including applying Industry 4.0).
  • Establishment of a new R&D organization (units in 3 continents), which successfully developed new technological solutions, e.g. preventive maintenance as a digitalized service (Machine Learning & AI) for thermal management of BEV/FCEVs.
  • Leading sales processes and negotiation strategies of international B2B OEM contracts up to Fortune-20 companies: has landed several contracts worth> € 100 million. Having had commercial responsibility for over 100 countries.

Mission

  • Helping your company to develop the key functions of the value chain in product development, operational planning, sourcing, manufacturing, logistics, services and sales, and related support functions.
  • Helping your company on the path to operational excellence, as the intensification of competition and other disruptions in the business environment caused by internationalization and digitalization require companies to continuously develop their operations and manage them in a new and more efficient way.
  • Helping your business transform data into knowhow – leveraging intelligent process analytics, we introduce suitable tools to optimize the performance of manufacturing and business processes, as well as continually increase transparency.
  • Helping to solve even the most complex challenges and issues for our customers in cooperation with our international expert network / customers: we help our customers make winning choices on key strategic challenges.
  • At the core of our approach is the continuous improvement of the service experience by developing the productivity, profitability and growth of our customer companies.

Vision

  • To distinguish as the most reliable partner in the value chain according to our business idea for both companies and educational consortia.
  • To create a sustainable capability for operational excellence, which means responding to changing needs and requirements - including quality and conformity.
  • Stand out in customer satisfaction, responsiveness and service quality.
  • Increase the flexibility and agility of customer organizations and improve the cost structure from rigid to lean and agile.
  • Share the best practices and bring know-how on the digitization of various industrial processes using the Industry 4.0 concept.
  • To create the conditions for companies to increase their efficiency and competitiveness and to promote high performance, as well as to define and improve good management practices. Drive to reduce the energy and materials footprint and associated costs.
  • Promote good and ethical leadership, encourage open and diverse thinking, and provide leadership development founded on passion for results and fulfillment of customer promises.

Core values

  • Customer focus is at the core of our services - all ways, always.
  • To be a reliable and persistent partner for achieving commonly agreed goals.
  • We appreciate the Kaizen philosophy; the goal is the continuous improvement of services and processes in deep cooperation with customers.
  • Creating long-term and deep customer and partner relationships - the philosophy is described by the phrase: together forward!
  • Promoting inspiring, motivating and positive atmosphere while facilitating co-learning which creates resilience and results.