Portrait of a PDM Professional

Kaija Masalin, Documentation specialist and RoimaSoftware Aton administrator at KaVo Kerr Group

KaVo Kerr Group Finland is one of Finland’s largest health technology export companies and a center of excellence for the development and production of dental imaging solutions.

When did you start working for KaVo Kerr and what did you do before that?

My career at KaVo Kerr started in 2000, though at that time, the company was called Instrumentarium. Back then, at the turn of the century, all images and manuals were in paper format; they were stored in drawers and copied from there.

With my boss of the time, I got to participate in development work; we wanted to build an electronic database. The first version was a small program. We benchmarked a pioneering partner for the company and signed an agreement with them. I was already familiar with Roima’s product management system, as I had used it in my previous job at Nokia Maillefer Nextrom where I designed layouts for wire-rope machine production lines for 18 years before I transitioned to work for KaVo Kerr. Back then, Nextrom used MST9000, the version preceding RoimaSoftware Aton.

What is your typical work day like?

I do changes to product structures and handle changes, as well as train and support my colleagues in the use of RoimaSoftware Aton. The software’s client user interface is a really handy when searching for information, even with few search criteria. Now that we also have the Plus package for Microsoft Office, even the most persistence resistance to change has been tamed.

What do you do in your spare time?

I live in Järvenpää in Southern Finland where we built a house of our own 33 years ago, according to our own plans. At that time, prefabricated modular homes were not that common.

In my spare time I like to knit and read. I’m also a passionate car enthusiast. Especially old Ford Mustangs are close to my heart, and I actually have three of those in my garage: the ‘65, ‘71 and ‘91 models. Each summer we do one longer trip in Finland to meet other car enthusiasts. My grown-up daughters also enjoy this hobby together with me.

What does the word “work” conjure up for you?

What matters most is your attitude towards life and work. When work is interesting enough, anything related to it feels nice. I feel good about going to work in the mornings.

I don’t dream about turning any of my hobbies into a profession; I like to keep my hobbies as hobbies and enjoy talking about them.

If someone is very unsatisfied with their job, we can talk about it and try to find some positive aspects of it; sometimes dark humor can help.

Why is product information management so important?

Information must be easy to find and easily available for use.

Sari Seilo, documentation engineer and future RoimaSoftware Aton administrator at Kopar

Kopar Oy is a Finnish engineering and manufacturing corporation and the leading manufacturer of material handling machinery. Kopar has experience in a wide variety of industries, including energy and power, metallurgy, cement, and chemical industries. Kopar manufactures equipment for mechanical materials handling, pneumatic materials handling and raw water filtration, as well as technology for smelters.

Where did you come to Kopar from?

I was born in Västerås, Sweden, but when I was 10 years old, my family moved back to Finland to my father’s home region Kauhajoki. I studied in Seinäjoki and graduated with a BSc degree in mechatronics engineering. After graduation, I moved to Rauma, where I worked for BMH Technology as a documentation engineer for just over 8 years before returning to my home region, South Ostrobothnia. For a little while, I worked as a technical documentation engineer at Lumikko Technologies. After that, I joined Kopar, and now I’ve been working here as a project engineer for 1.5 years.

Kopar uses RoimaSoftware Aton, which I already became familiar with during my time at BMH Technology (though at that time, the company was not called Roima yet but Modultek).

What does your typical workday include?

I work versatilely with project documentation management, helping our project managers. I keep record of delivered and missing customer documents. I’m responsible for equipment-specific operating and maintenance manuals; I produce and maintain those instructions. My duties also include compiling and delivering machine manual packages to our customers. Upon need, I also feed data and documents into our customers’ information systems.

Where do you live?

My family and home are in Jalasjärvi in Western Finland. It is pleasant to live there, and I like the small size of the town.

Are you a morning or an evening person?

I’m a morning person. It’s nice to go to work early, as you can then go home early as well.

What are your favorite pastimes?

I have been taking swimming lessons since last fall. Jalasjärvi has its own swimming hall, and we have a fantastic swimming teacher there. It has been exhilarating to notice how I’ve began to find the right swimming technique, and now I’ve really fallen for this hobby. I even bought myself a pair of swimfins!

What would you bring along to a deserted island?

My family and my handbag.

What book would you recommend?

I have read all the Harry Potter books more than once, and I sincerely recommend them to others who like good stories.

If you’d change career now, what would you like to do?

I could be a teacher in some field of study, preferably for adults.

Why is document and product data management important?

Because monitoring is important; that way, you always have the information on who has used or modified the data and when, in black and white. When revision management is done properly, you can be sure that you always have the latest information available. In other words, you can keep everything under control.

Tuomo Rissanen, Trussmatic Oy, Project Engineer and Aton administrator

Trussmatic Oy is a Finnish project technology and software house that was the first in the world to develop fully automatic roof truss lines for the building component manufacturing industry. The company provides comprehensive customer-tailored solutions, where high-quality products and software together bring added value to the customers. Trussmatic Oy has made a revolutionary technological leap in truss production which has traditionally been very manual, thus elevating automation and robotics into a significant role in the industry.

When did you first start at Trussmatic?

In October 2017. I was offered a job and happened to be moving to another city in any case, so everything just fell into place. Before that, I had worked as logistics engineer in the sawmill industry.

What is your typical work day like and what are your favorite tasks?

So far, no two days have been alike. My days are filled with various different tasks, such as running the Aton project. I was appointed our Aton administrator, and in that role, I’ve had a lot to learn, as the system was not familiar to me and product management was a whole new world to me. But I’m learning really quickly! No-one else knows the system, so I help everyone else in everything, and learning by teaching is the best way to learn. Until this day, we have tackled every situation and got everything done.

Why is a PDM system important for a manufacturing company?

All information is in the same place and you don’t need to ask anyone to find it. That makes work easier, for example, if there are changes in staff.

Do you have any hobbies?

In the summer, I play disc golf as a hobby; I play with my friends around Finland.

Sami Sjöblom, Trussmatic Oy, CTO

I have been involved in the company in its current form from the very beginning –  that is, for about 2.5 years. The company is quite young, but the technology itself has been developed for years. The current majority owner and CEO asked me if I would join in to drive the company forward. I familiarized myself with the product and thought over the idea for a few months and decided to seize the opportunity. The decision was not too hard, and it also suited my life situation at that time.

What does your typical work day include?

Having been building the company from scratch for a little over a year under the title of CTO, I can say that A LOT. The main focus has been on sales, but recently I have started to work more and more on customer deliveries and process development. I use Aton daily, as we store all documentation there and make sure that our network drives are kept clear.

What tasks do you enjoy the most?

Variability. It is hard to define, but those tasks which have meaning! Bureaucracy is not close to my heart.

Do you travel a lot for work?

Yes, I have been traveling a lot. About a year ago, I received Finnair’s Gold Card, which shows that there have been quite a few trips. We have invested in sales and productization and all that work is starting to bear fruit now. The United States, Australia and Northern Europe are among the most important markets for us – especially in the US, truss industry is a huge business.

Do you have time for any hobbies?

Yes, I do – though I do have a wife and three kids and am building a house for us to move into. I do orienteering and run long distances.

What comes to mind when you hear the term product information?

For us at Trussmatic, the history and development of customer project parts and the maintenance of all related information. In addition, a direction for the future – a basis for where you are going. The most important thing there is that at Trussmatic, each product is always linked to a customer. Without product information and customer, there is no sales, and without sales, there is no company. We make tailored production lines for our customers; each production line is always a little different. We strive to make our own products modular and as standard as possible but still flexible to accommodate the customer’s needs. We are a project technology and software house: we have patented products and process which we develop. We do the mechanics, automation and software for the products. We integrate into the customer’s equipment and factory systems. Aton plays an important role at the center of all product information management.

Why is a PDM system important for a manufacturing company?

Information management. Information needs to be easily available and classifiable. In addition, information security and storability are important aspects. If you read a PDM system sales brochure, it’s all there actually. A PDM system is especially important in even slightly larger companies, but at the same time challenging, as all information systems need to be integrated. That means a lot of work.

Do you feel like you are doing what you have always wanted to do?

I have made courageous decisions and seized opportunities. I enjoy what I do.

Did you have a dream job as a child?

Doesn’t every child have these dream jobs like firefighter and stuff? Well, I’ve always liked to play with Legos, and I have a certain type of inclination towards engineering and technical stuff in my blood, as well as towards development and technology.

Vladimir Silberman, Sr. IT Specialist and Aton Administrator, Steris Finn-Aqua

Steris Finn-Aqua develops and manufactures multiple-effect water stills, pure steam generators, autoclaves and water purification equipment. Steris’ customers include big pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, scientific research institutes, and other industries. Steris Finn-Aqua is part of the global Steris Corporation and has delivered over 5,000 pieces of equipment around the world. Annually, the company manufactures around 150–200 pieces of equipment, half of which are delivered to Europe.

When and how did you come to Steris?

I came to Steris in 2012, so I’ve been working here for a little over five years now. I came across the job opportunity incidentally when browsing open jobs, and an acquaintance of mine also recommended Steris as a company. I started as IT support person, but now I’m responsible for all IT and also for the company’s Aton project. We also took on a new IT support person, so my time was freed up to take care of Aton. So now we actually have two administrators, but the main responsibility for Aton has been assigned to me.

What is your typical work day like?

Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes really hectic. I check that everything is working properly, and sometimes I also do development work. I have close contacts with our headquarters in the US, as well as with our offices in France and in England. Primarily, we meet remotely, but I’ve also visited our US office a couple of times for trainings and to get to know the infrastructure of our company better, as we have a shared system. The international nature of our company is sometimes challenging due to time differences.

What are your favorite tasks?

Investigating and solving problems and challenges, and project management.

Do you have any hobbies?

Cycling, sometimes tennis. Last summer I also started to play golf.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “product information”?

Information about a product.

What advice would you give to a company planning a PDM project?

You should reserve enough resources, that is, people, to ensure that the project can progress efficiently, as it takes quite a lot of testing and tailoring before deployment. So it’s best to do as little tailoring as possible and wait if the needed functionalities are going to be in the upcoming releases of the PDM software. Without individual modifications, you can progress more quickly and more efficiently; otherwise there will be more things to test and fix before deployment.

What was your childhood dream job?

I didn’t really have a dream job when I was a child. Now, my goal is to take part in more projects of different kinds, especially in the role of project manager. I like challenges; quiet times are less fun.

Antero Rantanen, Efore Oy – Aton PDM administrator

Efore is an international innovator company with over 40 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of technologically advanced, high efficiency power supplies and power systems. Established in 1975, the company has its headquarters in Espoo, Finland, and production plants in China and Tunisia. The company’s sales and marketing operations are located in Europe, the USA and China.

Who are you?

I’m Antero Rantanen, Efore’s Aton PDM administrator and Design Support team leader. My team is responsible for documentation, circuit board design and component engineering.

How did you end up in your current job?

This fall will mark my 29th anniversary at Efore. I was involved in the Aton implementation project at Efore and later moved into the administrator role.

What are your hobbies?

I spend much of my spare time in the woods; I like hunting, forestry and woodworking.

What are the biggest benefits of product data management?

The fact that all important information is in one place.

What advice would you give for those planning a PDM project?

It pays off to really invest in the definitions, as you will have to live with them from then on. And remember to keep it simple. It’s easier to work when there aren’t too many customizations.

Tomi Laakso, Temet Oy – Aton, SolidPDM and Solidworks administrator

Temet offers their clients extensive in-house expertise on protection technologies to facilitate the design and building of shelters, with the aim of creating ever more practical and cost-effective protective solutions. Temet’s experts support their clients in the designing and building of protective solutions and in fulfilling the requirements throughout the entire lifecycle of the products. Temet’s globally unique expertise on protective technology is the result of long-term, determined and continuous dynamic research and development work.
 

Tomi, what does your job description entail?

In addition to the Aton, SolidPDM and Solidworks administrator duties, my responsibilities include everything related to electricity and automation, as well as the testing of new products.

How did you end up in this job?

In 2004, I found an interesting job advertisement of Temet online, and I’m still on that path.

Do you have any hobbies?

Martial arts and self-defense, such as karate and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). In summer time, I also do fishing.

In your opinion, what are the key benefits of product management?

You can keep everything organized, and information is easier to find. Change management is easier.

What advice would you give to a company planning a PDM project?

First put your processes in order and after that think what you want to do and how the software lends itself to that purpose. The project also needs the support of the company’s management.

Kristian Katilainen, AAVI Technologies Oy, Aton administrator

AAVI Technologies Ltd. is a clean air provider both for indoors and industrial emission control. AAVI is a high-technology Finnish R&D company, today owned by Chinese environment technology concern SNETS Ltd. The devices are designed and manufactured in Finland. The patented AAVI® technology is filter-free and combines gas adsorption and particle removal with ion emission.

When and how did you first come to the company?

I came in January 2017 to do my diploma work on production line layout design, after which I started working properly for AAVI in May. Since then, I’ve been working in slightly varying tasks: at first, I was in production planning, but when PDM implementation became relevant for AAVI, I moved over to PDM. That way, I also ended up as our PDM administrator.

What is your typical workday like?

It varies a lot. Sometimes I might spend half of the day working with Aton and the other half doing something else, depending on the deadlines set for different tasks and on product-related needs. I have the main responsibility for the productization of our Aavi Tuuli product, as well as for the management and development of the PDM system. Some work is also caused by the planning of our new factory, which will eventually become my main duty.

What are your personal strengths?

The use of different systems and the ability to see the big picture. In the future, I’d like to advance to a manager position or expert tasks.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “product information”?

I think of what a certain product includes, what kind of relationships it has and what it consists of.

What advice would you give to a company that is about to embark on a PDM project?

If you can learn something from our project, then I would definitely invest in preliminary preparations to ensure that the system can be implemented as quickly and painlessly as possible. The longer it takes with the implementation, the more expensive it will get for everyone. You also need patience, as you will have to go through a lot of documents during the project. You also need to arrange personal training for the administrator.

Have you always wanted to work in this field?

Yes and no. I have drifted into this filed, which I think probably has something to do with my family; it has unconsciously drawn me in this direction. As such, I do enjoy the work and the fruits of my work; it’s quite nice. There was a time when planned to go into economics and business, but it might not have been a better path.

Do you have time for any hobbies?

Nowadays I do. I won’t sacrifice sports due to lack of time anymore! I play ice hockey in an amateur league; we have trainings and matches. We’ll see what I’ll do with ice hockey next year. As a new hobby, I have TFW (Training for Warriors), and the aim is to be in top shape by next fall.

What else would you like to say?

Personally, I’ve liked our cooperation, even if there had been problems sometimes. That comes with the territory, the ups and downs. I’ve got a good impression of the cooperation with Roima.

Jouko Uotinen, Mechanical Engineer and SolidPDM Administrator at SAKSU

Savon Konesuunnittelu Oy (SAKSU) is an engineering office with long engineering experience going back to the year 1989. SAKSU offers mechanical engineering services for plants, machines and steel structures in the materials handling industry, and strength calculations of steel structures and machine components.

I first started at Savon Konesuunnittelu in 2004. I came to the house as Mechanical Engineer, and in the course of the years, I’ve also been responsible for the company’s IT. For the last 1½ years, I’ve worked as the PDM responsible of Roxon Oy.

What does your job description entail?

I support engineers in the use of SolidPDM, Aton and Solidworks. In addition to PDM work, I do mechanical engineering and strength calculations for transport systems.

Sports or spectator sports?

Well, neither really. Usually, I only end up following sports when Finland plays at ice hockey World Championships, but otherwise I don’t really watch or do sports.

Do you have any hobbies?

Around three years ago, we purchased a steel boat with a sauna. It is over 11 meters long and weighs 10 tons, and has a riveted hull. The keel of the boat touched water for the first time already in 1893, so the boat has now reached the respectful age of 125 years. The boat is my hobby all year round; in winter, I spend time taking care of it and fixing it, and I have really learned a lot doing that. In summer, the boat serves as our summer cottage with a sauna and a varying lake view. We tend to go around the Soisalo island (1,638 square meters) with the boat every year.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “product information”?

Product information is an opportunity. Or problems.

If you didn’t do what you do know, what would you do for a living?

I could be a technical support person / system fairy…

Juha Sarvi, ICT Manager and Aton Administrator at Kesla Oyj

Jukka Viitala, System Engineer and Aton Administrator at Patria Aviation Oy

Patria Aviation is manufacturing tactical data links, underwater surveillance systems, battle management systems, fire management systems and communications systems, among others. Patria Aviation Oy also offers service and maintenance as the contractor of the Finnish Defense Forces.

How did you end up working at Patria Aviation Oy?

I came here through a summer job; the company had suitable positions open. In addition, the company’s office was conveniently located halfway between my home and my place of study.

What does your job description entail?

I work as a “software-oriented” System Engineer in projects and as the Aton administrator of our business unit.

Do you have any hobbies?

Badminton and training at the gym, as well as all kinds of repairs and renovation (old house, old summer cottage and old yards).

What comes to your mind of when you hear the term “product information”?

At first, item management and change management at least. But now that I really think of it, document management, too.

If you would not work in this field, what would you do?

Well… When I was young, I could have drifted into sheet metal working or carpentry, as that runs in the family.

Jarmo Manninen, Development Manager and Aton Administrator at NTcab Oy

NTcab Oy is a Finnish company located in the town of Nivala in the Northern Ostrobothnia region in Finland. Employing around 50 people, the company designs and manufactures operator cabins for various types of working machines. NTcab’s customers include leading manufacturers of cranes and special working machines in earth-moving, mining, logistics and forestry businesses. The company’s ready-to-install cabs are manufactured in relatively small numbers on turnkey basis.

What does your job description entail?

My tasks include the management, maintenance and development of the ICT systems of our company. In addition, my responsibilities include manufacturing execution management and production planning.

Do you have any hobbies?

When I was younger I played ice hockey myself, but currently, I coach the ice hockey team of my sons.

What comes to your mind of when you hear the term “product information”?

Hmm… manageability.

If you would not work in this field, what would you do?

I like forestry and feel quite at home in the woods, so I could be a logger, for example. I enjoy working with my hands.

Juho Jurvakainen, Technology- and Development Manager and Aton administrator at Profile Vehicles Oy

Profile Vehicles Oy, the parent company of Profile Group, is located in Iisalmi, Eastern Finland. We develop and design special vehicles manufactured in the parent company and its subsidiaries. Our product offering includes ambulances, command cars and official cars.

I started at Profile Vehicles in February 2014 as a diploma thesis worker; the topic of my thesis was production development through product modularity.

What does your job description entail?

Product structure management, PDM administrator duties and design work , as well as some project management duties. The system administrator training gave me some good ideas for future PDM administration.

Do you have any hobbies?

Home maintenance and lounging in front of my computer at home, sometimes hiking.

What comes to your mind of when you hear the term “product information”?

Problems and the difficulty of management. Getting the PDM and ERP systems to work together in harmony might also turn out to be a challenge. In product information management, establishing and following common rules is essential to ensure that the data stays up to date.

What advice would you give to a company that is about to embark on a PDM project?

It is worthwhile to carefully consider in advance how you want to divide user rights in your company for example between different item groups or document groups. It is also important to be prepared for situations where updates interrupt production.

If you would not work in this field, what would you do?

I think it would have something to do with cars. I’ve been interested in them since I was a little kid.

Mika Aalto, IT Manager and PDM administrator at T-Drill Oy

My first contact with T-Drill was already in 1999 when I got a summer job here. After that summer, I became more familiar with T-Drill during my years of study, and now I have been working here as a permanent employee for 10 years.

My work history is thus starting to look rather long. Up until recently, there were three of us working in IT Management at T-Drill, but since our colleague retired at the turn of the year, we are now a team of two.

T-Drill employs a total of 80 professionals in Finland and about a dozen in Atlanta, GA, USA. Each machine that we manufacture is made to customer’s order. The deliveries involve some amount of product development, so the PDM system is of critical importance to us. We manufacture durable machines, which is why we also need to preserve the data of each machine for at least 20–30 years after manufacturing it.

What does your typical working day include?

I manage the servers and network and take care of system-related maintenance. The tools I use include SOLIDWORKS, SolidPDM, Aton, ERP, an email system and a payroll system – the lot. I usually always have some project going on. We just finished a CRM project, and now at the start of this year, we’ll carry out a project to implement electrical CAD software.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I sometimes play floorball and football. At home, I can enjoy the programme organized by my two under 2-year-old children, a boy and a girl. I’m happy that I was able to take child-care leave and stay at home with them for 8 months.

What comes to your mind of when you hear the term ‘product information’?

I think of SOLIDWORKS and models.

If you would not work in your current job, what else would you be interested in?

Programming interests me, I used to do that a bit as a teenager. My true calling is to work in IT, and game industry could be interesting as well.