Supply chain in check

Mari Siikavirta

Mari Siikavirta works as a commercial back office coordinator at the Outokumpu Tornio mill. She has managed to combine a demanding job with her studies, successfully completing an MBA degree while working on the Outokumpu supply chain.

Mari Siikavirta’s role is the T7 contact person in supply chain management. T7 is a tailored supply chain between the Tornio mill and Outokumpu service centers in other countries. T7 is known for short lead times and excellent delivery accuracy. Incoming orders are delivered the week after the order is placed.

An ordinary day includes a lot of interacting with the global Outokumpu community. ”First, I check my inbox which is usually full with messages from all over the world. I check the status of orders, production and delivery times. Cooperation with production planning, service centers and logistics, in particular, is intense. I help whenever I can in matters regarding orders, or find someone else who can help,” says Mari, who is fluent in both English and German.

”I have also trained colleagues in other Outokumpu locations to use the T7 system. It’s rewarding to look for solutions together. Cooperation in large networks is smoother when we know and understand each other”.

 

Working at Outokumpu enriched her MBA studies

A few years ago, Mari completed an MBA degree at the Lapland University of Applied Sciences while working at Outokumpu. Her thesis focused on the implications of T7 on Outokumpu’s new service centers. It received the ’Thesis of the Year’ award given by the Finnish Association of Purchasing and Logistics.

”In T7, good cooperation is key. This was also underlined in my studies. I greatly enjoyed studying while working and I can now put my newly acquired knowledge into practice. I feel that I understand the big picture better.”

Mari enjoys her challenging and interesting tasks and working together with her dream team of five colleagues. In addition to two commercial coordinators, there are three production planners.

”Wide-ranging duties and the fact that I’m always learning something new make my work meaningful. It’s essential that you’re not afraid of change and new opportunities. At Outokumpu, you get to take on new challenges if you wish to; that’s why I’ve been involved in several interesting development projects.”

This seasoned commercial expert started her career at Outokumpu as a production planner. ”It has been a very useful background. I feel that I can now better advise my cooperation partners. The steel industry is a huge business and its development is very fast-paced. You have to follow industry trends even if you don’t work in production. I like it – it keeps you alert and always at the top of your game!”

Biography: Mari Siikavirta is responsible for the speed and accuracy of the T7 supply chain at the Outokumpu Tornio mills. In her spare time, Mari enjoys different sports, handicrafts and brushing up on her German. As a speed-loving Northern native, Mari particularly loves cross-country skiing and snowboarding – pursuits in keeping with her love of speed.

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