When Pinja’s coders sit down at their desk in the morning, not only do they start to code, but also, in small steps, a more sustainable world begins to emerge. As the aim is to support the client’s business in a sustainable way, the code becomes better material management, waste reduction, optimization of energy consumption, facilitation of work, and informed decision making. The sustainability and meaningfulness of work are also important aspects for Pinja’s Product Owner Jaakko Gummerus and Service Manager Jarkko Vehmas.
Let’s give the next generations a good place to live
Jaakko Gummerus works at Pinja’s Kempele office as a product owner for Terminal by Pinja, an ERP system for raw materials in the woodworking and sawmilling industry. He also acts as project manager for projects involving Timber by Pinja, an ERP system for sawmills and woodworking plants. Jaakko’s path led to Pinja at the end of 2020, when he replaced his old job as a professional musician with coding.
Jaakko feels that he is able to contribute to big goals by developing products that help clients in their work, and enable good decision-making.
For Jaakko, sustainability means, above all, thinking beyond the present, and broadening the focus beyond your own affairs.
- For me, sustainable operations mean thinking in the long term, and considering the wider implications. When I’m talking to clients, it is clear that companies really want to invest in sustainability. We help them, for example, to make the most efficient use of raw materials, reduce waste, and to plan their production and operations better in general, says Jaakko.
Jaakko feels that he is able to contribute to big goals by developing products that help clients in their work, and enable good decision-making. In addition to our sustainable operation, an important aspect is to enable our clients to also act sustainably.
- In the wood and sawmill industry, one important issue is, among others, material traceability. Our systems enable the tracing of the harvesting location of each tree, and this facilitates certification processes. Another important aspect is the use of side streams. Many of our clients in the sawmill industry use their side stream for heating, either in their mills or, for example, by delivering sawdust to pellet plants, says Jaakko.
Although the concept of sustainability is often directly linked to environmental issues, it encompasses much more. Jaakko raises issues such as equality, ethics, and morality.
- Our industry still has a lot of work to do in different areas of sustainability, although we are well on track in many areas, and, for example, glass ceilings have already been shattered to some extent. My experience is that at Pinja, everyone is treated equally and the company culture is inclusive. My team consists of a diverse group of employees, which I consider a positive thing and an asset, says Jaakko, who has worked on many international customer projects.
On a personal level, Jaakko’s ideas about sustainability took on new depth when his first child was born.
- I feel that sustainable operations are particularly important now that I have offspring of my own. My thinking is that their generation should also have a good place to live.The higher the volume of material and energy use, the more effective the optimization
Jarkko Vehmas, who started working at Pinja in 2012, has accumulated many hats over the years, but his main focus at the moment is in the Once by Pinja team, a system for supply chain management, where he works as a Service Manager. We originally started working on the automation and electrical part, but in 2016 he shifted towards the IT part of the Once team as a coder. Later on, opportunities have gradually arisen to expand the job description to include project, HR and client challenges, and Jarkko, who enjoys a varied job, has been happy to take them on.
- I like the fact that the job changes, and you get to do a lot of different things, even if it requires a bit of juggling sometimes, Jarkko says.
Jarkko approaches sustainability from many different angles, both in his work and on a personal level.
- Sustainability is a complex concept, but in general terms I see it as a goal to make the world a better place. For example, by treating people as equals and avoiding straining the nature. I feel that this should really be taken for granted these days. Here in Finland, we have many things going pretty well, but it is important for us to take things forward, and perhaps shape our knowledge and experience abroad, Jarkko says.
Sustainable operations still require concrete actions, and Jarkko stresses the importance of research in particular. In his field, he stresses the importance of digitalization and innovation.
- For example, there may still be unresolved issues in relation to impacts on nature that should be investigated first: which factors are causing the impacts, and which actions could, for example, reduce global warming the most. Fortunately, we already have a lot of tools in place to help with this work, says Jarkko.
- Our product Once supports these efforts. For example, it allows clients to order the right amount of fuel for their energy utilities and optimize transport so that trucks are not idling in the yard. Naturally, an important factor is also the sheer volume – around 70% of the energy produced in Finland with solid fuels going through the Once system.
Although Jarkko thinks that, overall, sustainable operations are very important, he thinks that they should be taken for granted by now.
- I think that sustainable operations are really just a normal way of doing things. Fortunately, there is also a constant flow of information and development. That’s why it is important to keep the topic on the agenda, Jarkko says.Read more
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Find out more about sustainability at Pinja through the sustainability report
How digitalization is driving sustainability in practice, part 1/2 – how to reduce energy consumption, waste, and the ecological footprint
How digitalization is driving sustainability in practice, part 2/2 – green building to reduce emissions and promote well-being
