AI Roots Blog

Transforming data consulting

Rami Hirvelä — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

On a typical December morning, freelance data engineer and business intelligence expert Anton Jääskeläinen starts his day with a big coffee. Having organized all his daily tasks the night before, he can dive straight into his project at one of the large Finnish pension insurers.

“I’m working as part of a larger project, so I’m at the client's office a few days a week, presenting new development opportunities and solutions and meeting the clients. On other days, I’m working remotely and coding or planning ahead. I also frequently nip to the gym or walk during lunch hour to stay energized until evening,” Anton describes his typical day.

“I can't stand sitting at the office for nothing – I get bored and frustrated as I think the same time can be used for other things. As a freelancer, I can use my time efficiently. In knowledge-intensive work, one's well-being is at the center. I find balancing work and life outside work very important," Anton adds.

Passion for data

Anton graduated with a Master of Science in Innovation and Technology Management in 2016. After working in the logistics industry for a year, he joined a large consulting agency. He rose from Junior Advisor to Advisor, BI Specialist, and Data Engineer within six years in the company.

“I gradually grew and changed tasks within the company, leading to my passion for data, analytics, Power BI, and Azure. I learned the tools and ways of working until I got the complete package: understanding the IT needs, strategy and vision, source systems, how data is generated, integrations, reporting, and finally, decision-making based on data,” Anton says.

Anton has been working as a freelancer through his own company for 18 months now. As a seasoned IT consultant, transitioning from a full-time job to freelancing went smoothly.

“It was my childhood dream to try entrepreneurship one day. What made me act on it back then is that I was burned out, and it made my thoughts move and see things from a different perspective. I thought I now have to start acting according to my values, live life to the fullest, and take risks if needed,” Anton says.

A job well done

In IT, projects are usually completed in three – to six-month contracts. A job well done is a freelancer's best assurance of continuous work.

“When I started at the client in my first freelance project, there were a lot of consultants, but Ididn't bother myself too much about that. As the project went on, the number decreased all the time. I believe the client wanted to keep me in the project as I managed to communicate clearly and get things done what I had promised,” Anton says.

Anton finds that the biggest challenge as a freelancer is that besides having responsibilities on his company side, he has much to answer for on the client side. Besides delivering, working successfully as a trusted advisor comes down to communication.

“I always think about what is best for the customer. Customers do not necessarily know what they need or do not know about the different possibilities. Hence, as a consultant and expert, I’m in a position where I need to advise the customer and dare to suggest something else, not immediately accepting what the customer says," Anton says.

Fast way to projects

Anton appreciates the experience gained from working as a solo entrepreneur:

“I’ve heard some people doubt if the risks are too high, if it makes financial sense, or if you can ever go on a holiday. It’s not risky if one is well prepared. I think it tells a lot about the person if they dare to go out and do something on their own,” Anton says.

Before launching his company, Anton carefully calculated how much he needed to earn to cover his living expenses in different scenarios, such as not finding a suitable project immediately. However, he had no problem finding freelance work:

“When I founded my company, I instantly got an assignment through AI Roots. And I'm still on the same project!”

“You can get into freelancing in many different ways. I think that AI Roots is the most transparent, straightforward, and fastest ways to get a project through an agency. As they make finding a suitable project with them a breeze, it solves 80% of freelancers' worries and challenges. In the end, in freelancing, nothing else matters if there is no client,” Anton underlines.

Are you interested in a career in freelancing? AI Roots is the leading agency for data freelancers in Finland. Join our roster here.

Transforming data consulting

Ari Rantanen — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

The University of Helsinki (UH) has set a long-term goal to enhance its capabilities in data-driven leadership. To achieve this goal, they enlisted the support of AI Roots to guide them on their journey. The long-standing collaboration has evolved into a multi-phase partnership aimed at creating the best possible conditions for UH to advance towards a data-driven future.

The partnership began with a pilot project in which AI Roots demonstrated how modern BI tools can provide valuable insights to support decision-making in UH's faculty administration. AI Roots' experienced BI expert, Mikko Vikman, guided the university's internal development team in effectively utilizing Power BI and helped resolve technical challenges.

From Pilot to Comprehensive Development
Following the pilot, AI Roots continued to support UH in defining its data-driven leadership strategy. AI Roots’ seasoned data coach Ville Niemijärvi helped UH assess its current state, identify key areas for development, and set clear goals for
its data journey. One of the key priorities was the modernization of BI tools to better meet UH’s needs. With Ville’s guidance, UH evaluated modern BI solutions and selected the one most suitable for their requirements.

Alongside the renewal of the BI reporting layer, progress was made in analyzing and planning the migration of the data warehouse to the cloud. Ville supported this work as a coach, collaborating with UH experts to refine internal processes and assisting university leadership in managing the changes effectively.

Ensuring Seamless Implementation and Ongoing Support
The smooth implementation of the new BI tool was ensured with the support of AI Roots’ experienced data architect, Jan-Erik Müller. He worked closely with UH to design an architecture suited to future needs and ensured that the teams were equipped to independently maintain modern reporting systems. Jan’s expertise also proved invaluable in assessing cloud-based data warehouse solutions.

What truly set AI Roots apart in UH’s eyes was their human approach. Major transformations always bring uncertainty, but alongside their technical expertise, Ville and Jan provided the social skills needed to navigate change with ease.

"AI Roots' senior consultants have provided extensive expertise and insights to support the University of Helsinki in developing its data-driven leadership capabilities. They have adapted to UH’s current situation and unique characteristics, offering comprehensive, tailored advice to meet our needs. Together, we’ve found answers and paths forward even in challenging situations, getting UH’s data transformation journey off to a strong start."

– Jere Reinikainen, Head of HR and Financial Systems and Reporting, Helsinki University

Transforming data consulting

christina.ahola@sevendos.com (Christina Ahola) — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

Living in Tampere, data reporting specialist Saana-Sofia Kakkuri has been working with Power BI and data warehousing for several years. Today, she freelances through her own company and is currently part of an ERP transition project at a large Finnish transportation company.

“My typical day starts with the client’s daily meeting. After that, I go through tickets and start developing reports. The business owners give me the specifications, and I begin building. Then we iterate together – meeting, developing, and adjusting until it looks the way it should,” Saana explains.

From sports science to data

Her career path has been anything but linear. Saana holds a Master’s degree in Sports Science, but spent only a short time in that field before turning to data.

“Right after graduation, I started retraining on the side and doing small reporting projects. Little by little, I reduced my sports-related work and moved fully into data. Now I’ve been working in reporting for about four years, and the last two and a half as a full-time freelancer,” she says.

She has been freelancing from the start through her own company. Her collaboration with AI Roots and Finitec began soon after moving full-time into freelancing. Her very first assignment was with the same client she works with today, even though she has also taken on projects in other industries along the way.

Why freelancing?

For Saana, freelancing was both a natural and practical choice.

“As a freelancer, I can influence my own work more. It challenges me in a good way – I keep learning new things, since each client has their own way of doing things. It also helps me stay more objective and bring in fresh perspectives without getting caught up in internal politics,” she says.

Although freelancing can sometimes mean uncertainty, Saana makes sure her everyday life stays balanced.

“I try to finish work around the same time every day. Of course, when projects overlap, it can be more demanding. But generally, I keep evenings and weekends for myself. Hobbies like climbing, yoga, and ceramics keep life balanced,” she explains.

Projects and collaboration

Longer, full-time assignments are what Saana values most.

“It’s been a real benefit that my projects have been clear and full-time. That’s much more meaningful than juggling small tasks here and there,” she says.

After long projects, what makes reporting especially meaningful for her is how it can truly ease people’s work and help companies reach their best potential.

She also appreciates how collaboration with AI Roots and Finitec has worked:
“When my first project was ending, Max quickly called me with a new opportunity. Everything has gone very smoothly with AI Roots and Finitec, which has been great,” she says.

Challenges and advice for others

The biggest challenge, she says, is the uncertainty at the end of projects.

“In the beginning, I felt like when a project ended, it was a big deal. But over time, I’ve learned to trust that there will always be new opportunities. That trust is key,” she reflects.

For anyone considering freelancing, she shares encouraging advice:

“The first step is always the scariest. You don’t need to quit your job all at once – you can start small with side projects. But in the end, becoming an entrepreneur is a decision you make yourself. No one else can make it for you.”

Customer case: Meira Nova data platform renewal

Ari Rantanen — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

Meira Nova is one of the leading foodservice operators in Finland delivering food and restaurant commodities for S-group restaurants as well as external clients, including catering kitchens, workplace canteens, and the hotel and restaurant sector. The company’s turnover is 300 million euros and Meira Nova employs about 300 people, of which 200 are internal and 100 are external employees. Meira Nova is part of SOK (The Central Finnish Cooperative Society), which operates in the retail, travel and hospitality business in Finland and Estonia.

Forming the business case

The cooperation between Meira Nova and AI Roots started 2,5 years ago when Meira Nova was renewing its strategy, of which central focus areas were analytics and data-driven decision making. During that time AI Roots had contacted Jani Kaski, IT area lead at SOK, who recognized AI Roots’s potential to help Meira Nova in forming the analytics business case. At the time Kaski operated as the development manager at Meira Nova and carried forward the project of data-driven decision making.

“AI Roots consolidated the analytics needs from Meira Nova's business stakeholders, and from there we jointly designed the development roadmap and related milestones”, Kaski describes the early steps of the cooperation.

Once the roadmap was ready, Meira Nova started to prepare the renewal of its analytics capabilities, based on the roadmap. At the same time, the SOK group was finishing a reference architecture project related to analytics services. The aim was to harmonize the analytics tools and the platforms used in the group. To carry out the renewal project, Meira Nova needed a partner. AI Roots was already in a good position as they had helped to form the analytics roadmap. According to Jani Kaski, also other factors influenced the choice of partner:

“AI Roots performed well in the tender. The price tag of their offer was also very reasonable and competitive, so it was easy to choose AI Roots as a partner. AI Roots' strengths were also a more agile approach and the high experience level of consultants they were able to provide for this project.”

Phase 1: Engaging the business functions and setting new practices

In addition to renewing the technological solutions, the first phase of the project included involving the business functions to define specifications for the analytics tools and services and training them to utilize the new tools. It was also central to adopt a new agile way of working, of which Meira Nova had little experience. Kaski sees that AI Roots’ understanding of how to involve the business units and teach the end-users to utilize the new technological tools were key prerequisites for succeeding in the first phase of the project:

“It was a pleasure to see that the project progressed well and to notice how the end-user’s engagement and capabilities grew: Not only the ability to define the specifications but also learning how to use the system. The technical solution was well implemented but knowing how to involve people is not always self-evident for technical people. You can have good technical capabilities but finding developers with the adequate team and social skills can be more difficult.”

In addition, the project stayed on budget.

Phase 2: raising the stakes

The successful implementation of the basic analytics capabilities in the first phase of the project laid a strong foundation for the continuation. Meira Nova had also formed a good working relationship with AI Roots, so it was easy to continue the journey together and keep on with the good practices. At the same time, the difficulty level of the project increased, and the aim now was to develop more advanced solutions. After Covid subsided, the intensity of the business also grew, which increased the workload of the business units and required from the project:

“The social skills of the AI Roots developers were emphasized once again, as they had to take more part in defining the specifications and the facilitation. It helped that the developers were quite well versed in Meira Nova's business, and they understand, for example, certain financial requirements and can help in the decision making”, Kaski describes.

The second phase of the project is running smoothly, with tangible results.

A joint learning journey

Kaski's role has since moved from Meira Nova to operating as the area lead of SOK AID. Although there has been a slight shift of perspective, in practice little has changed in the cooperation with AI Roots. Kaski says he is also now in a better position to replicate the good practices of a successful project:

“Culturally, the gains and well-working methods we have been able to achieve throughout the cooperation can be duplicated in other projects and activities. I can sincerely recommend AI Roots’ good developers and good organization and have already identified new tasks for AI Roots at SOK.”

Kaski sees that Meira Nova, SOK IT, and AI Roots have grown together along the way and the joint journey has also involved good discussions, in which ideas and thoughts have been shared outside the project scope as well. Ari Rantanen, Partner at AI Roots, is on the same lines and has also been happy with the cooperation and looks forward to the future steps:

“Meira Nova has come a long way, and this one-team way of working has been quite unique.”

If you are interested to hear more about the case or need similar support in your organization, you may contact Ari via email or book a meeting directly. Ari's email: ari.rantanen@rootsof.ai

Customer case: Barona data journey support

Iiris Lahti — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

Barona, the leading private employment agency in Finland, and AI Roots first started their cooperation 1,5 years ago. The Barona data journey kicked off with refreshing Barona data vision and opportunities. Since then, a lot has happened in Barona’s data journey. Leveraging work-life data has become a central factor in executing their mission, creating a better, fairer, and more successful work life. According to Barona’s Data Development Manager, Kristiina Juurmaa, Barona has taken big leaps to better make use of their data assets and to become more data-driven.

“Our data maturity is growing rapidly and AI Roots has supported us in every step of this process. During the past year, we’ve had many projects that enable us to do more complex and advanced use cases in the future.”

In addition to investing in data competencies, Juurmaa sees that the organization’s whole relationship with data has shifted: “We have come a long way in the way we relate to data as an organization. For example, the vocabulary in which our people talk about data has changed majorly.”

Partner in strategy and practice

As companies’ data journeys are not always easy, AI Roots has walked beside Barona and helped them to remember that the process often contains similar steps regardless of the industry, and the execution requires a sense of patience. However, with carefully selected professionals, a lot can be accomplished in a few months or a year.

Jussi Ropo, operating as Barona’s CFO, has been happy with AI Root’s approach and sees the company holds a special capability to understand both the big picture and the practical issues. ”AI Roots’s process comprehends both the strategy work and the execution. They not only draw us a fine data vision and leave us alone with that but help us to carry things through. That is something we highly appreciate.”

Ropo also sees that their cooperation has been seamless since it is always easy to ask for help regardless of the situation: “We have an exceptionally low threshold to ask for help, whether it’s about high-level things or basic daily stuff.” Ropo adds that certain data projects have taken more time than initially planned but believes that careful execution will benefit them in the future.

Seamless teamwork as a premise for success

The AI Roots data entrepreneurs working for Barona have been happy with how Barona has welcomed them as part of the team. The seamless teamwork has been a driver of successful cooperation and recognized also at Barona. “We have been extremely happy with the AI Roots professionals, and they are now a central part of our team”, says Kristiina Juurmaa.

Barona is utilizing several data engineers with various backgrounds to build up their data platform, integrations, data models and data visualization solutions. Barona has also started to explore possibilities for Machine Learning with the help of a data scientist for the AI Roots network.
Barona tends to interview all partners with technical skill set requirements, and they have always found the appropriate people from the AI Roots network. ” You can sleep well at night when you know you’re working with AI Roots professionals”, Jussi Ropo adds. He has not noticed obstacles regarding the entrepreneurship model but sees it as an advantage: “As an entrepreneur, you must maintain your reputation and have a natural incentive to deliver.”

People related data as a tool for creating better work life

Iiris Lahti, the founding partner of AI Roots, has been impressed by Barona’s ambition to leverage work-life data and develop capabilities in HR-analytics: “It is great to see how Barona is becoming one of the HR analytics forerunners in Finland. After all, we don’t see that many companies developing competencies in HR analytics, as many are focused on sales, production, or logistics”, Lahti describes.

Juurmaa agrees that Barona has high ambitions in terms of data and reaching their strategic objectives:

”We want to be the forerunners of developing people-related data responsibly. In a way all our data is human data, and in that sense, everything we do with the data can have a big impact on people’s work-life experience.”

Partner with us to boost your data journey

We at AI Roots support companies in various industries and phases of the data journey. We can help to scale up a more mature data team or help in establishing one. If you would like to explore our talent base and different ways how we can support you, book a 30 - 60 minute introduction meeting with Iiris or Max or send a contact request using this form.

Transforming data consulting

Iiris Lahti — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

By Minna Kärhä

When someone points that “data is a valuable business asset”, usually everyone gives a nod of approval. But not many have the tools to prove and show the actual value of data. What is the value of our customer data base? What about the product data we have in our company?

As data itself is “just” a collection of values: numbers, characters etc. it is not even possible, I dare to say, to define value for it alone. There is usually a cost linked directly to the data: cost of collecting or acquiring it, cost of processing it and cost of storing it, even a cost of sharing it. But linking data to revenue or other type of monetary value is challenging, because it is not a product that is being sold on it’s own (for most).

It is common that the terms “data” and “information” are sometimes mixed. Information means processed data that has a meaning to human. Data is the ingredient for information. When thinking about information it starts to be a bit easier to think of the value as well. “ If I have this information, I am able to do xxx”. And doing the xxx eventually creates business value, i.e. cost savings or revenue.

In this article I will share some learnings and a few practical examples from Finnair in calculating the value of data. Although COVID19 has changed the environment for air traffic significantly, and at the moment the challenge is not to manage the high volumes, it is still important to understand the 360 operational effect when flights are cancelled or changed – so this information is still useful.

Practical examples from Finnair in how to generate value from data:

1. Improving the marketing effectiveness through better targeting

Being able to target marketing campaign to right audience we used data of our customers earlier interactions with us. We modelled this data and created recommendations: “ this person would be most likely to be interested in this type of product”. This recommendation was then the information we got. By using that information in our marketing campaign, we got great results. The results were measured with A/B testing: one target group was formed using the traditional method and another one using this new information. The second group was significantly smaller, so the email campaign costs were also lower. However, the conversion rate (people buying the product) was significantly higher for the second group. The value of the data used and information gained from it was the cost saving of marketing campaign + better revenue gained from the product sales .

2. Growing sales through high quality customer care

After the successful campaign, we did not stop there but shared the same information also to our customer contact center. Now they are also able to use the same information when in contact with the customers. The value is not directly just upselling products for customers to make their travel experience even nicer, it is also increasing the overall customer satisfaction which brings back not only the same customers again, but also new customers when recommended. And customers like to spend their money on service providers that add value for them.

3. Optimizing ground operations to improve customer experience

Talking about customer satisfaction: Weather is one major component what comes to flight delays, especially in Helsinki airport, which is the home hub of Finnair. Flights are tightly connected in many ways: transferring passengers, crew, cargo and aircrafts all have connections that cause extra hassle for customers and work for ground crew and operations if missed. By bringing together weather data (past and forecast), runway capacity data and historical data of flights, and modelling that we were able to create information about the likelihood of a flight being delayed. By using that information in the Operations Control Centre daily work, it is now possible to take actions earlier to manage the disruption situations with more flexibility and secure customer satisfaction by reduce the hassle. Value in this case comes from f.e. being able to focus ground operations to the correct place and being prepared before f.e. the customers arrive – saved time.

Based on these few examples I would define the formula to calculate value of data being as simple as:

(RoC + SC + CV) - (CoRoDAM + CoAS2D)

CoRoDAM = Cost of resources and effort put to Data Asset management
CoAS2D = Cost of acquiring, storing and distributing the data
RoS = Revenue gained
SC = Cost Saved (also time saved if relevant)
CV = Customer Value

Like investing your money, it is also important to carefully consider where you invest your data to get the best ROI. Therefore starting every data & analytics initiative with the business value potential is critical as that is the only way to validate if it makes sense to use the time & effort to build the solution. In addition, continuous monitoring of the value generation is important, as is managing your investment portfolio, sometimes you need to make the decision to move your money to a new portfolio that creates more value.

We have developed in collaboration with AI Roots new tools for making sure that the business benefits are analyzed and estimated when designing new data solutions. Data Design method and the tailored canvas template helps us to integrate that with the understanding of the core customer needs and the evaluation of solution feasibility, i.e. how much effort and resources are needed to maintain, develop and use it. Check out our article explaining the roots of the Data Design method.

Feel free to comment or contact us to discuss more about the topic. It would be interesting to find out what is your formula for calculating the value of your data.

The purpose of founding and growing our network

Iiris Lahti — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

By Teemu Birkstedt

Suomi on poikkeuksellinen ja hieno maa monella tapaa. Myös teknologian kehittämisen alueella. Meillä on paljon teknistä huippuosaamista dataan, analytiikkaan ja koneoppimiseen. Edelläkävijäyrityksemme Nokiasta Supercelliin ja vaikka Woltiin ovat varmistaneet että osaamisemme on ajan hermolla, myös yliopistomme tuottavat koko ajan lisää ja paremmin soveltuvaa osaamista data-markkinaan.

Toisaalta Suomi on tosi pieni maa ja valitettavasti jopa takapajula datan hyödyntämisessä oikeasti ja skaalassa. Yhden ruotsalaisen ison retailerin käyttämä pilvipalveluiden kulutus on yhtä suurta kuin koko Suomen markkinan kokonaiskäyttö. Ruotsikaan ei ole edelläkävijä digitaalisten ja algoritmisten palveluiden kanssa.

Oma tavoitteeni on tehdä merkityksellistä duunia paikasta ja ajasta riippumatta. En ole ainoa vaan tämä on suurempi virtaus työmarkkinassa, perinteiset työurat ovat vähenemään päin. Työelämän tulevaisuuden ymmärtäjä, hyvä kaverini Iikka (ja yksi AI Rootsin perustajavoimista) sanoi pari vuotta sitten tosi fiksusti: ”isäni oli koko työuransa yhden firman palveluksessa, minulle tulee varmaan kuutisen yritystä jolle työskentelen työurallani ja lapseni tulee todennäköisesti tekemään töitä kuudessa eri työpaikassa yhtä aikaa”.

Edellä olevat ajatukset ovat johtaneet yrityksen nimeltä AI Roots Oy kehittymiseen. Saatan kuulosta jopa idealistilta mutta otan sen riskin 45+ iässä.

Tehtävämme data-alan osaajamarkkinan uudistajana

Uskomme, että data-alan huippuosaajien verkostona, yhteisönä ja osaajia yrityksille välittävänä toimijana meillä on mahdollisuus myös uudistaa ja viedä alaa eteenpäin. Olemme tunnistaneet aktiivisen vuoropuhelun kautta kolme tärkeintä tehtävää:

Luomme vuoropuhelun data-alan pienyrittäjien, yritysten ja tutkimusyhteisön välille. Uskomme, että tulevaisuuden menestykset takaa kyky uudistua ja oppia alan parhailta osaajilta ristiin. Meidän tehtävänämme on toimia pienyrittäjiä, yrityksiä ja tutkimusyhteisöä yhdistävänä linkkinä. Tässä on yhteen hiileen puhaltavalla Suomella aivan uniikki mahdollisuus erottua.
Mahdollistamme osaamisen liikkuvuuden ja luomme osaamiselle parhaita paikkoja toimia. Meidän tehtävänämme on poistaa kitkaa työmarkkinasta ja luoda uusia tapoja kiihdyttää alan kehitystä Suomessa.
Edustamme data-alan huippuosaajien yhteisönä alan korkeinta tekemisen laadun standardia. Tehtävänämme on tarjota parasta tarpeisiin soveltuvaa osaamista kumppaniasiakkaallemme ja varmistaa, että yhteistyömme tuottaa odotetun tuloksen. Huippukokeneet partnerit kuratoivat tekemisen laadun.

Yksittäiset esimerkit kertovat parhaiten mitä teemme ja mihin tähtäämme paljon isommassa skaalassa tulevaisuudessa:

Autamme data muutosta aloittelevaa yritystä ensimmäisissä datan hyödyntämisen askeleissa tarjoamalla konsultoivaa full stack-osaajaa joka osaa toteuttaa dataputkia, visualisoida niitä ja viedä päätöksenteon tueksi
Tuotamme AI-tuotteita kehittäville huipputaloille, kuten Groke Technologies teknologiaosaamista. Se voi olla osaavia algoritmikehittäjiä tuomaan suuntaa ja vauhtia tai arkkitehtejä (”rakennusmestareita”) valvomaan tekemisen laatua.
Muotoilemme asiakkaillemme, kuten teimme Baronalle, konkreettisen datastrategian, joka ei jää paperille, vaan joka jalkautuu aidoksi ja käytännönläheiseksi yrityksen kilpailukykyä kehittäväksi tekemiseksi ja tuomme osaajia sen toimeenpanoon.
Kehitämme asiakasarvon hallitsemiseen ja kausaalimallinnukseen helposti käytettäviä ratkaisuja yhteistyössä akatemian kanssa joita kehittyneemmät asiakkaamme jo käyttävät
Koulutamme ja kehitämme asiakkaillemme uusia dataratkaisujen suunnittelun ja kehittämisen työvälineitä ja käytäntöjä, kuten datamuotoilun perusteita

Konseptimme erottuu ja poistamme jo nyt kitkaa markkinasta, tämä saa innostumaan:

Finnairin data- analytiikkayksikön vetäjä on ollut AI Rootsin mukana (osa-aikaisesti). Hän on tuomassa huippuosaamisensa muun muassa datan hallintamallien (Data Governance) ja datan muotoilumenetelmien (Data Design) kehittämiseen. On eri asia kun merkittävää muutosta itse johtava henkilö auttaa kumppania välttämään sudenkuopat ja löytämään ne parhaat käytännöt
Saamme jatkuvasti innostavaa palautetta kyvystämme tukea ja auttaa yrittäjiä työllistymään mielenkiintoisiin hankkeisiin ja rauhoittaa työaikaa asiakashankinnan sijaan itse tekemiseen. Erityisesti korona-aikana tämä on tuonut myös monelle turvaa ja mahdollistanut yrittäjäpolulla pysymistä. Verkostomme yrittäjien kokemuksista lisää täältä.
Amazon-verkkokaupan kysynnän ennustamisen alueen entinen lead data scientist on ryhmässämme tuomassa osaamisensa suomalaisten yritysten käyttöön. Samoin johtavan pelifirman entinen AI arkkitehti.

AI Roots on koronavuodesta huolimatta käynnistänyt toimensa ripeästi ja starttivuotensa aikana tehnyt yhteistyötä yli 20 yrityksen kanssa. AI Rootsilla ja konseptilla on suuri potentiaali myös ulkomailla. Asiakaskumppaneita on löytynyt jo tässä vaiheessa mm. Japanista, Hollannista ja Ruotsista.

Kiinnostavia keskustelunavauksia ja uusia toimenkuvia tulee aukeamaan lähiviikkoina, kannattaa seurata.

Transforming data consulting

Max Rantakallio — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

For many with an entrepreneurial spirit, the idea comes early in life. The same was for Nithin James, a freelance data and AI specialist, who got the bug already in college:

“I have always wanted to start my own company. Back then, I was just freshly out of college and got a couple of freelance gigs, but felt unsure as I didn’t have any other experience besides a bit of data science and machine learning engineering work while doing my master's thesis. So I decided to gain some work experience first.”

Nithin has a master's degree in computer science and information security. After graduating, he worked full-time for ten years in data and machine learning (ML), in positions like DevOps engineer, data scientist, and architect, both in large consultancies and in-house teams. He familiarised himself with AWS, GCP, Azure, Python, Java, and Scala.

Starting a new venture

During the years, Nithin saw some of his friends and colleagues going into freelancing and starting their own companies. It made him revisit the idea of freelancing in the autumn of 2024.

“I felt I had gained enough experience to start my venture. Many of my colleagues from my previous company started their own companies, which motivated me to follow their path,” Nithin says.

Nithin feels that starting the company and handling the paperwork was relatively quick and easy. He advises anyone considering their own business to get a good accountant to help with the financial and tax-related questions.

He didn’t need to spend much time on the sales side either, as Nithin got on a client project straight away via AI Roots. He now develops an MLOps platform for a client, where a unified data platform gathers data from previously separate services for the data scientist. He is already working on new features.

“With a few months' experience, I can already say that I like the freedom of choosing what type of work I want, which is not always true for full-time employment. I also think the work experience you gain from freelancing is very valuable for the future.”

Delivery and communication
When working as a freelancer, it is essential to understand the customers' needs, answer them, and deliver what is promised. Nithin wants to make sure that the client’s first impressions are positive.

“You are on probation every time you start with a new client. So when you are on board with a new project, you must show them you are the right person for the job. It presents a kind of pressure, but it's fun, too,” Nithin says with a smile.

Besides proofing oneself, it is about showing results and informing the client about the project’s progress.

“At the start of a freelance project, I deliver something within the first two or three weeks of a project to show the client some progress. From that point onwards, I keep delivering in this rhythm, and if there are any blockers, I swiftly communicate with the client about them. So delivering and communicating are the main key aspects for the client to get that confidence of ‘okay, we chose the right guy,’” Nithin says.

Nithin ensures frequent feedback from the client through daily and weekly meetings with different stakeholders. He is also considering sending a feedback survey once the project is completed.

Finding the right partners

Nithin sees that freelancing might become more common in the IT industry. He advises anyone considering freelancing first to gain profound work experience and good communication skills. Then, it’s about finding the right networks and partners to support on the way.

AI Roots helps freelancers connect with the right clients and projects. While they focus on sales, the freelancer can concentrate on shaping a rewarding career while enjoying higher compensation.

“I’ve had a great experience with AI Roots. They have been helping me to take the right opportunity as they know my skills. I know if something comes up that matches my skill set, I will get notified. There is also a good webpage about their open positions, with transparent job descriptions and requirements,” Nithin advises.

Are you interested in a career in freelancing? AI Roots is the leading agency for data freelancers in Finland. Join our roster here.

The new era of data entrepreneurs

Iiris Lahti — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

The ways of working are going through a shift, and freelancing has become an appealing alternative for increasingly many people. The benefits of self-employment are numerous and undisputed: According to an MBO study, 82 % of freelancers are happier working independently. The advantages of freelancing involve factors like an increased sense of freedom, earning potential, and decreased dependency on one company. Working for yourself can be described as the generation’s way of working. The Great Resignation refers to the phenomenon in which masses of employees left their jobs during Covid-19 pandemic. Now many are working as freelancers, and it seems like this development is here to stay.

In the data and software industries freelancing is a particularly interesting option for both employees and organizations. Companies constantly struggle to find the best talents to develop their data and machine learning solutions, and for employees this introduces new working possibilities. Freelancer networks help to match the talents and the companies. Change acceleration further boosts the freelancer revolution. Companies must resource projects at a fast pace and need access to skills outside of the organization.

In part due to the labor market situation in the tech field Juha-Matti Santero, who works as a Senior Data Engineer in the AI Roots network, decided to pursue the path of entrepreneurship. “It wasn’t something I initially considered for myself. However, I was already somewhere between being a consultant and a freelancer and wanted to go all in.”

Santero (in the middle of the picture) has gained experience and expertise from working in large IT consulting companies. Before AI Roots he worked in a network of data consultants, which functioned well for him as the more independent way of working allowed him to see the value of his work more concretely. Eventually, Santero wanted to experience the full range of entrepreneurship and joined the AI Roots network in 2022. “The current labor situation in the data and software industries is so good now, so if you want to give freelancing a shot, the risk is rather low”, Santero describes.

Plan before giving it a go

The shift to entrepreneurship can came across as an overwhelming process in the early steps. To dispel worries, Santero recommends taking time for planning and doing research. He read blogs of other freelancers and looked for other helpful content online. After deciding to become self-employed, he needed to choose the most suitable company form. Eventually, Ltd (Oy) was the best option, as it allows to separate personal and company assets. The majority of AI Roots freelancers work via an Ltd. Santero found establishing an Ltd a straightforward process that required registrations to the Patent and Registration Office and the Finnish Trade Register. Once the business is established, Santero recommends creating a functional work schedule and investing in an accountant. “You might think you save money when doing everything yourself, but eventually you will have more time to do the actual customer work.”

Tips for starting as a freelancer

Take time for planning: before starting your business, take time to do research and find out about your mandatory responsibilities, such as the pension insurance for entrepreneurs (YEL)
Outsource: don’t be afraid to delegate administrative tasks and invest in an accountant. You will have more time to concentrate on the core tasks and customer work.
Join a network: a network connects you to customers, helps to tackle bureaucracy, and enables you to network with colleagues
Schedule your work: optimize your use of time and leave a slot for the administrative tasks. If needed, synchronize your working hours with the customer

Expert networks as a starting point

Expert networks are becoming more and more common throughout various industries including technology. As the networks model consolidates its position, its potential no longer lies only in short-term projects, but allows the formation of more established customer relationships. For freelancers, professional networks make it easier to tackle some of the main concerns self-employment may involve; networking with customers and tackling paperwork and bureaucracy.

Due to these reasons, Santero highly recommends joining a network. For him, AI Roots has been a working option. ”Customer acquisition and contract-related issues are perhaps the biggest things to consider. When you become part of a network such as AI Roots, you no longer need to worry about these issues, which is great. The contract bases are already there, and all legal issues are taken care of. For me AI Roots was the stepping stone in becoming a freelancer.”

There is a wide range of different kind of data entrepreneurs with longer background working as a freelancer in the AI Roots network. "Pete Tahvanainen has been a valued expert to our customers who need a seasoned full-stack data engineer and BI analyst. Working in the industry for more that 20 years, he also is showing example and giving encouraging support to new entrepreneurs in our network. It can be hard to be alone in this industry as a freelancer but working with others makes it easier and you can learn a lot.", says Iiris Lahti from AI Roots.

"I've been an entrepreneur for quite some while, since 2007. AI Roots is one of the best networks I've participated. There are many renown professionals in the network that I've worked during the years and new acquittances who have just started their entrepreneurial path. People in the network are highly professional and amiable. Working in projects with professionals in the network is thus very enjoyable. AI Roots network value is high, bringing new exiting and interesting data business opportunities which do realise to actual projects." says Pete Tahvanainen.

How to become a member of the network

1. Contact us: Book a 30min introduction meeting with Iiris or Max or send a contact request using the contact form. Send your CV in advance to our partner.

2. Introduction: in the first meeting with AI Roots we will get to know you and you will learn more about what kind of services and assignments we can offer you

3. Create profile and CV: AI Roots is using Cinode for creating a profile and CV for all new and existing freelancers. Creating a profile and CV to our portal doesn’t obligate anything but it helps AI Roots to find potential customers and assignment that match your skills and availability.

4. Case found: Once a suitable assignment is found that interests the freelancer, AI Roots will help you to meet the customer. If everything goes well, we will help you with the contract negotiations and make your move to freelancing as smooth as possible. We have all the needed contract forms ready and optimized for freelancer projects.

5. Welcome to AI Roots: You can join our network at any time, also before signing the contract. We have a joint Slack channel, networking events and active knowledge sharing with other entrepreneurs. By joining our network you can make sure to be the first one hearing about interesting new projects when needing one.

Learn more about AI Roots and how we support entrepreneurs in data industry:

Transforming data consulting

christina.ahola@sevendos.com (Christina Ahola) — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 09:16:46 GMT

With nearly three decades of coding experience, Tommi Bäckgren has built his career on curiosity and adaptability. Starting out in the mid-90s with animation and early software prototypes for mobile operators, he now spends most of his time working on AI-driven projects.

“I kind of ended up doing projects for AI Roots by accident. In the beginning of 2023, I built a bot for myself to handle tasks related to hiring coders. I have around 12 years of experience with various AI projects and I wanted to see how much of my daily work I can hand over to AI. Suddenly, 90% of my own workload disappeared because the bot did it for me. That left me wondering what to do next – and then one really interesting AI Roots case came along. So I volunteered myself. Since then, I’ve been doing even more AI work, and that’s where my focus is now,” Tommi explains.

A career built on independence

Tommi’s journey into entrepreneurship began early.

“My very first job was in 1996 as an animator, making a little game called Uppo-Nallen Runoreissu. From there I picked up coding at work, then did some 3D animation for TV. Around 2001 I decided to become a full-time entrepreneur doing coding and project work, and that’s been my path ever since,” he recalls.

Unlike many who wrestle with the transition from permanent employment to freelancing, Tommi has been self-employed for most of his career: “This is the only way of working I really know. I like long days, I don’t mind stress, and entrepreneurship just fits me.”

Finding the interesting angle in every project

Over the years, Tommi has worked on projects across industries – from training software about truck driving to applications about making jackets. For him, the subject itself isn’t the main point:
“I always try to find an angle that makes a project interesting. There’s always something new to learn. Even if the topic isn’t exciting at first glance, I can usually discover something that makes it worth diving into.”

Recently, his projects through AI Roots have mostly been internal business chatbots: “They’re not for consumers, but for companies’ internal use or their business clients. They often include financial data, so the bots can’t just make things up. Unlike consumer bots that can sometimes get away with mistakes, these have to be accurate from the start. That challenge makes them fun; if a bot gives the wrong numbers to for example a CFO and that CFO adds those wrong numbers to some official company document and only notices the errors later, they will probably never use the bot again. They might even want to get rid of the Service the bot is attached to.”

Working with AI Roots

Tommi highlights how smooth the collaboration with AI Roots has been:
“Everything has been extremely easy. The contracts are short and to the point – just a couple of pages with the essentials. That’s great compared to overly long documents. And Roots usually joins the first couple of meetings, then lets me work independently. No one is watching over my shoulder, which would feel strange after all these years. It’s been very painless.”

For those considering the leap into freelancing, Tommi is straightforward:
“Just do it. These days, starting a company is much easier than before. You can even begin as a light entrepreneur. Nowadays, you don’t need big loans or capital to get your business started. If it doesn’t feel right, you can always return to employment.’