Valio

Together Towards the Full Potential of AI: The Partnership Between Valio and Pareto Delivers Results

Valio, like many other companies, is exploring the potential of AI in its business operations. Large volumes of data present both promising opportunities and significant challenges for Valio: leveraging AI solutions requires both reliable data and the ability to process it efficiently. Since AI development is progressing rapidly and public examples of its successful application are still scarce, Valio is actively working with Pareto to explore, define, and experiment with new possibilities.

“AI is a challenging field due to its rapid evolution and continuous transformation, which is why we need a reliable and proficient partner to identify the right business opportunities. With Pareto, we gain both strategic insights and hands-on support in an agile and needs-driven way,” says Terho Virrankoski, Development Director of Valio Operations.

Valio is currently planning the next long-term initiatives. “Large development projects are typically planned at least 3-5 years ahead,” says Virrankoski. The goal for the next phase, starting in 2026, is to implement significant productivity-enhancing measures by leveraging technology and AI to reduce wasted work time and streamline daily operations, particularly in factories. “In this process, Pareto has been closely supporting us,” Virrankoski adds.

In addition to planning new development projects, broader discussions and idea exchanges also take place. Pareto’s CEO, Juha Latvala, has, for example, been sparring with Valio’s factory managers on developments in the world of generative AI. “It is valuable for us to gain insights into what others have done, what pitfalls have been encountered with AI, and what actions we should take. This helps us better refine our own ideas on how to leverage AI in our business,” Virrankoski explains.

Renewal Through Both Large and Small Projects

In addition to sharing insights and planning large development initiatives, the collaboration has also included agile, smaller-scale projects, such as a 2024 initiative that enabled Valio’s experts to leverage AI in their work.

“A system has been created for Valio that integrates generative AI with large-scale data processing. This lowers the threshold for analyzing and utilizing data, for example, in Lean Six Sigma optimization projects, even for those who are not experts in statistical sciences,” says Sami Vaittinen, Senior Software Developer at Pareto, who was involved in the project.

Virrankoski particularly values agility and customer-oriented service in the partnership: “The genuine willingness to help the customer is something that stands out very positively. Pareto is an agile organization that operates close to its clients, which translates to flexibility in launching projects quickly and cost-effectively.”