Our Auditors: Experienced Expert, Not a Checklist Reader
The value of an audit depends on who conducts it. QMClouds audits are done by Ilkka Sillanpää, Doctor of Science in Technology, Doctor of Business Administration, and docent in production economics, with 20 years’ experience in industrial procurement and supply chain management.
Internal audits, pre-audits, and supplier evaluations are all expert work: the same day at your site either produces a mechanical checklist or real insight into where your operations truly leak. The difference is the auditor. With us, the audit is performed by someone who has led global procurement organizations, researched supplier evaluation at doctoral level, and sat on both sides of the table — as auditee and auditor.
Experience shows in the questions an auditor knows to ask.
This is how the audit proceeds with us
Initial discussion and audit scoping
Familiarization with your operations and materials
Audit day: interviews and observations
Report and review of improvement areas
- No mechanical checklist walkthrough
- No auditor unfamiliar with your industry
- No findings without business relevance
Ilkka Sillanpää, D.Sc. (Tech), PhD
Ilkka is a founding partner and chairman of QMClouds, and the lead expert responsible for audits. He holds two doctoral degrees, a docent position at the University of Oulu, and has around twenty years' experience in industrial leadership. Thanks to this background, audits don’t just review standard requirements — they identify which are truly important for your operations.
Qualifications based on:
- Doctor of Science in Technology in production economics (University of Oulu) and Doctor of Business Administration (University of Vaasa).
- Docent in production economics at the University of Oulu since 2017.
- Over 20 years in industrial production, procurement, and leadership roles.
- Managing global supplier networks in Europe and Asia.
- Peer-reviewed publications on supplier evaluation and development.
Auditing is not a formality but a management tool. A good auditor leaves behind an understanding of what really should be done differently, not just a list of deviations.
Auditor’s background at a glance
- years of experience in industrial procurement and leadership
- 20+
- doctorates: Doctor of Science in Technology and Doctor of Business Administration
- 2
- management system standards: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001
- 3
- founding partner and chairman of QMClouds since
- 2018
Education and academic background
The expertise used in auditing is not learned in a weekend course. It has been built through years of research and continues through university collaboration.
Doctor of Science in Technology, production economics
Doctoral dissertation at the University of Oulu on production economics. Holds an engineering degree in mechanical and production engineering from the same university, ensuring deep technical understanding of production from the start.
Doctor of Business Administration, business economics
Second doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa in management and organizations. The combination of technology and business means audit findings connect both the process and its business impact.
Docent and researcher
Docent in production economics at the University of Oulu, former assistant professor and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vaasa, and visiting researcher at Corvinus University in Budapest. Also an expert for the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program.
Published research topics include supplier evaluation and selection, supplier development, and measuring supply chain performance. These are the exact issues practical supplier evaluations aim to solve.
Career path: where the experience comes from
An auditor’s credibility comes from having been responsible for the things they evaluate. Here’s a brief summary of the path behind QMClouds’ auditing expertise.
Industrial production and procurement (2004–2011)
Career started in production and procurement roles at Metso Paper, then continued at Rautaruukki, where responsibilities included group-level global procurement.
- Production and procurement roles at Metso Paper Oy
- Building subcontracting category strategy at group level for Rautaruukki Oyj
- Senior Sourcing Manager, leading global procurement category managers
Years when supplier evaluation was learned from the buyer’s seat, not a textbook.
Konecranes: global category manager (2011–2016)
Responsible for global procurement and supply chain of main carriages and steel, and leadership of procurement matrix organization in Europe and Asia.
- Building and developing global supplier networks across two continents
- Managing supplier relationships: long-term contracts and performance improvement
- Leading procurement and supply chain collaboration for joint ventures
Years of experience seeing what a functioning and what a failing supplier quality system looks like in practice.
Research and teaching (2014–)
Alongside industry career, academic career: postdoctoral researcher and assistant professor at the University of Vaasa, visiting researcher at Corvinus University, and docent at the University of Oulu.
- Research topics include strategy implementation, supplier development, and performance measurement
- Peer-reviewed publications on supplier evaluation and selection frameworks
- Evaluating expert for the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program since 2018
Audit evaluation criteria are based on studied knowledge, not mere habits.
Entrepreneur, board professional, and auditor (2018–)
Currently, Ilkka is a founding partner and chairman of QMClouds, and advisor and board member in several Finnish companies.
- QMClouds: founding partner and chairman since 2018
- Board and advisory roles in industrial companies, including Urjala Works Oy
- Business development advisor for SME owners and management teams
Audits conducted with the perspective of an entrepreneur and board professional: which finding really impacts business.
Practical experience as buyer and leader, researched knowledge of evaluation methods, and board work perspective on business. This combination sets useful auditing apart from formality.
What this means for your audit
A CV is interesting only if it shows in the audit day. Here’s how it translates.
The auditor knows the right questions to ask. Having personally led procurement and supply chains, they quickly spot what in the process description is written just for audit purposes and what truly guides the work.
In supplier evaluation, the evaluator’s background matters. Supplier evaluation and selection criteria have been Ilkka’s research topic and day job, so assessments go beyond form-based surveys.
Industry and production are familiar from the inside. Machine shops, subcontractor networks, and industrial supply chains require no special introduction before diving into the core.
Findings are linked to business impact. A deviation is only interesting when it’s explained what it costs or which risk it increases. Board experience brings this perspective into the audit.
We speak management’s language. Experience at management and board level means audit results are presented in a form that enables decision-making.
The role remains independent. The auditor has not developed or maintains the system audited, so their view stays external and impartial.
The same auditor conducts internal audits, pre-audits, and supplier evaluations. You know before contracting who will do the work and with what experience.
When auditor’s experience matters most
Even an inexperienced auditor can get a note in the audit plan. Differences appear when audits are expected to deliver more than formality.
Do you recognize your situation here?
If your situation matches any of these, the initial consultation will clearly cover what an audit would produce in your case.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Auditor
- The audits are conducted by Ilkka Sillanpää, founding partner and chairman of QMClouds. He holds a Doctorate in Science in Technology (production economics, University of Oulu), a Doctorate in Business Administration (University of Vaasa), and is a docent in production economics at the University of Oulu. Initial contact and needs assessment are usually handled by our sales team, but the audit itself is in the hands of the same expert from start to finish: planning, audit day, and report review. The work is not delegated after the contract is signed.
- Threefold. First, practical experience: over 20 years in industrial production, procurement, and leadership roles, including global category manager at Konecranes and head of global procurement at Rautaruukki. Second, researched knowledge: two doctorates and peer-reviewed publications on supplier evaluation and supply chain performance measurement. Third, management perspective: board and advisory roles in industrial companies, bringing a business viewpoint to audits.
- Yes. The auditor has not developed the management system under review nor is responsible for its maintenance, so the evaluation remains external. Independence is a core requirement in internal audits according to standards. Using an external auditor solves this in SMEs where internal personnel would inevitably audit their own work.
- Strongest experience is in manufacturing, machine shops, and industrial supply chains where the auditor has personally worked in global leadership roles. The logic of management systems is similar regardless of industry, and audits have also been performed in services and construction. The initial discussion openly reviews how well experience matches your operations.
- No, and it is not required for internal audits, pre-audits, or supplier evaluations. Accredited lead auditor qualification is required for actual certification audits, which QMClouds does not perform. Standards require internal auditors to be competent and independent, which are built on training, experience, and audit skills. We openly share this background here so you can assess it yourself.
- Yes, and we recommend it. When you contact us, please mention that you want to meet the expert who will conduct the audit, and we will arrange a meeting. This way you can personally verify if the experience fits your needs.