news Archives - Optilon

Optilon is expanding into Germany – and for CEO Mikael Ahlström, the move is as much about timing as it is about opportunity. With supply chains under growing pressure from geopolitical shifts, tariffs, and market volatility, we asked him what this next chapter means for Optilon and its customers across Europe.

Why Germany, and why now?

– Germany represents the largest industrial and manufacturing economy in Europe, and many of Optilon’s existing customers already have operations there. Establishing a presence in Germany is therefore a natural next step in supporting our customers and partners across Europe.

Supply chains have become more complex due to geopolitics, tariffs, and increased volatility, which has increased the demand for advanced planning, decision support, and supply chain design capabilities.

This creates a strong market opportunity aligned with Optilon’s expertise and product development. The timing is also right because Optilon has invested in its own platforms, AI capabilities, and ecosystem partnerships – making it possible to scale internationally in a structured way rather than opportunistically.

What key market needs or opportunities do you see in Germany?

– Germany has a very strong industrial base with complex manufacturing, global supply chains, and high requirements for planning, optimization, and decision support. These are exactly the areas where Optilon has built deep expertise over the past 20 years.

Many German companies are now moving from traditional planning systems toward integrated decision platforms, scenario planning, and AI-supported decision making. Optilon combines strategy, design, implementation, and decision support platforms – which positions us well to support this transition.

We also see strong opportunities in areas such as supply chain design, S&OP, production planning, inventory optimization, and AI-driven analytics, where we already have proven customer cases and solutions.

How would you describe the German market compared to your existing markets?

– Compared to the Nordic markets, the German market is larger, more industrial, and often more structured in how companies approach technology investments and partnerships. Projects are typically larger, decisions take longer time, and local presence and credibility carry more weight.

At the same time, the potential scale is significantly larger, and many companies operate globally from Germany – making it an important strategic market for long-term growth in Europe. In many ways, the German market fits very well with Optilon’s experience from working with large industrial companies and complex supply chains.

What differentiates Optilon in the German market?

– What differentiates Optilon is that we combine strategy, process, technology, and analytics rather than focusing only on software implementation. We help companies improve supply chain performance and decision making – not just implement systems.

We also combine leading planning technologies with our own platforms, AI capabilities, and collaboration tools, which allows us to deliver integrated solutions rather than isolated systems.

Another key differentiator is our ecosystem model – we work closely with leading technology partners while also developing our own products, which allows us to remain independent and always focus on the best solution for the customer.

What are Optilon’s ambitions for the German market over the next few years?

– Our ambition is to establish a strong and sustainable presence in Germany and the broader DACH region, working closely with customers and partners to build long-term relationships. In the first phase, the focus is on building local presence, references, and partnerships.

Over time, the ambition is to grow the business, expand our ecosystem, and establish Germany as one of Optilon’s key markets in Europe. We see this as a long-term investment and an important part of Optilon’s European growth strategy.

How does this expansion strengthen Optilon’s position in Europe?

– The expansion moves Optilon from being primarily a Nordic company to becoming a broader European supply chain partner. Many of our customers operate globally, and by expanding into Germany we can support them across more markets.

It also strengthens our partnerships and ecosystem in Europe and gives us access to a larger industrial customer base. Overall, this is an important step in building Optilon as a European company rather than a regional one.

Expanding into Germany marks a significant milestone in Optilon’s journey. As supply chains grow more complex and the demand for smarter planning increases, Optilon is building the partnerships, platforms, and presence needed. We look forward to the journey – and to the conversations it will start.

Today’s supply chains are more volatile and complex than ever, and the traditional systems and processes typically used to manage them can’t keep pace.  

Atlas Copco Industrial Technique, part of Atlas Copco Group, a leading provider of compressed air, vacuum, and industrial solutions, recognizes this, and has implemented ToolsGroup SO99+, the industry’s first probabilistic supply chain planning and optimization platform, with support from Optilon, ToolsGroup’s partner in the Nordics.

On Wednesday, May 20, they will lay out how the platform is helping it shift to probability-based forecasting and inventory planning and make decisions with certainty, even when conditions change, at the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo™ in Barcelona.

“Working closely with Optilon and ToolsGroup, we’re modernizing forecasting and inventory planning to support better, faster decisions across our supply chain,” says Karin Linnros, Senior Inventory Manager, Atlas Copco Industrial Technique.

Read full press release here.

When planners and decision-makers work from different information, things fall through the cracks. Optilon Collaboration brings them together around a single, real-time view of demand, supply, and inventory. We spoke with Caroline Svensson, Senior Supply Chain Consultant, and Emma Rosén, Senior Supply Chain Consultant at Optilon, about the thinking behind it.

What customer challenge triggered the development of Optilon Collaboration?

– It was actually the realization that many customers face similar challenges but are at different stages in addressing them. A common gap is the disconnect between detailed planners and those with market insight or strategic decision-making authority. We wanted to bridge this by creating a collaborative platform that connects the organisation around a shared view of planning data—giving decision-makers access to actionable supply chain insights.

What can users do today with Optilon Collaboration that they couldn’t do before? What is the biggest change in their day-to-day work?

– Users now have access to an up-to-date, unified view of both demand and supply—sales forecasts, market trends, growth targets, supply plan, inventory and service —all in one intuitive platform. This enables roles across the organisation to act proactively: sales teams can contribute to forecasts and track targets, while operations teams can plan capacity, investments, and identify risks earlier. For supply chain managers, this level of visibility should be standard—but without a collaborative interface, it often isn’t.

Who typically uses the platform and how do different roles collaborate in it?

– The platform is designed primarily for stakeholders who previously lacked access to detailed planning data. Rather than adding another tool for planners, it empowers decision-makers one level up with the same insights. This ensures alignment between planning and decision-making, making actions more realistic and executable.

What are the most important capabilities of Optilon Collaboration and why do they matter for customers?

– Ease of use and configurability are key. The platform is intuitive even for infrequent users and can be adapted to each customer’s level of maturity.

This supports a scalable journey—from collaborative demand planning to S&OE, S&OP, and ultimately a fully integrated IBP process.

Have any customers already tested or piloted the platform, and if so, what has their feedback been?

– Yes, since launching the demand planning capabilities a little more than a year ago, 10–15 customers have adopted the platform. Feedback has been very positive, particularly regarding usability, performance improvements, and configurability. Following the launch of supply planning functionality at the end of 2025, making the platform more complete, interest has expanded even more and two customers are already actively evolving their S&OP processes using Optilon Collaboration.

How do you see Optilon Collaboration evolving over the next twelve months?

– Our primary focus is continuous improvement based on customer feedback—ensuring the platform delivers real value to our users. We are also prioritizing enhanced inventory management capabilities, including support for stock decisions, and expanding scenario planning to help customers build resilience in an increasingly complex planning landscape.

Want to learn more?

With 20+ years of experience and more than 1,000 successful projects, Optilon helps companies design supply chains that work – and keep improving.

Book a meeting with a supply chain expert to explore how Optilon Collaboration can help your business make better decisions.

Optilon announces the appointment of Mikael Ahlström as its new Chief Executive Officer, marking the start of the company’s next phase of strategic growth. The transition follows more than fifteen years of close collaboration, during which Mikael has served as a trusted advisor to the board and leadership team.

With a rare combination of deep technical expertise, strong business acumen, and a holistic strategic perspective, Mikael Ahlström steps into the role at a time when supply chain, AI-driven planning, and resilient operations are becoming increasingly important for Nordic companies.

Before joining Optilon, Mikael served as CEO of Net Result AB and Director of Business Development at Know IT. He also founded United Vanning, a consultancy focused on architecture and implementation for complex business and IT environments. Most recently, he held the CIO role at Stabelo, where he helped build and refine their development processes and platforms.

As part of the transition, former CEO Richard Barkevall will remain within the company at a strategic capacity. After more than two decades leading Optilon’s development and customer-facing work, Richard will continue contributing to areas such as partnerships, innovation, and the further evolution of Optilon’s supply chain offering.

Richard Barkevall comments:
— Over the past 20 years, Optilon has evolved from a value-added reseller and consulting-focused business into a company that also develops its own software and platforms. As supply chain has become increasingly strategic and technology-driven, this feels like a natural moment to hand over the CEO role. I’m very proud of what we have built together and pleased to welcome Mikael as the next CEO. With his deep experience in product development and technology-led transformation, he is exceptionally well suited to lead Optilon into its next phase. Going forward, I’m excited to continue supporting the company by sharing my long-term perspective, experience, and energy—working closely with teams, customers and partners as Optilon continues to grow.

Mikael Ahlström comments:
— Supply chain has moved from an operational concern to a board-level priority. Optilon is uniquely positioned at the intersection of strategy, technology, and execution, and I’m excited to lead the company into its next phase. Our focus will be on helping customers build resilient, data-driven supply chains—combining world-class expertise with modern platforms and AI-enabled planning.

The appointment underlines Optilon’s commitment to providing independent, best-in-class solutions for supply chain management—supporting organizations in building resilient, data-driven, and future-proof supply chains.

Mikael Ahlström assumed his role as CEO on January 3, 2026.

Download full press release as PDF:
Optilon appoints Mikael Ahlström as new CEO.

About Optilon
Optilon is a leading independent supply chain partner with over 20 years of experience. The company specializes in identifying, selecting, and integrating the best solutions to optimize supply chain strategies. With over 1,000 completed projects for 200+ clients, Optilon continues to drive innovation and efficiency in supply chain management. Learn more at www.optilon.com.

For further questions and inquiries, please contact:

Mikael Ahlström
CEO, Optilon
Phone: +46 766 080 048
E-mail: mikael.ahlstrom@optilon.com

Richard Barkevall
Senior Advisor, Optilon
Phone: +46 709 379 280
E-mail: richard.barkevall@optilon.com

The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is transforming how global supply chains account for their carbon footprint. For companies with any upstream activity touching the EU, either directly through exports or indirectly through materials embedded in products, CBAM is no longer a distant policy issue. It is becoming an operational requirement starting next year.

What exactly is CBAM, and why now?

CBAM is the EU’s new system for pricing the carbon emissions embedded in certain imported goods. It complements the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) by ensuring that foreign producers face a similar carbon cost as EU manufacturers.

In other words, if you want to sell carbon-intensive products into the EU, you must disclose their emissions and pay a carbon price if those emissions exceed certain benchmarks.

Why CBAM matters for supply chains

1. Trade flow optimization

Expect shifts in sourcing:

Low-carbon producers gain an advantage
High-emission exporters may lose access to EU markets
Some suppliers may begin relocating part of production to regions with cleaner energy mixes

2. Procurement costs will change

CBAM effectively acts as a carbon surcharge on high-emission products.

Procurement teams must model:

Carbon-adjusted landed cost
Supplier switching scenarios
Credit for foreign carbon taxes
Long-term price competitiveness of low-carbon materials

3. Data transparency becomes mandatory

Supply chains must now trace production emissions for materials that previously moved freely without environmental disclosure.

This introduces:

New data-sharing requirements
Standardized emissions reporting formats
Need for third-party verification

How can Optilon help your organization maintain or increase competitiveness?

Naturally, your compliance department will get some additional work. Beyond that, we are looking at a world where certain trade routes of goods will have a change in cost. This may lead to a series of secondary consequences that may be tricky to overview without taking a serious approach to how an organization’s supply chain looks.

As an example, an increase in costs from non-EU countries may make it more cost-efficient to utilize different trade routes, which in turn may introduce new needs for consolidation or de-consolidation points in the supply chain network. Other suppliers may become more competitive in relative terms, opening completely new sourcing alternatives. If you are a company using co-load setups, this could also be affected.

One way to investigate how such events or adjustments in complex global supply chains impact organizations is by making use of Network Design methodology. This is a methodology where organizations charter digital representations of their supply chains on a relevant level of detail with the goal of understanding how adjustments impact the current or future supply chain network.

A key component when engaging in network design is the use of scenario planning. This is particularly useful when investigating a series of different what-if scenarios and to ensure that results are not too sensitive to change (such as a change in demand). A scenario-driven approach in network design is an excellent way to explore what could be the optimal supply chain design.

Optilon helps companies to establish this capability, and we work with customers at different degrees of engagement, such as advising, model building, change management, and operational execution.

Want to know more about how CBAM could impact your business? Book a meeting with us today!

Twenty years ago, Optilon was founded with a simple yet ambitious idea: to help companies plan smarter, work better, and grow more sustainably. Today, that mission remains just as strong, powered by two decades of experience and the people who make it all happen.

Earlier this year, Optilon marked the start of the 20-year anniversary – read the article here.

To continue the celebrations, Optilon presents The Optilon Journey, a three-part film series that takes viewers behind the scenes of the company’s evolution, from its early days to the innovations shaping its future.

Part 1 – How it all started

How does an idea grow into a company that transforms an industry? The first episode revisits Optilon’s beginnings, the vision, the challenges, and the determination that built the foundation for everything that followed.

Part 2 – Shaping the industry

How do bold choices turn into lasting impact? This is the story where viewers meet the people and projects that helped position Optilon as one of the leading supply chain partners in the Nordics. Through personal stories and expert insights, it explores how collaboration, technology, and strategy can drive real change.

Part 3 – The people and the future

What drives innovation over decades? From AI and automation to bold ambitions and workplace culture, the final chapter looks ahead to the technologies and shared purpose that will define the next 20 years. Because at Optilon, it’s people who power progress.

As Optilon celebrates two decades in business, the focus remains clear: to help companies become the most competitive in the world through supply chain – while continuing to build a workplace where people thrive, grow, and make a difference.

Learn more about how Optilon’s journey began and evolved over the past 20 years on our history page – or discover how we can help your company strengthen its supply chain performance by talking to one of our experts.