Collaboration platforms, logistical hubs

CFharvest (WoodForce) is planning- and steering system for harvesting and silviculture to optimize and strengthen the supply chains of forestry. Forestry company delivers all the contracts the WoodForce-system according to the need of raw material. The contractor selects the contracts and the locations he will perform. Forest companies have decreased harvesting and average costs in Silviculture or Regeneration job types. There has been increasing productivity in the supply chain of stem wood and energy wood. Also increasing productivity in field operations in Forestry like Silviculture Harvesting Forest Services. Contractors have the ability to manage their own forestry services and receive the full benefit of all resources. Possibility to operate for multiple forest companies is important. In addition, there is less manual reporting and worksite navigation is easier. CFharvest supports a changing trend where progressive companies now contract for several forest companies and do the planning with one system. Since the contractor understands local conditions best, forest harvesting operations become more efficient: the contractor has direct control over work plans and scheduling his own fleet of harvesters and trucks.

CFLogistics (LogForce) is a software service for forestry related transport that streamlines the business for both the haulage contractor and the forestry company. CFLogistics software covers all the planning and vehicle software needed by a haulage contractor. With the help of the CFLogistics service, a transport company can offer its services to several forestry companies using one information system. The forestry company can focus on managing delivery volumes and optimising stock turnover. With the CFLogistics software service, the haulage contractor can plan and manage the transport of logs, forest energy, chips and other by-products of the forest industry from the starting depot to the location of use.

Advantages for transport companies:

• Higher utilisation rate of the transportation equipment
• Ability to work for different forestry companies using just one application
• More flexible transport planning
• Forestry companys advantages:
• Focus on managing delivery volumes
• Better stock turnover
• Cost-efficient logistics

One of the challenges in wood mobilization is small-scale wood units within long distances from the nearest roads. These units are not profitable for harvesting, since forest and long-distance transportation are of high costs. The answer to the challenge might lie in bigger wood terminals where wood from multiple small-scale units would be gathered from the same area for intermediate storage. In general, storing the wood is sensible at a distance of about 100 to 150 km from the site of use. The best location for intermediate storage is at the beginning of forest roads.

In Lapland, for instance, a few big terminals have been built close to the railway to advance the efficiency of wood transportation by train. In the provinces, larger terminals are usually located mainly according to the needs of industry and large forestry companies. Benefits of common terminals occur especially in wintertime, when maintenance of storage area could be done commonly or by the certain terminal operator. The joint terminals are well suited for energy wood and wood for which the need for storage is at a different time. This allows continuous use of area.

Operating culture, various practices, and lack of cooperation of the actors are experienced to restrict the wider deployment of common terminals. However, an increase in wood flows will require building more terminals. There is a need for more joint terminals, but it requires cooperation between forest service providers. It would be highly useful to gather the intermediate storage places in one map-based spatial database, which would be open-accessed for all the service providers. This would advance bringing together different actors in the wood procurement chain. In summary, the main benefits comprise:

• Joint wood terminals of forest companies for short-term storage of wood
• Profitable harvesting from the small-scale unit
• Efficiency in wood transportation by train
• Less environmental effects because of centralized terminals