No more convincing needed: JGA’s production manager Magnus Ragnarsson (center) is convinced of SIPal. Next to him: Anders Marklund, managing director of Datapolarna (left), and Per Durlin, head of sales and marketing at Timbertec (right) © Raphael Kerschbaumer
JGA is a satisfied SIPal user in the south of Sweden. Established in 1928, the family company is now run in fourth generation and employs a total of around 150 people at its two production sites. The company primarily manufactures high-quality construction products for international customers in Europe, the UK and the US. With an annual production volume of 250,000 m³, logistics in the sawmill are complex.
“Almost all companies here in the region rely on SIPal. That’s how we became aware of this solution, and we didn’t think twice about introducing the software in our company, too,” Magnus Ragnarsson, production manager at JGA, tells us.
Utilizing undiscovered potential
The intuitive user interface supports forklift drivers in their daily tasks and enables them to easily exchange information with each other © Raphael Kerschbaumer
“Many sawmills give little or no thought to in-house logistics because they don’t see it as something they can optimize and improve easily,” Anders Marklund, managing director of Datapolarna, says and adds: “With SIPal, we do exactly that. Logistics is a major cost factor for sawmills and wood-processing businesses, which we can reduce by an average of 20%. This can be achieved, for example, by reducing the number of forklifts in daily use or through an increase in production without the need for an upgrade in package logistics.”
Employees are thrilled
© Raphael Kerschbaumer
SIPal users benefit from a long list of advantages. Back in 2018, JGA implemented the program at their southern Swedish location in Linneryd. Today, nearly eight years later, the software is an indispensable tool in the daily work of the employees. “I can’t imagine a world without SIPal,” one JGA employee aptly puts it. The Holzkurier meets the longtime forklift driver as he is transporting a lumber package from the dry sorting line to the warehouse. Thanks to SIPal, he knows not only which package it is. He is also sent to a suitable storage space, which can be adjusted and defined according to customer-specific rules. “In SIPal, the entire company premises can be digitally mapped. By storing products based on the properties attributed to them, such as dimensions, quality or destination country, the entire warehouse management can be optimized easily and quickly. In addition, this system saves the employee a lot of time since they no longer have to search for packages or storage spaces,” Marklund explains.
Solutions without satellite connection
Each storage space is equipped with an RFID tag in the ground. The forklift has an antenna mounted on its underside and an on-board computer which can also be used offline. Together, they ensure that the forklift driver knows exactly where he or she is at all times and where each package should be placed. This system significantly reduces the risk of errors.
“During implementation, we spent a few days drilling holes in front of all the storage spaces and placing the RFID tags in the ground. Once they are in place, they last a lifetime,” Ragnarsson says about the few technical requirements of the system. The RFID solution has another big advantage, as Marklund explains: “Our solution works without GPS. In sawmills, forklifts constantly move between indoor and outdoor areas or inside drying kilns. A GPS connection would break off frequently, but an RFID tag in the ground is always recognized.”
Positive effect not just on logistics
JGA’s management, too, is highly enthusiastic about the logistics tool. “We keep getting positive feedback from our employees, and we also benefit greatly from SIPal in sales and production planning. We know exactly where everything is stored at any time, which allows us to easily and quickly monitor our entire inventory. This also has a positive effect on production planning. We can control it much better and adjust it to demand by taking a look into the system. Before we had SIPal, there were numerous packages every year that we just couldn’t find. That can’t happen anymore,” Ragnarsson tells us.
Uncomplicated upgrade for existing customers
SIPal works independently of the customer’s ERP system. “Implementation is especially easy for Timbertec customers, as they can use the new standard integration between Ticom and SIPal,” Marklund says. “With Timbertec, you have a single provider for ERP and logistics, and you can make the most of all the resulting synergies.”
Timbertec has a large customer base especially in Central Europe. Since the acquisition of Datapolarna last autumn, SIPal is now also part of the Timbertec family. “SIPal is a must-have in the day-to-day handling of countless lumber packages. For existing Ticom customers, our tool brings efficiency to a whole new level. The many positive experiences reported to us by Scandinavian companies show what our solution is capable of, and that can also be transferred to the rest of Europe – easily, quickly and, above all, efficiently,” the industry expert summarizes.
