Forest machines with flexibility and quality

Ponsse and its factory, which is one of the world's leading manufacturers of forest machinery, is located in the small municipality of Vieremä. More than 11,000 forest machines have been manufactured there over a period of 46 years. About 9,500 of these are still in use.

Ponsse is known as a company that specializes in manufacturing, sales and service of forest machinery based on the short timber method and on related computer systems. The short timber method means that the trunks are already cut in the forest to lengths that are suitable for the timber's intended use. At the same time, the computer systems convey information all the way to the end customer about which types of wood and what quantity of wood is on its way out of the forest. Everything happens wirelessly and in real time.

The challenge

The conditions of use of the forestry machines put the metal's strength as well as abrasion and weather resistance to the test. The machines are used in difficult terrain and under varying weather conditions and there are really no cold limits for when they are used. Customers can choose product features that are suitable for their driving conditions and they value the high quality of the products and a product development that meets their needs. Companies are needed as supplier partners that can contribute to meeting these customer needs.

Ponsse mainly buys high-strength pretreated Strenx steel from Tibnor. The steel is processed at Tibnor's processing unit in Seinäjoki and sometimes also in Hyvinkää. Deliveries from Tibnor are timed according to the various product stages at Ponsse. All pre-treated pieces are transported to Ponsse's own welding workshop for further treatment and from there they continue their journey to be used, for example, in the constructions of thinning machines or crane arms.

Ponsse uses a supplier portal that connects Tibnor's and Ponsse's data systems. The orders come from Tibnor according to the just-in-time principle, as it is not practical to have large stocks at the factory in Vieremä.

- For us, it is vitally important to react quickly and flexibly to our customers' needs. That's why Ponsse has developed a supplier portal that enables Tibnor's and Ponsse's data systems to communicate with each other, says Tiina Haapalainen, procurement manager at Ponsse in Vieremä.

Computer systems that communicate with each other

Ponsse's and Tibnor's data systems are structured so that they communicate with each other. This has made the collaboration smoother. Now it is faster to implement product changes and the orders progress in a more easily understandable way.

- When the systems are in contact with each other, the final products can be changed more quickly and we can order individual products for the changing needs of production. We also see in real time how the orders are progressing. Before these changes, this took weeks or months, says Haapalainen.

The portal leads to time savings when unloading goods, in office work and in terms of delivery times.

- In the portal, Tibnor sees which work phase awaits different products and packs the products accordingly. Goods can be unpacked and placed on the shelves more quickly. The amount of office work is naturally less because the orders are no longer made manually one at a time. In addition, the warehouse's turnover rate has increased significantly, Haapalainen adds.

The collaboration has deepened over the years and not only between Ponsse's buyers and Tibnor's sales. The quality experts at both companies have visited each other and collaboration is also done in product development and production planning.

- Our product development communicates with Tibnor's production planning, among other things, and they discuss the manufacturing of the products. The aim is always to avoid difficult work steps and to get work steps as fast, simple and cost-effective as possible. The cooperation between different units has run smoothly, says Haapalainen.

Briefly

About Ponsse
Manufactures, sells and performs service on forest machines and associated computer systems.

Challenge
Ponsse's customers have needs that require quality and flexibility also from the supplier partner.

Solution
High-strength pre-treated steel directly for Ponsse's production needs.