How Aimplan Helped Norra Skog Get Better at Planning Production
Norra Skog Group is a large forest management company in the north of Sweden. With over 27,000 member forest owners, Norra Skog is responsible for sustainable forestry and delivering wood products to customers.
Background
In 2020, Norra Skog merged with two other companies called Norra Skogsägarna and Norrskog. This combination urged Norra Skog to rebuild their production forecasting systems from scratch, as the old approach had become unsustainable.
Before the collaboration, Norra Skog had relied on an Excel solution that was only partially automated to make predictions about output. But, the data became inconsistent and invalid because of the decentralized method, in which each production manager kept their own copy of the forecasting spreadsheet.
"The adoption of Aimplan allowed production managers to reclaim valuable time previously spent on manual data entry and maintenance.
This newfound time can now be redirected toward more
strategic activities." - Jonas Byström, Business Developer
Challenges
The key issues Norra Skog faced with their outdated forecasting system were:
Distributed and Irregular Data Collection
Without a unified data collection process, the different production managers' spreadsheets contained incoherent information, making it difficult to get an accurate, comprehensive view of production.
Widespread Manual Errors
The heavy reliance on manual data entry and manipulation in multiple Excel sheets led to a significant risk of human errors, which in turn compromised the quality and validity of the forecasts.
​
Lack of Predictability for Customers
The data inconsistencies and forecasting mistakes made it difficult for Norra Skog to provide trustworthy and dependable production information to their customers. This uncertainty presented a risk of material shortages.
Needs and Solution
In the winter of 2022/2023, Norra Skog initiated the implementation of Aimplan into their Power BI environment to address their production forecasting challenges. The primary objective was to reduce the amount of manual maintenance required for their forecasts. The reliability of their production forecasts was paramount since any inaccuracies could result in material shortages
for their customers.
​
While it was possible to manage the process manually, the complexity and potential for chaos made automation a preferable solution. Norra Skog conducts monthly rolling forecasts for the coming three months, providing more reliable information and predictable production data for both the company and its customers.
​
This predictability is crucial for all stakeholders, ensuring the correct amount of different products is delivered to the right customer. Aimplan provides an integrated planning solution through Power BI, combining production, road storage, and transportation data into interactive models. This allows Norra Skog to accurately forecast demand, plan logistics, and optimize operations across the supply chain with features like scenario analysis and advanced analytics.
Implementation
The implementation of Aimplan at Norra Skog has been remarkably smooth thanks in part to its seamless integration with Power BI. The intuitive user interface has significantly reduced the risk of human error compared to the previous manual system. Through Power BI, users can perform all of their forecasting and planning without even realizing it is powered behind the scenes by Aimplan. This has further eased the adoption of the new software. Production managers have reported saving up to four hours each month utilizing Aimplan's efficiencies. They can now dedicate more attention to strategic priorities and responsibilities rather than administrative tasks.
Results
The introduction of Aimplan brought about a significant transformation in Norra Skog's production forecasting process, with the following key results:
Conclusion
The implementation of Aimplan at Norra Skog has fundamentally transformed their production forecasting process. With improved data quality, time savings, enhanced reliability, and streamlined processes, Norra Skog is now better equipped to meet the needs of their customers.
By harnessing Aimplan's capabilities alongside their industry expertise, Norra Skog is poised for continued success in the forest management sector. Aimplan has become an invaluable partner in their journey towards excellence in data-driven decision-making.