ESPOO, Finland, Nov. 11, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Stora Enso Metsa has decided to use TietoEnator's (Other OTC:TTNTF) (Stockholm:TIEN) control system for its timber transport. The TietoEnator system calculates the most efficient routes from the forest to the mills and minimises trucks carrying empty loads, so that considerable cost savings are realized and transport operations emissions are reduced.
Stora Enso's new control system is unique in that it enables wood procurement optimisation throughout the entire country, not limited by procurement region boundaries. Previously, road deliveries were planned using regional route models. Now Stora Enso's timber deliveries from all over Finland are routed centrally two or three times a week. The routing includes approximately 250 timber trucks that serve about one hundred destinations. Route plans are confirmed and sent to timber trucks through five procurement regions. In the future, routing may be extended beyond Finnish borders if necessary.
The TietoEnator system considers all transport methods -- including rail, vessel transport, and timber floating -- to choose the most cost-efficient transport method for each destination. When determining daily driving routes, the system considers the tight schedules, the assortment of wood the mills require, and the location of roadside timber stacks. It even considers road conditions, since, especially in the winter, road quality influences route selection and presents major challenges to transport control.
The control system is part of a more extensive wood supply solution, which incorporates optimisation models for wood harvesting, transport planning, and routing. Delivered and maintained by TietoEnator, the wood supply solution is used daily by some 600 persons, with approximately 100 mills and 550 timber trucks and felling machines connected to it. The system utilises satellite navigation in combination with GSM and GPRS technologies.
"TietoEnator offers IT services for the entire forest management chain: from natural resource management, wood procurement, paper mills, and sawmills, to sales and logistics. The wood supply solution delivered to Stora Enso represents the newest technology in the wood procurement area. The newly adopted timber transport control system is unique in the world," said Sakari Ruotsalainen, Director of TietoEnator Forest.
For further information, please contact:
Sakari Ruotsalainen, Vice President TietoEnator Forest tel: +358 40 5116165 email: sakari.ruotsalainen@tietoenator.com Matti Karjula, Vice President Domestic Wood Procurement Stora Enso Metsa tel: +358 2046 23009 email: matti.karjula@storaenso.com
With almost 12,000 employees and annual net sales of EUR 1.1 billion, TietoEnator is a leading supplier of high value-added IT services in Europe. TietoEnator specialises in consulting, building and hosting its customers' business operations in the digital economy. The Group's services are based on a combination of deep industry-specific expertise and latest information technology. www.tietoenator.com
Stora Enso's wood procurement in Europe totals 50 million m3. Stora Enso Metsa supplies 25 million m3 of wood raw material from Finland, Russia, and the Baltic States annually to the Company's pulp and paper mills as well as to sawmills. The objective is to secure undisturbed wood deliveries to the mills using environmentally sustainable methods. Stora Enso Metsa's workforce includes 800 employees and 500 harvesting and transport contractors. Stora Enso Metsa's sales total EUR 1.1 billion. www.storaenso.com
This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net
The following files are available for download:
www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/11/11/20021111BIT00160/wkr0001.doc www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/11/11/20021111BIT00160/wkr0002.pdf