Logistics consulting

Silvasti Software Oy is able to carry out demanding logistics-related consulting projects that can last from one day to over a year.

  • Evaluation, design and development of logistics processes and information systems
  • Participation in operational activities in a jointly agreed area of responsibility (for example, outsourced logistics manager)

Case: Metsä Fibre Kemi Bioproduct Mill

When completed, Metsä Group’s Kemi bioproduct mill will be the most efficient wood-processing facility in the northern hemisphere. It is the largest investment in the history of Finland’s forest industry, with a value of €2.02 billion. The new mill will start operating in the third quarter of 2023. (https://www.metsagroup.com/metsafibre/about-metsafibre/pulp-production/new-kemi-bioproduct-mill/)

The Kemi bioproduct mill is the result of many years of preparation. The final construction decision and large scale construction works began in early 2021. The deliveries of process equipment started in the summer of 2021 and overlapped with continuous earthworks and the erection of production buildings.

The construction site required over a million cubic metres of earth materials to be exchanged on-site and exceptionally large quantities of foundation piling, concrete beams, building elements, concrete, and other construction materials on a national scale. Approximately 10,000 truckloads of process equipment were transported to Kemi, including around 1,500 special transports. The most demanding special transports were among the largest ever to travel on the Finnish road network.

Silvasti Software provided expert assistance to Metsä Fibre in planning logistics operating models for process equipment and overseeing their implementation. Metsä Fibre had experience with a similar project in Äänekoski between 2015 and 2017. The positive experiences gained from the Äänekoski project regarding selected operational methods and project team members facilitated the reassembly of an experienced logistics supervision team for the Kemi project. Metsä Fibre’s project supervision organisation has proven to be among the best and most experienced in the industry.

The success of project logistics relies on collaboration, information sharing, and mutual coordination among all parties and companies operating in the area. No party can act independently of others and make decisions without considering the actions of other parties. Although each project supplier is primarily responsible for the implementation of their own part, Metsä Fibre’s monitoring organisation, together with the main equipment supplier Valmet, ensured communication between different parties and the necessary coordination of actions.

The coordination of logistics is entirely based on anticipating future events. All process equipment suppliers were obligated to plan and schedule their deliveries. The extensive logistics planning,

covering hundreds of suppliers, was based on the division of work between Metsä Fibre and Valmet’s Logistics Organisation, unified operating models, and actively guiding suppliers towards the desired approach. More detailed coordination of common operating models also enabled better planning of installation functions. By monitoring on-site events, immediate action was taken to address identified shortcomings and problematic situations.

In addition to supplier training and on-site logistics operations, Metsä Fibre’s logistics team carried out extensive background work to support the success of various operators. Based on comprehensive project-wide information, cooperation was established with the Pirkanmaa ELY Centre (which grants all special transport permits in Finland), the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the City of Kemi, the Port of Kemi, and the port operator.

Timo Reiman, logistics expert at Silvasti Software, (https://www.logiapp.com/en/contact/timo-reiman/) has decades of extensive experience in organising logistics and implementing project logistics, both from the equipment supplier and project execution perspectives. In extensive projects, clear allocation of responsibilities and clarifying interfaces among parties provide everyone with the conditions to perform their own tasks in the best possible way. With a determined approach and guidance, all parties can be motivated to work in accordance with common interests.

Utilising efficient and flexible information systems also requires a well-functioning logistics organisation. However, logistics information systems alone cannot solve problems if the user organisation lacks a common process and approach. Understanding different operating models across various industries is crucial in developing information systems that meet customers’ needs.

Service implemented by Silvasti Software Oy:

  • Project content
    • Logistics planning for transporting process equipment to Kemi Bioproduct Mill
    • Transport planning, procurement, and monitoring
  • Client
    • Metsä Fibre Oy
  • Silvasti Software’s expert
    • Timo Reiman
  • Duration of the project
    • March 2021 – March 2023
  • Project workload
    • 1.7 person years
  • Location of the project
    • The project was carried out in Kemi and Jyväskylä