Hiab accelerates its growth with optimized processes
Pinja’s Andon enables more efficient production monitoring and agile responses to production challenges. This is key to improving Hiab’s customer satisfaction and production efficiency.
Hiab enhances its production with Pinja
Hiab is a pioneer in intelligent and sustainable load handling solutions and one of the world’s leading players in its field, offering customized solutions for various industries. As part of its operational development, Hiab has implemented the Andon by Pinja request and reporting system, which supports operations, especially in the U.S. and European markets.
Pinja’s Andon enables more efficient production monitoring and agile responses to production challenges. This is key to improving Hiab’s customer satisfaction and production efficiency.
Briefly about the collaboration
Hiab and Pinja’s success story began in Raisio
Hiab, part of the Cargotec group, has factories around the world. The successful collaboration between Pinja and Hiab began at the Raisio production facility in Finland, focused on hook equipment surface treatment and assembly, in 2019.
Andon enhances production on both sides of the Atlantic
In 2024, Andon by Pinja was implemented in the Services business in the U.S., the company’s largest market area. Hiab plans to gradually expand the system’s use to the Netherlands and the UK. This supports more efficient process management and operational effectiveness globally.
Collaboration builds a strong foundation for growth and development
The goal of the successful collaboration is to continue with the same intensity and ensure the system scales effectively to support both daily operations and long-term planning.
Pinja’s Andon solution is stable, and that is the most important thing for us. In the future, our goal is to integrate it into the SAP ERP system. This integration would enable even smoother data exchange between different systems, reducing manual inputs and errors.
Delays and underutilized resources as production challenges
According to Alan Ratti, VP, Service Operations & PLM, before the system’s implementation, Hiab faced challenges with the smoothness of installation work and communication. Collaboration between production and design is crucial for the installation process, but poor communication between different parties caused delays and disruptions. This, in turn, reduced efficiency and led to underutilization of resources.
The previously used manual whiteboard setup did not provide sufficient traceability or real-time visibility. Most problems were resolved as they arose, without systematic analysis of lost production time or how often the same issues occurred. This made process optimization and continuous improvement challenging.
– We wanted to understand how much time we spent on efficient work and how much time was wasted due to various reasons. This way, we could also identify the biggest pain points and opportunities for improvement in our production.
Pinja’s Andon brings transparency and efficiency to production processes
Operational challenges were resolved by implementing the Andon by Pinja request and reporting system, which brought much-needed transparency and traceability to processes. The system enables real-time data exchange between production and design, significantly improving communication and minimizing delays caused by communication gaps.
Previous manual tracking methods were replaced by analytics reports that provide precise data on utilization rates, downtime, and root causes of issues. This enables the identification of key development areas and optimization of workflows.
– Thanks to the system, we can now respond to production challenges quickly and effectively, leading to more efficient installation processes and reduced waiting times.
Agile partnership driving development
Ratti notes that the collaboration with Pinja has been positive and smooth.
– Our cooperation is based on open communication and shared goals. This has been a fundamental factor in the successful implementation of the system.
According to Ratti, Hiab values Pinja’s role as a partner, not just as a system supplier. This is evident in their concrete understanding of the customer’s critical needs and bottlenecks. The shared vision has enabled agile development and quick responses to feedback.
– Pinja has shown strong commitment to our success by providing comprehensive support both during the system implementation and in daily operations.
The aim is for the collaboration to continue with the same intensity and to ensure that the system scales effectively to support both daily use and long-term planning.
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