Orasko – the sawmill industry export company streamlines log reception and ERP with Pinja

Orasko, which specializes in the export of pine and spruce timber, manages the log receipt and sawmill operations with Pinja’s systems.

Orasko’s sawmill operations require support from efficient systems

Orasko, an export company in the sawmill industry, is a producer, exporter and broker of high quality sawn timber. The company specializes in pine and spruce sawn timber and supplies its products from Finland to the rest of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa for construction, carpentry, and furniture industries. In addition to its own sawn timber, the company also supplies products from its Finnish partners.

The company is growing strongly: in 2017, the company, which focuses on sawn timber export and brokerage, acquired a small company specializing in log sawing, which expanded the company’s operations to include its own sawmills. In 2021, Orasko was named Kauppalehti’s Growth Company of the Year in recognition of its strong growth in the industry.

The cooperation with Orasko began in 2014, when the company introduced the Timber by Pinja system. This was followed by the introduction of Terminal by Pinja, and since 2022 Orasko has been using Pinja’s reception system as an important part of its log reception.

The cooperation in brief

Smooth reception strengthens Orasko’s core business

Orasko schedules and streamlines the unloading of timber in its log reception area with Pinja’s reception system. It allows different transport companies to schedule their arrivals, preventing congestion. Scheduling saves everyone’s time, and also allows the company to better forecast production at the sawmill. The quality of the raw materials is also maintained, as scheduling means that they do not have to be unloaded at the field.

Data flows from one place to another in real time

The reception system provides a channel for time booking as well as information on general reception matters. For example, in exceptional situations, drivers will see messages indicating when the reception may be closed or if they need to consider any other special situation, thus avoiding unnecessary trips with large loads of wood.

Scalability for a wide range of activities

Pinja’s various systems support Orasko’s operations in many ways, from log reception scheduling to the management, recording and billing of raw materials and timber lots. The use of the systems can also be flexibly expanded as the business grows.

In the previous log sorting line, each truck load was unloaded at the field and transported to the sorting area by a wheeled machine. We needed a scheduling program that would streamline operations and allow us to predict the loads for each day. That’s why we implemented Pinja’s solution in connection with the new log sorting line.

Juho Maijala, Raw Material Operations Manager

Pinja’s technology supports Orasko’s operations in many ways

Since 2014, Orasko has been using the Timber by Pinja system to manage raw materials in its sawmill operations and later implemented the Terminal by Pinja system for log reception. In addition, the company manages the scheduling of raw material flows through Pinja’s standalone, browser-based reception system, which was introduced in 2022.

Pinja was the natural choice to facilitate the daily work of the reception, as Orasko already had experience with Pinja’s ERP solution. The reception system is now an integral part of the daily operations and scheduling of the log reception.

“In the previous log sorting line, each truck load was unloaded at the field and transported to the sorting area by a wheeled machine. We needed a scheduling program that would streamline operations and allow us to predict the loads for each day. That’s why we implemented Pinja’s solution in connection with the new log sorting line”, says Juho Maijala, Raw Material Operations Manager at Orasko.

Orasko’s products are mainly spruce and pine timber and beams. Different types of wood have different unloading times, and the calendar can be set according to these needs.

In practice, the system allows carriers to book a time to bring in their loads, which prevents congestion at the log reception and helps them see the real-time arrival schedule of the loads. This makes planning easier for Orasko, while providing a useful framework for the drivers.

Flexibility and efficient information flow

The system offers welcome flexibility for drivers – as working in forests and with timber involves many moving parts, scheduling needs to be flexible too. “Things happen in the forest, and not everything can be predicted. That’s why we want to give the drivers the flexibility they need with the scheduling system. So the reserved times are not set in stone”, says Maijala. “The drivers have also given positive feedback on the scheduling system, although they were admittedly a little hesitant at first.”

The reception system is not only a valuable scheduling tool, but also a useful information channel. For example, if a breakdown or other unexpected event requires the temporary closure of the reception, the system can be used to notify the drivers so that they know not to come to the reception or schedule deliveries during those times.

Maijala particularly appreciates the ease of use and flexibility of Pinja’s system. The system works flexibly both on the browser and on the phone. The drivers, who naturally move around a lot during the day, mainly use the system by phone.

“Using the reception system does not require downloading a separate app, and the support works perfectly”, he says. Improvements to the software are available to all users. Maijala points out: “Pinja is actively developing the solution. It’s nice that we also have the opportunity to influence how the app works.”

Pinja’s solutions fit Orasko’s expansion plans

The smooth reception of logs supports Orasko’s operations in every way. When forest companies schedule deliveries, Orasko is able to forecast production, says Maijala. Timber by Pinja is essential for the sawmill’s operational management, he says. It helps centralize functions such as parcel registration, and it has also made billing easier.

“In the past, bills came from suppliers and were based on truck scales. Now we have our own accurate metrics to support our bills, and we can manage our billing centrally”, says Maijala.

Orasko’s operations are constantly expanding, and Pinja’s technology supports the evolving needs of different sawmill operations. A new sorting line was commissioned in 2022, and the company plans to commission a new drying plant in the near future. This could lead to a wider deployment of Pinja’s scalable systems.

Ilkka Suhonen, Customer Manager at Pinja, believes that the cooperation with Orasko has been very successful.

“We have been very pleased to see how effectively Orasko has integrated Pinja’s solutions into their daily operations and built an efficient log reception system with our technology. We look forward to continuing our cooperation as Orasko expands its operations”, he says.

Orasko in a nutshell

200 000 m3 annual sawing capacity

20+ employees

22,4 miljoonaa million turnover in 2023

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