“Right now, technological development is very fast and enables the secure and reliable collection of data. It offers massive opportunities for using harvesting data to make harvesting operations more efficient and friendlier to the environment. Digitalisation means an improved operational efficiency and the innovation of new business models, also in forest machine manufacturing and harvesting”, says Miika Soininen, director of IT and digital services at Ponsse.

Development always starts from customers. According to Soininen, digital solutions must always produce added value to customers, regardless of the size of the customer company. When machine performance is monitored, it is possible to foresee any machine malfunctions and pinpoint any faults quickly.

Monitoring and analytics improve the mechanical reliability of machines and reduce downtime due to maintenance. The development of machines and components has been steered heavily to withstand long-term stress in extreme conditions. By being able to analyse machine operations more closely during their lifecycle, machine reliability can be developed even further. However, data is not only used to ensure the mechanical operations of machines. Data also helps to make the work of the operator easier and to build services, which allow both operators and contractors to control harvesting operations even better.   

Massive recruitments in progress

The investments also aim to reinforce the organisation. Miika Soininen, director of IT and digital services, was appointed to the Group’s Management Team at the beginning of December. At the same time, the company announced significant investments in the development of digital services. Ponsse will be looking for ten new professionals in digital service development https://ura.ponsse.com/pages/digital-services-recruitment.  

The aim of these recruitments is to strengthen Ponsse’s ability to respond to the opportunities offered by technological development and to accelerate the launch of data-based solutions for customers and Ponsse’s network. The foundation of digital business has been built for a couple of years now, and activities are now based on up-to-date tools.

“We are engaged in a chain that optimises the efficient flow of wood from forests to mills, while saving raw materials, trees, and the terrain remaining in forests. Cooperation between effectively used data and different parties plays a significant part in this chain”, Soininen says.


New Connectivity Unit for telematics of PONSSE forest machines

Data is already being used extensively in monitoring machine operations at present. A good example is the recently introduced Connectivity Unit for telematics, which is available for all PONSSE forest machines starting from the beginning of 2021. The module is developed by Epec Oy, a technology company owned by Ponsse, and it is compatible with Azure IoT Edge transmitting data from PONSSE machines autonomously without any separate actions needed.

The Connectivity Unit collects data on machine movements, operations and performance, enabling the development of a broad new service range. It helps maintenance providers to remotely access necessary data about machine operations to solve any problems.

Vieremä, 15 December 2020

PONSSE PLC

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Miika Soininen, director of IT and digital services, Ponsse Plc
tel. +358 40 6700481

Ponsse Plc is a company specialising in the sales, manufacture, servicing and technology of cut-to-length method forest machines and is driven by genuine interest in its customers and their business.Ponsse develops and manufactures sustainable and innovative harvesting solutions based on customers’ needs.

The company was established by forest machine entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén in 1970, and it has been a leader in timber harvesting solutions based on the cut-to-length method ever since.Ponsse is headquartered in Vieremä, Finland.The company’s shares are quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic List.