TietoEnator and SDC start cooperation on system for planning and control of timber transports - KOLA

Jun 27, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. TietoEnator has signed a three-year cooperation agreement with SDC, the Swedish forest industry's provider of IT services, on KOLA, a TietoEnator solution for planning and control of timber transports. The agreement means that SDC takes over the responsibility for further development and marketing of the solution in Sweden and that TietoEnator becomes a development and competence partner to SDC. Simultaneously, KOLA is launched as a business solution for transports within the forest industry. "TietoEnator's system KOLA was the piece of the puzzle that was missing to obtain an unbroken information chain between forest and industry. The goal is now for KOLA to become a business solution and in that way facilitate for haulers driving for several freighters. At the same time, the development costs will be shared", says Torbjörn Johansson, managing director, SDC. "We think that this is the best solution for KOLA as a product. SDC supplies the system to its members and customers and we will be their cooperation and competence partner. We also regard this as the start for a closer cooperation with SDS", says Ulf Sandlund, vice president, nordic sales, TietoEnator Forest. Torbjörn Svärd, IT manager, Sodra, that is already using KOLA, agrees with Ulf Sandlund: "With more parties sharing the development costs we are able to cut the costs, increase the amount of ideas and thereby make even better use of the technical opportunities than before. This creates advantages for both Sodra and forest management at large", says Torbjörn Svärd. In parallel to KOLA now being launched as a business solution, SDC has developed a communication standard for the transport area. "By establishing a communication standard it will be possible for other systems than KOLA to work towards SDC. We are doing this in order not to create a monopoly in transports, but our members and customers can chose the solution that suits them best. We have carried out a market survey that showed that a large number of SDC's members are interested in a common solution in the transport area. Out of these, many were interested in KOLA as a system. KOLA also supports the strategy of the SDC to obtain an unbroken information chain between forest and industry", says Torbjörn Johansson. KOLA is a well-tried, yet advanced system that today is in use in 300 lumber cars. TietoEnator started developing KOLA in 1996 for Sydved and Sodra. KOLA is developed in close cooperation with the customers, including drivers of lumber cars. The system makes it possible for the driver to, with the in-vehicle computer and by using a digital map and GPS, see current transport orders and the places where the lumber should be picked up. The driver reports the loading. All information is transferred to and from the host systems on line.