Slides from the Mid-term Review Meeting of the Slope Project

1. Project SLOPE
1
WP 7 – Piloting the SLOPE demonstrator

2. Project SLOPE
Mid-term Review
2/Jul/2015
T7.1– Definition of evaluation methodology
Brussels, July 2nd, 2015
Kühmaier Martin, Pichler Gerhard, Kastner Maximilian, Stampfer Karl
Institute of Forest Engineering
Department of Forest and Soil Sciences
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

3. Overview
Mid-term Review
2/Jul/2015
• Status: Completed (100%)
• Length: 3 Months (From M14 to M16)
• Involved Partners
• Leader: BOKU
• Participants: CNR, ITENE, MHG, GRAPHITECH, GREIFENBERG
• Aim: develop principles and guidelines for the evaluation of
SLOPE system, especially for the demonstration sites in Austria
and Italy
• Output: D.7.01

4. Objectives
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Processes in timber harvesting
• Bottlenecks in timber supply
• Performance rating and evaluation methods

5. Processes in timber harvesting
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Drawing flow charts for current harvesting system and SLOPE
system to structure information
• “A process flow diagram is a graphical way to describe the processes
and it will help us to structure the information that we collect
during the case analysis or process improvement project.”
Cachon & Terwiesch (2009)
• The process flow charts in task 7.1 contain a chronological
description of the working processes

6. Processes in timber harvesting
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Flow charts visualize each operational process of the timber supply
chain in steep terrain in the right sequence
• Decisions, connections of activities and decisions and the data and
information flow are also part of such a visualization
• Advantages:
 Visualize what is going on
 Understand a process chain
 Getting a better overview about the single properties
 Expose possible strengths, risks, flaws and bottlenecks

7. Bottlenecks in timber supply
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Efficiency gaps in supply chains are called bottlenecks
• For determination of bottlenecks in current harvesting systems a literature review and
an experts brainstorming has been applied
• Bottlenecks of the SLOPE system were detected by an experts brainstorming process
• By identifying bottlenecks, processes and activities are shown which have to be
improved
• Demonstration activities (task 7.3) should focus on bottlenecks

8. Bottlenecks tree marking SLOPE
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
Bottlenecks
Impacts on the supply chain
efficiency
additional effort and time consumption for marking
trees with RFID tags
higher supply costs
qualified workforce is needed
without qualified workforce SLOPE is unconvertible
because of its high level technology degree
handling/usability and error rate of the marker/tags
additional effort and time consumption, high error rate
causes a loss of information
durability and technical functionality of the marker
during field operations
if the tag/reader doesn’t work harvesting isn’t possible
or is based on the experience of the operator
cost efficiency (expensive tags) higher supply costs
acceptance of technology and equipment by operators
acceptance is necessary for implementation into the
supply chain
Effort, time
consumption and
survival rate should
be estimated during
demonstrations

9. Performance rating and evaluation
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Individual evaluation methods for single supply processes
For the example extracting
Potential indicators:
 Workforce needed
 Time consumption (installation time, operating time, waiting time,
delay time, de-installation time)
 Investment costs for technical devices
 Material costs (consumables)
 Fuel consumption
 Location of carriage (GPS position)

10. Performance rating and evaluation
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Individual evaluation methods for single supply processes: example extracting
Results we should achieve:
 Total time needed to extract 1 m³ of timber
 Time needed to extract 1 m³ of wood divided into main processes: slack pulling, choker setting,
driving with load, unloading, driving unloaded
 Costs to extract 1 m³ of timber
 Accuracy of GPS positioning (check the database in real time)
• General approach for the evaluation of single supply processes:
 Benefit analyses
 Productivity study
• Evaluation method for the whole supply chain – supply chain performance rating:
 Business process mapping
 Performance rating indicators (cycle time, inventory, flow rate, process capacity…)

11. Conclusions
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Many differences between the current and the SLOPE timber supply chain
 technical equipment (remote sensing systems; RFID marking; intelligent carriage,
processor head and truck)
 data collection and processing
 cross-linking the collected information
• SLOPE generates a flood of data in comparison to the current system of timber supply
→ processing large data volume will be a challenge
• Acceptance of the new technical equipment and implementation into
supply chain will be difficult and has to be tackled → small forest enterprises
• Technical equipment of SLOPE is far superior to the equipment of the current system
(RFID: traceability after logging; intelligent processor: quality related crosscutting ability)

12. Conclusions
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Current system: most bottlenecks were located in extracting, processing and transporting
 layout of cable lines
 dimension of support/anchor trees
 piece-volume wrong estimated
 processing the tree is not optimized
 difficult quality assessment of the tree/log
 technical failures
 experience of operator…
• SLOPE system: more bottlenecks were identified → still in the development phase
 more know-how and technical skills are needed
 additional effort and time consumption for marking trees with RFID tags
 acceptance of technology and equipment
 durability rate and technical functionality of the new equipment
 increasing amount of data…

13. Conclusions
Mid-term Review
Meeting, Brussels
02.07.2015
• Especially problems with the new technical equipment could be a challenge
→ tackling through: experimental design of demonstration activities
• Without being aware and finding solutions for most of the bottlenecks, SLOPE will have
problems to be implemented in practice by foresters
• Process description and bottleneck survey are also necessary for selecting
the most suitable methods to evaluate the SLOPE system
• For evaluation of the supply chain benefit analysis and productivity studies
were decided to assess SLOPE demonstration activities
• The detailed design of those methods will be developed in task 7.2 and executed in
task 7.3 in the Italian and Austrian case study areas

14. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Contact info
Martin Kühmaier: martin.kuehmaier@boku.ac.at
Gerhard Pichler: gerhard.pichler@boku.ac.at
Maximilian Kastner: maximilian.kastner@boku.ac.at
Thank you for your attention

15. Kick-off Meeting
8-9/jan/2014
References
Kangas A., Kangas J. & Kurttila 2008. Decision support for forest management.
Managing Forest Ecosystems. Vol. 16. Springer, USA. 222 p.
Magagnotti & Spinelli (ed.) 2012. Good practice guidelines for biomass production
studies. CNR IVALSA, Italy. 52 p.
MCPFE, EC & UNECE/FAO 2010. Good practice guidance on the sustainable
mobilisation of wood in Europe. European Commission – DG Agriculture and Rural
Development, European Union. 76 p.
Schuh 2001. Entscheidungsverfahren zur Umsetzung einer nachhaltigen
Entwicklung. Dresdner Beiträge zur Betriebswirtschaftslehre, TECHNISCHE
UNIVERSITÄT DRESDEN, Fakultät Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Dresden. 31 S.
Windisch 2012. Process Modelling for Streamlined Fuel Supply. Finnish Forest
Research Institute,
http://enerwoods.ku.dk/documents/9_Windish_03092012.pdf, power point 19 p.
(downloaded on 27.04.2015)
Windisch, Röser, Mola-Yudego, Sikanen, Asikainen 2013. Business process mapping
and discrete-event simulation of two forest biomass supply chains. Biomass and
Bioenergy 56, 370-381.
Xu & Yang 2001. Introduction to Multi-Criteria Decision Making and the Evidential
Reasoning Approach. Manchester School of Management University of Manchester
Institute of Science and Technology, Working Paper No. 0106, Manchester. 21 p.
Bosch & Trick 2005. Integer Programming in Search methodologies: Introductory
tutorials in optimization and decision support techniques, eds. E. Burke and G.
Kendall. Springer, USA. 620 p.
Burke & Kendall 2005. Search methodologies: Introductory tutorials in optimization
and decision support techniques. Springer, USA. 620 p.
Cachon & Terwiesch 2009. Matching Supply with Demand-An Introduction to
Operations Management. McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York. 485 p.
Dowsland & Trick 2005. Classical Techniques in Search methodologies: Introductory
tutorials in optimization and decision support techniques, eds. E. Burke and G.
Kendall. Springer, USA. 620 p.
Erber, Kanzian & Holzleitner 2014. INFRES – Innovative and effective technology
and logistics for forest residual biomass supply in the EU (311881), Full supply chain
performance and re‐engineering report – D2.3. BOKU, Vienna. 96 p.
Heinimann, Stampfer, Loschek & Caminada 2001. Perspectives on Central European
Cable Yarding Systems. The International Mountain Logging and 11th Pacific
Northwest Skyline Symposium 2001, Seattle. 12 p.
Hetsch 2008. Potential sustainable wood supply in Europe. UNECE/FAO Timber
Section, European Commission – DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Geneva.
44 p.
Imaoka 2005. Understand Supply Chain Management through 100 words.
Published by KOUGYOUCHOUSAKAI, http://www.lean-manufacturing-
japan.com/scm-terminology/bottleneck-constraint.html (downloaded on
28.04.2015)

16. Kick-off Meeting
8-9/jan/2014
Picture sources
Last downloaded on 02.06.2015:
• http://www.holz-broeker.de/images/ansicht-luftbild-saegewerk-schnittholz.jpg
• http://www.riebli-forst.ch/bilder/maschinen/holz-lkw04_b.jpg
• http://cdn.trendhunterstatic.com/thumbs/green-action-institute.jpeg
• http://www.rfidjournal.com/lib/x/a/assets/2009/11/5350-3.jpg
• http://www.dronelife.com/cms/sites/default/files/product/eBee_0.jpg
• http://www.barcoding.com/images/Symbol_MC9090G_RFID_product.jpg
• http://www.moravia.at/produkte/gross/271B0005_250_q.jpg
• http://www.rfidworld.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RFID-Nail-Tag-300x294.jpg
• http://www.greifenberg.it/tecnopower/gallery_6.jpg
• http://www.woodbusiness.ca/images/heads-arbro.jpg
• http://www.sparpointgroup.com/images/uploadedImages/Images/02.10.11.FARO-in-the-woods.png
• https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UAd7C4px7mU/hqdefault.jpg
• http://www.greifenberg.it/t31100/gallery_5.jpg
• http://www.greifenberg.it/tecnoextremepower/gallery_1.jpg
• http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/fileadmin/data/H03000/H91000/H91500/bilder/slope_ft_web.png

17. Project SLOPE
Mid-term Review
2/Jul/2015
T7.02– Preparation of demonstrators
WP7 - Piloting the SLOPE demonstrator
Brussels, July 2th, 2015

18. Overview
Mid-term Review
2/Jul/2015
• Status: progress (30%)
• Length: 3 Months (From M16 to M19)
• Involved Partners
• Leader: CNR
• Participants: GRAPHITECH, ITENE, COMPOLAB, COAST, MHG,
BOKU, FLY, GRE, TRE
Aim: assess the technical and economic feasibility of the proposed
system and compare it with the current working methods.
• Output: D.7.02 Protocol for the experimental design of
demonstration activities

19. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Definition of activities
• Forest inventory (FIS)
• Harvest planning
• Harvest operations
• Logistics, storage and sale

20. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Definition of activities
Forest inventory (FIS)
GRA, FLY, TRE, COAST, CNR, BOKU
• Define cost of inputs and elaboration
• Comparison with current system
• Demonstration to operators

21. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Definition of activities
Harvest planning
BOKU, GRA, CNR, ITENE, TRE, MHG, GRE
• Boundaries and output -> defined
• Comparison with current system
• Estimate the cost of the service (release and maintenance)
Harvest simulation tool -> cable way planning
Road and logistic simulation -> current transport planning

22. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Definition of activities
Harvest operations
BOKU, CNR, ITENE, TRE, COM
• Boundaries and outputs -> defined
• Comparison with current system -> defined
• Calculate costs and productivity based on pilots and bibliography
• Estimate the value of indirect products (traceability, historical
data)

23. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Definition of activities
Logistic and sale
BOKU, CNR, ITENE, TRE, MHG
• Boundaries and outputs -> defined
• Comparison with current system
• Calculate costs and productivity based on pilots and bibliography
• Estimate the value of indirect products (no sorting, reduced yard
effort, lower transportation)

24. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Definition of activities
ACTIVITY SLOPE METHOD CONVENTIONAL APPROACH FOR COMPARISON
marking harvesting
operations
RFID Tags und visual
marking
visual marking with
colour spray
making a time study for both methods
determining personnel expenditure
determining the financial effort of both
methods through cost calculation (staff-,
machine-, equipment-, material-, data
analysis- and other costs)
making a benefit analysis for both
methods (scoring model)
making a cost-benefit analysis for both
methods
• Innovative and current methods are described and contrasted.
• Common and different work or output elements are highlighted.
• An approach for comparison is proposed.

25. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Data collection
All partners:
Economic estimates of the services and activities (data collection,
data elaboration, interface generation/maintenance)
Pilot studies (operations):
- Time study of machines and personnel at element level
- Work cycle split into functional steps (elements) and time
consumption recorded separately
- Fuel consumption
- Productivity (quality and quantity)
- Estimation of maintenance
- Consumables cost (e.g. RFID tags)

26. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Data collection
Spray
marking
Spray
marking
Observe
tree
Observe
tree
RFID
marking
Identify
tree on
database
Move to
next tree
Move to
next tree
Example of work cycle for tree marking
• Current
• Slope

27. Mid-term Review
2/Jul/15
Contact info
Thank you for your attention
Gianni Picchi: picchi@ivalsa.cnr.it