CARGO HANDLING GROUP HAS THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

The cooperation between Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, and Kouvola Cargo Handling began in the early 2010’s. Anna-Leena Grönqvist, Logistics Manager at Metsä Board, recalls receiving a tip from a colleague that the terminal in Kouvola could be a suitable addition to Metsä Board’s network. “I got to know the terminal myself in 2011 and was really impressed: a solid team and an outstanding terminal”, says Grönqvist.

“The first seeds for cooperation were sown at that time, but ultimately, Kouvola Cargo Handling really proved its mettle when a ports strike threw logistics into a chaos all around Finland. The Kouvola terminal rose to the occasion in a tight spot”, Grönqvist recalls. “Kouvola Cargo Handling showed excellent performance even without our system support. The attitude to make it work no matter what was clearly there”, says Grönqvist.

STREAMLINING OPERATIONS WITH ICT

The next step: making the Kouvola terminal a more integral part of Metsä Board’s network. To accomplish tighter collaboration, IT development work between the companies began in 2014. The idea was that Metsä Board could send information on e.g. incoming traffic to Kouvola Cargo Handling digitally, thus boosting and deepening communications. Likewise, Kouvola Cargo Handling could e-report information back to Metsä Board.

“We wanted to make a reliable system that allows for different variants. The goal was to speed up operations, save resources, and reduce the rate of human error”, says Grönqvist. In less than six months, the demanding IT project was completed. According to Grönqvist, the development work progressed very smoothly, especially since the KCH people were able to carry out even quick experiments to secure the optimal practices. “In this cooperation, flexibility and competence were first rate. The IT system came out great”, Grönqvist sums up.

CARGO HANDLING GROUP’S DIGITAL DYNAMO AND THE RIGHT MIDSET

Now the same system has been in use for seven years – and on the horizon, there’s a new system, ERP +, which introduces a stronger platform approach into the mix. However, this change, which affects the entire Metsä Group, is not coming just yet.

“We know that Cargo Handling Group is always very aware of digital issues and has constantly developed its own processes and services”, says Grönqvist.

Grönqvist goes back, for a moment, to the significance of the right mindset: “Attitude is the arena where Kouvola Cargo Handling really shines. The company’s can-do mentality is something we have always been able to rely on and that has made KCH one of our most important partners”, Grönqvist concludes.