Paper deliveries in Stora Enso, Swedish mills – challenges and risks during the logistics cycle. How can the the delivery model be improved?
von Knorring, Carl Magnus (2020)
von Knorring, Carl Magnus
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020060517207
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020060517207
Tiivistelmä
The aim of this thesis was to analyse the distribution and delivery process of Stora Enso’s fine paper products from mills in Sweden. The purpose was to detect the main deficiencies in the supply chain and inefficiencies in the logistics process. The production process of paper was not included in the study. The interplay between the mill order planners, dispatcher, coordinator and the outsourced hauliers was examined. Flaws and challenges in the logistics process were identified and ways to improve the process were introduced. The thesis is built on logistics theory and research. The method of the thesis is a literature study combined with a qualitative case study. The approach of conducting the study is a case study with data collection method through participant observation during an internship at Stora Enso Kvarnsveden Mill in Sweden and interviews made in the form of an e-mail interview. The e-mail interview questions were sent to a mill order planner, coordinator and dispatcher working in the logistics process of Stora Enso. The e-mail interview attempted to analyse variables considered during the logistics cycle from the ready-made paper at the mill to the delivery of the paper rolls to the customer covering IT-systems, communication, accuracy, customer satisfaction, quality of product, automatization and risks. The outcome of the thesis shows that the logistics process is a well-established, standardised and integrated process. There are however, important issues in the process. The findings based on data collection show that the key challenges are bad communication within the process, slow response within the different functions of the logistics cycle, last minute changes to orders that require a lot of manual work to correct, information systems that do not support the process or identify the weights and shapes of the paper reels and rolls in the planning. It was discovered that manual steps should be automated and digitalised as much as possible. Information systems should be upgraded and more integrated. All participants in the logistics cycle should have access to the same real-time database to enable more efficient flow of information. Orders following the same pattern on a regular basis should be planned as ALPs (Automated Load Plan).