Södra Forestry

Runbo Communications Devices are part of many of the industries that work in the toughest working conditions in the world. Forestry is one such market that has gained a significant advantage through the use of Runbo rugged smartphones. The following case study briefly highlights a Swedish market leader in the forestry industry and the advantages gained through the use of Runbo rugged smartphones.

Overview

Södra Skogsägarna is a forestry cooperative that is based in Växjö, Sweden. There are more than 50,000 forest owners in southern Sweden that are members of the economic association that is Södra. Together they own just over half of all privately owned forest in the area, as well as a group of companies that are successful in both Swedish and international markets.

Södra is also a large employer with over 3,500 people working for the Group, in areas that range from forestry management and environmental conservation to accounting, sales and product development. The Group’s three major business areas produce sawn and planed timber goods, interior products, paper pulp and biofuel.

What Runbo Offers

Runbo Communication Devices have been able to increase the productivity and efficiency of forestry workers out in the field, by providing them with constant and reliable wireless communication. During the study at Sodra it was observed that through the use of Runbo smartphone’s PPT(push-to-talk) and POC(push-to-cellular) features instant group coordination was possible between loaders, and choppers as well as site managers. With just a click of a button team members were able to coordinate more effectively and stay in contact with members that were at opposite ends of the vast forest. This ability to stay connected through large distances greatly out performed previous communication devices such as two-way radios, which only have a communication radius of a few kilometers.<(p>

Another major advantage of Runbo smartphones was noted when workers were put in emergency situations. Runbo’s unique work-smart tools and apps were used by workers in distress to ask for help and communicate positioning for assistance. Remote areas associated with the forestry industry require extra care to ensure communication is possible at all times, Runbo devices attempt to ensure safety using the:

• 1) SOS Alarm- is a programmable button that allows an analog signal to be sent out in times of distress. This feature allows forestry team members to remain in contact even if wireless signals are down or if signal is not a possibility in an extremely remote area.
• 2) The Man-Down-Alert – is an application programmed into Runbo Smartphones that can automatically report emergency accidents to co-workers or dispatchers when a worker is found to be motionless, this application is ideal for detecting accidents where workers are knocked unconscious or trapped, common examples in the forestry industry include being trapped under massive tree trunks or knocked out in a truck accident.

The NFC chips embedded in Runbo smartphones are another feature that helped increase the productivity of forestry workers. Mill Managers could use the NFC chips to process lumber loads faster, saving valuable time. Also, the Time Sheet Tracker and QR Scanner applications were extremely helpful by giving workers the added benefit of being able to manage their projects and exchange information seamlessly.

With so many upsides to the use of Runbo Communication Devices in the forestry setting it’s time that all companies make that much needed upgrade!

Main Benefits

• Constant and reliable communication
• Ultra-rugged durability
• Large distance coverage
• Enhanced volume and speaker control
• Safety Applications