Challenging factory project resulted in new methods for Kotkamills and important lessons for SokoPro

In the factory project by the name Flying Eagle 2, Kotkamills built not only a paperboard machine but also an array of new operating methods. The project involved refining the foundation for the current collaboration between Kotkamills and SokoPro.

Early in 2016, things began to get busy in the paper machine hall of the Kotka-based production facility when the old paper machine that had churned out magazine paper had to make way for a new paperboard machine. New technology and sustainable values were at the core of the Flying Eagle 2 project initiated by Kotkamills, a company manufacturing forestry products.

In addition to being a challenging factory project, Flying Eagle 2 spelled a change in production direction for Kotkamills. The world’s largest paperboard machine in its field would produce plastic-free cup board and packing board. Alongside paperboard, the Kotkamills factory also manufactures laminate paper, which meant that a paper machine would be running in the same space for the entire duration of the dismantling and construction efforts.

 “The consulting firm that handled the preliminary planning was accustomed to using SokoPro for material collection and document exchange. When the decision to carry out the Flying Eagle 2 project was made, we decided to begin using SokoPro for all aspects of the project,” says Risto Mikkola, who worked as installation supervisor at Kotkamills.
The challenges of the project were the number of users and documents, since there were dozens of parties involved from the design agency to device suppliers and installation companies. SokoPro ensured the management of documents and their sharing between the relevant parties.

Saving time and money with SokoPro

Over the course of the project, SokoPro served as a document bank for hundreds of users. All in all, almost 100,000 were accumulated in the software during the project.

 “The fact that SokoPro made the documents available wherever and whenever made the work infinitely easier. The latest revisions could also be accessed with a tablet in the field,” Mikko says, praising the software.

The SokoPro project calendar ensured that the times of all project events were entered in the shared calendar. Among them were safety orientation courses held for the contractors. Occupational safety was also bolstered with worksite signposting produced in collaboration with Grano.

The actual equipment acquisitions were done the traditional way, but when smaller purchase needs began to crop up, Kotkamills realised the necessity of a tendering tool.

 “The tendering tool facilitated acquisitions since the quote requests were all in the same place instead of filling up the e-mail inbox. Now we could also keep tabs on whether or not the suppliers had read the quote requests,” a Kotkamills representative explains.

Customised features to meet the needs of Kotkamills

While Flying Eagle 2 was a challenging construction project for Kotkamills, it was also a unique collaborative venture for SokoPro. Compared to traditional building construction, it involved many times the number of designers and equipment suppliers as well as an immense number of documents.

“With so many parties involved, the folder hierarchy and metadata of the document bank played an important role. They were tailored to suit the factory’s specific needs at the beginning of the project and during it,” Janne Partanen, Regional Sales Manager at Grano, describes.

Initially, the tendering tool was only available in Finnish, but SokoPro prepared an English version for Kotkamills so that it served the needs of international competitive bidding processes. According to Partanen, customisability has always been one of SokoPro’s strengths, which is why it was important for SokoPro to react to customer needs and develop the software without compromising its functionality. He believes that the seamless communication with the customer generated trust.

 “SokoPro deserves praise for always fulfilling our requests and wishes as far as it has been technically possible. The communication has been good and our needs have been taken into account,” Mikkola says.

From the lessons of a single project to continued cooperation

Kotkamills’ new paperboard machine was activated in July 2016, but this did not conclude the cooperation between SokoPro and Kotkamills. Quite the contrary, according to Mikkola the document bank changed the factory’s operating methods.

 “SokoPro provided us with a new way of managing documents. Before this, project documents were stored on the company’s shared server. Now all information is consolidated into a single system where they are easy to find,” Mikkola says.

According to Partanen, the Kotkamills factory project was an important learning process for SokoPro, and the lessons have been implemented in the development of the new software version. After the end of Flying Eagle 2, the collaboration has shifted its focus to serve continued operation and the production facility’s normal activities.

“We were so happy with the results that we are still using the software. The factory area has no shortage of repair and update projects. Currently, project information is distributed through SokoPro, which provides easy access to all necessary details. This also prevents inbox congestion,” Mikkola sums up.