Case UPM

“ProDiary ensures continuity in our production. We use the diary to record all events that the next shift should be aware of, as well as fault notifications regarding necessary repairs,” says Per-Arne Kronqvist, Notes Service Manager at UPM.

One of the reasons why ProDiary is suitable for this is that the solution is under continuous development. Its latest features include responsiveness, enabling its use on mobile devices. A major plus of its mobile functionality is the possibility of attaching photos to a fault notification. This is especially useful in fast-paced work on the go, when there is not necessarily time to make entries.

Jyri Kylmälä, General Manager of UPM Kymi mill integrate and pulp mill, is among those who’ve become familiar with the mobile use of ProDiary. Kylmälä is satisfied with the number of entries made and considers that ERP integration is an important reason for this.

“In ProDiary, all you have to do is fill out a few sections and press enter. The app then forwards the fault notification to the ERP system as well. Thanks to this integration, the number of faults repaired grew significantly, which is absolutely a good thing,” says Kylmälä.

He says that the user-friendliness of the app also explains the growth in the number of entries.

“ProDiary is fast and easy, and it has a simple UI. The barrier to use it must be low, as the ages of our employees vary greatly. The app has been successful in this respect.”

The benefits of ProDiary are its fast and easy customisability, thanks to which it has been suitable for use in diverse mill environments. At Rauma, ProDiary is used not only by UPM’s own employees, but also by an outsourcer that handles the maintenance of the mill’s heavy equipment.

“We launched ProDiary for heavy equipment in summer 2017 and its development is ongoing. With the system, we can monitor the status of machinery and equipment and their maintenance at an individual level. Our cooperation with the partner has also become closer,” says Lasse Kokkonen, process design development technician.

Kylmälä highlights the report templates prepared for shift supervisors, which make it easier and faster to report events, as these templates keep the focus on providing information rather than recording obvious facts.

Rapid modifiability ensures that ProDiary keeps up with the changing day-to-day needs of mills.

“App development has been truly fast. If we realise that we need to change something, the update might even be in use the day after tomorrow,” says Kylmälä.

When the specifications have been made together and carefully, it’s easy to be satisfied with the solution. Kronqvist, Kylmälä and Kokkonen all consider ProDiary to be an effective and user-friendly solution.

“I’m truly satisfied with this system and have been delighted to see that it has encouraged employees to make reports. Users can easily share their observations. This may help ensure that critical errors are repaired in time and that the mill keeps running,” says Kylmälä.

UPM’s long cooperation with Digia is evident in their smooth communication and work.

“Our cooperation is seamless. We put our heads together to think about what changes to make and how they should be implemented. I don’t recall there ever being anything that we couldn’t get done,” says Kokkonen.

“Cooperation has been extremely smooth and the service works,” says Kronqvist.