Acumen Software, the developer of the Forcelink™ mobile work and asset management solution, is pleased to announce that it has been selected to roll out the Forester and Contractor Mobile Work Management system for Sappi Khulisa, a programme aimed at Sappi Forests’ rural-based small and medium timber suppliers. Sappi is a global company focused on providing dissolving wood pulp, paper pulp and paper-based solutions to its direct and indirect customer base across more than 160 countries. Sappi produces approximately 5.6 million tons of paper per year, 2.5 million tons per year of paper pulp and 1.3 million tons per year of dissolving wood pulp.

Sappi recognises that small and emerging timber farmers; supported by a network of emerging forestry contractors, are becoming a much more important source of timber supply, now and in the future. This means that these growers and contractors should be capacitated to ensure the expansion and security of timber supply to Sappi. Sappi Khulisa is the project that aims at achieving shared value for Sappi and these growers and contractors. Sappi Khulisa is based on the Project Grow initiative started by Sappi in 1983 that has evolved over the years and is more recently being managed as an Enterprise and Supplier Development programme. Given the strategic importance of small and emerging farmers to Sappi, the Sappi Khulisa project now focuses on developing both growers and contractors to optimise the income from their timber and contracting businesses.

Acumen Software’s Forcelink™ was selected for this purpose, after a comprehensive tender process had been conducted by Sappi Forests. Forcelink™ will be implemented to provide a mobile workforce management solution that will enable the Sappi Khulisa foresters to deliver an improved service to the small and emerging growers and ultimately provide a means for growers and contractors to organise and streamline themselves using the technology.

Following the result of the tender process, Joao Zoio, the Acumen Software Director who led the tender submission, remarked:

“We are delighted that Forcelink™ was selected by Sappi Forests as the solution for this strategically important project. We look forward to working with Sappi Khulisa over the next six months to deliver a successful project and a quality solution for the Sappi foresters and contractors. We believe that with Forcelink™, the foresters and contractors will streamline and optimise their operations on the ground, and as a result more growers will sign-up, which will increase security of timber supply for Sappi.”

Mbeko Nkosana, Senior Area Manager: Sappi Khulisa remarked as follows: “Sappi is excited about the development of a mobile work force solution as it will not only enable our Sappi Khulisa foresters to provide a more effective extension service to our growers and contractors in the very remote areas where we operate, but it will also provide these suppliers of ours with information which will enable them to manage their forestry and contractor businesses more sustainably.”

The Forcelink™ implementation project is expected to be completed by August 2018.