IN-TIME: Integrated storage and e-commercialisation system for the fast production and delivery of timber components

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 01.0037

Key words (English)

Rohmateriallieferuung; Sägewerkanlagen; Economic Aspects; Environmental Protection; Industrial Manufacture; Innovation; Technology Transfer; Safety

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: G1RD-CT-2001-00559

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.3.1 Innovative products, processes and organization

Short description (English)

See abstract

Partners and International Organizations (English)

Coordinator: Springer GmbH (A)

Abstract (English)

The timber trade consists of a very large number of small and very small enterprises and a small number of large ones. Small enterprises find it uneconomic to invest in storage units. They have therefore to store their products on the ground.

Storage space covers thus a large amount of space;
taking products to the right pile and storing them is a time-consuming exercise which decreases production rate;
finding the right product to satisfy an order requires again a time-consuming exercise of location and loading.

IN-TIME will introduce methods of storage which will be accessible even to small operators. These methods and machines will be fully automatic thus providing the company with an immediate visibility of all its products. It will therefore enable it to reply much faster to any request for quotes. Once the information is made available in an electronic form by these new storage units, the way is open to full electronic commerce. Customers will provide their requests to depots electronically. These will be checked automatically against existing stock. Any shortfalls will automatically be converted into requests to the next node on the line.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 01.0037