Timber iQ October - November 2017 // Issue: 34 | Page 38

FEATURES
Going digital
will increase
transparency of
all manufacturers,
contractors and
workers alike.
Although the buy in of using timber apps is slow, there has been significant growth worldwide.
moving with current trends to thrive. “Yes, the demand for
timber is still high and the need for paper based products
shows no sign of abating. But according to a UNECE (Food
and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) report
price volatility remains constant between various timber
exporting nations,” he adds.
Going digital will increase transparency of all
manufacturers, contractors and workers alike. Bailey
describes the move to measure timber as one of the
reasons there’s a rise in timber apps.
PROS AND CONS OF GOING DIGITAL
Bailey lists how these apps help and how they can affect
the industry.
PRICES INCREASE
“Selling timber without measuring the products is like
selling livestock without weighing the animals,” he says.
Knowing what you must sell and securing several bids
can mean many additional rands from your timber sales.
“But with various measurement formulae used globally
and the subjective nature of manually measuring timber
makes it almost impossible for forest owners to sell their
timber and obtain a fair and increased price. Using timber
apps like Timbeter, empowers the timber owner to present
digital proof of their timber and send it to various buyers.”
Digitally measuring timber with a timber app enables
international measuring formulae to not only be used but
to be converted accurately so that clients are not
overcharged when adding conversion rates. “Simply put,
digitally measuring timber mitigates your financial losses,”
he adds.
INCREASES COST EFFICIENCY
With rising costs and falling market volumes for several
markets, it’s imperative that you increase the cost
efficiency of your business. Using a timber app and
digitally measuring timber does just that.
36 OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2017 //
If all parties use a timber app it ensures that timber
measurements, whether in a pile on a truck or within a
container, can be measured extremely quickly. “This frees
up time for you and co-workers to focus on other business
tasks,” he says. Apps can also help when disputes or
misunderstandings crop up. Bailey says that digital
measurements can be re-measured therefore increasing
time saved.
By digitally measuring timber you can instantly get
more done and do your tasks on the go rather than keep
your customers waiting for a write up.
APPS ON THE MARKET
These are just a few digital timber apps available on
the market.
TIMBER TRACKER
Launched in 2016, Timber Tracker is a mobile app designed
by Turner Logging, LLC of Stockton, Missouri. Timber
Tracker was designed by loggers for loggers. This app
allows you to estimate your timber harvest, price your
lumber and prepare and send a quote PDF to your
customers. It is available for download on the Google Play
Store. Mike Smith, business development/bid manager at
Morrison Utility Connections, says that he’s found this app
very useful for timber bids.
BUILDUP
Buildup is a field construction app that makes everyone
more efficient. It is designed to save you time on
construction projects. It delivers the capabilities that on-
site personnel need to do their jobs efficiently, while
giving project managers and quality control teams get the
visibility they need to execute projects effectively.
With Buildup, on site personnel easily document issues
on their mobile devices. Using speech-to-text and photos,
issues that used to take a few minutes to log can now be
recorded in seconds. Tasks are automatically assigned