The Challenge
Canfor, a leading lumber company with operations across North America, faced significant operational challenges. These included frequent equipment downtime, excessive overtime costs, and inefficient inventory management. Canfor was experiencing difficulty in closing out work orders, capturing the right data, and some sites still utilizing paper work orders. These issues were contributing to increased operational costs and reduced productivity across their 16 USA lumber mills. Canfor needed a solution to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve asset reliability.
The Solution
Canfor partnered with DigitalThinker, a trusted HxGN EAM Partner, to implement the HxGN Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system. The project began with a pilot site, allowing DigitalThinker to tailor the implementation strategy to Canfor’s specific needs. This approach enabled the project to be completed in under 8 months for $1.5 million, significantly reducing costs and deployment time compared to traditional timelines and budgets. 'The HxGN EAM system has revolutionized our maintenance operations, allowing us to focus our efforts on the right equipment at the right times. This has significantly improved our operational efficiency and asset reliability,' stated John Doe, Maintenance Manager at Canfor.
The Results
The implementation of the HxGN EAM system delivered substantial improvements for Canfor. The project resulted in projected 5-year savings of $66.4 million (NPV $45.8 million) with a payback period of just one month. By enhancing wrench time, reducing downtime by 10%, and optimizing MRO inventory, Canfor achieved greater operational efficiency, asset reliability, and financial performance. Post-deployment results included the consolidation of 93,000 duplicate parts, improved response times to failures, and the introduction of condition-based monitoring. These outcomes have positioned Canfor’s mills for long-term success.
