Long-awaited user meeting for SSG Product Database

Around 40 customers have gathered together at Hotell Södra Berget in Sundsvall to take part in user meetings for SSG Product Database, which will be taking place again following a break of several years. The aim of these meetings is to enhance awareness of SSG Product Database and its opportunities, as well as bringing together industries and helping them to learn from one another how Swedish industry can become more efficient.

SSG Product Database is an online service for streamlining purchasing, logistics, storage and spare parts availability. User meetings are organised at regular intervals in order to enhance user awareness of how best to utilise the service. After a break of a few years, it was time to resume the meetings. The theme this year was "Life cycle and sustainability", and there was absolutely no doubt that users were interested in development.

" SSG Product Database is a powerful tool, but it can be used more efficiently than many people are managing at present," says Emma Hultin Eriksson, project manager at SSG and one of the initiators of the meetings. We want our users to be able to derive as much benefit as possible so that they can improve their businesses.

Speakers from both SSG and elsewhere had been invited to meetings. Roger Eriksson from GKN Driveline in Köping explained how Axxos, software for checking the usage of machinery and production, had been implemented to help his company follow up the production chain. GKN Driveline supplies four-wheel drive to a number of the world's car manufacturers, including Lamborghini, Volvo and BMW. Clients from the car manufacturers turn up every month and monitor production, and of course this makes demands of the business. Roger Eriksson spoke about the work done and also gave examples of a few important factors for success in this work, including stamina and support from the management.

" Our Lean work at the plant has been fantastic," says Roger Eriksson. "I will be continuing with this until it is perfect."

Asset management

Many of the elements of SSG Product Database involve providing a good overview of stock, and Matti Tuikkanen of SSG spoke about asset management, which involves how assets – both physical assets and intellectual capital – are managed. Matti explained how Sweden can operate in competition with low-pay countries – by means of quality and a high annual productivity development rate. In his view, this is why efficient stock management is important – and indeed a must, in order to reduce the amount of capital tied up. This is where SSG Product Database performs an important function, as it allows stock management to be optimised.

" Asset management means smarter administration of physical and intellectual capital," said Matti Tuikkanen.

Cooperation gives results

One advantage of SSG Product Database is its integration with business systems. Why this is important and how it should be achieved was described by Carina Ekebro, administration manager at SSG, together with Henrik Lundgren, Head of SSG Product Database. Integration is all part of optimising storage process and achieving transparency between linked stores, and one of the strengths of SSG Product Database. Linked industries can see where spare parts are being used if they do not have them in their own warehouses. However, this requires integration between systems.

"To make this spare parts cooperation work, we have to know what the linked industries have," said Carina Ekebro.

Training and discussion vital

Training on SSG Product Database was another element of the meetings. Basic or advanced training on the service was offered, a vital element to help users understand more effectively the opportunities available to them. Three different workshops were also offered, "Stock optimisation" "Reclassifying brands as standards" and "Criticality analysis". There there were some good discussions on each area during the workshops, and there were a number of suggestions for extending cooperation and development.

On day two, the discussions continued in earnest and then the participants shared their experiences and challenges regarding the ways in which they work, as well as discussing what they wanted to see in SSG Product Database. Henrik Lundgren, Head of SSG Product Database, also explained what future work will be done on the service. The demand means that there is now a lot of focus on the service. The development plan which forms the basis of future new elements is focusing strongly on benefits for customers and businesses.

" We want to work more closely with customers," says Henrik Lundgren, "and we want closer communication on things that are happening."

Next meeting in 2016

People were very positive about the user meetings. "Fantastic days, very well organised", said one of the participants; "Brilliant, as I am new to the company it was great to put faces to names" said another. The next meeting is planned to take place next year. There definitely seems to be a need for people to meet up.