Forest Operations Productivity Initiative
“Using good data to support your forest operations”
Stellenbosch University in conjunction with the South African Forest industry has developed a robust and internationally aligned Time Study Standard and Data Repository Protocol for use by forest managers, practitioners/contractors and researchers. As part of ongoing support for forest operations The Forest Operations Productivity Initiative includes several machine and systems costing models which will also soon include silvicultural operations as part of the overall forest productivity package. The objectives of these efforts are to improve, if not optimise, silviculture and timber harvesting operations in the face of ever increasing international competition and to provide planning tools to not only the South African Forest Industry but to international partners as well.
News
SU First Thursday Presentation Videos
Stellenbosch University Forestry hosts a webinar series on the first Thursday of each month covering a wide variety of topics related to forest operations and other forestry issues. The archive recordings of these presentations are presented...
Time Study E-Learning Course Launched
FREE E-LEARNING COURSE NOW OPEN FOR ENROLLMENT The South African timber industry is geographically dispersed and gathering people to attend a course or training is often expensive and time constrained. In order to effectively and efficiently transfer skills and...
Multi-product forwarder based softwood timber extraction: Time consumption and productivity analysis of two forwarder models over multiple products and extraction distance
This study continues to build upon the database of average time consumption and productivity models of forwarder machines in mechanised CTL operations in South African pine sawtimber plantations. The aim of this study was to calculate the time consumption,...
A comparison of two methods of data collection for modelling productivity of harvesters: manual time study and follow-up study using on-board-computer stem records
This study explored the relationship between the productivity produced using two methods of data collection: Time Study - manual Time Study following the Standards for Time Studies for the South African Forest Industry and Stem File - using the machine archive data in...
Skills development of mechanised softwood sawtimber cut-to-length harvester operators on the Highveld of South Africa
In this study, a South African pine saw-timber mechanised cut-to-length harvesting operation was analysed with the main objective of describing and modelling productivity development learning curves of beginner operators in both clear-felling and thinning operations....
Project Collaborators
Industry Associates
