BISON Group Limited (Lithuania) - Vilniaus Baldai AB is one of the biggest furniture manufacturers in Lithuania, producing over 3 million pieces of furniture per year. For 20 years, the company has supplied IKEA, embracing IKEA’s high standards for supplier innovation, efficiency and corporate responsibility. Around one third of Vilniaus Baldai’s production is shipped by sea. This cargo is exported in 1,300 container loads each year; or 20 to 40 containers per week, depending on the season.

Challenge:

Vilniaus Baldai faced a container weighing challenge!

SOLAS VGM rules mean the gross weight of every container must be verified and included in the shipping documents. Calculating the weight of the cargo and adding the container tare (SOLAS method 2) was not acceptable to the company’s key customers, so a fast, cost effective and practical solution for weighing the entire container was needed (SOLAS method 1).

Vilniaus Baldai did not have the space or infrastructure to install a weighbridge. The high cost of this option was also unattractive. Having the containers weighed at the sea port was considered, but at €15 per container, this option would create €19,500 of new shipping costs annually. Plus weighing at the port means the official weight is confirmed late, creating more work as production and shipping documents need to be updated.

Solution:

Vilniaus Baldai discovered BISON and concluded that a set of BISON C-Jacks would provide a fast return on investment and integrate easily into the company’s operations. With support from BISON’s Europe Sales Office, Vilniaus Baldai purchased a set of BISON C-Jacks with stands, and now weighs every container on-site, as soon as it is loaded.

BISON C-Jacks are certified in Europe, satisfying SOLAS requirements. Only 7 - 10 minutes of labour is required to weigh each container. This is done by forklift drivers while documentation is completed, so there are no delays. The system is mobile, allowing weighing in any location, including indoors during winter months when temperatures drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius. The BISON App captures all essential information and feeds a VGM certificate immediately to Vilniaus Baldai’s logistics partners.

Results:

By avoiding external weighbridge fees, Vilniaus Baldai got simple payback on its investment in less than 7 months.

The company controls its weighing process with a system that's fast, efficient, accurate, fits with Vilniaus Baldai’s production processes and meets SOLAS requirements.

VGM certificates are produced instantly, using the BISON VGM App, meaning administration is minimised by having an accurate VGM certificate and electronic weight record at the earliest opportunity.

”The main influences for purchasing BISON C-Jacks with stands were mobility, price and return on investment - which was only 6 - 7 months. On the operational side, it’s good as well, it suits our process. We don’t need any extra people, we don’t use more hours because we do it in the same process. It saves time and works perfectly for us”. - Martina Andrulyte, Product Warehouse Manager, Vilniaus Baldai AB.