Timflow - the timber traceability system is 6 years old
- Timflow accurately shows the route taken by trucks, including stopping times, even in areas without a signal
- Timflow provides the framework to meet the requirements of the new EUDR[1]
- Unrivalled transparency: transport data available to the public for 1 year
HS Timber implemented Timflow - the GPS-based timber shipment tracking system - for Romanian sawmills in 2017, as part of the action plan for a safe and secure supply chain.
“After six years and over 177,000 shipments registered in Timflow, we are proud to have significantly increased supply chain security and contributed to the fight against the illegal logging phenomenon in Romania,” says Adrian Lucan, manager of HS Timber's Supply Chain Control and Certification Department.
“With Timflow, we ensure that all transports meet the requirements of the Due Diligence System and that the timber does not come from National Parks or other protected areas. Timflow ensures unprecedented transparency and traceability in the timber supply chain in Romania. Most importantly, with Timflow, HS Timber is already prepared for the new EU legislation on deforestation and forest degradation - EUDR,” adds Adrian Lucan.
The Timflow system is complementary to other existing traceability systems in Romania and has proven to be, for 6 years, an efficient and highly accurate tool that a company with sustainability at its core can always rely on. The elements that define it as a reliable traceability system are the independent server on which the data is stored and which cannot be tampered with, the data which cannot be modified, the dedicated GPS integrated in the trail truck’s tractor that provides accurate data, the high-resolution photos of the load and the automatic alert system for shipments in sensitive and protection areas.
Key figures:
- Total trucks equipped with GPS: 1,476
- Total registered shipments (April 2017 - March 2023): 177,241
- Total registered shipments (April 2022 - March 2023): 28,711
- Number of external portal users: 1,237
- Transports verified on the public platform: 15,277
Between April 2022 and March 2023, Timflow recorded 28,711 deliveries for HS Timber units in Romania. A check is carried out at the mill gate for all entries, including legal requirements (SUMAL check), Timflow (loading point, route taken, photos of departure point, origin) and volume control. In total, in the April 2022 - March 2023 period, 5.5% (1,588) of the deliveries were subject to further investigation, in cases in which not all of the above characteristics were complete.
The most common reasons for further investigation were:
- Missing or incomplete route (598 cases)
- Timflow had not been initiated (78 cases)
- Deviation of load point location (outside the circle: 313 cases)
- APV was not uploaded to the HS system prior to the arrival of the load (331 cases)
- Other (missing supplier audit, contact not completed, etc. (268 cases)
In these cases, the shipment is stored separately (if the permit is valid, the pick-up process cannot be refused) and the Supply Chain Control and Certification Department performs an additional check to identify missing DDS items. Based on further investigation, using Timflow and other internally developed tools, HS Timber has refused two deliveries in the last year due to violations of the group's Policy Zero Wood from National Parks.
[1] Law to fight global deforestation and forest degradation (europa.eu)
