Digitalisation. Strong partnerships. Sustainability.
Those are the first words that come to mind when Senior Manager Sirkku Salmikuukka shares her vision for UPM Plywood’s vehicle flooring end use.
In the past six months since she took over the vehicle flooring end use management, Salmikuukka has been busy absorbing new knowledge and understanding the organisation and the trailer manufacturing business better.
“Although I’ve been with UPM Plywood for a long time and I know the WISA products well, I’ve learned a lot. It’s been remarkable to notice how deeply our people understand the transport business through the value chain. I knew they were knowledgeable, but I’m still amazed by the level of proficiency!”
Reaping the benefits of digitalisation
It is clear to Salmikuukka that UPM Plywood’s vehicle flooring business stands on a strong foundation of long-term consistent work and high product quality, delivery reliability, strong customer relationships and end-use expertise.
Each function – production, sales, supply chain management, product management, etc. – within the UPM Plywood organisation has its own KPIs, but the goal is common: an excellent customer experience.
“Accelerating our customers’ success is also about how we work internally and our commitment to the vehicle flooring end use. We help them succeed by offering durable products with excellent performance, and we support them in optimising their operations and producing quality trailers.”
With that in mind, the question arises: How can UPM Plywood as a vehicle flooring supplier keep on adding value to the transport business in the future?
Part of the answer is digitalisation, which is pushing the whole value chain with incredible force, says Salmikuukka. It opens for smoother cooperation and enables UPM Plywood to make processes and customer communication more efficient, she notes.
“Many actors are struggling with rising costs, tight labour availability and strengthened EU regulation. Together, we need to find ways of generating value from the opportunities offered by digitalisation.”