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The Logger's Edge

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The Cutting Edge

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The WORM

The Cutting Edge is an accounting program designed to work in tandem with your regular accounting system. For many sawmill operations,  Quickbooks, ACCPAC, MAS 90 Accounting, or other accounting packages are essential tools, but are limited in their ability to handle some of the more important aspects of the sawmill business. Caribou’s log management software – The Cutting Edge - is designed to fill that need.

Features & Benefits Screen Shots

Critical Features Missing in Many Accounting Packages

• Ability to Handle Load Tickets -- from the complex nature of the load attributes to the calculation of volumes to the payment of multiple vendors.
• Ability to Import Log Scale Data -- use sample load data to calculate conversions and provide government volume reporting.
• Ability to Manage Conversions -- often volumes are based on the weight/volume ratios of samples of scaled loads, and these conversion factors need to be extrapolated to all loads from a given block.
• Ability to Track Deliveries -- your mill needs detailed data on deliveries and volumes from each block or job, often stratified by species, sort, stratum, or grade.
• Ability to manage your trucking contractors -- track cycle times, overloads, and trucking payments.
• Ability to Integrate your Weigh Scale --  re-keying of load data from an external weigh scale system is time consuming and fraught with error.  With The Cutting Edge, this information can be shared seamlessly using our weigh scale module.

These are just some of the key functions that are not handled sufficiently by traditional accounting packages. That's where The Cutting Edge comes in: we try to fill the gaps in traditional accounting packages that logging businesses face.

What is the Cutting Edge?

The Cutting Edge Manages Your:

Load Slips

The Cutting Edge handles your load slips and pays all your subcontractors for all phases -- logging, trucking, loading, processing, etc -- related to timber harvesting. You can have an unlimited number of phases (or activities) and individuals paid on any load.

The Cutting Edge tracks and reports production to the block level for each phase.  Cruise volumes set a benchmark by which production can be compared.

The Cutting Edge handles log-scale files.  You can import your scaled log date for weighed loads.  Volumes can be used directly for payment or can be used to calculate conversion factors for computing volumes for weighed-only loads.

The Cutting Edge manages your log sampling data.  Imported sample scale files are used to calculate weight-volume conversion factors for weighed-only loads.  For example, you may need to apply the KGS to M3 ratio for sample loads to all loads on the same block to arrive at an imputed M3 for those loads that were not scaled.  The volumes can then be used for payment, for management reporting, or even for provincial reporting for crown land.

The Cutting Edge allows you to manage your payments to your log hauling contractors.  You can base your rates on truck configuration, on/off highway routes, or attributes such as species, sort, grade, etc.  You can setup pay adjustments for fuel, benefits, self-loading trucks, etc.  In addition, truck weights can be monitored by season and pay can be deducted for overweight trucks.

Use the reporting capabilities of The Cutting Edge to integrate production and expense information for blocks in progress or completed.

Weigh Scale

The Cutting Edge has a weigh scale module that reads the weights directly from your weigh scale and allows for the entry of load attributes, such as the ticket number, block, species, sort, stratum, truck, truck configuration, route, and truck driver, all right at the weigh scale.

The Cutting Edge weigh scale is integrated with the log payment system.  In a stable network environment, data from the weigh scale is written directly into The Cutting Edge database and is ready for processing and reporting on a real-time basis.  No more re-keying of load tickets.

In a mill without a network connection to the scale shack, data are transferred via export files and require minimal manual intervention to pass weigh scale data to The Cutting Edge database.

Block and Log Costing

The Cutting Edge provides key management reports that allow you to cost out a job or block, by species, sort, grade, etc.  Upon completion of payment to your contractors and landowners, your log costing is available at the click of a mouse.

Trucking or Hauling

Do you need to manage your contractor trucks? The Cutting Edge allows you to pay subcontracted trucks by weight, by the load, by distance, or by volume. You can even set a minimum pay amount.  For those who need to track overloads, you can set up overload weights by truck, by season, and then deduct truck pay for the amount of the overload. Need to know round-trip times? The Cutting Edge can track cycle times between your logging areas and the sawmill.

The Cutting Edge is a robust software application that ensures the integrity of your data:

One Database: The Cutting Edge uses a Microsoft SQL-Server database to store its data. What does this mean to you? It means:

• All your data are stored in one place -- no more searching for the right MS Excel file
• Data are keyed in once. For example, if you setup a contractor once, you can use pick lists to fill in the contractor's name anywhere else you need.
• Changes cause all related data to be updated automatically. For example, you change a contractor's name or vendor number -- all loads payable to that contractor are then automatically updated.
• You cannot make keypunch spelling errors. The database will NOT save data that is not valid. For example, suppose you set up a species of Lodgepole Pine with a code of L-PINE.  You cannot save a load slip with the species 'LP'.  All data entry is validated when keyed to ensure data consistency and integrity.

The Cutting Edge is Configurable

• The Cutting Edge is quite configurable, so we can incorporate your terminology directly into the software.  Your load tickets will have only those attributes that you want.  What's more, you can name them anything you want. You get to set the terminology used in The Cutting Edge.
• The Cutting Edge supports all different types of weight or volume measures so you can track or pay on any basis required (e.g., tonne, cord, M3, or heaven forbid, MBF). 
• Date formats?  The Cutting Edge uses whatever setting you have for your computer. 
• Pay rates can be based on any load attribute or any unit of measure.  For example, hauling can be paid by tonne and stumpage paid by M3 for the same load.  Rate breaks can be set by block, species, sort, grade, truck type, route, etc.  You get to choose which attributes upon which to base your pay.

The Cutting Edge is Easy to Use

• The The Cutting Edge has an intuitive layout with easy to use data-entry and reporting windows. The Cutting Edge uses default entries to make load slips quick and simple to enter -- an essential when you've got an antsy truck driver who wants to get off the scale. 
• A split-view data entry window allows users to quickly look up and choose an appropriate value for a field.
• Looking up a load ticket is a piece of cake.  If you need to edit a ticket you can call it up by ticket number or pick it from a list filtered by block/job, truck, date, etc.
• The Cutting Edge provides the combination of performance and ease of use that allows you to maximize your profitability and productivity.  Let us give you the Edge you need to stay two steps ahead of your competition!

Superior Software.

Superior Service.

Superior Solution.

 

Screen Shots

Load Slips Load List Load Entry Form Configurable Scaled Logs Import Report - Loads, Summary Report - Scaled/Sample Loads Summary Report - Scaled/Sample Load Detail	Weigh Scale Truck Setup Truck Max Weights Report - Truck Overloads Report - Truck Cycle Times Load Entry Configurable Printed Ticket
Blocks Setup Wizard Report - Log Defect Report - Production by Pay Period	Contractors Contractor List Pay Rates Statements

 

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		Phone: (780) 865-4110