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Setting up a Geographic Work Area

(Block, Tract, Job Site, etc)

The following screen captures show the steps involved in setting up a block called "BL-32112."  For the purpose of this tour, we are going to look at how to edit an existing block (essentially we will be reviewing an existing block), but the routine is basically the same to create a new block.  This block setup shows a common setup for users that are:

• tracking weighed loads in kilograms, but establishing cubic meters (M3) as a common "unit of measure" for reporting (regardless of whether payment rate or revenue rates for the loads are based on tonnes, M3, cords, or some other unit of measure); 
• setting up standard conversions from kilograms to some other measure (such as M3 or cords) for use in calculating payments and/or revenue;
• tracking cruise volumes for the block;
• paying payments to contract truckers; and
• paying self-employed equipment owner-operators.

Blocks are set up under the menu item Setup | Blocks | Block.  You should see one block called "Internal Cost."  This block should not be edited.  It is available for use when entering time slips where the time relates to mechanic time or any other time that is not directly attributable to a specific block or job.

Step 1

Highlight the row in the grid called "BL-32112" and double-click on it.

Click Next.

Step 2

This is where you would enter the Area for the block.  This field is for informational and reporting purposes.  If you want to be able to indicate a larger geographic area to which your block belongs, you can do so in this window.  (The Area label is configurable and can be changed to Zone or Working Circle, for example.)

Click Next.

Step 3

This is where you would enter the Timbermark for the block.  Again, this field is for informational and reporting purposes.  This label is also configurable and can be changed to Forest or Compartment, for example.)

If you were setting up a new block in a new timbermark, you could click 'New Timbermark' to add a timbermark, as shown here:

(If you did Click on the New Timbermark button, just Click Cancel to leave the window.)  Click Next in the wizard window to move to Step 4.

Step 4

Here, we select the unit of measure for deliveries.  Most users receive their deliveries in KGS, although some users prefer to just enter tonnes.  Note that if you deliver to multiple mills from a given block, and some mills provide the load slips in tonnes and others in kilograms, you should pick a single measure that you'll enter all your weights in.  (This list of measures is configurable, so we can work with you to populate it with measures that make sense for your business.) 

Click Next.

Step 5

Here, we select a standard volume measure for reporting production (deliveries).  The measure you that you select in this screen is used SOLELY for reporting in the system's standard reports, as many of the reports will show costs per "volume" and need to have a single "common denominator" to be meaningful.  Most users choose M3 or Tonne here, so that the system's standard reports will display M3 or Tonnes as a common unit of measure in any report columns labeled "volume."

Your selection in this window does not limit you in terms of how you can receive payment for deliveries, or issue payments; if you choose tonnes here, you can still pay loggers or receive payments in M3 or cords, for example.

Click Next.

Step 6

The next step involves setting up the start and end dates for the block.  The start date is generally the date you start logging.  The end date is when the block is complete.  The dates also set the boundaries for when loads identified with the block will be paid.  A load with a date outside the start and end date will be flagged as an error when you run the calculators in the system.

Click Next.

Step 7

This step involves setting the rates that the Mills will pay you for log deliveries. 

You can set up rates for discreet activities, such as felling, loading, skidding, etc., or you can roll the rate into one rate for an activity, such as 'harvesting.'  The virtue of breaking the rate down is that you can track profitability on a phase-by-phase basis.  The cost is that you must set up and maintain many more rates.

In the above screen shot, you will notice that Truck Type and Route are left empty.  This "blank" translates to ANY, So row 1 reads as "We get paid $4.75 per Tonne for delimbing when the species is Asp (Aspen) and, and we deliver to Vernon, have ANY Truck Type and use ANY Route.  Row 2 says that we are paid $5.00 per Tonne for delimbing for all other species (not Aspen).

Note in lines 3 and 4, we will be paid based on M3 instead of Tonnes. The Logger's Edge will let you set up any pay basis you want and mix and match on any given block.  If you are paid on a M3 basis you will either have to enter M3 directly on each load slip or setup a conversion rate to translate KGs into M3s.

Additional detail on setting up revenue rates is provided here.

You can scroll left and right to see all of the fields that are used in this grid.

Click Next.

Step 8

Use this screen to specify the rates you pay your contractors for deliveries from this block.  You only set up rates for load-based pay here -- if contractors are paid hourly or daily, those rates are set up elsewhere.

In this block, the rates for LOGGING and SKID differ by Species, but LOGGING is based on M3 and SKID is based on TONNEs.  The Trucking rate is special - it is interpreted to say that the Truck Owner (whoever he is) gets paid 68 percent of the revenue you receive from the customer.  Thus if Canfor pays you $100 for hauling a load, you would pay the trucking contractor 68% ($68) and keep $32 (out which you might pay the driver).  The trucking rate in line 6 is also special -- it uses the wildcard 'Driver' in order to pay truck drivers 25 percent of the load revenue.  You may use any of the pull down menus in each column to create the different pay rates based on different load attributes.  Again, you can scroll to see all of the fields, or you can choose 'Full Screen' to see the entire window.  Click 'OK' to close the Full Screen view.

Additional detail on setting up pay contract rates based on load attributes is provided here.  Additional detail on pay based on a percentage of load revenue is here.  Finally, certain extensions to paying loads are described here. 

These extensions include:

1. Payment Based on the Distance Traveled to Deliver the Load
2. Payment Based on Bone-Dry Tonnes
3. Payment Based on Distance and Weight Jointly
4. Payment Involving a Base Minimum (Useful for Light Loads, or Short Trips)

Click Next.

Step 9

Use this screen to specify the rates you pay your employees for deliveries from this block.  You only set up rates for load-based pay here -- if employees are paid hourly or daily, those rates are set up elsewhere.

In this block, the rate for LOADing  is based on individual loads ($10/Load).  The trucking rate in line 1 is special -- it uses the wildcard 'Driver' in order to pay truck drivers 24 percent of the load revenue.  Thus if Canfor pays you $100 for hauling a load, you would pay the truck driver 24% ($24) and keep $76 (out which you would pay the truck owner $68 if the truck was not your own).  You may use any of the pull down menus in each column to create the different pay rates based on different load attributes.  Again, you can scroll to see all of the fields, or you can choose 'Full Screen' to see the entire window.  Click 'OK' to close the Full Screen view.

Step 10

In this screen, we specify how we want conversions (if any) to be performed.

If all the volume you deliver is hand-scaled and you receive the volumes from the mills directly, you can choose the top radio button: Use No Conversions. (If you made this selection, you would bypass the next two screens we show in this tour.)

If all your pay rates, revenue rates, and reporting are all on a per tonne basis for this block, then you can choose the middle selection this screen: Use Generic Conversion. Again, if you made this selection, you would bypass the next two screens.

If you need the system to use standard conversions to convert kilograms to M3, cords, or some other measure, you should use the last radio button: Use Block-Specific Conversions, as shown here. 

Click Next.

Step 11

This screen indicates the attribute or attributes that govern your conversions.  These attributes can be reconfigured to reflect your naming conventions.

 

Often times, conversions will be based on stratum, but can also be based on a combination of attributes, such as destination and stratum.

Click Next

Step 12

This grid is used to enter the conversion factors that you'll need for  purposes of generating payment or receiving revenues on this block.  The columns that appear here are dictated by the selection you made in the prior step.  That is, there is one column  for "Stratum" here based on the selection in step 10.  If we had also selected destination in Step 10,  we would also see a destination column in the grid.  The "from" measure is dictated by our selection in Step 4 (delivery measure). 

 

The conversion rates are interpreted as follows:  for the stratum 23, convert kilograms into M3 at a rate of 0.001250 M3 per KG.  Often times, users prefer to express their conversions as the KG per M3 -- in this case it would be 800.00.  There is a configuration setting that allows you to set this preference.  For stratum 31, we see a conversion of 0.00120 KGs per M3; for stratum 50, we see a rate of 0.001275 KGs per M3.

Click Next to continue.

Step 13

Here, we enter Cruise Volumes.  Use this window to enter the cruise for your block (if you have cruise information).  The cruise lets you track your actual deliveries against what you expect from the block.  This screen is not required and is used solely for reporting on actual versus budgeted volumes.  (When setting up your own blocks, if you do not track cruise volumes, you can simply click Next here.)

Click Next.

Step 14

This step involves data entry for two special features.  The first is for the fuel rebate report that tracks the number of on and off highway kilometers traveled by your log trucks.  This report uses your kilometer entries here for the block in conjunction with your load slips to estimate the number of on and off highway kilometers your trucks have traveled.

The 'Max Trip Time' entry is used in the truck cycle-time report.  The report tracks the time period between loads delivered from the same block to the same destination.  The Max Time is used to exclude those periods that are considered too long (perhaps the driver was not on shift or was taking an extended rest) and therefore should not be included in the report.

The last column 'Avg Trip Time' is used to calculate the the hours that a truck has worked.  In conjunction with the tonnes on each load, The Logger's Edge can compute the number of tonne-hours a truck has been operating.  In conjunction with your actual truck costs, you can estimate your tonne-hour cost of operating your trucks.

Click Next.

Step 15

This window is used to assign a name to the block.  Use the Code field for a short name (which will appear on settlements, for example).  Use the Name field for a longer, more descriptive name (or simply set the name and the code to be the same).  The description field might be useful for a legal land location.  The other fields are configurable (or can be disabled completely). 

The above screen can be configured to track additional pieces of information. For further details, contact your Caribou Support representative.

Click Next.

Step 16

Up to this step, all your selections have been stored in memory.  You can use the back button at any time to review or edit your information. 

Because we have just been reviewing the information and wish to keep the original information in memory, please click on Cancel, and none of the changes will be saved.  If you had created a new block or edited an existing block, you would have to hit finish to commit your changes.

When you click cancel you will return to the grid with all of your current blocks listed.