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Hiab-success-story

Hiab accelerates growth by reducing downtime with instant production alerts

Real-time production monitoring that enables agile responses to production challenges

Summary

Hiab replaced manual whiteboard tracking with Pinja's Real-time Monitoring solution. The production assistance request and reporting system brought transparency and traceability to installation operations, enabling real-time data exchange between production and design teams. Hiab now has precise analytics on utilisation rates, downtime, and root causes of issues across operations in Finland, the U.S., and Europe.

Hiab-logo

Featured solution
Real-time Monitoring

Impact

Real-time monitoring and analysis of workstation utilisation

Managers gain instant visibility into which stations are running, which need help, and how resources are being used across the production floor.
Identification of production bottlenecks and quick response
Workers signal issues at their workstations, alerts reach the right people immediately, and help arrives faster than before.
Improved communication between production and design
Real-time data exchange eliminates the communication gaps that used to cause delays between production workers and design staff.
Data-driven operational development and optimisation
Analytics reports show exactly where delays happen and which problems recur, enabling teams to fix root causes instead of symptoms.

About Hiab

Hiab is a pioneer in intelligent and sustainable load handling solutions. As one of the world's leading players in its field, the company offers customised solutions for industries including construction, recycling, forestry, and transportation. With factories around the world, Hiab operates globally with a strong focus on innovation and operational excellence.

 

  • Global leader in load handling solutions
  • Part of Cargotec group
  • Operations in Finland, U.S., Netherlands, and UK
THE CHALLENGE

Manual tracking methods limited operational visibility and continuous improvement

Collaboration between production and design is crucial for Hiab's installation process. When workers encounter issues that require input from design staff, delays in communication directly impact efficiency and project schedules.

The previously used manual whiteboard setup did not provide sufficient traceability or real-time visibility. When problems arose, teams resolved them reactively without systematic analysis of lost production time or recurring issues. This made process optimisation and continuous improvement challenging.

Poor communication between different functions caused delays and disruptions, which reduced efficiency and led to underutilisation of resources. Without clear data on where time was being spent — on efficient work versus various disruptions — it was difficult to identify the biggest pain points and opportunities for improvement.

To keep projects moving and remain competitive, Hiab needed better visibility into production operations and a more systematic way to understand and improve processes.

 

Tutkimusraportti_Andon-menetelmän tunnettuus suomalaisen valmistavan teollisuuden keskuudessa_lowres
"We wanted to understand how much time we spent on efficient work and how much time was wasted due to various reasons. This way, we could also identify the biggest pain points and opportunities for improvement in our production."
Alan RattiVP, Service Operations & PLM at Hiab
THE SOLUTION

A production assistance request and reporting system that brought transparency to operations

Hiab and Pinja's collaboration began at the Raisio production facility in Finland in 2019, focusing on hook equipment surface treatment and assembly operations.

Hiab implemented Pinja's Real-time Monitoring solution, which includes production assistance request and reporting capabilities based on the Andon concept — a proven visual management approach from Lean manufacturing that enables operators to signal issues immediately and coordinate rapid response across production teams.

The system brought much-needed transparency and traceability to processes:

Production events recorded at operator points 

When someone encounters an issue, they record it directly at their workstation. This creates an immediate, traceable record — no need to leave their station or rely on manual communication.

Real-time data visible throughout the facility 

Displays throughout the production floor show which workstations need support, who's responding, and current status. This gives managers and supervisors immediate visibility into how operations are running.

Real-time data exchange between production and design

The system enables immediate communication between production workers and design staff, significantly improving coordination and minimising the delays caused by communication gaps.

Analytics reports with precise operational data 

Previous manual tracking methods were replaced by detailed analytics that provide precise data on utilisation rates, downtime, and root causes of issues. This makes it possible to identify key development areas and optimise workflows based on evidence rather than assumptions.

Following successful results in Finland, Hiab expanded the system to its Services business in the U.S. — the company's largest market area — in 2024. The company plans to gradually extend the solution to operations in the Netherlands and the UK, supporting more efficient process management and operational effectiveness globally.

 

Andon
"Thanks to the system, we can now respond to production challenges quickly and effectively, leading to more efficient installation processes and reduced waiting times."
Alan RattiVP, Service Operations & PLM at Hiab
THE IMPACT

Faster response, better coordination, and evidence-based improvement

The transformation in operational visibility was immediate and substantial. The shift from manual whiteboards to real-time monitoring fundamentally changed how work gets coordinated on Hiab's production floor.

Quicker response to production challenges 

Real-time visibility enables teams to respond to production challenges quickly and effectively. Installation processes run more smoothly, with reduced waiting times and fewer disruptions. The system directs assistance requests to the right people — whether design, maintenance, or production management — eliminating the delays that came from manual communication.

Improved coordination between production and design 

Real-time data exchange between production and design significantly improved communication and minimised delays. The transparency helps both teams work more effectively together, reducing the coordination challenges that previously impacted efficiency.

Data-driven operational development 

Analytics reports provide precise data on utilisation rates, downtime, and root causes of issues. Teams can now identify key development areas based on evidence rather than assumptions. This enables the identification of recurring problems and systematic optimisation of workflows — the foundation for continuous improvement that wasn't possible with manual tracking.

A partnership focused on operational needs

Hiab values Pinja's role as a partner who understands their operational challenges, not just a system supplier. The collaboration is built on open communication and shared goals, enabling agile development and quick responses to feedback.

Key impacts include:

 

Real-time visibility into workstation utilisation, replacing manual whiteboards with continuous monitoring

Faster response to production challenges, with assistance requests directed to the right people immediately

Improved communication between production and design, through real-time data exchange

Precise analytics on utilisation, downtime, and root causes, enabling evidence-based process improvement
Successful expansion from Finland to the U.S., with planned rollout to the Netherlands and UK

The collaboration continues with plans to integrate the system with Hiab's SAP ERP, which would enable even smoother data exchange between different systems, reducing manual inputs and errors.

Note: This case study describes Hiab's experience with Andon by Pinja. This functionality is now available as part of Real-time Monitoring.

 

Hiab-success-story
"Pinja’s solution is stable, and that is the most important thing for us. In the future, our goal is to integrate it into the SAP ERP system. This integration would enable even smoother data exchange between different systems, reducing manual inputs and errors."
Alan RattiVP, Service Operations & PLM at Hiab
heavy-machinery-units-high-tech-solar-panel-warehouse-3d-illustration
REAL-TIME MONITORING

See what's happening on your production floor as it happens

Production monitoring and assistance request capabilities that let workers signal when they need help, alert the right people instantly, and track every issue automatically.

Explore solution

Speak directly with an industry specialist

Book time with Henna Landén for a brief, high-impact discussion on improving production visibility and response times in manufacturing environments.

If you're struggling to see what's happening on your production floor, or need faster response when workers run into problems, we can walk you through practical solutions that work.

henna-landen

Henna Landén
henna.landen@pinja.com

Schedule a chat with Henna