The Lower Saxony State Forestry Authority (Niedersächsische Landesforsten), managing 330,000 hectares of forest with around 1,350 employees and an annual turnover of approximately 160 million euros, is systematically digitizing its processes from timber harvesting to inventory management.
Case Details
The Lower Saxony State Forestry Authority (Niedersächsische Landesforsten), managing 330,000 hectares of forest with around 1,350 employees and an annual turnover of approximately 160 million euros, is systematically digitizing its processes from timber harvesting to inventory management.
Core Challenge: On-Site Data Collection in Harsh Environments
Timber harvesting primarily occurs during the winter, exposing workers to severe outdoor elements such as snow, freezing temperatures, and fluctuating light conditions, often in deep forest areas with limited mobile network coverage. To ensure smooth logistics, timber stacks must be recorded offline immediately after felling, capturing not only the quantity and quality but also the precise location data (such as road placement and optimal approach angles) which is crucial for heavy logging trucks. Consequently, district managers urgently require fail-safe, high-performance, and fully rugged devices to prevent costly operational downtime.
Lower Saxony State Forestry Authority
The Getac F110 enables time-saving timber recording whilst maintaining high data quality.
Thanks to the VGPS software integration and image analysis directly in the forest, we work
without workflow interruptions between field operations and the inventory management
system. The fact that hot- swappable batteries and tailored accessories prevent costly
downtime makes the solution completely for us.”
Fritz Hofheinz, Head of Forestry Applications
Niedersächsische Landesfors
Getac F110
Fully Rugged Tablet
Technical Solution: Rugged Devices Empowering Digital Forestry
Following rigorous field testing, the forestry authority deployed around 600 Getac F110 G7 fully rugged tablets to replace their legacy equipment. In the field, staff utilize the integrated VGPS software to capture precise coordinates and use the rear camera to photograph timber stacks; the system automatically analyzes these images to calculate the log count and volume, significantly accelerating the measurement process. Furthermore, the device boasts exceptional environmental resilience: its dual hot-swappable battery design ensures uninterrupted power during exceptionally long shifts, the display remains clearly readable in bright sunlight, and its resistance to temperature extremes, moisture, and impact allows workers to perform precise touch operations even while wearing gloves.
Business Value: A Seamless Workflow from Forest to Office
This integrated hardware and software solution successfully establishes an end-to-end data loop from the forest harvesting site directly to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Upon returning from the field, workers simply place the tablet into a dedicated office docking station, instantly transforming it into a fully-equipped Windows workstation. Once connected to the network, the offline-collected field data is automatically synchronized with the central inventory management system, completely eliminating the need for tedious manual data imports and exports. This seamless integration drastically reduces human errors, accelerates both timber recording and logistics workflows, and directly enhances the overall efficiency and profitability of the forestry operations.
