Current situation and issues of practical use ofdigital information in wood supply chain
木材サプライチェーンにおけるデジタル情報活用の実態と課題

Asian Natural Environmental Science CenterLab. of Sustainable Material Design/Wood Utilization SystemWeiwen CAI（M1),Tateki HATA, Masafumi INOUE

Research backgroundResults

Bar codes, two-dimensional codes (QR codes) and IC tags (RFID), which are called data carriers,
are generally used as means for adding digital information to products. Use of this information iseffective for streamlining the wood supply chain and due diligence. Currently,Wood-relatedindustries are introducing production management methods using digital information. And arecommitted to establishing a supply chain directly connected to production, processing anddistribution.. But because the scope of application is still not large, and the application methods are
not yet mature, there are still some problems to be solved in the actual production and application
process.

 Effects of introducing digital information

Purpose of research①②To discribe the use of digital information in the wood supply chain
To discuss the issues of digital information utilization in wood supply chain

Results
 What is digital information[1],[2],[3],[4]資料提供：凸版印刷

IC tags (RFID)

Bar codes

Two-dimensional codes

 Digital Information Usage in Production Sites[7]TypeMaximum information volume

Several kilobytes

Dozens of bytes

Several kilobytes

Update / add information

Possible

Impossible

Impossible

Communication when shielding

Possible

Impossible

Impossible

Simultaneous reading

Easily possible

Possible depending on
conditions

Possible depending on
conditions

Counterfeit

Difficult

Easy

Easy

Size

Large

Small

Extremely small

Positioning for scanning

Unnecessary

Necessary

NecessaryToughness

HighLow

Low

PriceHighLow

Low

Reading speed

FastSlowSlowRange﹤10m﹤1m﹤1m

RFID:Radio Frequency IDentification

In previous studies, electronic tags (IC tags) were attached at the stage of standing trees, information such as
ID was written and managed on the tags, and when logs were manufactured, electronic tags were attached toeach log. Or a two-dimensional barcode (QR code) was attached and another ID was given. At the time ofprocessing, such as in sawmills and pre-cut mills, they were removed as needed, replaced, and pasted withinformation such as QR codes when passing on to the final consumer.
From the viewpoint of reducing the amount of work and ensuring reliability, a data carrier that can be usedconsistently from upstream to downstream of the distribution is desired, and it has been clarified that a labellike electronic tag is useful.
By adopting a method of starting material tracking from a log market or an intermediate land, or by managing
lots, it is possible to minimize the work of attaching tags, etc., and load necessary data on the material.

画像：Wikipedia、TOPPAN FORMSホームページ

Wood products also include pulp wood and wood used as fuel for biomass energy. For these wood products,
the only information required for shipment is weight. These woods do not require a data carrier for advancedmanagement. The wood should be sorted before installation to avoid wasting data carriers and work. In order
to select the wood to be tracked, it is necessary to consider the time of installing the data carrier according to
the distribution form, which varies depending on the location, quality, etc. of the wood used.

 Purpose of introducing digital information① Reduces Bullwhip Effect② Improve traceability③ Improve supply chain efficiency etc.
 Bullwhip effect causes well-known problems:[5]the accumulation of excess inventories at certain times, followed by serious inventory shortages;
poor customer service at other times;
excess or insufficient capacity, depending on the case;unstable production and inefficient production planning and scheduling, leading to higher costs resulting
from the corrective actions that have to be taken
According to a study by Machuca et al. In Spain, the introduction of digital information significantly
reduced the average cost of net inventory at each node in the supply chain. The average value of theaverage order placed, which is more important in the supply chain, has also dropped slightly.
These results show that the application of digital information leads to a reduction in the bullwhip
effect.
However, the supply chain used in this experiment was a fictitious one built by a computer simulator,and may not match the results in the actual supply chain.

Discussion and Future Research Agenda
By making the IC tag a small size made of paper without thickness, the data carrier does not interfere with thework in each work process except for pre-cut, and there is a risk of mechanical damage in the lumbering
process during installation. Using an adhesive instead of a tacker would improve work efficiency in that thedata carrier would not need to be replaced during the verification in Takayama City, Gifu.[8] Benefits of a traceability system in a timber supply chain: (eg, wooden house)[6]LoggerLog Auction Market
Sawmill
Distributor
Pre-cut mill
Housing Constructor
Consumer①Information on ordered products can begrasped.
②Able to prepare funds with plan
③Improve the yield of sawn products④Able to plan the coordination between
sales of board materials and sale of byproducts (biomass resources)①Basic information on wood (quality,logging time, quantity, price, etc.) can be
known in advance.
②Able to get accurate estimates.
③Able to plan accurate construction period④Useful for construction management.
⑤Useful for future maintenance.

資料提供：協和木材, https://www.ishihara-group.co.jp/bu_ishimamki.html①Able to advance the timing andquantity of material distribution
systematically over a long period oftime.
②Tracability makes it possible to be
the basis for appropriate pricing.
③Can take the initiative in tree pricing.

In the 2013 test, when only the label was used for adhesion, there was a problem in adhesion. For example, itdoes not adhere to the edges of wet wood or fall off during drying. Therefore, it is necessary to confirm that
there is no peeling or the like during the drying process.[9]In the traceability system of wood , it is necessary to accumulate the information required for distribution ofwood. Items required in the timber distribution include those generally required in each distribution process andthose that differ depending on the region and distribution form. It is necessary to define the minimum required
data items so that meaningful information can be accumulated and shared as timber traceability information.[8]When creating a database of wood information by introducing a traceability system, it is necessary to consider
what kind of information is needed, such as by conducting interviews.

Shipping
Ordering

Therefore, the actual situation and issues of utilization in the industry related to wood processing anddistribution are summarized. efforts to add product information using bar codes or QR codes are being carriedout by some entities, but the content varies depending on the entity, and the necessary information is often notprovided at each stage of the supply chain. IC tags are not yet widely used due to cost and other issues. In orderto promote the use of digital information, it is important to show the merits quantitatively and unify theinformation items to be provided throughout the industry.

References[1]田中万里子（2006）,「森林情報学入門 : 森林情報の管理とITの活用」,東京農業大学出版会[2]NTTコムウェア株式会社研究開発部（2005）,「RFIDの現状と今後の動向」,電気通信協会[3]金双鴿（2010）,「物流革新とRFID技術の発展」,大阪産業大学経営論集[4]https://naxis.net/rfid01[5]José A.DMachuca, Rafael P. Barajas (2004),The impact of electronic data interchange on reducing bullwhip effect and supply chain inventory costs[6]一般社団法人木を活かす建築推進協議会・株式会社DCMC (2010),『地域材利用加速化支援事業のうち地域材実用化促進対策事業 トレーサビリティシステム確立検証報告書』(平成22 年度林野庁補助事業)[7]添原洋平, 松場啓太, 浅野良晴, 高村秀紀 (2014.9),建築用木材データベースに関する研究 (第2 報)木材トレーサビリティシステムの実証実験, 空気調和・衛生工学会学術講演論文集[8]西谷風香,添原洋平,浅野良晴,岩井一博 (2015.9), 建築用木材のデータベースに関する研究 （第3報）岐阜県における木材トレーサビリティシステムの試行結果,空気調和・衛生工学会大会学術講演論文集[9]西谷風香,浅野良晴,岩井一博(2016.9), 建築用木材のデータベースに関する研究 （第４報）木材トレーサビリティの簡易的手法の検討,空気調和・衛生工学会大会学術講演論文集