Wood factory managers realise planning, commercial and advisory tasks of wood factory and timber trade. They also manage purchasing, sales, customer service and marketing of wood and wood products.
ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:
the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.
These occupations require some skills and knowledge of wood factory manager. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of wood factory manager with a significant experience and/or extensive training.
This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of wood factory manager.
Woodworking processes: Steps in the processing of wood for the manufacturing of wooden articles and types of machines used for these processes such as drying, shaping, assembling and surface finishing. Timber products: Key features, advantages and limitations of the different timbers and timber based products sold at a company and where to access this information. Manufacturing processes: The steps required through which a material is transformed into a product, its development and full-scale manufacturing. Construction products: The offered construction materials, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements. Wood products: The various wood products such as lumber and furniture, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements. Types of wood materials: Identify the specification, purpose, and quality of the required wood (based) material and provide information about this to customers.
These skills are necessary for the role of wood factory manager.
Manage supplies: Monitor and control the flow of supplies that includes the purchase, storage and movement of the required quality of raw materials, and also work-in-progress inventory. Manage supply chain activities and synchronise supply with demand of production and customer. Sell processed timber in a commercial environment: Check that the sales area is in a suitable condition for customers and that the stock and materials are in a suitable condition to be sold. Manage budgets: Plan, monitor and report on the budget. Strive for company growth: Develop strategies and plans aiming at achieving a sustained company growth, be the company self-owned or somebody else’s. Strive with actions to increase revenues and positive cash flows. Manage staff: Manage employees and subordinates, working in a team or individually, to maximise their performance and contribution. Schedule their work and activities, give instructions, motivate and direct the workers to meet the company objectives. Monitor and measure how an employee undertakes their responsibilities and how well these activities are executed. Identify areas for improvement and make suggestions to achieve this. Lead a group of people to help them achieve goals and maintain an effective working relationship among staff. Create manufacturing guidelines: Draft procedures and guidelines to ensure that government and industry regulations are met by manufacturers in both international and domestic markets. Advise customers on wood products: Advise others on the applicability, suitability, and limitations of wood products and wood based materials. Study prices of wood products: Be aware of current market studies and forecasts concerning supply, demand, trade and prices of wood and related products. Define manufacturing quality criteria: Define and describe the criteria by which data quality is measured for manufacturing purposes, such as international standards and manufacturing regulations. Oversee quality control: Monitor and assure the quality of the provided goods or services by overseeing that all the factors of the production meet quality requirements. Supervise product inspection and testing. Ensure equipment availability: Ensure that the necessary equipment is provided, ready and available for use before start of procedures. Develop manufacturing policies: Develop policies and procedures applied in manufacturing with the aim of improving competitiveness and capabilities of the industry. Carry out purchasing operations in the timber business: Carry out purchasing operations within the scope of personal responsibility and with due regard to production efficiency and business objectives. Meet deadlines: Ensure operative processes are finished at a previously agreed-upon time. Manage factory operations: Oversee factory operations, including planning, organising, controlling and directing factory production activities. Adhere to organisational guidelines: Adhere to organisational or department specific standards and guidelines. Understand the motives of the organisation and the common agreements and act accordingly. Delegate activities: Delegate activities and tasks to others according to the ability, level of preparation, competence and legal scope of practice. Make sure that people understand what they should do and when they should do it. Manage production systems: Organize, manage, and maintain all aspects of production, including product design, production planning, and production control systems (for example by the use of the computer program WFM). Plan health and safety procedures: Set up procedures for maintaining and improving health and safety in the workplace. Liaise with managers: Liaise with managers of other departments ensuring effective service and communication, i.e. sales, planning, purchasing, trading, distribution and technical. Analyse production processes for improvement: Analyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs. Follow company standards: Lead and manage according to the organisation’s code of conduct.
This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of wood factory manager. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Environmental legislation in agriculture and forestry: Awareness on enviromental legislation, policies, principles relevant for agriculture and forestry. Awareness of the impact on the enviroment of local agricultural precedures and practices. Means to adjust the production to new enviromental regulations and policies. Engineering processes: The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems. Quality standards: The national and international requirements, specifications and guidelines to ensure that products, services and processes are of good quality and fit for purpose. Company policies: The set of rules that govern the activity of a company.
These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of wood factory manager. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.
Oversee logistics of finished products: Ensure that the processes of packing, storage and shipment of finished products meet the requirements. Inspect wood materials: Carry out a thorough inspection of wood material using appropriate methods, instruments, tools, and other apparatus. Meet contract specifications: Meet contract specifications, schedules and manufacturers’ information. Check that the work can be carried out in the estimated and allocated time. Assess felled timber volume: Measure the amount of timber felled using appropriate equipment. Take care of the equipment. Record the measured data. Negotiate terms with suppliers: Identify and work with suppliers to ensure quality of supply and best price has been negotiated. Wear appropriate protective gear: Wear relevant and necessary protective gear, such as protective goggles or other eye protection, hard hats, safety gloves. Recruit personnel: Carry out assessment and recruitment of personnel for the production. Prospect new customers: Initiate activities in order to attract new and interesting customers. Ask for recommendations and references, find places where potential customers can be located. Evaluate employees work: Evaluate the need for labour for the work ahead. Evaluate the performance of the team of workers and inform superiors. Encourage and support the employees in learning, teach them techniques and check the application to ensure product quality and labour productivity. Liaise with shareholders: Communicate and serve as communication point with shareholders in order to provide an overview on their investments, returns, and long-term plans of the company to increase profitability. Prepare production reports: Prepare a comprehensive and unbiased report on wood technology production and progressive development of wood based materials. Negotiate improvement with suppliers: Build a good relation with suppliers in order to improve knowledge and quality of supply. Distinguish wood quality: Distinguish different types of wood quality schemes, grading rules, and standards. See how quality differs between certain kinds of wood, such as hardwoods and softwoods. Schedule regular machine maintenance: Schedule and perform regular maintenance, cleaning, and repairs of all equipment. Order necessary machine parts and upgrade equipment when necessary to ensure optimal performance. Prepare purchasing reportings: Prepare documentation and files related to product purchases. Manage customer service: Manage the delivery of customer service including activities and approaches that play a vital part in customer service by seeking and implementing improvements and developments. Manage timber stocks: Inspect the stock to find out how much is left. Identify any damaged, faulty, or out of date items and move them to the appropriate location. Follow stock rotation methods to ensure stock is used effectively. Handle goods using safe and approved handling methods. Check material rescources: Verify that all requested resources are delivered and in good working order. Notify the appropriate person or people of any problems related to technical and material resources. Check durability of wood materials: Check the categorisation and different levels of durability of wood materials. Train employees: Lead and guide employees through a process in which they are taught the necessary skills for the perspective job. Organise activities aimed at introducing the work and systems or improving the performance of individuals and groups in organisational settings. Align efforts towards business development: Synchronise the efforts, plans, strategies, and actions carried out in departments of companies towards the growth of business and its turnover. Keep business development as the ultimate outcome of any effort of the company. Assess felled timber quality: Evaluate the quality of the felled timber.
