New application simplifies work with conservation value assessments

A new field application at Sveaskog has contributed to a significant improvement in conservation value assessments.

The purpose of the conservation value assessment is to identify an area’s prerequisites for biological diversity and to create a basis for planning activities and making provisions. In order to minimize the risk that valuable forest biotopes are inadvertently harvested or damaged it is important to carry out a conservation value assessment before activities take place- 

The data collection for conservation value assessments is carried out nationally and this requires that the data is saved with future traceability on how the assessment was made. The working methodology for conservation value assessments needed to be further developed while a digital tool was required by the business to streamline the work process and quality assure the collected and processed data.

Result: a highly-valued field tool used by the business in the whole of Sweden. The tool streamlines the collection of required data and ensures that the result is saved with future traceability for every single assessment. As the application can be used in both online and offline mode with different devices the data collection is streamlined when working out in the field.

“The field tool has exceeded our expectations! It is evident that all people in the project have strived to develop a great product that is user-friendly for us who use the tool in our daily work. The application and data capture have for the most part worked smoothly from day one in the first section where I tested the tool.” Linda Rosén, Forest Planner in Götaland. 

Triona provided project management, requirements coordination, test management, and system development to the project, and contributed with GIS expertise. A project group with participants from Sveaskog and Triona worked to design the field application in conjunction with the change in working methodology. The launch was made in two stages and was well received in the business.

“In May 2022, when we launched a large transformation of our methodology for assessing conservation values, our main focus was on the actual methodology. The digital support which was developed in record time was approved, although it was not completely finished. At the launch of the new IT tool in April 2023 it was a case of the complete opposite, a minor update in the methodology however a large focus on the hugely positive improvement the new field application brings” Peter Bergman, Head of Nature Conservation, Sveaskog.