Shortcomings at Company Level to Export-1

These comments are made on the basis of documentation received from Pakistan, and from literature and previous studies.

Raw material recovery

Raw material recovery rate needs to be better monitored. It is not only affected by drying defects or fungal diseases of wood, but also if over-sized stock of wood is used, if the log form is difficult to saw, or if basic machining is of inferior quality.

Kiln-drying

Air-drying in the open is commonly used in dry and warm countries. It yields well-seasoned wood with a relatively long drying period (easily 6-24 months depending on country/condition/type of timber). The downside is that it locks up capital idle for that period, and makes it difficult to respond to new market opportunities quickly enough. Production planning can be very difficult if drying periods are lengthy or unpredictable.
It is imperative to use timber that has attained the equilibrium point of moisture content, preferably below 10%. This will help avoiding structural weaknesses of furniture and chairs, and other excessive rejects during production. Less customer reclamations will be received as a consequence.

Tool maintenance and its impact on quality

Tool maintenance is a crucial part of the wooden craft profession, because it enables efficiency and consistent quality in the work. There is reportedly some degree of negligence in this aspect in Pakistan. Tool maintenance often seems to be the responsibility of an individual worker rather than the company.
It has to be remembered that the raw material characteristics also influence tool wear. As wood density and extractives content rises, greater amounts of processing time, energy and tool wear are consumed. Tool material, tool design and tool geometry are the principal criteria to be watched. These may have to be changed if the common wood raw material is replaced by another type of wood.

Access to market information

Broadly speaking, Pakistani furniture firms suffer from a poor access to up-to-date market information. Non-systematic gathering of such info leads easily into inability to assess its reliability and put it into proper use. Therefore, the importance of a continuous flow of market information flow cannot be emphasized too much. Its collection and dissemination is an activity of its own, which requires external resources and dedicated staff to be beneficial for the industry.