The iT’s for Tissue 2022 event was a magnificent showcase of the latest developments in tissue production and converting while providing opportunities for face-to-face discussions between high-level participants. Alongside innovation, sustainability, and efficiency, especially in energy, were a key focus.
More interestingly, perhaps, the event highlighted a business success issue yet to be solved – planting an extended Manufacturing Execution System (MES) with sales and operations planning between ERP and shop-floor automation.
Lucca - the Tissue Valley
Lucca, aside from its touristic attractiveness, is also home to one of the European tissue industry’s most important events, iT’s Tissue.
The event, organized by the Tissue Italy network founded in 2012 by 12 Italian companies from the region’s “Tissue Valley”, promotes made-in-Italy technological excellence in the tissue industry and regularly brings together industry representatives from all over the world.
Following earlier events in 2013, 2015, and 2018, iT’s Tissue 2022 saw more than 1,000 registered participants from 250 companies and 70 countries, a large part of them at the C-level.
True to the theme of the event – intersection between technology and networking, with a focus on knowledge, experience, and continuous technological innovation – visitors were treated to the most recent developments in both tissue production and converting.
Challenges throughout the supply chain
Besides sustainability and technological innovation, as iT’s Tissue amply showcased, success in today’s highly competitive, fairly low-margin tissue industry requires accurate demand prediction and operational efficiency. Prediction should cover the entire supply chain from raw material sourcing to factory logistics and customer deliveries, while operational efficiency requires near real-time vision into BOM (Bill Of Material) against the ability to quickly change recipes for different end products as demand changes.
Energy prices and inflation are putting pressure on the tissue industry. Not least because most tissue mills purchase their pulp from external sources and have no in-house energy generation capacity. Many operators also struggle with increased prices of recycled (RCP) fibre, and even the availability is scarce. Every bale of pulp must be processed for production at the lowest possible cost.
Even though margins may be low, production volumes can produce big wins. After all, the rising standard of living in all major markets throughout the world means more demand for tissue. But this also means you need to be able to quickly react to demand while at the same time maintaining flexible production at sensible cost-to-serve figures.
Profitability hinges on digitalization
To cope with the situation profitably, you need to complement hardware excellence with capable software that will automatically assist in both demand prediction and shop-floor efficiency.
What if:
- You could increase your competitiveness through efficient Sales & Operational Planning (S&OP) while having a real-time view on what is going on?
- You could have industry best practice business processes, ensuring business continuity and capabilities to improve your KPIs?
- You could close the gap between your ERP and mill-specific automation with a harmonized and standard Mill Execution System that sits in-between?
- You could have a solution that adapts to your specific IT landscape requirements?
- You could natively integrate all this with your ERP (such as SAP) and any line automation system you have chosen?
Fortunately, a solution already exists
TIPS for Tissue is part of Tietoevry’s TIPS Industry Solutions and Services family. It is designed for integrated tissue paper and converting mills and businesses that answers all the “what if” questions.
It will make sure you can successfully run your business to plan, execute and operate your production and warehousing efficiently. The result: high quality to meet your customer requirements in full and on time while ensuring business profitability. Even in a fluctuating market environment.
What next?
The next iT’s Tissue event is scheduled for 2025, an excellent opportunity to have a face-to-face talk at the networking events.
Meanwhile, let me invite you to take a look at TIPS for Tissue, and download our Solution Paper to get down to the nuts and bolts of the solution and how it could help your business.
We would also very much welcome your personal view on the future of the tissue business. That’s why we are presently conducting Tissue Industry Study 2022 in collaboration with Fisher International, I-Plan and Valmet to learn more about how industry leaders and decision-makers see the industry going forward. Make your voice heard!
By Jarmo Ropponen, Head of Sales and Marketing, Pulp, Paper & Fibre, Tietoevry Industry