"Value propositions" for pulp and paper it solution providers.The number of technology solution and services providers focusing on the forest products industry has dropped from the high levels of the technology boom in the late 1990s. Those companies maintaining their focus have fine-tuned their messaging to better describe the impact their solutions and/or services for pulp and paper companies. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the value propositions for technology solution providers in a single location. The following paragraphs are based on the companies' descriptions and there was no cost associated with participation. Many more providers were asked to participate to this article but chose not to contribute. The segments are not absolute since many solutions and services touch different levels of an organization. Website information is provided for each company so they can be contacted if their solution will meet a business challenge your company faces. CONSULTING & IT SOLUTIONS STRATEGIES Accenture: www.accenture.com Accenture is a global management consulting Noun 1. management consulting - a service industry that provides advice to those in charge of running a business service industry - an industry that provides services rather than tangible objects , technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients in the lumber, pulp, papermaking pa·per·mak·ing n. The process or craft of making paper. pa  per·mak ,
converting and packaging segments of the industry to help them develop
and implement innovative strategies, manage complex change initiatives,
integrate processes and technologies, and find the areas of greatest
potential. Accenture continues to explore innovative ways for forest
products companies--and their extended value chains--to move to a higher
level of performance.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] EDS (Electronic Data Systems, Plano, TX, www.eds.com) Founded in 1962 by H. Ross Perot (independent candidate for the President of the U.S. in 1992), EDS is the largest outsourcing and data processing services organization in the country. : www.eds.com EDS is a leading global services company with business and technology solutions that drive client business performance. EDS brings business innovation to clients and expertise to help manufacturing companies become an agile enterprise--an enterprise that relies on a layered and leveraged technology architecture that supports agile business processes and applications that integrate the client's supply chain, manufacturing, engineering, enterprise resource planning See ERP. (application, business) Enterprise Resource Planning - (ERP) Any software system designed to support and automate the business processes of medium and large businesses. and customer facing business functions. EDS delivers information technology and business solutions that drive results for its clients. ENTERPRISE WIDE SOLUTIONS Microsoft: www.microsoft.com Microsoft, in conjunction with industry-leading partners, delivers manufacturing enterprise solutions that provide a flexible, scalable, reliable and secure platform--enabling businesses to be more agile and connected. As a result, companies in the forest products and converting industries are empowered to remain competitive by speeding time to market, better managing costs and improving capital efficiency. These companies also benefit by being able to acquire and share intelligence in real-time and connect with their customers. PeopleSoft: www.peoplesoft.com PeopleSoft offers paper companies a full suite of enterprise software solutions--including supply chain, asset lifecycle, financial, customer relationship, supplier relationship and HR management solutions--to maximize fixed-asset and working capital to improve cash flow and exceed customer service expectations. With PeopleSoft, companies can gain a higher return on assets Return on assets (ROA) Indicator of profitability. Determined by dividing net income for the past 12 months by total average assets. Result is shown as a percentage. ROA can be decomposed into return on sales (net income/sales) multiplied by asset utilization (sales/assets). by more effectively managing assets throughout their lifecycle. PeopleSoft also helps companies create a competitive advantage through improved supply chain performance and increase financial return by more efficiently managing M & A activity. Editor's Note Editor's Note (foaled in 1993 in Kentucky) is an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1992 U.S. Champion 2 YO Colt Forty Niner, who in turn was a son of Champion sire Mr. Prospector and out of the mare, Beware Of The Cat. Trained by D. : PeopleSoft has agreed to be acquired by Oracle. SAP: www.sap.com Founded in 1972, SAP is a leader in providing collaborative business solutions for paper, packaging and other process manufacturing The manufacturing industry that uses process control systems. See process control. industries. The company delivers the mySAP Business Suite  This article or section is written like an .Please help [ rewrite this article] from a neutral point of view. Mark blatant advertising for , using . , a family of business solutions for meeting the challenges of today's economy. SAP NetWeaver is the most recent major product of SAP's R & D efforts. The new application and integration platform is in particular being used by industry to integrate manufacturing execution systems – Manufacturing execution system (MES) describes a set of integrated functions within a packaged software system or it can also describe the accumulated functionality within the production management infrastructure of a manufacturing or production company. with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) An integrated information system that serves all departments within an enterprise. Evolving out of the manufacturing industry, ERP implies the use of packaged software rather than proprietary software written by or for one customer. to drive "adaptive manufacturing" strategies. PLANT LEVEL & ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION SOLUTIONS ABB n. 1. Among weavers, yarn for the warp. Hence, Noun 1. ABB - an urban hit squad and guerrilla group of the Communist Party in the Philippines; formed in the 1980s : www.abb.com From simple instrumentation to complex automation systems to advanced CPM (1) (Critical Path Method) A project management planning and control technique implemented on computers. The critical path is the series of activities and tasks in the project that have no built-in slack time. applications, ABB delivers solutions to the entire enterprise using its Papermaking Suite 3.0 solution based on system 800XA architecture. The implementation cost of an automation or manufacturing IT System can be a major cost of any project. ABB has shown how customers save money in the initial implementation and the ongoing system lifecycle In systems engineering, the system lifecycle is an examination of a system or proposed system that addresses all phases of its existence to include system design and development, production and/or construction, distribution, operation, maintenance and support, retirement, phase-out costs due to the common system architecture, which incorporates the broadest range of pulp and paper solutions from a single supplier. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Emerson Process Management: www.emersonprocess.com Emerson's automation products and services help users reduce costs and improve output. Their PlantWeb digital plant architecture uses intelligent instruments, valves, and systems to deliver not only process control, but also asset management--providing tools and information that help users to detect and correct potential problems before they affect the process. HSB (Hue Saturation Brightness) A color space that is similar to the way an artist mixes colors by adding black and white to pure pigments. The pigments are the hues (H), measured in a circle from 0 to 359 degrees (0=red, 60=yellow, 120=green, 180=cyan, 240=blue, Reliability Technologies: www.hsbrt.com HSB Reliability Technologies' (HSBRT's) primary service is to provide reliability consulting and support using best practice standards gathered over more than a third of a century. HSBRT implemented a PM program at a southern U.S. paper mill that dramatically reduced unscheduled unscheduled Adjective not planned or intended Adj. 1. unscheduled - not scheduled or not on a regular schedule; "an unscheduled meeting"; "the plane made an unscheduled stop at Gander for refueling" outages and steam leaks and a Total Plant Reliability Program that increased maintenance productivity; reduced overtime; reduced planned outages; and shortened paper machine start-ups. HSBRT's goal is to improve safety, compliance, and profitability by reducing manufacturing costs, and increasing production through implementation of reliability solutions. Indus: www.indus.com Indus is a leading provider of Service Delivery Management (SDM SDM - Schematic Data Model ) solutions, which help pulp and paper companies optimize the management of their workforce, spare parts Spare parts, also referred to as Service Parts is a term used to indicate extra parts available and in proximity to the mechanical item, such as a automobile, boat, engine, for which they might be used. Spare parts are also called “spares. inventory, tools and documentation in order to maximize performance while achieving significant cost savings. Indus solutions improve its customers profitability by reducing costs, increasing capacity and competitiveness, improving efficiencies, and ensuring safety regulatory compliance. Indus solutions have been purchased by a variety of pulp and paper companies from large multinational corporations
OSlsoft: www.osisoft.com OSlsoft's RtPM Platform, powered by the PI System, links real-time plant information with operational and corporate data, allows workers at all levels to make decisions that directly contribute to the bottom line. Enterprises are using the platform for environmental reporting, increasing production, measuring costs in real time and monitoring conditions as variations occur. Instant access to real-time data Real-time data denotes information that is delivered immediately after collection. There is no delay in the timeliness of the information provided. Some uses of this term confuse it with the term dynamic data. means companies can increase productivity, improve quality and lower their cost of ownership. Panther Systems Inc.: www.panthersys.com Panther's suite of MillTools and TestCentral applications are used by paper mills to track roll orders and quality throughout the manufacturing process from the paper machine to shipping. The results gained by users include; coordination of roll and quality tracking, reduced order errors, improved planning communications, reduced waste at the winder due to quality and planning issues, reduced inventory, and reduced shipping/handling errors. The applications automatically integrate and update each other for more timely reports, management analysis, and daily mill decisions based on information accuracy. SKF SKF Svenska Kullagerfabriken SKF Svenska Klätterförbundet (Sweden) SKF Smithsonian Kite Festival SKF San Antonio Kelly Field Annex (Lackland AFB, Texas) Reliability Systems: www.skf.com SKF Reliability Systems' proactive reliability solutions help customers achieve their business goals. The Paper Machine Optimization program includes online condition monitoring Condition monitoring is the process of monitoring a parameter of condition in machinery, such that a significant change is indicative of a developing failure. It is a major component of predictive maintenance. and decision support to extend felt and component life, reduce off-spec paper and increase machine speed. Customers have achieved dramatic savings from prevention of calender CALENDER. An almanac. Julius Caesar ordained that the Roman year should consist of 365 days, except every fourth year, which should contain 366, the additional day to be reckoned by counting the twenty-fourth day of February (which was the 6th of the calends of March) twice. roll damage with a significant increase in machine speed. Other documented savings included a reduction in unplanned mechanical downtime and decreased maintenance costs through reduced consumption of bearings and lubricants lubricants preparations for the lubrication of passages to reduce frictional injury, e.g. oily preparations, including petroleum jelly, lanolin or water-soluble preparations such as methyl cellulose. . BEST OF BREED SOLUTIONS Heads Up Systems: www.headsupsystems.com Heads Up Systems' methods and tools help operating managers achieve a balance between market conditions and the manufacturing environment by enabling them to make good decisions quickly. The manager can accomplish very complicated analyses without the support of experienced modeling professionals on staff. The result is a feasible operating plan that leads to increased profitability. Linnet linnet small songbird in the family Fringillidae. Called also Carduelis cannabina. , The Land System Company: www.linnet.ca Woodlands -- The System[R] (WTS See Windows Terminal Server. ) enables effective management of the raw material supply chain from the forest stand to the sale or consumption. Business value provided: * Woodflow scheduling to match the most cost effective supply with customer demands. * Improved data integrity, Best Management Practices and access to timely and reliable information allows better decisions. * Quality (EG Moisture) Management * Tighter control over inventory allocation. * Certification/EMS management and regulatory compliance Malcam: www.malcam.com Malcam's online volumetric volumetric /vol·u·met·ric/ (vol?u-met´rik) pertaining to or accompanied by measurement in volumes. vol·u·met·ric adj. Of or relating to measurement by volume. moisture and density information systems provide accurate, whole volume moisture and density data on any bulk material in real time speed and with no damage to the material. Malcam's MMA (Microcomputer Managers Association, Inc.) A membership organization with chapters throughout the U.S. that was devoted to educating personnel responsible for personal computers. It disbanded in 1996. Mma - A fast Mathematica-like system, in Allegro CL by R. Fateman, 1991. [TM] systems are installed and operating in more than 300 locations around the world, providing the organization's management with a fast, accurate information system that enables online process control and statistical analysis of the product quality in various stages of manufacturing. SUMMARY OF IT SOLUTIONS Point solutions for the plant floor or enterprise integrating solutions for an entire company have one thing in common--they create a return only after they are implemented successfully and used for an extended time. The greatest danger for any of the solutions or services mentioned in this article is that requirements gathering or scoping of effort are incomplete or rushed. These errors on the front end produce additional costs for the company over the life of the investment. The resulting mismatch of expectations vs. implementation reality can damage long-term credibility for the system and hurt morale within the company, not to mention the damage to the vendor's reputation if the project goes very wrong. IT solution and service selling is all about references--good ones take a great deal of effort for vendors to earn and bad news spreads fast. Make sure you talk with industry counterparts or ask around before you sign on the dotted line (my e-mail address See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address is at the end of the article if you are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. an objective 3rd party opinion). Equally dangerous is underestimating the change management associated with the solution or minimizing training for the users of the system. These two areas are usually the first to get cut when the project funds are being allocated. This lesson has been learned by most companies who were in the first wave of ERP implementations, but many companies still short-change the long-term value of their investment by cutting in these areas at the onset. With the challenges facing companies in the sector, it is critical to have a overall technology solution map for your company that is tied to short and long term business issues / opportunities. This is a challenge given the rate of change in technology and the equally rapid change of names on the business cards of vendors calling your company. Larger companies tend to drive towards standardization of systems to leverage their economy of scale and keep costs down, while smaller companies can take advantage of hybrid approaches for their solutions. Keeping a modular mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. is important regardless of company size. This modular approach allows individual aspects of the solution map to be upgraded as new technology becomes available or shifts in business priorities drive the need for new solutions. Regardless of the technology or service being considered, your goal is create a partnership with solution providers. As with any relationship, you are better off dating a little longer and checking your partner's reputation before you take the plunge. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN * Why technology solution providers have fine tuned their messaging. * Details on the offerings of various providers. * How to successfully implement technology solutions. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES * "The promise of technology: Past, present and future," by Ted McDermott, Solutions!, June 2004. To access this article, type in the following Product Code in the search field on www.tappi.org: 04JUNSO51. * "PIMA IT: Don't just survive, thrive!," by Ted McDermott, Solutions!, November 2004. Product Code: 04NOVSO45. * "Information technology provides business and customer value," by Ted McDermott, Solutions!, April 2003. Product Code: 03APRSO25. TED MCDERMOTT, SOLUTIONS! EDITORIAL BOARD ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ted McDermott is a member of the TAPPI Editorial Board and the PIMA Information Technology Specialist Group. He is an e-business/technology analyst and consultant based in Palatine, Illinois
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