The recycled-paper production industry is anchored in marginal gains, and even the smallest improvements in efficiency can have a major impact on a mill's profitability. For mid-sized recycled paper mills in Europe, a mere 0.2% increase in production can add up to €500,000 in value. But how can you achieve this? The key lies in optimizing mill operations, especially when it comes to managing raw material feeds to conveyors and mill yard inventories. 

YardManager, an advanced mill yard and warehouse management system for incoming raw materials, can help mills make these efficiency gains, transforming the bottom line without requiring massive investment or overhauling operations. 

Small Improvements go a Long Way

A 0.2% increase in production might seem like a small goal, but when applied to a mid-sized recycled paper mill, it can translate into significant revenue gains. For example, consider a mill producing 400,000 tons of paper per year—this 0.2% boost can lead to an additional 800 tons of paper, or ~€500,000 in additional production value, depending on the market. 

To achieve such improvements, it's crucial to focus on areas that can deliver consistent, incremental efficiency gains. In many cases, these areas lie within the mill’s mill yard and warehouse operations, where manual processes, inefficient tracking, and lack of real-time visibility can hinder production flow. 

Overcoming Common Challenges in Recycled Paper Mill Operations 

For many mills, inefficiencies arise from traditional, manual methods of managing raw material tracking and mill yard inventories. These manual processes are often slow, prone to human error, and fail to provide the real-time insights needed for optimal decision-making. Here are a few common issues: 

• Manual Tracking of Raw Material: Without real-time data, mills can struggle to maintain a consistent feed, leading to variability in production quality and interruptions. 
• Mill yard Inventories: Manually managing and tracking raw materials in the mill yard leads to misplaced materials and a lack of transparency.
• Inconsistent Production Mix: With limited visibility into raw material quality and location, achieving a homogeneous and wanted production mix can become a challenge, affecting both quality and efficiency. 

The good news? These challenges can be overcome with YardManager. 

YardManager: Mill Yard and Warehouse Management Made More Efficient  

YardManager is a position-based mill yard and warehouse management system designed specifically for recycled paper mills. Its automation capabilities streamline operations by providing real-time insights into mill yard activities, raw material feeds, and production progress. By offering seamless integration and an intuitive map-based interface, YardManager empowers mill operators, forklift drivers, and production planners to optimize the entire supply chain.  

Here’s how YardManager drives efficiency and boosts production:

Real-Time Visibility for Consistent Raw Material Feed

One of the core features of YardManager is its ability to track and display real-time information on raw material feed to each conveyor. This ensures that the right mix of different grades are always put to each conveyor, reducing the risk of inconsistencies and improving the quality of pulp slurry. 

Forklift or wheel loader drivers are given live visibility of production orders and actual amounts moved to conveyors. This eliminates the guesswork and ensures the right materials are placed on conveyors at the right time. By continuously monitoring feed-to-conveyor data, the system also helps mills achieve a more homogeneous mix of pulp, which is crucial for consistent quality.

Streamlined Inventory Management and Mill Yard Optimization

Manual mill yard inventories are a thing of the past with YardManager. The system provides a dynamic, map-based view of the entire mill yard and warehouse. This visual representation allows operators to quickly locate bales based on critical attributes such as grade, quality, and storage time, eliminating time-consuming searches. 

Due to YardManager’s integration with various weighing devices and GNSS receivers, every forklift movement—whether unloading bales to a bay or placing them on conveyors—is automatically tracked. This data includes weight and all information from the load of lorry, providing up-to-date inventory reports and insights that enable better decision-making. 

As a result, mill yard supervisors or production managers no longer need to rely on manual bookkeeping to track raw material movements. Instead, they can access accurate, real-time consumption data, helping to predict pulp quality and trace back any quality issues. 

Enhanced Forklift Driver Tools and Production Order Fulfillment

Forklift drivers play a critical role in the smooth operation of recycled paper mills. YardManager equips drivers with an easy-to-use vehicle application that guides them through the production process. The application displays: 

• Incoming Transport Information: Forklift drivers can see when new lorries arrive.

• Production Orders: The system shows the required mix of raw materials for each conveyor. The system shows both target mix and actual mix in real-time.

• Bale Properties: Details such as grade, storage time, and quality are displayed, helping drivers prioritize and handle materials accordingly. 

This real-time information ensures that forklift drivers are always in sync with production requirements. The system also provides detailed reports on forklift activities, helping supervisors track work done per vehicle. 
 

Predictive Insights and Quality Control

One of the standout features of YardManager is its predictive capabilities. By collecting and analysing data from raw material feed to each conveyor, customer can forecast quality of pulp based on real-time feed data. This allows mills to proactively adjust their operations before and after the dump tower to avoid quality issues before they arise. 

Furthermore, the system’s integration with other mill systems—such as ERP, production management, and bale quality systems—ensures that quality data is always accurate and up to date. This integration enables smooth information flow across departments, facilitating better coordination and quicker problem resolution. 

How Small Gains Lead to Big Results 

As we’ve seen, a 0.2% improvement in production can be achieved by improving the efficiency of just a few key areas in the mill. YardManager’s real-time tracking, inventory management, and forklift optimization tools ensure that every aspect of the mill’s operations is running smoothly and with minimal waste. 

With enhanced visibility into the mill yard, reduced manual tracking, and more precise material handling, small changes in daily operations can lead to significant financial gains. For mid-sized recycled paper mills, these improvements can help gain substantial value, driving profitability without requiring massive investments. 

The Bottom Line: Investing in Efficiency Pays Off 

In an industry where margins can be tight, small efficiency gains can make a huge difference. By implementing YardManager’s comprehensive mill yard management system, recycled paper mills can not only boost production value but also improve overall operational performance, quality control, and traceability. YardManager provides the tools necessary to unlock up to €500,000 in additional production value with just a 0.2% improvement. 

Are you looking to optimize your mill’s performance? With YardManager, even the smallest improvements can have a lasting impact on your bottom line.