Paper Technology International 2020 - Journal - Page 12

PAPERTECHNOLOGYINTERNATIONAL

Digitalization is the key enabler for
autonomous business operations
and sustainable future
Antti Blomqvist, Industry Advisor,
Heikki Taskinen, Industry Advisor on Data, AI and Integration,
Jarmo Ropponen, Head of Sales & Marketing from TietoEVRY,
Alan Cheesbrough, Founder and CEO, I-Plan.
INTRODUCTION:
Continuous chase of efficiency, combating climate issues, ever more rapidly changing customer requirements, and retooling and
restructuring within the industry are strong drivers for pulp, paper, and fibre manufacturers to look at how they could be more resilient and
responsive in the face of change. The answer in most cases is increasing automation.
“The road to fully automated, self-learning
production chains is still long and somewhat
winding. It’s a long race, but the prize is
worth it. Digitalizing operations and making
use of artificial intelligence and machine
learning will help a lot to speed up the
journey”
Carsten Henke, Head of Pulp, Paper and
Fibre at TietoEVRY.
Sustainability adds to business challenges
Younger-generation consumers appreciate locally produced
products and services while at the same time keeping a keen eye on
sustainability throughout the supply chain. Local production based
on best available technology needs to be developed further while
reducing overseas exports for lower carbon emissions.
Legislative initiatives to curtail carbon will increase, but the
strongest demand for change will likely come from retailers in the
near-term and from end-users in the mid-term.
Seven out of ten global fund managers representing
trillions in assets believe the pandemic would lead to an
increase in actions designed to tackle climate change
and biodiversity losses. As the momentum behind this
movement continues to gain traction, the question is no
longer a matter of if carbon will hit your bottom line, but
when it will hit. Carbon costs are coming, and it is now
evident that optimized sourcing in the future will require
consideration of both traditional and environmental costs.
Continuous planning for quick market response
To maintain their competitiveness in a business
environment characterized by rapid, often unexpected
change, many companies today focus on their future digital
core – “ERP version 2” – struggling with two topics:
10
Which business processes should be standard and which
ones are industry or company specific?
Which services are run in the cloud, preferably as a service,
and which ones are needed on-premises to provide business
continuity?
Figure 1: TIPS Manufacturing Execution System is one solution
– end to end – enabling business operations and people
performing their daily tasks.

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