At the end of 2020, when Papresa was acquired by Quantum Group, we started working on a new change of strategy. Due to the global decline in newsprint, we had to pursue a transformation that secured the future of the mill and of our 243 employees. Therefore, as part of our diversification plan, our factory will also produce cardboard packaging paper. However, the reconversion does not end here.
The challenge
Successful implementation of the new strategy was going to rely on the use of technology to automate processes and facilitate more effective forward-planning and decision making. Most of the planning and trim processes were being carried out manually using Microsoft Excel, and, while this approach had been satisfactory for the production of a range of newspaper print reels, the firm was about to invest in both new and existing equipment and wanted to maximise productivity.
The investment in new equipment would help us increase production. Thanks to this change, we established the need to find new tools that ensured a flexible production strategy to meet customer delivery dates. Greycon, the leader company in this type of solution, was the one with capacity enough to fulfil all our requirements: to be able to measure production and switch over costs while ensuring every delivery date is achieved.
The solution
The opt-Studio and X-Trim solution, provided by Greycon, were ideal for Papresa. The trim optimisation tool reduces waste and improves machine efficiency while reacting to customer requirements by prioritising urgent orders without missing deadlines for another production throughput.
This is a powerful combination of tools that automates production to optimise trim processes and consequently deliver much-improved dispatch times. The solution facilitates daily production planning while identifying any conflicts in production capacities and capabilities at the same time as providing the commercial and logistics department with information about production plans, order delays and any backlogs.
The Results
Papresa’s investment in opt-Studio and X-Trim means they now have access to the most efficient planning tools in advance of the planned infrastructure upgrade. The project was proposed with an aggressive timeline of 4 months, including the systems live integration with their existing Navision installation. This could not have been achieved without excellent synergies between the teams at Papresa and Greycon.
“opt-Studio has allowed us to transform our production planning system, reducing the workload by automating the optimization of materials, reducing product in the process, significantly reducing waste, and helping improve our competitiveness and profits. We are very happy with the support and professionalism throughout the project, which was delivered impeccably and within the time constraints that we set.”
Miguel Ángel Sánchez García, CEO