New paper machine clothing continuous improvement programs strive to deliver incremental value and reduce the total cost of ownership for both mill and supplier.

In the previous column (PaperAge, March/April 2005), we were delighted to report that teamwork between the papermaker and paper machine clothing (PMC) supplier is finally starting to pay measurable dividends. For the most part, PMC suppliers and mills, particularly within larger corporations, are now managing their clothing programs through some level of continuous improvement (CI), and with good reason.

It has been widely proved that precisely targeting high cost drivers with properly applied PMC strategies is often worth many times the value of the clothing purchased.

Five years ago, we recognized the need to formalize the entire concept of managing CI with our customers and set out to build a company-wide infrastructure that embraces the entire process. It is now the cornerstone for our entire value proposition. Other PMC organizations have since established similar programs.

The major goals of these programs are to deliver incremental value and drive down the total cost of ownership for both mill and supplier…and be able to account for these improvements in a financial way.

As with paper manufacturers, PMC organizations have undergone a culture change that embraces, rather than resists, these concepts. It's a dramatic break from the historic business model where PMC business relationships were often based on price-only agreements coupled with loosely-defined performance parameters, whereby “success” was sometimes difficult to determine.

These new systems are designed to replace subjectivity with a system of facts and data that permeate the entire business relationship, from the product design process through the service and support functions.

CI Principles in R&D
Even research and development encompasses the CI principles to prioritize resources on new technology that can demonstrably add value to the papermaking process. Our project “filtering” process, for example, requires cross-functional consensus based on expected performance improvements on the paper machine. Products that are most likely to improve sheet quality, overall machine performance, and economic efficiency are given top priorities and funding.

Managing the trial process under these systems is fundamental to the success of all of our major PMC agreements. Trial objectives and key performance indicators (KPI) are measured with the full agreement of the customer. Upon the trial's completion, these KPI measurements are benchmarked against the objectives and the economic values recorded.

The technical support function is also key to completing the cycle. The customer's expectations for technical service and diagnostic support must be clearly defined with specific requirements and time schedules to perform them.

The glue that binds the entire process of CI is a comprehensive electronic document control and database system that provides access from all functions of the company-from data entry for each trial piece or project to the product technology group's interaction in designing the required product, and to senior management of the company who depend on the system as a performance “scorecard” to any given customer.

We and other PMC organizations continue to develop new and improved methods for incorporating additional functionality as part of our constant quest to further meet and exceed customer expectations. We consider it a living, breathing system in the “journey” of customer service…not a “final destination”.

Steve Cole is director of technology, Weavexx Corp. He can be contacted at: steve_cole@weavexx.com

PaperAge. Copyright © O'Brien Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.