Revolutionizing Asset Management in Pulp & Paper: A Reliability Engineer’s Perspective
In the demanding world of pulp and paper manufacturing, where operations run 24/7, profitability hinges on a single, yet often overlooked factor: effective asset management. For too long, maintenance has been treated as a reactive function, fixing problems after they occur rather than preventing them in the first place. However, with unplanned downtime costs soaring between $80,000 and $150,000 per hour, this outdated approach is no longer viable.
Despite the clear financial risks, nearly 80% of pulp and paper manufacturers still rely on reactive or time-based maintenance strategies, the equivalent of waiting for a fire to start before installing smoke detectors; expensive, risky, and unsustainable. The real solution lies in predictive and data-driven asset management, which not only reduces unplanned downtime but also extends equipment life, improves safety, and ensures regulatory compliance.
The High Cost of Mismanaged Assets
Beyond unplanned downtime, mismanaged assets lead to a cascade of inefficiencies, impacting profitability and operational effectiveness:
- Ghost Assets: A mid-sized pulp mill can lose $1.2–$2 million annually due to assets that exist on paper but are lost, stolen, or non-functional.
- Premature Equipment Replacements: Lack of condition monitoring accelerates wear and tear, forcing mills to replace expensive equipment well before its expected lifespan.
- Reactive Maintenance Costs: Emergency repairs lead to higher expenses, production delays, and increased safety risks.
- Regulatory Compliance Challenges: Environmental and safety violations can result in fines, inspections, and operational restrictions, with compliance costs accounting for 76% of direct capital expenditures in pulp mills.
- Safety Risks: Poorly maintained machinery leads to accidents, potential lawsuits, and significant liability costs.
- Lack of Actionable Data: Without accurate maintenance history and asset performance data, making cost-effective investment decisions becomes nearly impossible.
- Inventory Mismanagement: Holding excess spare parts ties up capital, while stockouts result in expensive emergency shipments and prolonged downtime.
A Smarter Way Forward with Timenow
Timenow provides end-to-end EAM and CMMS solutions tailored to the pulp and paper industry. With Timenow, pulp and paper manufacturers can move from reactive problem-solving to proactive asset management, reducing costs, improving reliability, and maintaining a competitive edge. Timenow’s asset management solutions can transform your operations, boost your bottom line, and position your mill at the cutting edge of efficiency and reliability. The future of pulp and paper is here, and it’s predictive.
Asset Management Essentials: CMMS & EAM Solutions
Asset management encompasses the entire lifecycle of assets, including their acquisition, operation, maintenance, and disposal, with the goal of maximizing value and achieving business objectives in a cost-effective manner. To fully understand how Timenow can help reduce downtime costs, it’s important to grasp the fundamentals of Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM).
CMMS vs. EAM: The Bigger Picture
A CMMS is software that centralizes maintenance operations, optimizes asset use, and improves reliability by automating and tracking tasks to ensure smooth equipment performance.
EAM, on the other hand, is a broader framework that manages assets throughout their lifecycle, from planning and procurement to operation, maintenance, and disposal, aiming to optimize service levels, lifecycle costs, and asset lifespan.
While CMMS focuses on maintenance efficiency, EAM integrates financial, lifecycle, and project management. Modern cloud-based CMMS solutions, like Timenow’s, offer real-time access and integration, making them integral to EAM strategies.
Timenow: Optimizing Critical Equipment for Maximum Uptime
Timenow’s approach centres on identifying critical equipment, those responsible for 90% of production stops. By focusing on these key assets, Timenow helps prioritize maintenance, reducing costs associated with mismanaged assets and improving overall asset management.
Critical Equipment and Maintenance Strategies
Prioritizing Maintenance Strategies: Identifying critical equipment is essential for developing targeted maintenance strategies. A mix of approaches, like condition-based maintenance for key assets, ensures proactive maintenance, minimizing unexpected downtime. Timenow leverages the following key strategies in their EAM/CMMS implementations:
- Risk Management and Criticality: Focusing on assets with the greatest impact on production, Timenow helps mills identify high-risk equipment, enabling better management of risks and preventing production stops.
- Optimizing Inspection Routes: Digitizing and optimizing inspection routes for critical assets helps identify issues early, reducing failures and downtime.
- Data-Driven Decision-Making: Monitoring the performance of critical equipment through EAM/CMMS allows mills to gather data that informs maintenance decisions, leading to more effective management and reduced downtime.
- Efficient Resource Allocation: By prioritizing critical assets, mills can allocate maintenance resources efficiently, ensuring the most important equipment receives the necessary attention to operate reliably.
In the context of Timenow’s EAM/CMMS implementation, identifying critical equipment would likely be a key activity during the asset structuring phase. This foundational information would then be used to tailor the EAM/CMMS setup, including preventive maintenance schedules, inspection plans, and data monitoring parameters, specifically for these critical assets. This targeted approach maximizes the benefits of the EAM/CMMS in preventing major production losses and the associated costs of mismanaged assets.
Timenow: A Strategic Partner for Asset Management Success
Drawing on the provided sources, Timenow’s Asset Management services, particularly their EAM/CMMS Implementation, stand out due to several key factors:
Key Factors Behind Timenow’s Success:
- Tailored Solutions: Timenow offers EAM/CMMS solutions designed specifically for industrial plants, managing all project phases from planning to optimization.
- Structured Implementation: Using AGILE methodologies, Timenow ensures a smooth, phased implementation, from asset structuring to system enhancements.
- Collaboration & Transparency: Their collaborative approach aligns project goals with business objectives, ensuring better buy-in and smoother execution.
- Expert Team: With extensive industry experience, Timenow’s team anticipates challenges and delivers effective solutions.
- Proven Industry Experience: Timenow has a strong track record in the Pulp & Paper sector, managing large-scale projects across North America, South America, and EMEA.
- Key Activities Focus: Timenow covers asset structuring, data migration, preventive maintenance, user training, and post-go-live support, ensuring successful adoption.
- Digital Tools: iRoutes optimizes inspection routes and maintenance through real-time dashboards, enhancing data accuracy and efficiency.
- Additional Services: Timenow also offers specialized services like RAM Analysis, STO Planning & Management, and TimeConnect to reduce downtime and improve maintenance efficiency.
Benefits of Partnering with Timenow
Partnering with Timenow for asset management services delivers substantial benefits, including:
Reduced Unplanned Downtime by Up to 35%: Timenow’s STO Planning, TimeConnect platform, and iRoutes ensure proactive, data-driven maintenance, minimizing downtime and improving coordination.
Increased Asset Lifecycle Performance by 20%: Through their EAM/CMMS implementation and preventive maintenance strategies, Timenow helps extend asset lifespans, enhancing overall asset performance.
Up to $500k Saved Annually on Maintenance Costs: Timenow’s cost control strategies, including optimized preventive maintenance and resource utilization, lead to significant savings on maintenance expenses.
Timenow’s comprehensive approach optimizes asset management, reliability, and cost-efficiency, driving lasting improvements for your organization.
Contact us for a personalized consultation to discover how Timenow can help you enhance asset management and reliability.