European Pulp Industry Sector (EPIS) states: RFID is the identification technology of choice for the pulp industry

After completing the adaptation of RFID technology in pulp supply chains, the EPIS task force concluded in a statement: “Market pulp producers want RFID to become the identification technology of choice in all parts of the global pulp supply chain.”

Mercer was a key player in creating the global RFID standard for the pulp industry, known as the GS1 Standard. “RFID is the enabler of digital collaboration between all parties of the pulp supply chain”, says Nils Hegerding, Mercer International´s Vice President, Pulp Sales and Marketing, “The GS1 Standard ensures the ability to read and decode different RFID providers throughout the supply chain globally.“

RFID tags are applied to pulp units in their mills, then scanned during loading and discharging throughout all nodes of the pulp supply chain; this provides customers real-time inventory and quality data.

Mercer is among the first companies to pioneer RFID technology in the pulp industry. In collaboration with key customers, Mercer is implementing the required IT infrastructure to digitize the logistic and administrative processes. Many ports and other handling points throughout the global pulp supply chain have already adopted RFID systems, enabling precise inventory management, as well as quick and safe handling processes. 

The advantages of this technology are diverse and convincing to many audiences.

For our customers…

• Always ensures the right products are delivered to the right customers
• Provides unit level waybills and quality reports
• Inventories are more precise, as they are automated and vendor managed
• Optimized manufacturing with real-time pulp quality data
• Provides automatic and real-time pulp consumption monitoring and forecasting

For pulp producers…

• Easy and transparent inventory planning and management
• More efficient and timely internal processes
• Always ensures the right products are delivered to the right customers
• Detailed inventory management
• Provides unit level waybills and quality reports to customers
• More accurate vendor managed inventory monitoring
• Precise chain of custody tracking

And for logistics.

• Increased shipment visibility and accuracy
• Improved precision in ETA and delivery status
• Reduced transportation and handling costs through automated operations and optimized process

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Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) refers to a wireless system comprising two components: tags and readers. The reader is a device that has one or more antennas that emit radio waves and receive signals back from the RFID tag. The tag is a lightweight, repulpable label with a water-soluble adhesive and a lead-free metal alloy antenna conductor.