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The pulp and paper industry is navigating a period of profound transition. Consolidation among global producers, demographic shifts in the workforce, and ongoing ERP migrations are reshaping how mills approach operations. At the center of these changes is a fundamental question: what role should Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) play in the next decade of pulp and paper?
This fall, MAJIQ will utilize its annual Elixir MAJIQ Users Conference (EMUG) to unveil a new MES platform specifically designed to address these challenges. While the details of the platform will be revealed at the event, the underlying principles driving its development provide a valuable lens into how MES is evolving--and why the industry needs to think differently about it.
Why End-to-End MES Isn't Always the Answer
For years, MES platforms have often been positioned as "end-to-end" solutions, covering everything from order entry through invoicing. While these comprehensive systems remain valuable in many contexts, they are not always the best fit for large-scale paper manufacturers, particularly those already running enterprise ERP systems.
Large ERP systems excel in functions such as order entry, warehousing, and shipping. However, when it comes to manufacturing execution and quality, these horizontal ERP solutions tend to fall short. They lack the deep, industry-specific knowledge required to manage critical pulp and paper processes--things like basis weight control, grade transitions, and winder operations that directly impact yield, safety, and quality.
This is where an industry-specific MES solution becomes essential. Instead of attempting to be all things to all industries, a small-footprint MES purpose-built for pulp and paper provides the missing layer of intelligence between ERP and the shop floor.
Why Large Producers Are Seeking Small-Footprint MES
This shift is especially pronounced among large producers running. These companies increasingly want MES solutions that:
- Focus specifically on the manufacturing middle layer: from winder through wrapper, and eventually extending into pulp, sheeting, and coating.
- Provide built-in understanding of pulp and paper processes that generic ERP modules cannot deliver.
- Seamlessly integrate with other enterprise systems, ensuring that mill operations and ERP stay aligned without costly customizations.
Rather than trying to replace ERP or compete with it, small-footprint MES solutions complement ERP by managing the production realities that horizontal systems often miss. This allows ERP to remain the system of record for orders and warehouses, while MES ensures that manufacturing is executed with the precision only an industry-specific solution can provide.
Integration as the Differentiator
The importance of ERP-MES integration cannot be overstated. For many mills, the most time-consuming and expensive part of any IT project is ensuring that systems "talk" to each other effectively.
A well-designed, industry-specific MES brings immediate advantages here. It already understands pulp and paper concepts like basis weight or reel tracking, so integration with ERP becomes faster, cleaner, and more reliable. With global producers now facing mandatory migrations to major systems, these efficiencies are becoming critical.
In short, integration is not just about connectivity--it's about speaking the same industrial language on both sides of the interface.
The Workforce Factor
Technology pressures are only half the story. The other half is human.
As experienced operators retire, mills are increasingly staffed by employees with just a few years of production experience. The old reliance on decades of tacit, operator-held knowledge is no longer sustainable.
This is why usability and training have become central to MES design. Modern, small-footprint MES solutions focus on:
- Intuitive, modern interfaces that mirror consumer technology expectations.
- Configurable layouts aligned to actual operator workflows.
- Embedded best practices that help newer employees make better decisions, faster.
The MES, in other words, is no longer just a tool for recording production--it's a mechanism for knowledge transfer and operational continuity.
Shedding Legacy Bloat
Another evolution lies in how MES is built. Legacy systems often carried forward every feature from previous generations, creating complexity that mills no longer want or need.
By shadowing operators and gathering real-world feedback, modern MES developers are taking a different approach: carrying forward only what is essential, leaving behind what no longer adds value. The result is a lean, efficient system that is easier to maintain and better aligned with the realities of today's mills.
This "less is more" approach reflects a new philosophy in industrial software: focus on what matters most, and do it extremely well.
Beyond the Interface: Expanding Capabilities
While ease of use is critical, the next generation of MES is also expanding how mills can leverage data:
- Process Information Integration - Combining production data with machine condition information, so mills can analyze performance in a single environment.
- AI Vision for Safety & Quality - Using camera-based AI to detect smoke, PPE compliance, or water hazards--providing proactive safety alerts without the need for proprietary hardware.
These advancements underscore how MES is evolving beyond a system of record - it is becoming a hub for operational intelligence.
Balancing Continuity and Change
Importantly, this shift does not make larger, comprehensive systems like Elixir obsolete. For mills that require full end-to-end MES, Elixir remains a proven and trusted solution.
What is changing is the recognition that large producers running ERP don't always need MES to cover everything. Instead, they need MES to specialize where ERP cannot: the manufacturing middle layer.
By delivering industry-specific intelligence while integrating seamlessly with ERP, small-footprint MES solutions provide the best of both worlds.
What It Means for the Industry
The forthcoming product launch at EMUG is significant not just for MAJIQ, but for the pulp and paper industry as a whole. It reflects:
- Acknowledgment of ERP's limits in handling manufacturing execution in pulp and paper.
- A tailored approach that understands rolls, bales, sheeting, coating, and industry-specific quality metrics.
- The rise of complementary solutions that strengthen, rather than replace, ERP in mill environments.
- Preparation for the future workforce, with systems designed for usability as much as power.
These are long-term shifts that will define how mills approach technology investment for years to come.
EMUG 2025: A Window Into the Future
Attendees at the Elixir MAJIQ Users Conference (EMUG) on October 6-9 will be the first to see MAJIQ's new platform in action. However, beyond the unveiling, the event will delve into broader questions about how to future-proof pulp and paper operations in a rapidly changing world.
With more than 45 sessions across IT, operations, and leadership - and a theme centered on bridging generations - the conference promises both education and insight into where MES and ERP coexist most effectively.
The launch of MAJIQ's new platform is one answer to the ERP-MES balance question. The broader conversation it sparks may be even more important.
Registration for EMUG 2025 is now open at www.majiq.com/events/emug.
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