ICT and e-Business in the Pulp, Paper and Paper ... - empirica

Pulp, paper and paper products
an ERP system nor a special accounting software. Very small companies often handle
their accounting and planning by means of self-created spreadsheet solutions. It is hard
to explain, however, why 10% of medium-sized and even 4% of large firms report neither
using an ERP system nor an accounting software.
Special software systems for EDM (electronic document management) are rarely used
in the P&P industry, as in most of the other sectors. These software systems are typically
used to archive and manage documents of any type in digital format; this is highly
relevant for example in the insurance industry (management of insurance policies), and to
a lesser extent in manufacturing enterprises.
However, EDM is an important and growing product segment within the software industry,
which is also increasingly developing industry specific solutions, also for manufacturers.
The main software applications in this field can be grouped as DMS and ECM systems.
The more traditional DMS (Document Management Systems) are used for systematically
archiving documents. The more recent concept of ECM (Enterprise Content Management)
goes beyond DMS, as it also covers information objects (e.g. database systems)
and not only individual documents. In manufacturing and retail sectors, document
management can be important fort he digital integration of ordering and sales processes.
Typically, EDM systems are integrated into ERP systems in form of sector specific
modules.
3.4.2 Use of ICT for cooperative and collaborative business processes
ICT tools can support the cooperation of companies in supply chain processes; both
cooperation in production processes within the same link of the supply chain, and at the
interface between different links. The value system in the P&P industry involves
companies from the forestry and woodworking industries, sawmills, pulp and paper
manufacturers, paper converting companies and the publishing and printing industry.
Supply chain processes consists of discrete value adding activities that are increasingly
organised in integrated production networks within this industry cluster (see also Exhibit
2-2 in section 2.1).
The diffusion of ICT tools for online cooperation and collaboration 50 in the P&P value
system compares favourably to the situation in other manufacturing industries. About
10% of all P&P firms say they use online tools for collaborative design ("e-design") with
other companies. Among large firms, the figure goes up close to 30% (see Exhibit 3-17).
In most other manufacturing sectors, figures are quite similar. There is some doubt,
however, whether collaborative e-design activities are really so widely diffused in various
industries; it is difficult to draw a clear borderline here as to which software applications
and which practices are included or not. The same applies to some of the other
applications presented here; figures should therefore be used indicatively.
50
"Cooperation" means splitting a common, centrally managed task into sub-tasks which are
performed by different partners of the cooperation. "Collaboration" means that several partners
work together on the same task at the same time.
53