Georgia-Pacific recently revamped its ERP system at its pulp mills by developing new applications that were born from employee feedback. The partnership with Infor, initiated in 2018, aimed to create a cloud-based ERP solution in Infor M3 to manage distribution and inventory in real time. However, the initial application failed to meet the specific needs of mill employees, causing frustration and inefficiencies.
Recognizing these issues, the company collaborated closely with employees to design two new applications: Equipment Loading and Inventory Management. “We put the power in our people’s hands”, said Derek Thomas, business process lead for GP Cellulose. “We got the users heavily involved to give feedback and help in the design, and they were super excited about that”.
Previously, data was fragmented across more than 60 applications, making it challenging to access real-time information. The new apps, developed at a cost of approximately US$140,000, were tailored to the larger screens typically used in the mills, enhancing visibility and usability. The Equipment Loading app launched on February 12, 2024, and the Inventory Management app followed on March 28, 2024.
Gary Rutherford, inventory coordinator at the Leaf River pulp mill, expressed initial frustrations with the old system: “It was painful in the beginning. We didn’t have any decision rights to make improvements”. The new apps addressed these concerns by consolidating data and improving the efficiency of processes such as inventory labeling and shipment tracking.
“Things started getting better because they started getting input from people who actually work in the shipping departments and listening to what we actually needed for this thing to work”, said Kelvin Travis, warehouse supervisor at Leaf River.
The results have been positive, with employees praising the improved user experience and the responsiveness of the support teams. “It’s a complete 180”, Derek said. “We’ve regained our goodwill with the mills, because we’ve shown them that we’re willing to listen and do whatever it takes”.
