In the pulp mills and recycled paper mills, supply chains are complex networks that depend on timing, quality, and traceability. Material moves through many hands, from suppliers and haulers to mill yard teams and production planners. Each stage depends on reliable information about what has arrived, where it is stored, and how it’s being consumed.
Yet, for most mills, the mill yard remains a data blind spot. While enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems provide strategic oversight and production systems manage output, the real-time data that connects deliveries, inventory, and material handling is often missing. This gap creates inefficiencies that ripple across the entire supply chain — from procurement accuracy to production stability.
Understanding and capturing mill yard data is emerging as one of the most significant opportunities for operational improvement in the recycled paper and pulp industry.
Most mill data systems are designed around two core functions: managing supply contracts and managing production. Between those two, the mill yard is expected to “just work” — material arrives, is stored, and eventually enters production. But without real-time tracking, what happens in between is often undocumented or reconstructed after the fact.
This disconnect leads to multiple challenges:
These gaps become especially costly when production volumes or raw material ratios increase. A supply chain cannot be fully optimized if the material handling stage—the physical handoff between inbound logistics and production—lacks accurate data.
YardManager was developed to address precisely this break in the information chain. It captures every movement of material in the mill yard in real time—from truck unloading to bale storage to conveyor feed or pulp wood to debarkers, using vehicle-mounted weighing device, GNSS positioning, and integrated quality data.
By collecting and structuring this information, the system transforms what was once an isolated operational function into a transparent, measurable part of the supply chain. Managers can see not only what inventory exists, but where it came from, how long it has been stored, and how it is being consumed.
This connected visibility allows procurement, logistics, and production teams to make decisions based on the same live data rather than relying on sequential and manually updated reports.
Material flow in pulp and especially in recycled paper mills depends on balancing incoming supply with production demand. When that balance is managed through estimates or delayed reports, inefficiencies multiply — trucks may idle while waiting for storage space, or conveyors may pause for material that isn’t ready.
With YardManager’s Map View, supervisors can monitor the mill yard layout in real time, track active vehicles, and view stock by grade and quality. Forklift drivers see production orders directly in their Vehicle Application, along with bale properties and locations. This coordination shortens handling time, minimizes rework, and reduces idle capacity.
The ability to monitor the Target Mix versus Actual Mix also improves production predictability. When the grades are fed into the pulper consistently and in correct mix, recycled paper mills can achieve steadier end-product quality and reduce unplanned adjustments downstream.
Traceability is often viewed as a compliance requirement, but it has become a cornerstone of supply chain optimization as well. The ability to trace materials from supplier delivery through mill yard handling to production consumption allows recycled paper mills to identify where quality variations or material losses occur.
YardManager provides this traceability automatically. Every forklift event is time-stamped and linked to bale data, allowing mills to generate accurate reports on delivery history, storage conditions, and consumption. When integrated with ERP or quality systems, this data provides a complete chain of custody; valuable not only for audits but for understanding performance trends across suppliers and production runs.
For recycled paper operations in particular, yard-level data also supports sustainability and circular economy goals. By tracking grades, storage time, and usage rates, mills can reduce waste caused by material degradation or improper handling. Automated consumption reports make it easier to verify recycled content ratios and align production with sustainability targets.
Accurate data also supports smarter logistics. With clearer insight into stock levels and consumption patterns, procurement teams can plan deliveries more efficiently, reducing unnecessary transport and associated emissions.
Optimizing a pulp or recycled paper supply chain isn’t just about improving individual systems; it’s about ensuring that every stage of material movement is visible and measurable. Without reliable mill yard data, the connection between supplier, yard, and production remains fragmented.
YardManager closes this gap by making the mill yard an active, data-producing part of the supply chain. Its real-time tracking, traceability, and integration capabilities turn operational activity into actionable insight, linking physical movement with digital control.
For mills striving to improve efficiency, sustainability, and responsiveness, this connection represents a measurable step toward a more efficient and coordinated supply chain.
YardManager by ConiferSoft gives pulp and recycled paper mills the visibility needed to connect mill yard operations with supply chain performance, ensuring the right material reaches the production intake, at the right time, every time.