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Forest Products, Pulp, Paper & Packaging > Paper, Tissue & Towel Practice

Paper, Tissue & Towel Practice

Umbrex connects companies in paper, tissue & towel to independent consultants with deep experience in the industry.

Over 90% of our Paper, Tissue & Towel Practice consultants are alums of McKinsey, Bain, or BCG.

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Find a consultant in our Paper, Tissue & Towel Practice

Prefer email? Write to [email protected]

Client Segments Umbrex Serves

  • Communication paper manufacturers: Producers of uncoated/coated freesheet, mechanical papers, and newsprint; drive grade rationalization, machine conversions, decarbonization, commercial mix, and global sales channel effectiveness.
  • Tissue and towel mills (parent-roll and integrated): Mills producing tissue/towel parent rolls for retail and AFH; optimize fiber and energy efficiency, TAD/crepe productivity, asset reliability, and mill-to-customer logistics (excluding downstream converting/brands).
  • Specialty and technical paper manufacturers: Producers of decor, thermal, filtration, electrical insulation, release, and security papers; accelerate coating/barrier innovation, grade profitability, and application development (excluding flexible packaging or paperboard uses).
  • Paper merchants, traders, and importers: Distributors of printing and specialty papers (not packaging); optimize sourcing, assortment, pricing, working capital, private-label programs, and digital ordering to improve margin and service.

Selected Capabilities of our Paper, Tissue & Towel Practice

Strategy & Corporate Development

  • Corporate Strategy And Portfolio Shaping: Define where to play across tissue, towel, napkin, hygiene papers and converting; set capital allocation and vertical integration; deliver cycle-resilient growth and ROIC uplift.
  • M&A Strategy, Diligence And Integration: Source targets and divestitures; diligence mills and converters, synergies and valuation; plan Day 1 and integration; accelerate approvals, de-risk execution, and capture EBITDA.
  • Capacity Expansion And Technology Roadmap: Evaluate greenfield, rebuilds, and debottlenecks for tissue machines—conventional, TAD or NTAD—and converting; align to demand and fiber strategy; prioritize by NPV and IRR.
  • Private Label And AFH Growth Strategy: Define growth plays across private label, branded, and away-from-home; select categories, formats, channels, and partnerships; sharpen value propositions; accelerate share, mix, and margin.
  • Vertical Integration And Pulp Strategy: Set optimal market pulp versus integration, species mix and furnish; model price risk and hedging; secure cost advantage and quality stability for tissue and paper.

Operations

  • Tissue Machine Centerlining And Runnability Optimization: Set stable centerlines for headbox, refining, creping, adhesion, yankee, TAD/hoods; reduce breaks and variability; increase speed, OEE, and first-pass yield.
  • Fiber Furnish And Wet-End Chemistry Optimization: Optimize furnish mix, refining energy, retention, strength/softness chemistry; reduce fiber and chemical cost per ton; lower broke, sheet defects, and basis weight over-target.
  • Converting Line Throughput And SMED: Implement SMED on rewinders, folders, wrappers; standardize run-rules and centerlines; balance crewing; increase cases per hour, uptime, and on-time in-full.
  • Energy Intensity And Hood/Yankee Optimization: Optimize hood temperatures, air balance, Yankee steam/condensate, heat recovery, and leak management; reduce specific energy consumption, gas usage, and CO2e per ton without quality loss.
  • Waste, Trim, And Broke Reduction Program: Build loss tree and tiered daily management; cut trim, start-up waste, out-of-spec rolls, and rework; improve yield, RFT, and cost per ton.

Supply Chain

  • Integrated S&OP And Demand Planning: Build Sales and Operations Planning linking SKU, customer, retail and away-from-home (AFH) demand to mill and converting capacity; improve forecast accuracy, OTIF, and inventory turns.
  • Network Footprint And Flow Optimization: Optimize mill-to-distribution center flows, locations, cross-docks, and mode mix; rebalance lanes and service regions; cut lead time, freight miles, and cost-to-serve.
  • Inventory Strategy, Deployment And Replenishment: Set multi-echelon safety stocks and reorder points by SKU and service class; optimize deployment and distribution requirements planning; reduce stockouts, obsolescence, and working capital.
  • Transportation Procurement And Routing Optimization: Source truckload, less-than-truckload, and intermodal; design routing guides, load building, and appointments; reduce freight cost, detention, damage, and variability.
  • Customer Order Promising, Allocation And ATP: Implement available-to-promise and capable-to-promise using constraints, production schedules, and transit times; allocate during shortages; improve promise accuracy, OTIF, and customer satisfaction.

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing

  • Pulp And Recovered Fiber Strategic Sourcing: Develop category strategy, supplier mix, specs, indexation, and hedging for virgin pulp and recovered fiber (OCC, SOP); secure continuity; reduce fiber cost and volatility.
  • Energy Procurement And Hedging For Tissue: Design electricity and natural gas sourcing and renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs); implement hedge policy; cut energy cost, CO2e, and price volatility across mills, converting.
  • Chemicals, Coatings, And Consumables Sourcing: Source wet-end chemicals, Yankee coatings, creping adhesives, release agents, cores, films, cases; standardize specifications, aggregate volume, dual-source; reduce unit cost, variability, and supplier risk.
  • MRO, Fabrics, And Critical Spares Sourcing: Rationalize felts, wires, doctor blades, rolls, bearings, gearboxes, seals, lubricants; implement vendor-managed inventory and consignment; negotiate service levels; cut downtime, stockouts, and working capital.
  • Procurement Operating Model And eSourcing Enablement: Design procurement operating model, category charters, and center-led governance; deploy spend analytics, electronic RFx (eRFx), and e-auctions; upskill buyers; accelerate savings and supplier relationship management.

Organization

  • Operating Model And Organization Design: Redesign mill and converting organizations; define spans and layers, decision rights, and center-led versus plant roles; strengthen accountability, speed, and cross-site coordination.
  • Leadership System And Frontline Capability Building: Install leader standard work, tiered daily management, shift handovers, and coaching; upskill supervisors; stabilize throughput, safety, and quality across tissue machines and converting.
  • Performance Management And Incentive Alignment: Build KPI cascades and incentives linked to OEE, waste, energy, OTIF, and cash; standardize reviews; drive behavior change and EBITDA uplift.
  • Workforce Strategy And Skilled Trades Pipeline: Develop multi-year workforce plan, skills matrices, apprenticeships, and training for operators, electricians, and mechanics; improve retention, time-to-competency, and labor productivity.
  • Shared Services And Center Of Excellence Design: Establish shared services and Centers of Excellence for finance, procurement operations, analytics, and master data; define SLAs, governance, and KPIs; reduce cost and errors.

Marketing

  • Brand Strategy And Portfolio Architecture: Define brand positioning and architecture across branded and private label tissue, towel, and napkin; sharpen value propositions; drive mix, loyalty, and margin.
  • Category Leadership And Shopper Marketing: Build category growth narratives, planograms, shelf sets, and retail activation; increase shelf velocity, facings, and share with major retailers.
  • Consumer Insights, Segmentation And Claims Development: Generate insights from usage-and-attitude research, panels, and social listening; build segments and benefit claims for softness, strength, sustainability; substantiate claims; improve message effectiveness and conversion.
  • Innovation Pipeline And Launch Excellence: Stage-gate product concepts, embossing patterns, ply counts, and packaging formats; test-and-learn; build launch plans and toolkits; accelerate trial, repeat, and incremental distribution.
  • Digital And E‑Commerce Marketing Enablement: Optimize search engine optimization, product detail pages, ratings, reviews, retail media, and campaigns; lift conversion, return on ad spend, and share across Amazon and omnichannel.

Pricing

  • Price Architecture And Segmentation: Define list, discount, rebate, and surcharge structures by brand/private label, pack size, tissue category, channel, and region; embed cost-to-serve; improve net price realization and margin.
  • Indexation And Escalation Strategy: Design index-linked pricing to pulp benchmarks and energy/fuel surcharges; reduce price-cost lag, volatility, and margin erosion in tissue, towel, napkin contracts.
  • Retail Price Pack Architecture And Trade Terms: Optimize price pack architecture, pack counts, sheet size, and everyday vs promo pricing; redesign trade terms, rebates, and scan allowances; increase margin, velocity, and mix.
  • Contract Pricing And Deal Desk Governance: Structure retail and AFH contracts with tiers, floors, indexation, payment terms; install deal desk approvals and guardrails; protect margin, reduce leakage, and improve compliance.
  • Pocket Margin Analytics And Leakage Management: Build price waterfall including freight, accessorials, packaging, trade spend, deductions, and returns; identify leakage; target corrective actions by SKU and account; improve EBITDA.

Finance

  • Integrated FP&A And Rolling Forecasts: Build driver-based FP&A linking volume, mix, pulp, energy, OEE, waste to S&OP; improve forecast accuracy, earnings visibility, and cash management across mills and converting.
  • Standard Costing And Variance Management: Implement standard costs by grade and pack; set absorption rules; analyze yield, basis weight, energy, chemical, and downtime variances; increase transparency and accountability by site.
  • Working Capital, Deductions, And Receivables Optimization: Redesign credit policy, terms, collections, and deduction dispute workflows; deploy analytics; cut DSO, invalid deductions, and inventory days while protecting service and cash.
  • Capital Investment Governance And ROIC: Install portfolio governance, stage gates, and post‑audits for tissue machines, TAD/NTAD upgrades, and converting lines; standardize IRR thresholds; lift ROIC and certainty of benefits.
  • Commodity Risk, FX, And Hedge Accounting: Define policy for pulp, recovered fiber, energy, freight and FX; implement hedging under ASC 815/IFRS 9; reduce earnings volatility and cash shocks.

AI, Data & Analytics

  • Predictive Maintenance And Asset Health Analytics: Build machine-learning models on historian, vibration, oil, and thermography for tissue machines and converting assets; predict failures; cut unplanned downtime and spare spend; improve OEE.
  • Process Control And Quality Optimization Analytics: Use multivariate models to optimize refiners, chemicals, headbox, creping, Yankee adhesion, and moisture profile; reduce breaks, basis weight over‑target, defects; lift yield and right‑first‑time.
  • Computer Vision Defect Detection And Roll Analytics: Deploy computer vision for holes, wrinkles, ply bond, emboss, print alignment, and wrap integrity; enable automated quality grading; reduce customer complaints, claims, and rework.
  • Demand Sensing And Forecasting For Tissue: Build machine-learning forecasts using retailer POS, shipments, promotions, seasonality, and weather; improve accuracy, availability, and production planning; lower stockouts and working capital.
  • Production Scheduling And Conversion Optimization Engine: Apply mixed-integer optimization to sequence tissue machines, winders, folders, and wrappers; minimize changeovers and trim; increase throughput, OTIF, and schedule adherence.

Transformation

  • Transformation Office And Value Tracking: Establish Transformation Office, governance, and value tracking across tissue mills and converting; prioritize waves, enforce cadence and accountability; deliver EBITDA, cash, safety, and CO2e reductions.
  • Zero-Based Cost And SG&A Reset: Conduct zero-based cost programs across mills, converting, and corporate; redesign service levels, spans, outsourcing; remove non‑value work; deliver structural cost takeout and resilience.
  • Footprint Restructuring And Asset Transition: Plan curtailments, restarts, conversions, or consolidations; manage labor, customer, and community transitions; de-risk tie-ins; improve utilization, cost per ton, and service.
  • Complexity Reduction And SKU Simplification: Rationalize grades, plies, packs, emboss patterns, core sizes, and case packs; reduce changeovers and packaging variants; cut waste, inventory, and cost-to-serve; improve on-time in-full (OTIF).
  • Rapid Performance Uplift And Cash Acceleration: Run 90‑day sprints on Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), waste, energy, crewing, and purchasing compliance; monetize inventory and receivables; deliver immediate EBITDA and cash benefits.

Sustainability

  • Net Zero And Decarbonization Roadmap: Baseline Scope 1, 2, 3; build abatement curve; prioritize TAD optimization, Yankee heat recovery, electrification, biomass CHP, renewable PPAs; reduce CO2e intensity and energy cost.
  • Water Stewardship And Effluent Reduction: Map water balance; deploy pinch analysis, condensate return, reuse, and leak elimination; upgrade anaerobic treatment and biogas use; cut freshwater intake, BOD/COD, and discharge fees.
  • Sustainable Fiber And Chain Of Custody Strategy: Design fiber sourcing and chain-of-custody across FSC, PEFC, SFI and recycled content; implement supplier due diligence; strengthen claims, market access, and retailer scorecard performance.
  • Product Carbon Footprints And EPD Enablement: Build life cycle assessments per ISO 14044 and ISO 14025; publish Environmental Product Declarations; support retailer sustainability requirements; win specs with credible embodied carbon data.
  • Waste, Sludge, And Plastics Circularity: Valorize sludge via anaerobic digestion or biochar, reduce trim and broke, downgauge films with post-consumer recycled resin; achieve zero waste-to-landfill and lower Scope 3.

Program & Portfolio Management

  • Enterprise Portfolio Governance And PMO: Establish enterprise Program Management Office (PMO), governance, and stage gates across mills and converting; prioritize by value, risk, capacity; improve on-time, on-budget delivery and benefits.
  • Strategic Prioritization And Resource Capacity Planning: Build portfolio selection model, scenario planning, and constrained resource capacity; balance outages, capital projects, information technology (IT), and product changes; maximize throughput and minimize bottlenecks.
  • Benefits Realization And Value Tracking Office: Standardize business cases and benefit ownership; track EBITDA, OEE, waste, energy, and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e); deploy dashboards and audits; prevent leakage and double-counting.
  • Program Mobilization And Change Orchestration: Deploy charters, plans, risk, assumption, issue, dependency (RAID) logs, stage exits, communications, and training; enforce cadence; increase adoption and sustained impact across mills and converting.
  • Portfolio Risk Management And Executive Reporting: Implement risk taxonomy, heatmaps, leading indicators, and health checks; run portfolio reviews; enable fast course corrections; reduce schedule slippage, budget overruns, and value erosion.

Information Technology

  • ERP Template And Order-To-Cash Implementation: Design and deploy ERP template for tissue mills and converting; enable order‑to‑cash, make‑to‑order, inventory, costing, roll genealogy; cut customizations, close faster, improve data integrity.
  • Manufacturing Execution System And OT Integration: Implement MES integrated with Distributed Control System (DCS), Quality Control System (QCS), and historians; capture downtime, waste, centerlines, genealogy; raise OEE, traceability, compliance, and right‑first‑time.
  • Data Platform And Master Data Governance: Build cloud data platform integrating ERP, MES, historian, logistics; standardize KPIs and master data; enable self‑service analytics; improve decision speed, accuracy, and data reliability.
  • B2B Integration And EDI Modernization: Modernize Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) with retailers and distributors; automate orders, advance ship notices, invoices, and claims; improve OTIF, accuracy, cash flow, and customer experience.
  • Industrial Cybersecurity And OT Segmentation: Deploy industrial cybersecurity program, asset inventory, risk assessment, network segmentation, secure remote access, and patching for mills; reduce ransomware risk, downtime, and regulatory exposure.

Capital Projects

  • Front-End Loading And Investment Case Development: Develop FEL 1–3 scope, layout, utilities, cost and schedule for tissue machines (TAD/NTAD), converting, and warehouses; model capex, opex, NPV, IRR; de-risk approvals.
  • Contracting Strategy And OEM Sourcing: Define package strategy and delivery model (EPC, EPCM, design-build); source OEMs for tissue machines, TAD hoods, yankees, winders; set guarantees; lower claims and delays.
  • Owner’s Project Controls And Risk Management: Establish cost and schedule baselines, earned value, change control, and risk registers; enable early warning and recovery; prevent overruns and slippage across mills and converting.
  • Outage, Tie-In, And Construction Readiness Planning: Run constructability reviews, workface planning, and safe tie-ins for stock prep, yankees, hoods, and utilities; coordinate contractors; compress outage duration and protect operations.
  • Commissioning, Startup, And Ramp-Up Management: Orchestrate pre-commissioning, commissioning, performance testing, punchlists, and operator training; stabilize quality and throughput; reach nameplate capacity and acceptance criteria faster.

Asset Management & Maintenance

  • Reliability Strategy And Asset Criticality: Define reliability strategy, asset criticality and maintenance tactics for tissue machines, TAD hoods, yankee dryers, and converting lines; lift MTBF, uptime, and cost per ton.
  • Preventive Maintenance Optimization And RCM: Redesign PM program using Reliability-Centered Maintenance and failure modes; remove non-value tasks, add condition-based checks; reduce downtime, overtime, and maintenance spend.
  • Planning, Scheduling And Work Management: Build planning and scheduling, backlog control, kitting, and permits within CMMS; increase wrench time, schedule adherence, and reduce mean time to repair.
  • Shutdown And Outage Optimization: Design outage strategy, work packs, critical path, and readiness for yankee grinding, hood rebuilds, tie-ins; compress downtime, improve safety, and achieve startup curve.
  • MRO Inventory And Storeroom Optimization: Optimize critical spares, reorder points, repairable spares, vendor-managed inventory, and kitting; reduce stockouts, excess, and working capital while protecting uptime for tissue and converting assets.

Quality Management Systems

  • QMS Design And ISO 9001 Certification Readiness: Design and implement ISO 9001 quality management system for tissue mills and converting; procedures, audits, management reviews; improve right-first-time, reduce defects, and achieve certification.
  • Statistical Process Control And Capability Program: Deploy Statistical Process Control (SPC), control plans, and capability analysis on basis weight, caliper, ply bond, emboss; lift Cp/Cpk, yield, and compliance.
  • Supplier Quality And Incoming Material Control: Set supplier quality requirements and incoming inspection for chemicals, cores, films, cases; implement first article approval and supplier corrective action; cut defects, downtime, and complaints.
  • Release And Traceability Controls: Implement roll and case genealogy, hold-and-release workflow, and specification compliance checks; accelerate disposition, enable targeted recalls, and prevent off‑grade shipments and chargebacks.
  • Nonconformance, Complaint, And CAPA Management: Stand up nonconformance workflows, retailer complaint handling, root cause, and Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA); raise closure rates; reduce returns, deductions, and warranty cost.

Safety & Environmental

  • Safety Leadership And SIF Prevention: Embed safety leadership, critical control verification, life-saving rules, and bowtie analysis; cut Serious Injury and Fatality potential, recordable rate, and severity across mills and converting.
  • Combustible Dust Hazard Analysis And Controls: Conduct Dust Hazard Analysis per NFPA 652 and 664; design housekeeping, dust collection, spark detection, explosion venting and isolation; lower fire and explosion risk.
  • Machine Guarding And Lockout Tagout Excellence: Implement risk assessments, safeguarding, interlocks, and lockout tagout with verification on tissue machines and converting; prevent amputations and entanglement; improve uptime and compliance.
  • Environmental Management System And ISO 14001 Enablement: Design environmental management system aligned to ISO 14001; implement audits, waste and chemical controls; improve compliance, incident prevention, and performance across mills and converting.
  • Thermal Energy And Pressure Systems Safety: Strengthen safety for steam, condensate, yankee dryers, hoods, and natural gas systems; implement critical inspections, isolation, and relief management; lower burn, explosion, and overpressure risk.

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Find a consultant in our Paper, Tissue & Towel Practice

Prefer email? Write to [email protected]