A Practical Path to Digital Transformation and AI

Digital transformation has reshaped production, logistics, and quality systems across the pulp and paper industry. Yet commercial processes inside many mills—especially in sales—often remain largely manual. Whether selling prime grades or non-prime material such as stocklots and side runs, many mills still rely on spreadsheets, individual email exchanges, and phone calls to manage customer interactions and negotiate deals.

These practices persist because they are familiar and relationship-driven. However, they limit visibility, consume valuable time, and make it challenging to leverage data for pricing and commercial decisions.

As mills face margin pressure, tighter supply chains, and increasing customer expectations, digitalizing the commercial side of the business presents a significant opportunity that is often yet untouched.

THE COMMERCIAL CHALLENGE

Traditional sales workflows at mills frequently involve sending product availability or offers directly to customers, one by one. Sales teams track responses manually, manage multiple versions of the same spreadsheet, and lack real-time insight into which buyers have reacted and at what price levels. Common challenges include:

• Restricted reach to a limited customer circle.
• Slow response cycles that delay order conversion.
• Non-standardized negotiation processes to the benefit of the buyer.
• Limited access to market data to support pricing decisions.
• Heavy administrative burden with repetitive tasks/prone to errors.

While production systems have become highly automated, many sales organizations still spend much of their time coordinating information rather than selling strategically.

A DIGITAL SALES CHANNEL FOR MILLS

To address this gap, Ensilio has developed Edge—a mill-branded, digital sales platform designed to support mills to sell more, smarter. Edge provides mills with a structured, secure, and transparent environment for commercializing their products, whether through direct sale or controlled competitive bidding. Key capabilities include:

• The ability to upload listings and availabilities from spreadsheets; AI converts it into a structured format.
• Real-time buyer access to offers and product specifications.
• Structured negotiation and bidding workflows, which help increase margins.
• Full mill control of pricing, customer access, and allocation.
• Market data and buyer insights to inform commercial strategy.

Each mill operates its own instance under its brand, ensuring that relationships remain mill-to-customer. Edge complements—rather than replaces—sales teams by reducing manual work and enabling faster, more data-driven decision-making.

CASE STUDY: MODEL GROUP

One example of Edge in operation is at Model Group, a European paper and packaging producer that began using it mid-2025. Although initially deployed for non-prime grades and stocklots, the platform has since demonstrated value that extends to made-to-order prime qualities as well.

Within the first three months of use for non-prime grades, Model Group achieved:

• Over EUR2 million (about US$2.3 million) sales on Edge.
• Listing-to-order cycle reduced to under five days.
• Approximately 15 percent improvement in achieved prices between first offer and final sale.
• Increase of buyer pool to >65 active buyers.

“Before Edge, we spent hours chasing buyers one by one, sending Excel files back and forth, never knowing if we were getting the best price. Now we list once, reach 65-plus buyers instantly, and watch competitive bids come in,” says Martin Hild, head of sales for Containerboard at Model Group. “The time savings alone have been transformative—we’re finally able to focus on strategic growth instead of administrative busywork.” Mills that introduce a digital sales channel can benefit in several areas:

• Working capital efficiency: A larger buyer pool accelerates sales and turns inventory faster.
• Increased revenue: Enlarged customer reach and portfolio for both existing and new markets.
• Higher margins: Structured, transparent negotiation processes ensure the best offers win, not the quickest replies.
• Reduced administrative overhead: Automated coordination and reduced manual follow-up free your sales team.
• Smarter decisions: Real-time market signals, data analytics, and AI support stronger commercial decisions at every step.

Initial deployments of Edge suggest that a simple and structured introduction supports effective adoption. The Edge platform can typically be configured within about one week, without requiring IT integration.

By digitalizing commercial processes, mills can enhance efficiency without disrupting the relationships that underpin the industry.

THE OUTLOOK AHEAD

As mills increasingly look beyond production for performance gains, Edge provides a practical first step in commercial digitalization. Early deployments suggest that structured, mill-branded digital sales channels can support stronger pricing, improved customer experience, and more efficient use of sales resources.