Q1 Paper Outlook — Market Taking Stock
From an IT standpoint, Ziegler says the preferred scenario would be for papiNet to be a new layer on top of existing business systems. "It opens up a whole new way of looking at the process," he claims. "For example, one of the members of the European papiNet organization is moving more toward a consignment model. The buyer's inventory level is tracked via a usage measure, and stock replenishment happens automatically when that level dips to a predetermined amount. Payment is determined off of actual consumption. They're changing the entire business model."
The activity of the papiNet development group with regard to publication papers is due to wind down with a release of the standard at the end of March, Ziegler says. (Work is expected to continue in other areas, however.) He believes the standard will be applicable across the printing industry, with the group offering implementation procedures and processes to make it easier for small- to mid-size corporations to participate.
The papiNet NA group was organized by IDEAlliance and the American Forest & Paper Association. For more information about the standard or to learn how to become a member, visit www.papinet.org.
