Catalyst Paper Enhances Mill Performance with Ivara Reliability Initiative

Catalyst Paper Enhances Mill Performance with Ivara Reliability Initiative

Leading North American producer of mechanical printing paper, Catalyst Paper also supplies de‑inked newsprint, market kraft pulp and containerboard. With five mills operating within a 100‑mile radius along the south coast of British Columbia, the company employs roughly 3,800 people and boasts a combined annual capacity of 2.5 million tonnes.

The Situation

Currency volatility and intensifying global competition are reshaping Canada’s pulp and paper sector. To sustain profitability and reinforce its industry leadership, Catalyst Paper has embarked on a comprehensive performance‑improvement program focused on mill reliability.

The Challenge

• Standardizing asset‑reliability processes across all four mills while fostering full employee engagement.
• Managing change and securing internal buy‑in for a shift toward a reliability‑based culture.
• Overcoming skepticism rooted in past projects that failed to deliver promised gains.
• Preserving critical equipment knowledge as seasoned operators retire.
• Demonstrating that technology alone cannot achieve reliability; people and processes must evolve.

The Solution

Catalyst partnered with Ivara to adopt the Ivara Reliability Solution, a systematic approach that integrates advanced reliability practices with supportive technology. The initiative’s core tenets include:

• Proactive, system‑by‑system asset reliability.
• Cross‑functional collaboration via the Ivara Work Smart methodology.
• Robust change‑management practices aligned with Catalyst’s values of involvement and standardization.

The journey began with a two‑day strategy workshop that convened more than 130 employees—from senior leadership to frontline operators—across all four mills. The workshop forged consensus on a unified strategy and clarified the vision for the reliability initiative.

Case Study: Port Alberni Mill

As the first pilot site, the Port Alberni mill undertook a detailed reliability assessment and financial impact analysis. The resulting roadmap targets a 3% increase in paper‑machine efficiency. A dedicated core team of five employees—representing maintenance, operations, and engineering—received intensive training and coaching from Ivara. Key activities included:

• Prioritizing assets based on business impact and risk.
• Developing Maintenance Task Analyses using Ivara’s work‑identification framework.
• Implementing measurable leading and lagging metrics to sustain performance gains.

Results

• Strong internal support driven by a collaborative, inclusive process.
• Transformation of tacit equipment knowledge into actionable business insights.
• Enhanced coordination between maintenance, operations, and engineering, shifting reliability from a siloed function to a shared responsibility.
• Standardized reliability procedures across all four mills.
• Preservation of expert knowledge to safeguard against workforce attrition.
• Effective change management that aligns with Catalyst’s future initiatives.

Conclusion

Implementation of the Ivara solution is already yielding tangible benefits. At the Port Alberni mill alone, Catalyst anticipates $1.5 million in cost savings during the first year, with projected annual savings of $7.1 million after a three‑year ramp‑up. The entire organization now views the Ivara Asset Reliability Process as the key strategy to elevate mill performance and strengthen Catalyst Paper’s competitive edge.