The Aging Workforce Is Reshaping Pulp and Paper Mill Operations

 

Across the pulp and paper industry, one challenge is becoming impossible to ignore: a significant portion of the workforce is expected to retire over the next 5–10 years — putting decades of operational knowledge at risk.

But this is no longer just a workforce issue.

It is directly affecting how mills operate day to day.

As experienced operators retire and younger workers step into increasingly complex environments, mills are being forced to rethink how knowledge is transferred, how decisions are made, and how operational expertise is preserved.

At the same time, many operations are still relying on disconnected systems, spreadsheets, fragmented reporting, and person-dependent workflows.

That raises an important question for mill leaders:

 

What Happens When 40 Years of Operational Knowledge Walks Out the Door?

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Table of Contents

• Why Traditional Knowledge Transfer Models Are Breaking Down

• Making Operational Knowledge Easier to Access

• What Leading Mills Are Doing to Retain Operational Knowledge

• The Workforce Challenge Is Becoming a Long-Term Operational Reality

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This topic was recently discussed during a MAJIQ industry webinar featuring mill leadership, operational experts, and technology perspectives from across the pulp and paper industry.

One theme became clear throughout the discussion:

The traditional model of knowledge transfer inside mills is no longer sustainable on its own.

Why Traditional Knowledge Transfer Models Are Breaking Down

 

For decades, many mills relied heavily on informal mentorship and hands-on experience.

Operators learned by walking the floor with experienced personnel. Knowledge was transferred through observation, troubleshooting, repetition, and years of exposure to the process.

That model worked when employees stayed in the same role for decades and operational complexity was lower.

But many mills are now facing a different reality.

Experienced operators are retiring faster than organizations can replace them, while younger employees are moving into higher responsibility roles earlier in their careers.

In many mills, critical operational knowledge still lives inside a handful of experienced individuals.

One operator knows how to stabilize a recurring issue during grade changes. One supervisor understands why a machine behaves differently during humid summer conditions. One scheduler knows how to optimize trim during a difficult production mix.

When those individuals retire, organizations are losing process knowledge and troubleshooting experience that may have taken decades to build.

 

During the webinar poll, only 6% of attendees said they felt confident in their organization’s workforce strategy, while nearly 69% identified knowledge loss due to retirement as their biggest workforce challenge.

Operational Knowledge Is Still Trapped Inside Individuals

 

For many operators, troubleshooting still depends on knowing who to call.

Information may technically exist somewhere inside the organization, but accessing it often requires switching between systems, searching through spreadsheets, reviewing old reports, or relying on experienced personnel who simply “know how things work.”

That operational friction matters.

Not only does it slow down decision-making, but it also increases dependency on specific individuals who know where information lives.

Making Operational Knowledge Easier to Access

 

Many mills are now rethinking how operational knowledge is captured, stored, and accessed.

Rather than relying exclusively on static documentation or tribal knowledge, organizations are increasingly looking for ways to make operational guidance easier to access in real time.

Many mills are now using:

• Short-form training videos
• Searchable troubleshooting databases
• Connected worker tools
• Standardized operational guidance
• Cross-site operational support

Today’s workforce increasingly expects fast, visual, searchable access to information — and that expectation is carrying into mill operations.

The challenge is that many facilities still require operators to jump between multiple disconnected systems, spreadsheets, reports, and screens just to find the information they need.

According to the webinar poll:

• 63% of attendees said accessing information requires multiple systems and screens
• 31% said information remains fragmented or delayed
• 0% described the process as “very easy”

That operational friction matters.

Why Mills Are Investing in Connected Operational Intelligence

 

Historically, operational expertise often stayed local.

A veteran operator might understand subtle process changes that never made their way into formal documentation, while a maintenance specialist may know exactly which recurring downtime events signal a larger issue.

The problem is that much of this operational knowledge was never designed to scale.

That is why many mills are now investing in more connected operational environments.

Modern pulp and paper software platforms, pulp and paper MES systems, BI dashboards, and connected worker tools are helping organizations centralize operational visibility and simplify decision-making.

For pulp and paper manufacturers evaluating pulp and paper software and pulp and paper industry software strategies, the value is helping operators, supervisors, and mill leadership make faster, more consistent decisions across the operation.

This includes:

• Integrated manufacturing data
• Searchable process history
• Cross-site visibility
• Standardized workflows
• Operational dashboards
• Connected worker environments
• Real-time production insights

AI Can Help Preserve Operational Knowledge

 

One of the more practical discussions during the webinar focused on AI’s role in helping mills preserve operational knowledge.

In pulp and paper manufacturing, the biggest opportunity may not be replacing people.

It may be helping operators access troubleshooting knowledge, historical process information, and operational guidance faster.

Several panelists also emphasized that organizations do not need to wait until every SOP and workflow is perfectly documented before getting started.

The most important step is simply starting to build the knowledge repository now.

What Leading Mills Are Doing to Retain Operational Knowledge

 

Bringing Retirees Back as Trainers and Mentors

 

Several mills have successfully brought experienced operators back into the organization in part-time or consulting capacities to help train younger workers and transfer operational knowledge.

Creating Centers of Excellence Across Multiple Mills

 

Some organizations are creating centralized operational support teams that help share troubleshooting expertise and best practices across multiple facilities.

Expanding Cross-Mill Collaboration

 

Several webinar participants described situations where operators regularly contact peers at other facilities to troubleshoot issues and exchange operational knowledge in real time.

In many ways, mills are beginning to build broader operational knowledge networks rather than relying solely on local expertise.

Capturing Knowledge Before It Walks Out the Door

 

The panelists also discussed practical approaches mills are already using, including:

• short-form operational training videos
• searchable troubleshooting databases
• standardized SOPs
• connected worker platforms
• mentoring initiatives
• collaborative troubleshooting environments

The mills making the most progress are treating knowledge transfer as part of their operational strategy — not just a workforce initiative.

Supporting People, Not Just Systems

 

Technology can support knowledge transfer, but it cannot replace operational judgment, mentorship, and relationships.

Several panelists emphasized that some of the strongest operations they experienced were environments where employees felt connected to the team, supported by leadership, and encouraged to learn collaboratively.

Because ultimately, preserving operational knowledge is not just about systems.

It is about creating environments where experienced employees can continuously support and develop the next generation of operators.

The Workforce Challenge Is Becoming a Long-Term Operational Reality

 

The aging workforce is not a temporary challenge.

Gen X and Millennials will eventually retire as well — and younger generations are far less likely to stay in the same role for decades at a time.

That means the industry cannot afford to repeatedly lose critical operational knowledge every generation.

Mills that successfully preserve expertise, simplify access to operational information, and support faster knowledge transfer will be far better positioned to maintain operational consistency and performance in the years ahead.

At MAJIQ, we believe these conversations are critical to helping the pulp and paper industry develop practical approaches to preserving expertise, improving knowledge transfer, and supporting the next generation of mill operations.

As operational complexity increases, connected pulp and paper MES and paper industry software platforms will continue helping mills simplify decision-making, improve visibility across operations, and make operational knowledge easier to access across the enterprise.

This article was inspired by insights shared during MAJIQ’s recent industry discussion on the aging workforce and operational knowledge transfer in pulp and paper manufacturing.

 

Watch the webinar recording here: The Aging Workforce in Pulp and Paper