A decision model to select facial tissue raw material: A case from Iran

Abstract

The objective of this research is to design an approach for selecting appropriate raw materials for facial tissues in Iran. There are three possibilities to maintain raw materials: (1) imported virgin pulp; (2) bagasse (sugar cane residue) plus some imported raw materials; and (3) recycled paper plus some imported raw materials. Owing to the shortage of raw materials as well as the high rate of forest destruction, it is vital to select the most appropriate raw materials. To reach this goal, we develop a decision-making model by applying the Analytic Network Process. A hierarchy is developed to prioritize benefits, opportunities, costs and risks by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process ratings approach. To evaluate the ‘control criteria’ of the system, a control hierarchy is also created and prioritized. This way, a total of four major control criteria in the system are prioritized where each one controls a decision network. The final synthesis of the system shows that recycled paper is the best choice among three potential alternatives.

Appendix

Benefits to the investors and manufacturers

• Employment: Using wastes or recycles as raw material in facial tissue factories creates new occupation, as well as contract works. As unemployment rate in the country is high, supplying raw material from rejected paper or bagasse helps to create new jobs.

• Environmental pollution: External raw material such as virgin pulp does not damage the environment. In case of using other raw materials, the output water has to be pre-refined.

• Warehousing cost: Using proper raw material increases the quality and market share of the product and decreases warehousing cost.

• External economics: Using domestic raw material such as wastes and bagasse helps national economy and decreases the external dependence.

• Proportion of raw material with facilities: Consistency of factory facilities and equipments with its raw material decreases the operations costs.

• Closeness to production site: Closeness of the plant to the raw material center decreases transportation costs.

Opportunities to the investors and manufacturers

• Export possibility: Using virgin pulp as raw material, individually or mixed with bagasse or waste paper, leads to high quality of the product and export potentiality.

• Regional development: High-quality products increase market share and industrial development in the areas where the factories are located.

• Expansion: By using proper raw material, capacity expansion results in increasing the capacity of machinery and quality enhancement.

  • Capacity expansion of machinery: By selecting the proper raw material and as a result raising the confidence level to procure raw material, expansion of machinery capacity will be possible, and leads to factory expansion.

  • Quality enhancement: Higher quality of the product can be achieved with higher de-inking from the wastes or recycled paper in the factory. It depends on using proper raw material in the process. Expansion of the factory will be possible by quality enhancement of the product, and consequently results in obtaining a higher market share.

• Protection of present internal market share: More effective production and higher product quality protects actual market share.

• Investment attraction: Industrial development of the region eventuate increased interest of the other investors to invest in that region.

• ISO standard availability: With quality enhancement of the product, access to ISO standards will be possible. The most important standards of facial tissue are as follows:

  • Tensile: Dry tensile of machine longitudinal side: the acceptable range is 200–700 gr. force on one single sheet tissue in dry position and in machine longitudinal side (MD) on 15 mm of width. Dry tensile of machine latitudinal side: The acceptable range is 70–350 gr. force on one single sheet tissue of 15 mm of width, in dry position and in machine latitudinal side (CD) with force. Wet tensile of machine longitudinal side: the minimum of tensile resistance in machine longitudinal side (MD) and wet position is 15 gr. force. With regard to the testing method, we have only one range for these criteria, and the maximum is 55 gr. force.

  • Humidity attraction: According to Iranian standard, the length of time to absorb 0.02 mm of 20±2°C distilled water in one sheet of facial tissue must be at most 10 seconds, and within the range of 2–3 seconds.

  • Softness: Softness is a very important specification of facial tissues. However, there is no standard way to measure it. Every factory has its own way of doing that. One way is ‘hand feel’. This way, the softness is ranked within the range of 2–6. Another measurement is the opposite of softness, which is ruggedness. With respect to Iranian standard, the acceptable measurement must be less than 110 mili-Newton.

Costs to the investors and manufacturers

• Storage cost: This criterion is divided in two sub-criteria:

  • Spare and technical parts cost: This is a major part of this cost.

  • Chemical and virgin pulp costs.

• Raw material transportation cost: From raw material center to the plant. This criterion is divided into three sub-criteria:

  • Waste paper transportation cost: From public and private offices and other locations to the factory.

  • Bagasse transportation cost: From southern cities of Iran to the plant.

  • Imported virgin pulp transport: The pulp is delivered to a port first, and then from that port to the plant.

• Custom duty charges: This charge is added to imported raw material cost.

• Raw material gathering cost: This charge is added to internal raw material cost, and is divided into two sub-criteria:

  • Waste or recycled paper gathering cost.

  • Bagasse gathering cost.

• Processing cost: This includes conversion cost of the raw material into final product, and is divided in two sub-criteria:

  • De-inking cost.

  • Adhesiveness cost: The cost of extractive material from bagasse.

Risks to the investors and manufacturers

• Low product quality: Low quality of the raw material and its incompatibility with factory's facilities leads to low product quality.

• Delay in raw material delivery: This criterion is divided in two sub-sections:

  • Internal Delay: Regarding rejected papers, the lack of agreement on the price between contractors and the factory may lead to a delay in raw material delivery.

  • External Delay: Custom regulations give rise to delay in raw material delivery, and consequently the risk of raw material shortage in the production process.

• Reduction in imported tariff of the product.

• Increasing product price: Using imported raw material eventuates in the increased product price owing to custom charges and duties.

Attachment figures

See Figures A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8 and A9.

Figure A1

Criteria comparison matrix with respect to benefits.

Figure A2

Alternatives comparison matrix with respect to decrease warehousing cost.

Figure A3

Alternatives comparison matrix with respect to employment.

Figure A4

Alternatives comparison matrix with respect to closeness to raw material.

Figure A5

Alternatives comparison matrix with respect to pollution prevention.

Figure A6

Alternatives comparison matrix with respect to raw material proportion.

Figure A7

Alternatives comparison matrix with respect to saving ceder.

Figure A8

Results of weighted super matrix for benefits.

Figure A9

Results of weighted super matrix for benefits (continued).