MerQbiz launches orders and claims management solution for recovered paper buyers and sellers

merQbiz has released a new orders and claims management solution - a transformative digital tool for recovered paper (RCP) buyers and sellers.

The industry-first offering is powered by the company's BaleVision quality assessment and analytics platform and can also be used as a stand-alone service. 

Facilitating clear communication and honest conversations are among the goals of the orders and claims management product, both internally at the mill and externally with suppliers, according to merQbiz.

merQbiz's orders management technology extends ERP functionality with bale quality analysis and supplier performance by integrating various data inputs from purchasing, suppliers, transportation and quality to deliver insights and help drive decision making. It also triggers integrated process management with supplier performance, quality operations and as a materials handling solution.

The RCP intake team can upload order and delivery information - complete with release and order numbers, release date, mill location, paper grade, price per ton, delivered tons, shipping details and supplier information, as well as bale photos. 

The orders management functionality includes:

• Materials handling - Digitally connect material receipt to purchasing, transportation, quality analysis and consumption
• Supplier performance management - Gain insights on strategic supply, scorecarding and contamination

The claims management features bring together purchasing, analysis and supplier master data, equipping customers with the appropriate decision-making tools to facilitate claims and downgrades. If RCP quality data is entered, the merQbiz application will automatically flag shipments that are outside of industry standards and make downgrade recommendations. From there, the receiving team can suggest a claim by sending a message to upper management for the final decision.

merQbiz's claims management functionality includes:

• Process management - Digitally facilitate claims and downgrades via workflow
• Decision support - Compare actual quality analysis against a specification
• Claims calculator - Receive suggested downgrade amounts based on actual contamination levels
• Data-driven conversations - Leverage data analysis to have honest conversations with suppliers

Convenience and data-driven conversations are key benefits of claims management and eliminate uncomfortable interactions between mills and suppliers. If the mill chooses to submit a claim, the platform incorporates a calculator that gives buyers the total shipment price based on the suggested downgrade discount. Buyers can then automatically send a claim summary to the seller from within the platform via PDF detailing the order information, type of claim, suggested downgrade, suggested discount, photos and actual quality data if applicable. Buyers can also view and share an annual downgrades report on each supplier, giving both sellers and buyers information about RCP quality.

"The Orders and Claims Management tool not only improves communication with suppliers but also greatly improves transparency within the mill," said John Fox, President and CEO at merQbiz. "We've heard from many papermakers that there is often a communication gap between dockworkers and management teams within the paper mills. With this platform, managers will see claim suggestions, make a decision based on actual data, and be able to easily send an explanation back to the receiving team about their decision to reject or submit a claim. This open line of communication between the procurement, finance and materials handling teams enables standardization of the claims process and saves valuable time in the long run."