In order to increase the competitiveness of cross-laminated timber (CLT) produced in northern Europe, several methods are presented in this paper. One deals with increasing the strength and stiffness properties of CLT panels, something that has a potential to decrease material use. This is achieved by changing the alteration angle of transverse CLT panel layers to 45° instead of 90°. Two other methods focus on increasing the volume yield of CLT panel production, utilizing the natural taper of the log when edging flitches. One is a trapeze edging method, following the taper closely, while the other is a more conventional crosscutting and straight edging method. Both are based on live sawing of small diameter logs. The result is a yield increase of 10-17 percentage points, compared to more conventional cant sawing.