Interview with Guy Thomas (Product Manager, Corrugated) and Andrew Bennett (Senior Product Specialist) at FEFCO 2025.
From Silos to Integration
Many plants today still operate in silos — isolated processes, machinery, and departments that don’t communicate effectively. Scheduling teams often lack visibility into production realities, estimating relies on spreadsheets and intuition, and machine data rarely flows back into commercial systems. With margins tightening, this fragmented approach is no longer sustainable.
The solution lies in integration. By connecting purchasing, paper supply, scheduling, estimating, production, and shipping into one holistic system, companies can move beyond piecemeal management to a unified, data-driven operation.
ePS (eProductivity Software) is a leading provider of industry-specific business and production software technology for the packaging industries.
The Role of Data
The most advanced computational models, such as machine learning, AI, or LLMs, cannot thrive without accurate, structured data. For most plants, this remains a challenge. But when information from across the business is consolidated, machine learning can deliver real value:
- Automatically adjusting machine parameters for optimal performance
- Enhancing the accuracy of commercial estimates
- Accelerating scheduling and pricing decisions
Plants that embrace AI within a connected ecosystem will gain speed, precision, and a decisive competitive edge.
Selling by Performance, Not Paper Grades
A major industry shift is the move from selling by board grades and paper combinations to selling by guaranteed performance. Customers care about results: strength, protection, branding, and consistency.
Guaranteeing performance requires automation and closed-loop process control. Systems like ePS’ corrugator process and quality control (Escada) ensures that corrugated board performs identically across plants and shifts. Extending this control into box conversion further guarantees quality.
Performance-based packaging reduces SKUs, simplifies board grade combinations, and streamlines scheduling. The financial impact is significant — savings can reach hundreds of thousands of euros or dollars annually.
Conclusion
The corrugated industry is evolving rapidly. The future lies in breaking down silos, harnessing data, and leveraging generative AI, machine learning, and advanced automation to create a truly connected ecosystem. By shifting to performance-based packaging and embracing automation, plants can achieve consistency, efficiency, and profitability on a global scale.
ePS is committed to leading this transformation — helping box plants worldwide move faster, smarter, and stronger into the next era of corrugated packaging.
Reporting by Igor Tkalenko – corruga.expert
