How to Build a Resilient Packaging Supply Chain in 2025: Smarter Purchasing with APS and ERP Integration

The packaging and containers industry faces heightened exposure to geopolitical tensions, environmental regulations, fluctuating raw material costs, and changing customer expectations. For Purchasing Managers, 2025 is not just another year of managing costs—it’s about building resilience into every procurement decision.

Supply chains can no longer afford to be reactive. To thrive, they must be agile, data-driven, and deeply integrated across planning, operations, and procurement. This is where solutions like PlanetTogether Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS), integrated with robust ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Kinaxis, or Aveva, become strategic allies. These tools offer real-time visibility, predictive insights, and the ability to adapt sourcing strategies in sync with production priorities.

This blog explores actionable strategies that Purchasing Managers in packaging manufacturing can adopt to build more resilient supply chains in 2025—and how integrated APS and ERP systems can enable them.

Understand the Core Challenges in 2025’s Packaging Procurement

Purchasing in the packaging and containers sector is evolving fast due to several compounding factors:

Raw Material Scarcity: Resin, paperboard, and biopolymers are often subject to supply disruptions and price spikes.

Environmental Pressures: Regulations and consumer preference for sustainable materials increase complexity and sourcing constraints.

Tariff and Trade Fluctuations: International trade policies are increasingly uncertain, driving a need for alternative sourcing strategies.

Demand Volatility: CPG companies are demanding shorter lead times and greater customization, impacting packaging procurement schedules.

To mitigate these risks, procurement must become a strategic function—one that integrates sourcing decisions with production goals and demand forecasts in real time.

The Role of Integrated Planning in Building Supply Chain Resilience

The modern supply chain is interconnected. Procurement decisions can no longer operate in silos. This is where APS tools like PlanetTogether shine—especially when they are integrated with leading ERP systems.

PlanetTogether + ERP Integration (e.g., with SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Kinaxis, or Aveva) enables real-time synchronization between procurement, production, and inventory management. This allows Purchasing Managers to:

See accurate material requirements and production forecasts.

Collaborate closely with suppliers based on actual scheduling needs.

React instantly to production changes, demand surges, or supply delays.

By integrating APS and ERP, procurement teams gain a unified view of supply and demand, enabling smarter purchasing that supports production continuity and cost efficiency.

Diversify and Localize Your Supplier Network

One of the foundational principles of a resilient packaging supply chain is supplier diversification. Relying on a single-source or offshore-exclusive procurement model exposes your operations to risk.

How PlanetTogether Helps:
PlanetTogether’s scheduling engine, when integrated with ERP systems, allows Purchasing Managers to simulate “what-if” scenarios that test the impact of local vs. offshore sourcing. If a shipment from Asia is delayed, planners can automatically switch to local suppliers whose lead times and pricing are embedded in the system, ensuring seamless continuity.

Action Steps:

Build dual or multi-source supply models for key materials (e.g., resin, flexible films).

Incorporate local suppliers as backups to reduce lead times and import risks.

Use APS-generated data to negotiate better terms with suppliers based on forecasted needs.

Embrace Predictive Procurement with Real-Time Data

Modern purchasing isn't just about placing orders—it's about anticipating disruptions and adapting before they impact production. Predictive procurement means leveraging real-time data and analytics to identify trends, forecast shortages, and adjust strategies dynamically.

Benefits of APS + ERP Integration:

Real-time alerts for low inventory or delayed deliveries.

Predictive analytics for raw material price trends.

Accurate demand projections to guide purchasing quantity and timing.

For example, if SAP identifies a sudden spike in customer orders, PlanetTogether can instantly reschedule production, and procurement gets an updated bill of materials (BOM) and material requirement list. This tight coupling allows for faster decision-making and more efficient procurement execution.

Optimize Inventory While Avoiding Stockouts

Holding too much inventory ties up capital; too little increases the risk of stockouts and production delays. Achieving the right balance is critical in packaging manufacturing where SKUs often vary widely in volume and materials.

How Integration Helps:

PlanetTogether synchronizes production plans with ERP-managed inventory levels.

Procurement receives just-in-time notifications on when to order based on actual scheduling needs.

Advanced simulations help evaluate the impact of holding vs. ordering materials in real-time.

Case Example:
A packaging company using PlanetTogether integrated with Microsoft Dynamics was able to reduce its safety stock by 18% while improving order fulfillment rates by over 20%. By aligning procurement triggers with production needs, they optimized both working capital and on-time performance.

Create Collaborative Supplier Relationships

Resilient supply chains aren’t built solely on contracts—they’re built on collaboration. Suppliers should be treated as strategic partners, not transactional vendors.

Technology-Enabling Collaboration:

Share production schedules and demand forecasts directly with suppliers through integrated portals.

Leverage ERP systems like Oracle or SAP to automate purchase orders based on dynamic production schedules generated by PlanetTogether.

Use Kinaxis or Aveva integration to enable upstream visibility into supplier capacity and constraints.

Such transparency builds trust and allows for joint planning, proactive issue resolution, and co-investment in supply chain resilience.

Prepare for Sustainability Compliance and Traceability

With ESG goals and regulatory demands increasing in 2025, packaging manufacturers must trace the origin and lifecycle of materials. Procurement must align with these expectations by sourcing verified, sustainable materials.

Integrated APS + ERP Benefits:

Track supplier certifications and material compliance data in real-time.

Audit trails for every material sourced, from procurement through production.

Optimize production to reduce waste of sustainable (and often more expensive) materials.

PlanetTogether, when integrated with SAP or Oracle, can even assist in minimizing carbon-intensive production schedules by clustering runs of similar materials or formats, reducing changeovers and waste.

Build Agility Through Scenario Planning

What happens if a major resin supplier goes offline? What if tariffs increase on imported paperboard? APS systems like PlanetTogether allow you to simulate these disruptions and evaluate alternative sourcing and scheduling strategies instantly.

Scenario Planning Examples:

Reallocating production across plants to work around a raw material shortage.

Switching to domestic suppliers for urgent orders when overseas shipping is delayed.

Shifting procurement strategies based on updated demand forecasts from ERP systems.

Purchasing Managers who use these simulations proactively can make strategic choices faster than competitors—and avoid costly surprises.

Procurement is the First Line of Resilience

In 2025, building a resilient supply chain in packaging manufacturing demands more than cost-cutting. It requires foresight, agility, and deep integration between procurement, planning, and production.

By leveraging PlanetTogether APS integrated with SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Kinaxis, or Aveva, Purchasing Managers gain a comprehensive toolkit to manage risks, balance costs, and support sustainable growth.

From real-time scheduling to collaborative supplier networks, integrated planning technologies are no longer optional—they are essential for building the kind of resilient, responsive, and responsible supply chains that the future demands.

Are you ready to take your manufacturing operations to the next level? Contact us today to learn more about how PlanetTogether can help you achieve your goals and drive success in your industry.