Smart Scheduling for Mixed-Material Packaging: APS and ERP at Work

In the packaging and containers manufacturing industry, operations directors stand at the crossroads of efficiency, sustainability, cost management, and innovation. Among the most widely used materials in packaging are flexible plastics and paperboard, each offering unique advantages — but also introducing distinct operational challenges. Managing production lines that handle such diverse materials requires sophisticated planning tools, especially when facing fluctuating demand, raw material variability, evolving customer expectations, and tightening sustainability standards.

This is where advanced planning and scheduling (APS) systems like PlanetTogether come into play, especially when integrated with robust ERP platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Kinaxis, or Aveva. By uniting real-time production data with strategic planning insights, manufacturers can achieve unprecedented levels of agility and control in handling flexible plastics and paperboard across their operations.

Let’s explore how operations directors can leverage these technologies to optimize packaging materials management, balance cost and sustainability, and ensure operational excellence.

The Dual Challenge: Flexible Plastics vs. Paperboard

Flexible plastics and paperboard serve different segments of the packaging market but often coexist on the same manufacturing floors:

Flexible plastics (films, pouches, wraps) are prized for their lightweight, durability, barrier properties, and versatility. They’re ideal for food packaging, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and consumer goods.

Paperboard (cartons, boxes, sleeves) offers excellent printability, a renewable profile, recyclability, and stiffness — making it a go-to material for packaging that demands both functionality and sustainability.

Managing these materials in parallel introduces several complexities:

Material handling requirements differ, with plastics needing precise control over sealing, cutting, and lamination, while paperboard demands attention to folding, gluing, and strength.

Inventory dynamics vary, with flexible plastics often supplied in large rolls and paperboard in sheets or pre-cut forms.

Customer expectations differ, especially as sustainable packaging pushes more brands toward paperboard while others stick with plastics for performance reasons.

Regulatory pressures are intensifying, particularly for plastics, forcing manufacturers to optimize production processes to reduce waste, improve recyclability, and comply with environmental standards.

Without the right technology backbone, these operational differences can lead to production bottlenecks, material mismatches, excess waste, and costly changeovers.

Why APS Matters for Material Optimization

Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) tools like PlanetTogether offer operations directors a unified view of their production landscape. APS platforms provide:

Real-time scheduling across lines and facilities
Dynamic changeover optimization to minimize downtime between plastic and paperboard runs.
Material-specific capacity planning, accounting for speed, setup, and waste profiles.
Enhanced inventory management that matches raw material availability with production priorities.
Scenario modeling and “what-if” analysis to test production strategies before implementation.

Most importantly, APS systems become even more powerful when integrated with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Kinaxis, or Aveva. This integration enables seamless data flow between finance, procurement, production, and logistics, ensuring that operational decisions align with broader business goals.

Key Benefits of Integrating PlanetTogether APS with ERP Systems

For operations directors managing packaging materials, integrating PlanetTogether APS with ERP platforms unlocks several strategic benefits:

Cross-functional visibility

With ERP integration, APS no longer operates in isolation. Production planners can see upstream (procurement, supplier lead times) and downstream (shipping, customer orders) impacts, allowing for smarter, data-driven decisions.

Material-specific scheduling intelligence

APS integration allows the system to account for the unique requirements of flexible plastics and paperboard, dynamically adjusting line schedules based on material availability, machine readiness, and changeover constraints.

Waste and scrap reduction

By optimizing runs and minimizing unnecessary material switches, the system helps lower scrap rates for delicate plastics and precise paperboard cuts, translating to better margins and reduced environmental impact.

Improved responsiveness to demand shifts

Whether a customer suddenly increases an order for eco-friendly paperboard packaging or a large flexible plastics project hits an unexpected delay, APS-ERP integration enables rapid recalibration of production plans.

Stronger sustainability tracking

As sustainability metrics become a corporate priority, integrated systems can track and report on material use, energy consumption, emissions, and recycling performance — essential for meeting internal goals and external regulations.

Operational Strategies for Handling Flexible Plastics and Paperboard

To fully leverage APS and ERP integration, operations directors should focus on several key strategies:

Align material flows with production flows

Coordinate incoming material shipments with production runs to avoid excess inventory or material shortages. For example, flexible plastics may need to be temperature-controlled, while paperboard may require careful humidity management.

Group similar production jobs

Use APS tools to sequence jobs that use the same material type or require similar machine setups, minimizing time-consuming changeovers between plastics and paperboard runs.

Optimize machine configurations

Many facilities operate hybrid machines capable of handling both materials. APS can help determine the most efficient use of these assets, balancing throughput with setup efficiency.

Leverage predictive maintenance

APS systems can incorporate machine health data to avoid unplanned downtime, especially critical for high-speed plastic packaging lines prone to wear or paperboard cutters sensitive to alignment.

Integrate sustainability metrics

PlanetTogether, when connected with ERP systems like SAP or Oracle, can embed sustainability into scheduling by prioritizing eco-friendly materials, minimizing energy-intensive processes, or scheduling recycling runs.

Embracing Smart, Integrated Planning

For operations directors in packaging and containers manufacturing, the pressure to deliver faster, leaner, greener operations is only increasing. The materials you work with — from flexible plastics to paperboard — each present specific challenges and opportunities, and managing them side by side requires more than manual spreadsheets or siloed systems.

By adopting PlanetTogether APS and ensuring deep integration with ERP platforms like SAP, Oracle, Microsoft, Kinaxis, or Aveva, packaging manufacturers can unlock a new level of operational intelligence. This unified approach transforms material management, production scheduling, and sustainability tracking into competitive advantages.

The future of packaging operations isn’t just about choosing between flexible plastics and paperboard — it’s about orchestrating their coexistence in a smart, responsive, and profitable way.

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.