The paper business is competitive. Frankly, over-capacity means tight margins. But there are real opportunities for companies able to control costs and add value.
Often the supply chain is long: from forest to mill; from pulp to paper; from paper converter to finisher; from finisher to wholesaler; from wholesaler to printer. Even this simple example trails across the world as transport costs continue to skyrocket.
Wherever you sit in the supply chain, the key to margin protection is to look across the entire chain. Yes, you can become more efficient, but, alone, that is not enough. The smartest businesses collaborate up and down the supply chain to reduce costs and speed up processes.
That means automation and effective communication and increasing transparency. You need to be able to tell your customers what inventory you hold and how quickly your suppliers can respond. And you need customers to tell you future demand. Then you can pass on demand forecasts to your suppliers. But, in return, you need capacity and lead-time figures.
Thankfully, the paper industry has agreed EDI (electronic data interchange) standards through PapiNet. With the right software the talk is automatic and accurate.
Automating for margin protection
IBS Paper, Packaging and Office Supplies distribution software takes your business forward. It delivers more efficient operations by integrating your warehouse management with financials and customer service. Most importantly, it gives you a window through which you can see the whole supply chain, letting you create real efficiencies.
- SMI (supplier managed inventory) allows you to work with your customers and suppliers. Supply and demand planning software and advanced inventory management lets you share forecasts and automatically create orders.
- You need to operate globally because of the nature of your business but you also need to minimize the transport problem. Finding the best compromise between central warehousing and local distribution is key.
- You can reduce costs by managing inventory more effectively. SMI will help you do that, but so can more sophisticated internal controls.
- You can become more competitive if your warehouse system can cope with innovative pricing and promotions.
Your business in our technology
By having some of the world’s largest distribution businesses as our customers, we are proud to say our experts have years of experience working in the paper, packaging and office supply industries so we understand the challenges you face. We build that knowledge into our technology. And because we have a one-on-one relationship with all our customers, we learn exactly what you need.
IBS Paper, Packaging and Office Supplies distribution software uses our Enterprise 6.0 Suite for speedy, seamless automation of warehousing, inventory management, demand forecasting and financials. It is modular, so it can adapt as your business changes.