Packaging manufacturer Rondo Ganahl is modernizing production control at its Langenenslingen site in Germany, introducing an integrated SAP-based system designed to improve production planning, shop floor visibility and material management.

The project is being implemented with SAP Gold Partner T.CON and Aicomp, which specializes in SAP solutions for complex variant configuration.

At the center of the modernization is the integration of SAP PP/DS for detailed production planning and scheduling, SAP Digital Manufacturing for shop floor operations and SAP EWM for production logistics.

For packaging manufacturing, where production schedules must coordinate materials, machinery, changeovers and customer orders, the project demonstrates how digital systems are increasingly being used to connect planning directly with factory-floor operations.

Connecting Planning, Production and Logistics

Rather than digitizing individual production functions separately, Rondo Ganahl is creating an integrated workflow covering the production process from detailed scheduling through manufacturing and internal logistics.

The system connects three key areas:

• Detailed production planning and scheduling
• Shop floor manufacturing operations
• Production logistics and material movements

This integration is intended to give production teams a clearer view of what is happening across the plant while reducing manual information transfers between different processes.

Real-time production data will provide planners with updated information from the shop floor, helping them compare planned production with actual manufacturing conditions.

More Precise Planning Across More Than 30 Resources

A major part of the project focuses on improving production scheduling.

The new system will support detailed planning across more than 30 production resources, taking into account factors including material availability, equipment capacity and setup times.

These variables are particularly important in paper and packaging converting, where production efficiency can be affected by frequent changes between orders, board specifications, dimensions and other customer requirements.

Better visibility into available capacity and changeover requirements can help planners develop more realistic schedules and respond more quickly when production conditions change.

Real-Time Production Data Improves Shop Floor Visibility

Rondo Ganahl is also moving toward a more digital shop floor through the implementation of SAP Digital Manufacturing.

Production information will be captured directly from manufacturing operations, including machine times and material consumption.

Automated consumption postings reduce the need for manual data entry while providing more current information about how materials are being used during production.

Direct machine time recording can also provide a clearer comparison between planned and actual production performance.

For plant management, this creates a more consistent flow of information between production equipment, operators and planning systems.

Paperless Production and Mobile Material Handling

The modernization project also includes a move toward paperless manufacturing processes.

Mobile scanner solutions will support employees handling materials and production logistics, replacing some paper-based documentation with digital transactions.

SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) will connect production requirements with internal material flows, helping ensure the correct materials are available where they are needed.

For packaging plants handling substantial volumes of paper, board and other production materials, synchronization between warehousing and manufacturing can be critical to maintaining production continuity.

Batch Management Strengthens Traceability

Rondo Ganahl is also implementing end-to-end batch management as part of the project.

Improved batch tracking creates clearer links between incoming materials, production processes and finished products.

This can be particularly useful when manufacturers need to investigate quality issues, verify material origins or identify which production orders used a specific batch.

Combined with real-time shop floor information, digital batch management can provide a more complete production record without relying heavily on separate paperwork or manually maintained systems.

Digitalization Moves Deeper into Packaging Manufacturing

The Rondo Ganahl project reflects a wider shift within the paper and packaging industry toward connected manufacturing systems.

For many converters, digital transformation is moving beyond individual automated machines. The focus is increasingly on connecting production planning, machine operations, inventory and material logistics through shared data.

The potential value comes from reducing information gaps between these functions.

A production plan, for example, becomes more useful when it reflects actual machine capacity and current material availability. Likewise, warehouse operations can respond more effectively when they have direct visibility into upcoming production requirements.

Industry Outlook

As packaging plants manage increasingly complex product portfolios and shorter production runs, production planning and material coordination are becoming more demanding.

Rondo Ganahl’s modernization demonstrates how integrated manufacturing software can address this complexity by creating a continuous flow of information from planning through production and logistics.

The significance of the project is therefore not simply the adoption of new software. It is the connection of previously separate production functions into a single digital workflow.

For paper and packaging manufacturers considering similar investments, the key measure will ultimately be how effectively these systems translate real-time factory data into better scheduling, fewer production interruptions, improved traceability and more efficient material flows.

Last Updated on 11/08/2026 by Jota Machinery