Paco Verpakkingen has been a specialist in packaging solutions since 1958. The Amsterdam wholesaler has a diverse customer base, ranging from small boutiques to large advertising agencies. n addition, Paco Verpakkingen has also fully embraced e-commerce – their webshop is now one of the most important pillars of the company. Elmer Slot, strategic manager and co-owner, explains the steps Paco Verpakkingen has taken to exchange old processes for innovative purchasing and inventory management solutions to continue to grow as a company.

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Old structures, new ambitions

When Elmer started working at Paco Verpakkingen in 2017, he quickly noticed that there was a lack of efficiency and sustainability. With paper processes and telephone orders, the company was far removed from modern inventory management. Despite good sales, manual and error-prone processes hindered growth and scalability. Elmer: “Change was needed to make Paco Verpakkingen’s processes future-proof.”

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The need for innovation

Elmer: “I noticed that the company was highly dependent on the knowledge and experience of individual employees.” Paco Verpakkingen’s purchasing process was very time-consuming and error-prone because they depended on complex Excel sheets, the knowledge of specific purchasers and many ad-hoc decisions were made. . Elmer adds: “In addition, a strategy of “safely high inventory” resulted in unnecessarily high inventory costs.”

It was clear to Elmer that Paco Verpakkingen had an urgent need for a system that could not only provide purchasing advice but also reduce dependence on individual purchasers.

The choice for Optiply

In the search for a more efficient purchasing and inventory management system, Elmer met Optiply at the Dutch e-commerce trade exhibition Webwinkel Vakdagen. He explains: “The automated purchasing advice, based on AI forecasting, immediately appealed to us.”

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The main goal for Paco Packaging was to rely on an automated system that would not only provide accurate purchasing advice but also reduce dependence on individual purchasers. After a thorough evaluation and a positive introduction to the integration partner Jesse Buitenhuis from Inteqrate, Paco Verpakkingen decided to start working with Optiply.

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Smooth integration with SAP

The implementation of Optiply went smoothly thanks to the help of Jesse van Inteqrate, who took care of the integration with SAP, Paco Verpakkingen’s ERP system. After all the data and standards, essential for the functioning of Optiply, had been entered, Elmer and his team quickly saw that they could rely on Optiply’s purchasing advice. Elmer: “The integration of Optiply and SAP went smoothly. We saw the benefits of working with Optiply almost immediately. The system has also helped us to become less dependent on individual purchasers and has significantly improved our cash flow.”

This change in the purchasing process, in which manual and gut-based decisions were replaced by automated advice, led to significant time savings and more efficient inventory management. One of the key results is that Elmer and his team saw the stock value drop by 30%.

This result improved cash flow and enabled Paco Verpakkingen to make strategic investments. Elmer: “Optiply has optimised our inventory management. The precise purchasing advice has not only reduced our costs but also enabled us to achieve strategic growth.”

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Inventory value has been reduced

One of the most striking advantages of working with Optiply is that the inventory of Paco Verpakkingen has been reduced. Elmer explains: “Thanks to Optiply we have been able to reduce our inventory value significantly.” Elmer continues, “Our excess stock has been brought down significantly.” This gained space allows Paco Verpakkingen to seize new growth opportunities.

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Ready for the future

The collaboration with Optiply has led to significant improvements in Paco Verpakkingen’s purchasing and inventory management. Elmer points out that the purchasing role has also changed due to the introduction of automation: “Our purchaser can work much more strategically and, in addition to purchasing, also has time to manage logistics processes, oversee the warehouse and play a role in our staff policy.”

The time and peace created by the enhanced inventory management processes have enabled Paco Verpakkingen to, for example, focus on expanding to the German market and strengthening its custom-made packaging services. With a clear vision and the right tools, Paco Verpakkingen is ready for a successful future.