AR Carton Kraków

Epicor iScala system supports business development through ownership changes and the expansion of AR Carton factory

„Thanks to Todis’ solutions, the time thatwe used to devote to manually entering data prior to the implementation of the system, we can now use to analyze the effects of our activity” – Piotr Salitra, Head of the Finance Department in AR Carton Kraków

Company Facts    

• Location: Poland
• Industry: Packaging Manufacturing
• Website: www.ar-carton.com

Success Highlights

Challenges

• The need of complex ERP solution
• Plant development
• Ownership and legal changes

Solutions

• Epicor iScala
• Vacik_SAF-T and interfaces

Benefits

• More time for analysis
• Decreased number of errors
• Increased efficiency

The cardboard packaging factory in Stanisławice near Krakow was established in 1996. The first production line was commissioned in March 1998, and the next one a year and a half later. In 2000, an automated finished products warehouse with the capacity of 3400 pallets was handed over for use. Since May 2015, the factory belongs to the A&R Packaging Group and operates under the name of AR Carton Kraków Sp. z o.o. In 2016, the plant was extended, with a second production hall built and a third line installed. In March 2018, a fourth line was opened, which will allow one billion more cigarette packs per year to be manufactured. Altogether, in the last 3 years the plant in Stanisławice has doubled its production capacity and increased staff levels to 220 people.

A&R Packaging was founded in 1929 in Sweden. It has 19 factories and employs 2850 people in 10 countries. The Group is active in printing cardboard packaging for the food and tobacco industries. The factory in Stanisławice recycles more than 20 thousand tonnes of cardboard per year, while the packaging manufactured in the plant is sent to cigarette factories in 13 countries and used by consumers in several dozen countries across three continents.

Epicor iScala and other IT implementations

The plant in Stanisławice has been using the ERP Epicor iScala system since 2003. Todis Consulting –partner of Epicor Software Corp. in Poland – not only ensures system maintenance but has also implemented a range of its own solutions, expanding the functionality of the Epicor iScala financial module. With the assistance of Todis consultants, AR Carton Kraków implemented a module to generate SAF-T files and settle VAT in accordance with the applicable law as well as an interface to generate confirmation of material issue for work orders.

Business benefits

„Thanks to Todis’ solutions, the time that we used to devote to manually entering data prior to the implementation of the system, we can now use to analyze the effects of our activity. Previously, a ‘manual’ settlement of the use of materials for production orders was time-consuming and caused errors, the finding and removing of which also consumed a lot of valuable time”, emphasizes Mr Piotr Salitra, Head of the Finance Department in AR Carton Kraków. Over 20 years, a little plant in Stanisławice has been transformed into a modern factory, employing more than 220 people and working across four production lines. The Scala system has been in place since the plant was set up. Starting with the Scala 5.0 version, the system has supported the company’s activity through the expansion of the factory and changes in ownership. The solution’s multi-company approach enabled, for example, a new organizational unit to be set up in the system, the settings and book opening balance-sheet to be transferred, as well as warehouse in the middle of accounting year, all of which simplified numerous tasks related to the changes in ownership of the plant.

Future plans

In 2017, A&R Packaging decided to implement a corporate solution to plan production, designed specifically for the printing industry; as regards finance, however, Epicor iScala will remain the corporate solution for the entire group. “Next year, we are going to upgrade the iScala system to the 3.2 version. Data concerning purchasing, production, sales and finished goods warehouse must be relocated to the new system, but the finances – General Ledger, Fixed Assets, VAT and SAF-T file generator – will remain in the Epicor iScala system. The new iScala version will be installed on the corporate server in Sweden and, to tell the truth, we count on the help and support of Todis’ consultants with the migration”, says Piotr Salitra.