EskoArtwork announced that the Swiss-based Model Group has signed a significant Systems Integration contract to integrate SAP’s ERP (enterprise resource planning) application with EskoArtwork’s ArtiosCAD software to streamline its multi-site operations into a unified database. CENIT AG, one of the leading global system integrators and official SAP development partner and specialist in PLM (product lifecycle management), and Dr. Lauterbach & Partner GmbH, the well known SAP Business Partner and supplier of ERP solutions for the packaging industry also bring their expertise to this installation.

"The challenge for us is to coordinate the existing multiple hardware and software capabilities in our production departments within a single database," explains Edoardo Finotti, leader of the Model Innovation and Competence Center (ICC). "We have been a satisfied customer of EskoArtwork for several years, and it became essential to invest in a solution which streamlined our complex operation."

For the first time, the involved parties set up a bidirectional online interface between SAP’s ERP solutions and EskoArtwork’s ArtiosCAD. As a result, SAP will directly manage all data - including meta data as well as ARD and MFG data ArtiosCAD’s native file format. Cad-X, the Active-X component of ArtiosCAD, is used in WEB and COM services which build the interface.This way greater productivity, time savings and more efficiency are reached. SAP remains the central controlling unit for general data structure and processes. The SAP online integration project calls for simplified and speeded-up processes. Other requirements include a direct paperless workflow, a central data structure organized and managed under SAP’s Content Server, no data redundancies and a future-oriented solution using SAP standard components.

Once the project is completed, operators from all plants and departments of Model Group will retrieve their CAD data directly from the ordering process system without having to look up or recreate structural design.

While CENIT AG implements SAP's ERP introduction and project management, Lauterbach’s modular hardware and software microprocessor development tools supports all the elements within the Model Group's multi-site networked environment. EskoArtwork handles the packaging pre-production solutions.

Dinesh Chandra, Director Systems Integration business unit of EskoArtwork, comments: “This ERP integration is a world premiere. The unusual and exciting installation for all the companies involved in this project emphasizes the way in which our software and hardware can collaborate and link our operations across remote production sites."

EskoArtwork’s ArtiosCAD design software is used by all Model Group's plants, which makes the integration of SAP's ERP application a logical and practical solution. "Since we offer packaging-design, print consultancy - related to packaging - and co-packing services, our new integrated software will be a hugely exciting development," Edoardo Finotti concludes. "It makes sense to pool the resources of our supplying companies so that we have the best possible combination of packages. This complements our design and production operations as well as the needs of our client portfolio."