But let's now return to our collaboration with GPI. The official starting shot for this came in September 2022. The first step was to demonstrate the possibilities with SAP IBP and reconcile them with GPI's challenges and requirements. First and foremost, this included the fact that the solution had to be implemented in such a way that it could be used at all locations - albeit initially only in Austria and Switzerland. Instead of having to cope with high expenditures through the short-term acquisition of machines - in order to be able to manage production peaks - good planning - based on historical data, AI and user-friendly options to be able to incorporate market development know-how at different aggregation levels - was to ensure reliable forecasts regarding demand quantities. Such forecasts, which can be generated thanks to Demand Planning (= sales planning), form the basis for the subsequent answering of important questions such as: Will machines run into a bottleneck? Do arrangements have to be made for outsourcing production or for pre-production? Is it even possible to produce the forecast quantities? Will new machines have to be purchased for this? Another challenge was to clearly display the many different articles and product designs in a planning system and, in addition to record their historical data.

The joint journey from the first kick-off meeting to the go-live at the end of April took a total of 8 months. In order to ensure a smooth process, continuous coordination was carried out. For example, weekly jour fixes were held and after each implementation phase, workshops were organized with all project participants at GPI in order to run through the innovations directly in the system and to be able to make any necessary adjustments immediately. Very soon after the start of the collaboration, we put the theory we had discussed directly into practice. We developed a prototype that was continuously adapted over weeks and months and thus optimally tailored to GPI's needs. In a final user acceptance test, the new IBP solution was then put through its paces by a larger group of GPI stakeholders with regard to all possible processes and use cases. Finally, at the end of April, the go-live took place. This marked the end of a project that was absolutely dear to our hearts.

Within Greiner Packaging International GmbH, Austria and Switzerland served as so-called early adopters. Therefore, in addition to representatives of Greiner Packaging International, employees from Austria and Switzerland were primarily involved in the project. However, the requirement from the very beginning was to use the system to achieve a global single source of truth for all departments and locations of GPI. This means that in the future, every employee from every country in the Greiner network should be able to access the same data and information in real time, make adjustments at the appropriate aggregation level depending on their function, and run simulations of possible future scenarios hands-on. In addition, flexibly adjustable and visually appealing dashboards provide an ideal basis for decision-making in review meetings and targeted communication within the organization. Currently, rollouts are already taking place in other Greiner Packaging International GmbH branches - outside of Austria and Switzerland.