IoT and Data Management 

• According to the Digitalization Index¹, there was the largest decline in digitalization (-11.03%) in the  “basic materials, chemical and pharmaceutical industry” between 2020 and 2022

• Biggest Issue: Especially with digital processes, the industry still lags far behind

• ENLYZE and openpack are working together on the data-driven optimization of digital processes in production

Cologne/Weiden, 11.07.2023

The industry is among the laggards in digitalization, especially in digital processes

The packaging industry, particularly the corrugated cardboard industry, which has relied on established manufacturing methods and manual processes for decades, is facing a major transformation and new challenges. The partial lack of automation and digitalization leads today to inefficiencies and higher costs.

This is also shown by the current Digitalization Index published by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action: The industry “basic materials, chemicals, pharmaceuticals,” which also includes packaging and plastics, was one of the biggest losers in digitalization in 2022 with 89.5 points. Compared to 2020, where it was at 100.6 points on average (105.1), this represents a decline of more than 11%.¹

Image 1: Comparison of the development of the Digitalization Index in % (by industry) (Digitalization Index 20221)

The industry loses points primarily in the areas of “business models” and “processes.” Particularly in the comparison of companies with “highly digitized processes,” the industry, together with “other” industries, ranks last and even shows the largest decline (-32%).¹

Image 2: Comparison of companies with highly digitized processes (Digitalization Index 20221)

More data for more data-driven optimizations of processes

To counter this, new ideas are needed to optimize processes in a data-driven manner using digital tools. This includes, alongside the company-wide collection of data (such as product, manufacturing, and order data), the networking of all this information to achieve maximum transparency.

openpack, the digital all-in-one platform for the packaging industry, provides the openpack Hub as the central point of contact for the connection, standardization, and cross-IT system utilization of corporate data. A partnership with ENLYZE has now been announced, which specializes in the digitalization of machines, analysis of machine data, and process optimization. Together, they want to better connect and digitize the packaging industry.

The partnership between openpack and ENLYZE aims to transform the traditional and still under-digitized packaging industry and set new standards for efficiency and connectivity. To do this, ENLYZE installs a specially developed edge device in the control cabinets of the systems and reads data directly from controllers, which is then transmitted to the openpack Hub, the core of the openpack platform. Here, the data is standardized and made available for use in the Digital Factory, a digital representation of the entire production process. Thanks to the uniform data format, controlled, rapid, and secure forwarding to any third-party systems is possible. In conjunction with the Digital Factory, customers can not only ensure greater transparency in their production but also achieve efficiency and productivity increases.

The all-in-one platform from openpack is complemented by ENLYZE's expertise in data collection and connectivity, leading to a complete solution for the entire shop floor that meets customer needs and promotes the networking and digitalization of production sites.

What the partners say about their cooperation

"At openpack, we have a clear vision: We want to transform the packaging industry and prepare it for the digital future. The partnership with ENLYZE is another step on this path and opens up exciting opportunities to better meet the needs of our customers and optimally support them in networking and digitizing their production sites. Our offerings complement each other perfectly.” - Patrick Klee (Chief Product Officer)

“We are excited to have found a partner in openpack who thinks holistically about digitalization in manufacturing. Their competencies significantly enhance our solution. The machine data made available by ENLYZE serves the entire company for data-based decisions. This way, all parts of the company are always up-to-date on what is really happening in manufacturing. Through the cooperation, we will be able to support many more manufacturers in the packaging industry through the long-overdue digitalization.” - Julius Scheuber (Product Manager)

The partnership between openpack and ENLYZE underscores the commitment of both companies to lead the packaging industry into a new era of digitalization through digital innovations and sustainable solutions. Together, they will increase efficiency and transparency, improve the collection of production data, and enhance networking within the factory.

About ENLYZE:

Most companies today are "blind" when it comes to their shop floor. ENLYZE (https://www.enlyze.com) provides reliable live information about the utilization and productivity of their systems and thus uncovers issues in manufacturing. To do this, we read the machine data of your systems and provide important analyses in our app:

• Which system has the highest productivity?

• What was the most common reason for downtime?

• What problems occur frequently?

ENLYZE not only makes digitalization easy but also profitable: Our customers achieve an average of 5% more performance, save 3 hours of downtime per month, and can reduce their scrap by about 2%.

About openpack:

openpack GmbH (www.openpack.com) develops a digital platform for the packaging industry. In the platform, we connect manufacturers, service providers, and customers in a unique digital ecosystem and serve as an innovative hub for the entire value chain. In addition to the digitalization and networking of industrial machines (Industry 4.0 or IIoT), we standardize data formats and optimize industry processes (e.g., purchasing and sales) through digital solutions. For this purpose, we utilize the full range of existing web and cloud technologies and also integrate other partners or platforms. Our goal is to make the participants of openpack more productive and to make the lives of the employees easier.