Clear processes & control for Epple Druckfarben AG

Epple Druckfarben AG is a leading provider of premium offset printing inks and has been combining innovation, quality, and sustainability for more than 150 years. The company stands for outstanding printing results in areas such as commercial printing and food-safe packaging. With eco-friendly ink systems, innovative technologies, and a broad portfolio, Epple sets benchmarks in the printing industry and acts as a true pioneer – for example, by developing the world’s first mineral oil-free ink, a milestone in the sector.

As a mid-sized company, Epple has successfully held its ground against global players for many years and is firmly established in the chemical industry.

Epple had been using Microsoft Navision ERP for years. But the system lacked comprehensive support for industry-specific challenges, such as the supply of new raw materials, handling of hazardous substances, or complex logistics requirements.

“We knew we needed a solution that was both flexible and tailored to our industry. And it was important to us to work with a provider who truly understands our challenges and would be a long-term partner,” says Tobias Friedrich, Project Manager Processes/Digitization at Epple Druckfarben AG.

Like large corporations, mid-sized businesses such as Epple face the same challenges: fixed costs and strict regulatory requirements, for example in hazardous substance management, are the same – but personnel resources are more limited.

“We don’t have ERP specialists on staff, and the implementation ran alongside our day-to-day work. We are very proud of that. Making the most of our available resources was not always easy. But otherwise, the software implementation went very smoothly,” summarizes Tobias Friedrich.

In standard training sessions on core processes such as logistics, production, and sales, the Epple team gained the necessary know-how and relied on the support and expertise of Yaveon consultants as needed. “We also selected our hazardous substances provider outside of the Yaveon network. The connection was highly flexible and implemented without complication.”

After a thorough evaluation phase and assessment of several providers, Epple Druckfarben chose Yaveon – in particular because of Yaveon’s deep industry expertise and the professional, structured kick-off.

“Yaveon put a lot of effort into the presentation, and we quickly realized that the consultants understood our industry. They had an answer to every question. The issues we raised were clearly familiar, and it was obvious they had handled these topics many times before. Their approach was impressively confident.”

Another part of the project was the introduction of a new document management system. “Our old DMS was cumbersome. We wanted a solution that made working with documents easier,” explains Friedrich.

The DMS was introduced together with the ERP, and today document management runs seamlessly. “With the new DMS, we store all documents centrally and use practical features such as drag & drop – fully integrated with our ERP.”

But is the ERP and DMS investment really worth it? “Of course, implementing software costs money, and there are ongoing monthly costs. But it’s absolutely comparable to a machine that we couldn’t produce without. You have to see it in that context. After all, almost everyone in our company uses the ERP system. It’s worth the investment,” concludes Tobias Friedrich.

Epple Druckfarben AG has now been successfully using the ERP system for some time. Friedrich looks back with satisfaction:

“We now work much more reliably than before. Processes run smoothly and are easy to trace. With Yaveon’s solution, we cover our industry-specific challenges perfectly.”

And because the users were already familiar with Navision, working with the new cloud-based system was quickly learned.