Clear processes & control for Epple Druckfarben AG

Epple Druckfarben AG is a leading supplier of high-quality offset printing inks and has been combining innovation, Quality and sustainability for over 150 years. The company stands for excellent printing results in Scope such as commercial printing and food-safe packaging. With environmentally friendly ink systems, innovative technologies and a broad Assortment, Epple sets standards in the printing industry and is a true pioneer, for example with the development of the first mineral oil-free ink - a milestone in the industry. The medium-sized company has also successfully withstood the tough competitive environment of global players for many years and is a solid player in the chemical industry.

Epple had already been using the Microsoft Navision ERP system for years. However, it lacked comprehensive support for industry-specific challenges, such as the supply of new raw materials, the handling of Hazardous Substances or complex logistics requirements. "We knew that we needed a solution that was both flexible and specifically aligned to our industry. It was important for us to work with a provider that understands our challenges and is there for us in the long term," says Tobias Friedrich, Project Manager Processes/Digitalization at Epple Druckfarben AG.

As a medium-sized company, Epple faces the same challenges as large corporations: the fixed costs and regulatory requirements, for example for hazardous substance management, are equal, but human capacities are limited. "None of our own ERP specialists are on the team, the implementation took place alongside our day-to-day business, which is something we are very proud of. It was not always easy to make sensible use of the available resources. But otherwise the implementation of the software went very smoothly," summarizes Tobias Friedrich. The Epple team learned the necessary know-how in standard training courses on core processes such as logistics, manufacturing and sales, and drew on the support and expertise of the Yaveon consultants when needed. "We also chose the hazardous materials provider based on our criteria outside of the Yaveon network. The connection was very flexible and was implemented in an uncomplicated manner."

After a careful exploratory phase and the evaluation of several providers, Epple Druckfarben opted for Yaveon - particularly because of its industry expertise and the carefully conducted kick-off, recalls Mr. Friedrich. "Yaveon put a lot of work and effort into the presentation and we quickly realized that the consultants knew a lot about our industry. They had the right answer to every question, and the issues at stake were not discussed for the first time. The handling of the topics was noticeably experienced."

Next part of the project was the introduction of a new document management system. "Our old DMS was very cumbersome. We had the clear requirement that working with documents should be easier," says Mr. Friedrich. The DMS was introduced at the same time as the ERP, and today the document management system harmonizes smoothly. "With the new DMS, we have stored all Documents and work with practical Functions such as drag & drop combined with our ERP."

But what about the deployment, are the ERP and the DMS worth the money? "Sure, introducing software costs money and there are monthly costs. But they are absolutely comparable to a machine, without which we would not be able to produce. You have to look at it in perspective. After all, almost everyone in our company uses ERP. It's worth spending the money," summarizes Tobias Friedrich.

Epple Druckfarben AG has now been using the ERP successfully for some time. Mr. Friedrich looks back with satisfaction: "Our work is now much more stable than before, operations are straightforward and can be tracked. The solution of Yaveon covers our industry-specific problems perfectly." Also because the users were able to draw on their experience with Navision, they quickly learned how to use the new system in the cloud.