Sustainability is no longer an option but a necessity for organizations. But how do you make your organization sustainable if the product you provide results in additional waste? Roland van Bussel, Operations Director at packaging company Moonen Packaging in Weert, shares insights about Moonen Packaging’s methods and drivers. And how the right software, including S/4HANA Cloud, helps fulfill the mission of being carbon neutral by 2026. Curious about his story? Then read on quickly!
About Moonen Packaging
Moonen Packaging is a leading packaging wholesaler with more than 65 years of experience. Through passion and ambition, it has grown into an innovative packaging specialist. What makes Moonen Packaging special is that they have a sustainable packaging policy. This translates not only into sustainable and innovative products, but also into responsible purchasing, efficient logistics and linking customer systems.
Take care of the customer
Moonen Packaging has divided its customers into two customer groups. Roland van Bussel designates the first group by the term industry. These include e-commerce companies and logistics service providers, as well as steel companies and automakers. The second group consists of food and retail companies such as supermarket chains and bread and pastry makers. Moonen works on the basis of a Customer Intimacy strategy. ‘We can completely unburden customers in the area of packaging logistics,’ says Roland van Bussel. ‘We do the orders, keep the inventory, deliver to any day and location, and we recycle the returns.’ Moonen does this thanks to SLIM 4, coupled with S/4HANA Cloud. The data from these systems calculate the best inventory position for an item. In addition, the system gives a timely signal when something is about to go up. Based on transactions, the system predicts what the demand for a specific customer will be for the coming period.
The best packaging is no packaging
Moonen’s slogan is The best packaging is not packaging. ‘The first thing we look at with customers is how to minimize the amount of packaging needed to package the customer’s main product. Then when a customer does need packaging materials, we look at what is the most sustainable option. This can be done in several ways, for example by using stretch film that stretches more, so less film is needed. We also offer recycled products and products made from one material, such as bread bags that do not have a window. For example, we make every effort to have as little negative impact on the environment as possible,” explains Roland van Bussel.
Sustainability in the DNA
Packaging is not directly associated with sustainability. Moonen Packaging would like to see that change and is taking the initiative to do so. Because sustainability is woven into Moonen’s DNA, Van Bussel explains. ‘The last generation of Moonen, Gé Moonen, was far ahead of his time in terms of sustainability. Where sustainability is now high on society’s agenda, Gé had been championing it for years. When he left, the new board took the “green virus” from him. At that point, we built our own vision. In 2019, we started a sustainability project with an external party. Using several workshops, we created internal support and set sustainability goals. We also then established a sustainability team with employees from different departments. They are responsible for Moonen Packaging’s sustainability strategy.
How S/4HANA Public Cloud contributes to sustainability
‘Our aim is to be completely CO2 neutral by 2026. And that in 2030 all our customers will order packaging made from renewable raw materials,’ says Roland van Bussel. To achieve this goal, Moonen Packaging was looking for a solution that could intertwine the logistical processes with the ERP system. ‘S/4HANA Cloud is now the heart of the company. All data is stored and processed in it. From raw material to assortment and from sales to revenue, this provides insight. The system shows you which products are selling the most. In addition, Moonen Packaging works with Pickler, a software system linked to an external database to determine the carbon footprint of the assortment. By linking this data with the data from S/4HANA Cloud, we can show our customers the carbon impact of the products they buy. And on this basis, we offer our customers alternatives that have less impact on the environment.
Implementation with a clear plan
In October 2023, Moonen Packaging began what Quinso calls the Discovering phase of S/4HANA Cloud, with the goal of going live on July 1, 2024. Roland is very pleased with the collaboration with Quinso: “Over the past few months, we have had many workshops as an organization to create an image of how we work as an organization. This will give us insight into what best practices are in S/4HANA and which ones best fit our organization. The collaboration with Quinso is very pragmatic and to-the-point. The consultants have a clear plan in mind and communicate it clearly. All consultants are well prepared, which makes cooperation incredibly pleasant. From Moonen, 15 of us are actively involved in the implementation process. And from Quinso, there are also about 10 people we work closely with. A big team, so that clear communication is really needed.
More than 800 best practices
The advantage of S/4HANA Cloud is that the logistics module and the ERP system are intertwined. But especially appealing to Moonen Packaging is the large number of best practices contained in the system, more than 800. ‘Best practices eliminate the need for customization. This makes maintaining the system easy and implementation fast. We’re starting with the basics now, but we can add so many more best practices over the next five years, making the system work more and more for ón us. We can often still do this ourselves, as employees are trained by Quinso consultants to become specialists in using S/4HANA,” Van Bussel said.
Perfect balance
Moonen Packaging is taking determined steps toward a sustainable future. While pursuing their carbon-neutral goal, their approach reflects a perfect balance between innovation, efficiency and environmental awareness. With S/4HANA Cloud at the heart of the organization, Moonen Packaging not only meets today’s requirements, but also gives greener meaning to the future of packaging.
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