Clear view of the order backlog in SAP

With very low margins and strong competition, the packaging industry is subject to high price pressure, and Karl Knauer is no exception. The company, based in Biberach in Baden, produces packaging, advertising materials and gift packaging as well as packaging machines. In order to secure competitive advantages, the packaging manufacturer attaches great importance to IT-supported process efficiency. Karl Knauer has been using SAP to manage its business processes for many years. In mid-2024, the system was converted from ERP ECC 6.0 to S/4. Around 10,000 orders are automatically managed at Karl Knauer with SAP every year - from ordering to production to shipping.

Around 60 percent of orders come from call-offs. Thorsten Riehle, Controller at Karl Knauer: "For us, the order backlog is a very important key figure for corporate and production management. Without automation, it is almost impossible to maintain an overview, let alone make well-founded decisions. We had to realize that neither SAP ERP ECC 6.0 nor S/4 adequately covered this key figure. We really wanted to close this gap in operational reporting." The company set out in search of a solution and found what it was looking for with the Yoda order backlog KPI package from WSW Software. Yoda is the business analytics suite that combines numerous KPI packages for sales, production and purchasing - fully integrated in ECC 6.0 and S/4 Hana.

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"Where the standard reaches its limits, we mainly make do with add-ons."

Murat Ulum,
Director IT,
Karl Knauer

All KPIs in one package

The Yoda order backlog KPI package extracts the required order data from SAP, prepares it and uses it to create relevant KPIs. The data can be clearly visualized in a dashboard and evaluated down to the individual document by drilling down. At Karl Knauer, all data from Yoda is linked to the Microsoft Power BI tool and prepared graphically. Several times a week, Karl Knauer Controlling uses Yoda to analyze all order backlogs in its packaging division. At the touch of a button and in real time, the department receives information on the total value and expected turnover from open orders, the development of the order backlog and the order backlog by product or product category.

In addition, the management receives a clear report from Controlling once a month on these and other key figures, such as the development of the order backlog compared to previous periods, the expected turnover from open orders in the coming periods or an overview of the order backlog by customer. "The use of IT to support our processes is a strategic success factor for us and gives us a competitive edge. Where the standard reaches its limits, we mainly make do with add-ons. The Yoda order backlog KPI package from WSW Software, which is integrated into SAP, has brought us a long way forward. We now have a clear view, more transparency and therefore greater planning reliability in corporate and production management. The implementation went quickly and the price-performance ratio was right. We are very satisfied with WSW Software across the board," summarizes Murat Ulum, Director IT at Karl Knauer.

Karl Knauer

The core competencies of Karl Knauer KG are innovative packaging, advertising materials and gift packaging made of cardboard, corrugated cardboard and paper, as well as special machine construction. With its two sites in Biberach and Pniewy (Poland), the company is one of the leading specialists in the packaging sector with around 800 employees. Karl Knauer stands for production diversity and a high level of vertical integration. The individual packaging solutions meet the highest standards of protection, safety, sustainability and attractiveness at the point of sale.